The ginger-furred rogue risked a surreptitious glance through the blinds from the darkened room. His green-gold eyes narrowed and his tail lashed several times. They were still there, watching the entrance below. He expelled a short breath and turned to the woman in the shadowed corner.
“Nightstrike, I have to be seen leaving through the same door I entered by or they’ll get suspicious and do something stupid. That will make my job harder, and I’m too lazy to let that happen.”
He handed her a thumbnail-sized data card. “Everything about the job is on that. The encryption is interactive… you’ll see what I mean when you open it. The key is the small ball of yarn. Again, you'll see what I mean. I really don’t know just what NStar is up to, but I traced the money and data back to them. They—or someone there—are the ones behind the contract. Why an oil company wants a human trafficking ring exposed in a subtle, sneaky manner without any deaths is a mystery. I can think of a dozen reasons, but I don’t know anything for sure.”
“What do you know?” Nightstrike asked.
“That trafficking ring is being protected by some mid-to-high level people in the federal government, and it runs down through the Titan City law enforcement, too. Several metahumans have moved through this connection. No one well-known, as far as I can tell, but I’m still trying to match up the shreds of data we’ve got on them.” He chuckle-purred with a wry grin. “I think it’s a government op to move important people while looking like an illegal ring. Anyway, Curiosity Kilz needs more data and I’m not in a position to get it. Are you in?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Nightstrike took the data card and turned it over in her hand a few times, then slipped it into a small pouch on her belt. Her digitized voice emerged from her skull-like helmet. "I'm in. How should I contact you once I've learned more?"
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
"Call or text the number you get by chopping off the first four digits of that 'randomized' 21-digit file name. That's the number I've set up for you. I'll switch it out automatically, and you shouldn't have to do anything on your end but safeguard your own device."
"And I'm still 'in' on that Blackwatch thing, if and when you need me." He winked at her.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"My plans for Blackwatch are on hold at the moment. But I will keep your offer in mind. I'll make contact after I've gone over what you've collected so far." Nightstrike said, throwing a two-fingered salute to Kartanian before exiting the front room.
She headed down a short hall to a small kitchen, scrolling through the views from the series of micro-cams she'd set up before entering the building. They showed that while the majority of Kartanian's pursuers were out front, there was a loiterer in the back alley attempting to look inconspicuous. She snorted to herself and reached for a cylinder on her belt.
With a twist and click, the cylinder began emitting a sound-dampening field. Nightstrike slid the kitchen window open noiselessly, then clambered out onto the fire escape. She ascended the ladder while keeping her eyes on the loiterer, finally escaping onto the roof. Once out of sight, she shut off the dampener, then fired her wrist grapnel and swung off into the night.
Once she was half a mile away, Nightstrike landed in another alley and retrieved the data card from her belt, setting it on a dumpster lid. She uttered a few words in an ancient langage and her armor disappeared, replaced by a flirty black club dress, heels, and clutch. She put the card in the clutch, then exited the alley, having reassumed her identity of Roxanne Smythe-Graeme.
Soon enough, she was approaching one of Titan City's most luxurious loft apartment highrises. The doorman waved as she walked up. "Good evening, Ms. Smythe-Graeme. How are you tonight?"
"I'm excellent, Leon. What of you?" she asked, a pleasant Kentish lilt to her voice.
"Quite well, ma'am. Quite well. Have a good evening." he said, opening the door for her.
Roxanne checked her mailbox, then rode the elevator to the top level. When she reached her door, the key she slid into the lock was special. That action completed a circuit inside the lock, allowing the micro-circuitry inside the key to scan her bodies unique bio-electric field as she turned it. Once her identity was confirmed, the industrial strength electromagnets in the rim of the door disengaged and she opened it as easily as any other door.
Heading inside, she changed and then sat down at a haptigraphic display. She switched the display on, then slotted the datacard into a port. The computer scanned the content for viruses and malware, then displayed its contents.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
The SD card Kartanian had given Nightstrike contained only one file. It was apparently an interactive media file, and displayed a holorealistic scene of an ordinary American living room with a family, a dog, two cats, and an appealing clutter of leisure activities being pursued by each. One cat played with a ball of yarn. A smaller ball of yarn appeared to have been batted almost out of sight under the couch. Nightstrike reached into the scene and retrieved the smaller ball of yarn. After some experimentation and knowing both who the file was from and what it was supposed to contain, she unlocked the encryption.
As promised, the file contained several gigabytes of compressed data detailing what the feline spymaster had already discovered. There were hundreds of leads, but only a dozen remained open and marked as "promising" or "uncertain." The job itself was straightforward, if challenging. The NStar agent was offering a substantial sum of money for the public--and untraceable--exposure of a human trafficking ring called "Freedom Avenue." The data provided about the loosely-connected organization made it obvious, however, that freedom had nothing to do with the ring's operations. They simply moved people across borders when paid to do so, whether the "freight" was willing, exploited, or fully coerced.
Kartanian's notes suggested that NStar needed someone disposable to expose the ring, but he had not yet figured out why. He was hoping that Nightstrike would be able to discover more in the process of executing the contract.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
----- In a different part of the city, some hours after Kartanian's meeting with Nightstrike -----
"Mister Northbrook. Good to meet you," the slender young man murmured. He had the look of a delivery truck driver, and not a secret agent, but that was probably to be expected. He tilted his head down and glanced with greenish-gold eyes over his sunglasses at the used car lot he was standing in. The newest thing in sight was a 2008 Ford Escape with a mismatched right side door and three bullet holes patched with duct tape. This part of the city wasn't a good market for upscale transportation, but if it ran, someone would probably buy it, eventually, as soon as the tired lot owner dropped the price far enough. "Shame about the rain, but we gotta make do with whatever we get for weather, I suppose."
He returned his gaze to Northbrook and adjusted his glasses. "You come recommended. I have work for you, I think. My name is Kartanian."
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Mr. Northbrook - he almost never thought of himself as the Falcon, Val Fordan or even V'lindor Foradain while wearing this guise - idly noted the unusual (for this world, at least) eye coloration before the glasses covered them again. "Would it be indiscrete to inquire who it was that recommends me?" He didn't really care if he learned now or not, the nature of this person's job would tell him what he needed to know. Or maybe it wouldn't. It could be that this Kartanian was playing a double game as well...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
"Certainly. After all, good recommendations should be acknowledged." Kartanian nodded. "Hypatia Bel praised your ability to stick to the mission while avoiding distracting and unnecessary damage to people and property. She did not share with me what the specific circumstances were, but I was asking about people who could do hostile extractions for adequate compensation. With an emphasis on the holding party being hostile; not the extracted party him or herself."
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
In an Ironport apartment, Flux was working on her new identity. She couldn't go by her old name that was an escape mental patient no she needed something new. "Damn this shit so much easier in movies." It took most of her take from the armor car robbery to get fake papers and ID. "I am Julia Walker..." she said trying to make the lie sound believable. Her once brown hair was now cut short and was now dirty blond then the deeper shade before. Leaning in close to the mirror, she had even changed the color of her eyes green shifted to hazel. "New face, new life, same shit."
Walking into the living room, she sat down on the couch and opened a laptop. Even with the new ID and papers she had no work history, no real records, it would be easy to discover she wasn't who she said she was. "Can't find a job that won't dig into Julia's history. Won't take much to find me out. Damn, I'm going to have to do some criminal stuff again just to survive." Once again she fought tears as she looked for a job listing.
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
Northbrook nodded, while making a mental note to check. Madame Bel and Jewell were not the only ones who knew about that operation, and the others might have thought the damage excessive, having been on the receiving end. "Madame Bel did seem quite happy with how things turned out on that occasion. So, what can you tell me about the person or people I would be recovering, or about those from whom I would be recovering them?"
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
One advertisement in particular stood out as she looked at the listings on the job board.
[b]Flexible Couriers Wanted[/b]
[i]Delivery service needs clever, self-reliant couriers. Must be comfortable picking up and delivering packages to dangerous locations. We pay a living wage, plus benefits, plus bonus. Strong character required. Ex-cons and immigrants encouraged to apply. We also walk dogs.[/i]
The contact information was listed clearly at the bottom of the ad.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne spent the next several hours poring through all of the data collected by Kartanian and familiarizing herself with every in and out of the job up to this point. At the same time, she'd partitioned off a section of the display to go through her current folio of cover identities. There were several that might be suitable for the job, but she'd need to check with Ciph3r before she decided on one. She sent him a short message asking him to make contact.
15 minutes later, her headset beeped and she opened the channel. Ciph3r's Southern twang emerged. "Yeah boss, what's goin' on?"
"Ciph3r, I need the most current status on cover identities 9, 32, 74, and 107. You know the drill." she asked politely while still reading.
"That ah do, boss. Ah'll be back with ya in a few hours." he answered.
"Thank you." Roxanne cut the connection and went back to studying.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
Julia Walker followed the link and filled out the website application. "Well, either it's good or it's bad. Criminal or law abiding I need a job." Who do you pray to when you don't care about good or evil? The God of I don't give a damn?
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
Kartanian glanced at the office of the used car lot and waved off the salesman, Lenny, who had just started getting up from behind the desk. Lenny shrugged and sat back down to his cup of coffee. If the kid's friend wanted to buy something, they'd let him know. In the meantime, the kid was paying well enough to just keep an eye on the security monitors and warn him if anything weird showed up.
Northbrook's questions were expected. Kartanian explained, "There's a group moving people into the country from different places around the world. Some of the people they move are paying money to get across the border, looking for better opportunities here. Some of them are being trafficked, and are put into prostitution, drug work, or underground labor against their will. A few are metas or operatives of unknown organizations being moved for purposes I haven't figured out, yet. The group running this business is well-organized, and reasonably well-equipped and paid. They try very hard not to call attention to themselves, so they don't have a well-known street name, but they are informally called 'Freedom Avenue.'"
Kartanian paused and chuckled wryly, "Purely from a truth-in-advertising standpoint, I question that choice of name. Anyway, I am going to need one person pulled out of their 'in-transit' process and moved to a prepared location in Titan City that I will designate. The extraction is going to draw attention, so the job technically doesn't end until both you and the target vanish from their radar. The compensation I am offering reflects that."
"Thoughts or questions?"
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
The reply to Julia's application came almost immediately.
[i]Ms. Walker,[/i]
[i]Come in and see us about the courier job. Please expect some personal questions about your ability to do the job. Everything will be completely confidential. We do not share any information about our applicants or employees with anyone else, ever. (Unless you specifically tell us to.) You will be speaking with Ms. Kisya D'Amico, our Office Director. Come to our office between 2-4 PM today or tomorrow, or call me if you would like to arrange a different time.[/i]
[i]Thanks,[/i]
[i]Chelsea Zom[/i]
[i]Executive Assistant[/i]
[i]Constructive Enterprises, LLC[/i]
[i]"Do something Constructive today"[/i]
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"Only two: First, what do you know about the person being extracted; and second, in the event that this person is... less than cooperative, can you provide a safer way to subdue him than a measured dose of chloroform?" Northbrook planned on having the chloroform handy, in any event. Sometimes there wasn't time to say two words to someone...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Kartanian nodded and filled Northbrook in on the additional details. "I don't yet have a fixed name or identity for the target. I want to remove one of the sex trafficking victims while making it appear that a relative in the home country paid to have the person rescued--something to minimize suspicion on the network's part. To avoid repercussions, I need to do a little more research, but you probably aren't interested in the behind the scenes stuff."
"I do have something that will render a person unconscious much more simply and reliably than chloroform. Delivery by ranged micro-darts or skin contact patches, like a motion sickness patch in size. If you prefer, I can provide something that will make the person completely calm and willing to follow your instructions, but that is... dicier... for all concerned." He raised an eyebrow and waited for Northbrook's reaction.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Northbrook reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a small box that shouldn't have fit at all, let alone without being noticeable. He opened it, and pulled out a smaller case with twenty hypodermic darts. High caliber rounds of some sort were left in the box. "Two patches, and one dose in each of these, should do well enough." He handed the case to Kartanian. "Contact me at the same number, when we're ready to go."
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
True to his word, Ciph3r contacted Roxanne within a few hours. "Howdy boss. 9, 74, an' 107 are still a-okay. 32 was compromised 'bout 3 months ago an' is 'bout to be under investigation by Scotland Yard. Ah've started the burn process."
Roxanne nodded to herself and stood up to stretch, then started pacing, putting things together in her head. The simple fact was that these covers might not be necessary, but it never hurt to be prepared for multiple contingencies. "Thank you, Ciph3r. I may be disappearing for awhile, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me. Take some time off. Your usual pay and a 35% bonus will be in your account by midnight. Good night."
"Talk to ya later, boss. Be careful out there." he said, signing off.
Roxanne sat back down again and brought up the three cover identities, familiarizing herself once again with their details, then she messaged Kartanian. [i]It's Nightstrike. I'm ready when you are.[/i]
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
To Northbrook, Kartanian grinned and took the box. "Can do, will do. You can expect a call from me within the next 48 hours." He somehow slipped the box into a similar sort of pocket in his own jacket and turned to go.
-----
Not long afterward, he received a message from Nightstrike. He scrolled through the extra data that Kisya had gathered and forwarded it to Nightstrike with a simple text question: "Current locations of principal individuals is now updated as shown. If you are okay to go on your own, reply 1. If you want my assistance, reply 2."
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne received his reply and texted back. [i]Best for you to avoid the Avenue. I'll handle BJ & S. You can check out NStar instead.[/i]
With that taken care of, she checked out the newest information, then headed upstairs to her wardrobe. Though it only contained clothes, calling the room a closet was vastly understating its existence. When she'd bought the apartment, it had been a second bedroom that shared a bath with her bedroom. The room now housed racks upon racks of clothing and shoes of all styles and time periods, all of them immaculately cared for. There was another haptigraphic interface in the center of the room that she could use to scroll through the entire collection, mixing and matching until she found the perfect look for whatever she was doing.
For this initial foray, something flamboyant yet tasteful was necessary. Roxanne settled on black shoes with a 6-inch heel, a charcoal gray pantsuit with red lapels that drew attention to the plunging neckline, a gold Movado Bela watch, and a loose band of pearls. She used a spell to grow her hair out several more inches and turn it black, then styled it to be loose and flirty. Lastly, another spell subtly altered her facial features and she applied make-up. Her identity was now that of Cover 74 a.k.a. Condesa Serena del Olmo, a 'free agent' that explored criminal opportunities for the highest bidder.
Roxanne's next stop on the upper floor was her weapons and tech room. She picked up a spring-loaded sheath and a 16-inch snap baton from the left side of the room, then walked over to the right side to get another sheath that held six cutting-edge surveillance bugs. Once those were in place under her sleeves, she headed back down to the first level, retrieved a clutch with the bare essentials, and headed out the door.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
While waiting for the call, the man who sometimes called himself Northbrook did a bit of research on his own. Or rather, took advantage of the research others had done. The movie [I]Taken[/I] had presented a view of abductions of young women as targets of opportunity to be sold for high prices to men who think their wealth makes them better than others; above the law. By contrast, the novel [I]Flickan som lekte med elden[/I], sequel to [I]Män som hatar kvinnor[/I] (which had been retitled when translated into English as [I]The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo[/I]) had presented a much cruder, lower profit operation, continued largely because of a lack of interest on the part of the authorities in investigating that end of the prostitution racket made it relatively safe for the racketeers. Both would likely have fit in somewhere in the spectrum of actual trafficking operations.
Northbrook considered the differences between the two fictitious operations, and the operation Kartanian had described, and added in the likelihood that in this world, wealth could hire the services of those who were, in the words of a certain historian, "more than their numbers would indicate." Which, as long as he kept the possibility in mind, was fine with Northbrook. The historian could have been writing of him, as well.
But that was enough of going deliberately into dark places for now. An author had been mentioned in the earlier Steig Larrson book, and a quick trip to one of the public libraries in his more public persona obtained a copy of an English translation. This looked like it would prove amusing...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Julia road up to the address on her black ninja motorcycle. She had given the building a look over once already to make sure it wasn't a trap. After parking she headed to the door removing her helmet and unzipping her jacket.
She sat down on a chair to wait for her job interview. Removing her jacket fully she was dressed in a woman's suit. It wasn't high end, but it wasn't good will either. The jacket and helmet took up the seat next to her.
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
The office lobby was small, but had comfortable waiting chairs for four or five people. The decor didn't convey anything special, other than establishing a basic credibility and assuring visitors that Constructive Enterprises wasn't a tasteless, low-budget operation. Security measures were well-hidden; professionals might appreciate the arrangement, but everyone else would notice nothing unusual about the office.
The receptionist allowed Julia a moment to get settled. The young woman at the desk was both attractive and alert. She gave the impression of being an angular, petite-sized younger sister to the singer, Beyonce. She stood and greeted Julia with a professional smile. "Good afternoon, Ms. Walker. I'm Chelsea. Welcome to Constructive Enterprises. Ms. D'Amico will see you as soon as you are ready. Let me know if you'd like a bottle of water, or anything else I can get for you. I can tuck your helmet and jacket in the closet, if you like."
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
“Hey! Keep yer fingers clear! I don’ want no lost time accidents, you mooks! An’ use the ground guides, geez!” Big Joe Dashton hollered down to the crew wrangling the shipping containers onto the dock. The big man leaned back into the supervisor’s shack and shoved his hard hat up on his forehead to wipe his sweating brow on his sleeve. He set his hard hat right again and looked on as the gantry crane picked up another intermodal container from the stack on the ship, swung it over to the dock, and set it down onto the trailer chassis where the workers would lock it down. The Customs staff checked the security seals and manifests of every container and pulled some aside for random scans and inspection. The Customs team didn’t concern Big Joe. The paperwork was all in order and absolutely nothing was going to get past the Avenue’s scan-spoofing countermeasures. He ran the safest part of the operation, and he was going to make sure it stayed that way.
A tap at his elbow caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Hey, Slider! Your boys ready to take the cargo out to the distribution center?”
The lean, polo-shirted man he addressed seemed almost the opposite of the 300-pound dock supervisor. Where Big Joe seemed like a classic example of a working-class dock manager who had inched his way up from day laborer, Slider looked like a college frat boy working a summer management job. Maybe a few years older than college-aged, he exuded a sort of privileged, “I always get my way” attitude and confidence. His sunglasses were the latest style and his hair was artfully slicked back. He glanced down at his tablet. “Yep. Plenty of profit on this run. We’re even ahead of schedule.”
“Yeah, that’s nice, but don’ push the drivers and the crew to go any faster. I wanna keep my safety record. Accidents require investigations by another Port Authority department. One I don’ got no special friends in.”
Slider slapped Big Joe on the shoulder. “Understood. No worries. I’m just ready to give them their destinations as soon as you clear the cargo, like always.” He looked around the supervisor’s shack. It was a bigger mess than usual. An assortment of parts and tubing was laid out on a couple of drop cloths on the floor and there was a hole in the opposite wall. Big Joe’s aging desktop computer had been pushed over to teeter precariously on the end of the counter. “What happened to the air conditioning in here, anyway?”
“Busted. I gotta buy a new one or somethin’. That repair contractor sucks. Uh… a bug or somethin’ got jammed in the intake whatsit, an’ my guy got it out, but he busted the compressor and the tube. The contractor from the port came out and wanted to charge me six hunnerd bucks to fix it. I figure we go to Sears or somethin’ an’ get a new one.”
“Bug problems?” Slider asked. Big Joe nodded. “You call an exterminator?”
“Yeah. Cleaned up. Did a sweep. The shack, the trucks, MHE, all of it, and the warehouse, too. Came back clean, afterward.”
“Good. Don’t want anything messing with our cargo schedule. Or security.”
“Damn right. But, we’re good now, ‘cept for I gotta freakin’ hole in my wall and I gotta have Johnny bring me ice from the warehouse every couple-a hours to keep my cool.”
The trucking manager shrugged. “You gotta do what you gotta do, right?”
“Right.” Big Joe glanced over at the computer screen. “S’bout ready to go. I can clear your first three. PA and Customs are done with ‘em.”
“Excellent. I’ll get the guys ready and have them get marshaled back. See you later, Big Joe.”
The dock operations supervisor nodded, wiped the sweat from his brow again, and went about his job.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"Thank you Chelsea. No I'm fine don't need any water or anything. The locker would be a good idea." She handed over the jacket and helmet. "I can see Ms. D'Amico when ever, got nothing else planned for now."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
Roxanne arrived at the docks in a limousine, the sleek black vehicle coming to a stop just before the gate leading to her destination. It was a few hours before noon and the day was bright. She exited slowly and strode through the gate at a leisurely pace. The dock was a frenzy of activity, but her outfit and languid strut guaranteed some sort of reaction, mostly in the form of whistles and catcalls from the rough-and-tumble laborers. She ignored them until someone approached.
It was another woman, her dirty but still attractive face inscrutable. Dressed in steel-toed boots, oil-stained coveralls, a t-shirt with the sleeves raggedly cut off over a mid-sleeved athletic top, work gloves, and a hard hat, the woman's appearance and attitude were a stark contrast to Roxanne's impeccable clothing and poised demeanor. And yet she didn't seem to be at all cowed by the differences between them. Her bright green eyes grew hard and she looked past Roxanne to where a few workers had begun trailing behind, admiring the view. "Get back to work, you lazy pack of apes!"
The workers scrambled out of the way as if her words were bullets and rushed back to what they'd been doing. The much shorter woman's gaze flicked down to Roxanne's left hand, then back up to lock eyes with her. "I'm the supervisor here. Can I help you, Ms...?"
"Condesa." she corrected, her precise voice now possessing a perfect Spanish accent.
"Condesa Serena Del Olmo." she continued. "I am looking for Joseph Dashton."
The woman looked confused for a fleeting moment, then realization hit her. "Oh! You mean Big Joe. C'mon, he's right this way." she said, motioning for Roxanne to walk with her. As they walked side by side, the woman continued to shoot glances at Roxanne, studying her intently. "Sooo, Condesa... is that some kind of title? It's sounds kinda like Countess. Are you some sort of nobility?"
Roxanne glanced down at her. "Si. You are correct. It is the Spanish form of Countess. And, yes, I am. What is your name, please?"
The woman stuttered, surprised by the request. "M... my name? It's uh... it's Amber."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Amber. It takes a strong woman to be successful in a career like this, especially as a supervisor. And I don't just mean physically." Roxanne said, smiling slightly as her own eyes flicked over Amber's wide shoulders and defined arms.
Amber colored at the comment, now rather flustered. "So, uhmm, there's Big Joe's shack right here, err there... it's right there. Do you need anything else?"
Roxanne stopped while still a short walk from the shack. "That depends. Am I correct in assuming that you find me attractive?"
Amber flushed bright red at the question and she looked down. A quiet voice emerged as she looked back up slowly, her green eyes now vulnerable. "... yes."
"Excellent. I will take you to dinner this evening." she said, smiling as she extracted a card from her clutch. Amber accepted the card like it was made of 24-carat gold. "Call me this afternoon to formalize our plans."
Amber nodded, her attention still on the card. "Uh huh, okay."
Without another word, Roxanne set off for the shack. When she reached it, she knocked on the door.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
“Yo, c’mon in!” the gruff voice said from inside the shack. The door opened. Big Joe got a look at the visitor and gaped. “Whoa! Ah… Hello, there! I’m Joe. What can I do for ya?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Flux/Julia)
Chelsea took the cycle gear and tucked it into the lobby closet. “Just to reassure you, this is a confidential interview. Nothing you share with us will go anywhere else, unless you specifically tell us otherwise.”
The momentary sound of heels clicking on tile approached from the hallway beyond the waiting area. An olive-skinned woman with classic Mediterranean features appeared in the doorway. She wore a smart, tailored black jacket over a white silk blouse, a short black leather skirt, and a no-nonsense expression. In a melodic voice with what might have been a trace of Italian accent, she announced herself. “Good afternoon, Ms. Walker. I am Kisya D’Amico. I run things around the office here. Welcome. Follow me, and let’s get started.”
Ms. D’Amico turned and walked back down the hallway to her office. It seemed efficient, with a nice view of the port. She gestured to a chair across the desk from her. When Julia had settled herself, Ms. D’Amico asked, “Tell me about yourself. Specifically, what have you done in the past, and what makes you believe that you can handle risky, dangerous situations while managing to do your job?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Following Ms. D'Amico she took farther notice of the building. She didn't need to see the security systems to almost feel the different molecules in the walls and ceiling where they were hidden. It wasn't as if she knew what those security measures were a energy gun has more or less the same material as a scanner. A security gate could just be a blade. But she knew that there was steel in one area, plastics in another, lots of electronics there on the left and so forth. The place was not cheep but wasn't high end either. A location that could be abandoned if needed, at the same time not desired to be left.
She sat down on the chair before the desk "it's hard to explain. I been through hard times and survived battles between heroes and villains. Got cough up in that attack on Steel Mercy for example. I was a.. an Intern. The memories of the screaming people as that pyromaniac psycho burnt them alive still wakes me up at night sometimes." She added hoping the event covered her hesitation. "It don't get much dangerous then that. I have some self defense lessons, basic first aid, fire arms. And... well I can do this."
She removed a basic steel bar about two inches long one inch thick. Then she squeezed it as if it was play-doh. She did it in one hand and placed the now rough ball of steel on the desk.
"It's not super strength, I can shape anything I touch. Stone, wood, steel, liquids, and even the air. To much and it affects me nose bleeding usually the first sign I going beyond my limit."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
Ms. D’Amico seemed satisfied. “Nice. If you have stress or other medical issues, that’s not a disqualifier. We can make sure that appropriate help is available for that, if you want or need it. If you have limitations, conditions, or difficulty controlling metahuman powers, I need to know about it, but, again, not a disqualifier. Anything I should know about there?”
“If not, tell me about how you like to get around—vehicles and any licenses, anything that might help you pick up and deliver things on a time schedule.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
A light smile graced Roxanne's lips and she strolled inside to stand a few feet away from him. She leaned forward slightly, drawing attention to her cleavage. "Hello, Mr. Dashton. I'm Condesa Serena del Olmo."
She extended a hand and he grasped it in his meaty paw. "Oh, sorry 'bout the sweat. AC's busted." Big Joe said quickly.
Roxanne grimaced slightly at this and took the opportunity to reach into her clutch and grab a tissue. As she did this, she flexed her forearm and one of her bugs dropped into her hand. She set her clutch on the counter so she could wipe the sweat off her hands. When she reached for her clutch again, she subtly applied the bug to the underside of the counter's rim. A tiny reservoir of simple nanites opened and they scanned the surface the bug was attached to. Once done they covered the bug and altered their outer surface to imitate the pressed wood underside in general appearance and feeling.
"It is alright. I will get straight to the point. I specialize in putting together business arrangements for interested parties and would like to speak with you about your shipping services."
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
"Yeah? Ain't you talking to the wrong guy, then? I'm just the dock manager. Waleesha Franco over in the office handles Mercury Intermodal's business services. She's the East Coast Accounts Director." Big Joe's curiosity was raised, though. He paused. "What kinda stuff are your clients shipping?"
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"I have a Ninja motorbike that's my primary form of travel. If I need to I could carry myself in the air. Can't say it's flying more like I carry myself in the air."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
Ms. D’Amico nodded. She asked a few more questions, but nothing too hard or too personal. She seemed satisfied with Julia’s answers, but didn’t give much away. She had the sort of cold expression some people referred to as a “resting bitch face.” It didn’t inspire comfort, but she didn’t do or say anything that would directly make someone worry, either.
Finally, Ms. D’Amico nodded and said, “Everything looks okay for what I need, Julia. If it’s okay with you, I’ll get you set up to work for us on a two week contract basis to let you see if you like us, and vice versa. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet the owner, Mr. Tanner, during this contract period. He’s more of a ‘sympathetic’ guy, and you need to feel comfortable working for him, because he’s the one who picks the jobs we take. If anything about the job feels uncomfortable, that’s okay; no harm, no foul.”
“The last question I have is this. Is there anything that we need to keep hidden about you, or enemies or situations that we need to protect you from, in order to let you do your job safely and with as little stress as possible?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne threw the soiled tissue away and closed her clutch, then crossed her hands in front of her waist.
"Mr. Porqat has a variety of interests, so his shipping needs are extensive and quite varied. Some of these items might be... hmm... frowned upon by certain entities. Consequently, his business has seen recent setbacks because of actions undertaken by heroic individuals. Due to these setbacks, he is looking for a more secure [i]avenue[/i] of shipping than what could ever be offered by Mercury Intermodal or most other services." she answered, smiling invitingly.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
"Uh huh," the big man murmured with a nod. His eyes drifted to the valley of her neckline. He admired the view for a few seconds, then he jerked them back up to her face. "So you need secure shipping. Yeah. Mercury's good, but there's better. It just costs more. But, I guess that's not a big issue for you."
He straightened up as much as he was able and said, "Let me introduce you to a guy who handles that kinda stuff." He toggled his radio. "Hey, Slider. I got someone you wanna meet. She wants to know about secure shipping." He listened for a moment. "Yeah, she's a classy lady." He nodded with a friendly wink at Roxanne. "Yeah, I'll tell her."
He directed his attention back to Roxanne. "He'll be right over. He's gettin' some trailers ready to go out, but he'll hurry over here. He said he doesn't want to keep ya waiting. Uh, I'd ask if there's anything I can get ya, but the shack here's kinda tore up, just now."
It was a short wait. The man that Big Joe had called Slider came back into the little office. "Hello, my name's Dan Shelton. How may I help you, Ms...?"
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne turned to face Slider and smiled, her gaze doing a quick scan of his lean form before returning to his eyes.
"It's Condesa, actually. Condesa Serena del Olmo. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shelton. I was just explaining to Mr. Dashton that I'm here representing Mr. Salman Porqat. Having experienced recent setbacks, he finds himself in need of secure shipping for his various needs." she explained, smiling easily.
"He learned through various sources that Mr. Dashton was the man to talk to about the safest [i]avenue[/i] of shipping available. And Mr. Porqat is willing to pay whatever is necessary in order to secure his products. So what can you offer him?" she finished, one eyebrow raised slightly.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
“Well, well, well!” the smooth young man replied. “I would be happy to provide a quote for Mr. Porqat, or any of his associates! I’m sure we can find a totally secure avenue of export and import that will satisfy his requirements. Are you looking at a one-time shipment, or a longer-term relationship? Or, just a trial to see how it goes, with the possibility of more business later?”
Roxanne noticed Big Joe nudging the computer—and its webcam—slightly more toward her direction as he made space at the desk for them. Slider’s attention seemed fully locked on her, however. “Do you want to discuss details here?” he asked. “The dock manager’s shack seems more than a bit shabby for someone with your class. I would be happy to arrange a nicer location for a real business meeting, if you like.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"Don't think I need anything fancy. Typical body armor I'm just a normal person more or less. Sure I can make it hard for bullets to hit me but I need to focus to do that."
She sighed "now what is the job really about. All this about defense and this place is well protected for a mundane office. If I miss my guess there was a laser blaster turret in that hallway."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
"Mr. Dashton, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and presume you're not actually attempting to record me. I'd hate to have to terminate our business before it's even begun." Roxanne said while shifting her stance to turn further away from the camera.
"Yes, Mr. Shelton, I'd very much like to move our meeting to a nicer location. What did you have in mind?" Roxanne asked, reaching up to flip her hair off her shoulder.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Flux/Julia)
“Penetrating auto-taser, actually,” Ms. D’Amico replied with a cynical twist of the lip. “K didn’t want a lethal response in this public office. ‘Too much risk of accidental discharge,’ he said.”
“The job is picking up and delivering packages from dangerous places. Most of the time, the package contents are perfectly normal. You have to assume that some of the time, those packages contain—or are—illegal material, for one reason or another. Long-term, we don’t help the bad guys, if that makes any difference to you. We help nice, normal, healthy people stay that way. Sometimes, the package might involve getting a person out of a bad situation. If you don’t care about that sort of thing…,” she shrugged, “…then at least it pays well.”
“What do you think?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
Big Joe seemed about to reply, but Slider waved him off. “There is a wonderful restaurant called La Tosca on the cape at the marina. They have private rooms for sensitive business conversations. It’s great for lunch, if you’d like to continue our discussion right away. If you would prefer dinner, I would be happy to arrange it. Then we can talk about cargo, destinations, rates, and anything else you are interested in.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"Okay one question more will I had need to kill someone in the line of duty for this job?" Her face shows a little distress at the idea but also a firmness if she had to she will kill. "I don't prefer to kill, but won't shy away from it."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
“No.” D’Amico’s face was firm on that. “As a courier, we don’t want you to get into a fight except as a last resort to get out of the situation. If you do get into a situation where you have to defend yourself, we will do everything we can to support you.”
“Protect yourself, protect bystanders, protect the company, finish the job—the priorities run in that order.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"Lunch would be excellent. My limousine is at the front gate if you would prefer to ride with me." Roxanne said, smiling invitingly.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
"Alright, I like that. When do I start?"
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
“Excellent! Let me make one phone call to keep the trucks moving, and I will be right with you.” He went to the door of the shack and opened it, holding it for Roxanne after stepping through. Big Joe bobbed his head self-consciously at her and glanced at the papers on his clipboard, seeming anxious to get back to work.
For his part, Slider didn’t seem to be concerned about being overheard as he made the call on his mobile. “Yeah, Mack, it’s Danny. I have a potential client and I’m taking her to lunch at Tosca’s. You okay getting everything moving? … Yeah, everything’s cleared customs.” He glanced at the containers being fastened down on the last two trailers. “Yeah, two more to go. I think Maersk has the next series of boxes off the ship. … No, we’re done. Everything’s accounted for. I checked the destinations and times. You’ve got the ID numbers on the paperwork. … No, nothing unusual. … Great, go to it. Text me if you run into any trouble, but if the guys are set and you’ve done your thing, there won’t be any problems. … Okay, later.”
“All right, Condesa, I am at your service!”
The limousine was ready to go. Roxanne noticed Amber watching from the inspection area. The supervisor nodded and touched two fingers to the visor of her hard hat in a respectful gesture. Everything seemed to be moving along normally.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Flux/Julia)
“How about tomorrow morning? I have several deliveries and a pickup on the list. Well, two pickups, actually, but one of those is a no-threat shopping stop. The drop-off of that will be in a risky area. Nothing too sensitive on any of these, but the business is in gang-controlled areas. That shopping trip is going to need a van. The rest are small packages. You could use your bike for those, if you like. The van doesn’t look like much, but it’s been reinforced and enhanced. It’s in the lot in back, if you’d like to take a look.”
“Ms. D’Amico stood up and offered her hand. “Assuming you’re good to go, Chelsea can get the paperwork taken care of with you. Welcome aboard.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
The drive to the restaurant was fairly quick, the time spent making idle small talk.
When they pulled up in the limo, the Maître D' practically tripped over himself to fulfill every request they had. Soon enough, they had a room to themselves complete with a private waiter. Once they had ordered their food and wine, Roxanne turned to Slider. "So, Mr. Shelton. What can you offer my client?"
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
“Hassle-free shipping from almost anywhere in the world! We take care of customs, immigration, and inspection details so your client doesn’t have to worry. We have a base fee for a human-sized package, scaling up or down, as needed. There is a surcharge for live cargo, but we can make sure that your live freight is very well treated.”
Slider continued, “Our prices are reasonable, and we never change the fees once we’ve made a quote, like some competitors. At the same time, we make it a practice to do business only with the most reputable and trustworthy partners. We extend a great deal of trust to our partners, so we do thorough checks on credit, references… that sort of thing. We want to make sure that the people we do business with are legitimate.”
As the conversation progressed, Roxanne learned a great deal about what Slider’s organization could do for her client, and even received a couple of estimates for “hypothetical” shipments. She noticed that Slider managed it all without even venturing into the realm of “conspiracy to commit.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne smiled throughout the meeting, asking the occasional question, but mostly allowing Slider to make his pitch. She partook of the wine liberally and subtly adjusted her behavior as the meal carried on.
Once the meeting was wrapping up, she reached across the table and stroked a finger along Slider's arm while tilting her head and smiling flirtatiously. "Must you return to work or would you care to join me back at my hotel for a more... in-depth conversation?"
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
“Serena, nothing is more important than my customers. My time is yours,” Slider assured her with a smirk. “Let me put myself on ‘away,’ and we can go anywhere you like.” A man who enjoys the sound of his own voice can forget that he learns more by listening. Slider seemed completely taken in by his guest’s charms. He set his phone and paid the bill, leaving a respectable tip. He walked with her to the limousine.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Monochrome)
Monochrome received a voice message through her usual electronic address. It was sent from a disposable phone, but the message was not encrypted. When she played it, a smooth, male, tenor voice explained, “Hi there! My name is Ken Tanner, and I have a problem that I believe you are well-qualified to help me solve. Please suggest a meeting place and a time you feel comfortable with, and we can meet to discuss the black and white details, and any shades of gray that might apply. Reply to 508-555-2665. Thanks!”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
As soon as they were back in the limo, Roxanne straddled Slider and unbuttoned her jacket, revealing a lacy red bra that matched the lapels of the pantsuit, then pulled Slider's head in. She reached up to the ceiling and tapped the intercom. "Take us back to the hotel... slowly." she ordered in Spanish.
With that done, she returned her attention to Slider, smiling as she inched the zipper of his pants downwards.
20 minutes later...
They exited the limo, both looking a tad disheveled and Slider trying to conceal a goofy grin. Roxanne led him through the lobby of the Phoenix Park InterContinental, acting every bit like she owned the place. The elevator was empty, so they made out as it ascended towards the penthouse. Once they reached the bedroom of the penthouse, she delicately shoved him onto the bed and began a slow striptease. She punctuated every article of clothing hitting the floor by leaning in to brush her lips across his.
Once she was down to her panties, she straddled him again and hungrily attacked his mouth. As his arms started to wrap around her, she twisted the face of her watch. A needle sprang into the back of his neck and injected a fast-acting sedative. One moment, he was kissing her, then the next he was unconscious.
Roxanne let go of him and he fell back onto the bed. She took a few moments to put on a silk robe, then began searching his pockets.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
Slider’s phone was a standard iOS model with extra security, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She found a raft of numbers and contacts in it, as well as a set of unusual apps. These had their own encryption layered in, but with Slider’s thumbprint readily accessible, she was able to break into these, as well. As she investigated, Roxanne found that these extra apps were designed to send status updates to the Avenue and to interface with a few important government systems, like Customs and Immigration. Currently, he was listed as “with a potential client—track and secure.” This seemed like a warning to whoever was watching the status that his companion was not yet verified and trusted.
There was also an app that listed “secure pickups and deliveries” along with dates and locations, but only very cursory details of what the cargo was. This could be the smuggling record, all set up like a normal trucking delivery tool.
The thing that was peculiar about Slider’s contacts was that there were no real names for many of the entries—just code names and contact numbers. One of the special apps was set to update his contacts with new numbers. However, there were plenty of personal, non-Avenue contacts she could use, if she wanted to.
Accessing the chip RFID in Slider’s credit cards was not difficult, either. He had a couple of standard, big bank cards she had hacked before. Within minutes, she had cloned Slider’s phone, placed a bug in his shirt collar, and plundered all of the data the Avenue broker was carrying. He hadn’t stirred once.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Within a few minutes, Roxanne was able to accomplish all her tasks with her smartphone, an Atlantean micro-comp disguised as a Galaxy S7. Lastly, she captured Slider's fingerprints and retinal pattern for possible use later. Once she was finished, she put everything away and discarded her robe and panties.
She stripped Slider and placed a condom on him, then put him on his back beneath the disarrayed sheets. Finally, she headed to the bathroom to use the mirror. With the fine touch of an artist, she mussed her hair and smeared her lipstick. Once done, she came back to the bed and slid in next to Slider.
Roxanne snuggled up next to him, her leg on top of his and her body pressed up against him, her head on his shoulder. She maneuvered one arm beneath his pillows, then laid the other across his abs. She set a mental alarm clock to wake up in an hour, just as the sedative would wear off, then willed herself to sleep.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
Ten minutes later, Slider stirred and mumbled something almost recognizable as, “Huh? What’s going on?” His awareness gradually rose through the groggy state of bewilderment and he found Serena nestled against him in bed. Mental warning alarms began flashing in his head. He couldn’t remember how he got from the Condesa’s seductive strip tease to where he was now in bed. This [i]never[/i] happened to him. Clarity crashed over him like a breaking wave. He disentangled himself from the dozing woman and looked for his phone. Spotting it still attached to his belt, his pants tossed over a chair, he scrambled from the bed.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Flux/Julia)
The morning’s deliveries were easy enough. The area was rough, but not too bad by daylight. All it took from Julia was a confident, non-nonsense walk and the ability to find addresses with no numbers of the buildings. The shabby houses and storefronts weren’t too intimidating in daylight, but she got the impression that things were different in those neighborhoods after sunset.
The shopping trip was peculiar, but interesting. The little old Korean man looked exactly like Julia imagined a mad scientist should look, right down to the mysteriously stained lab coat and the black rubber gloves. He had ten different locks on his door, and a strange, chemical scent wafted out when he had finally opened the door to let her bring in his groceries. It took a moment before she recognized the smell as kimchi. The assortment she picked up at a megamart ran the gamut from fresh pork to a couple of gallons of distilled water to several massive boxes of baking soda. Julia wasn’t sure why he would buy rabbit chow in bulk—seven fifty pound bags of it—but he tipped her fifty bucks. “I’ve lived here since 1954, and I’m not going to let them scare me out now!” he told her in parting.
The last delivery on her list seemed a little unusual. She was delivering a package about the size of a tablet computer to a printing shop near the docks. As soon as she walked in the door, everyone in the shop stopped talking and turned to stare at her. Before she could even say anything, the two nondescript men on the customer side of the counter sidled past her and left the shop with furtive glances. Three rough-looking shop employees who had gathered near the front suddenly found other things to do in the back of the shop. The aging hippie behind the counter tensed up even more when she told him she had a delivery. He insisted that he wasn’t expecting a package. He almost refused it, but reluctantly admitted that it was his name and address on the tag. He stood for almost two minutes wavering in thought, with Julia waiting for his decision. Eventually, his curiosity must have got the better of him. He ran ink-stained fingers through his long graying hair and finally said, “Oh, all right! I’ll take it!”
As Julia was just getting back on her bike, her phone rang. It was Chelsea. “Hi, Julia! Got time for one more? This one includes a passenger pickup, and you’ll need the van.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne was thrown violently from her sleep by Slider's disentanglement and scramble from the bed. She mentally regrouped while feigning grogginess, surprised to realize that it had only been ten minutes. Slider should have been out for at least another forty. This bore further investigation, but that would have to wait until later.
She sat up and looked over at him, lightly holding the sheet to her chest. "What is it, mi amante?"
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
She thought about the hippie fellow and his reaction. Oh well not like she didn't expect shady dealings in this job she hardened her own skin best to be prepared in case someone wanted to shoot the messenger.
Glancing at her phone she answered "Passenger pickup? Alright, you are the boss but I have to wonder do I get paid extra for taxi service?" With a roar of her bike, she was speeding along the streets using her Bluetooth earpiece to talk. "What's the details?"
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
“Get the van, go to a specific parking lot, wait for the signal. Then, go to the GPS coordinates provided. Timing is important, so use the van’s GPS system to hit the right place and right time.”
Chelsea paused, then continued in a conspiratorial tone. “I think we’re un-kidnapping someone, but I don’t know for sure. We’ll get more details as whatever it is happens.” Then, she added, "Yeah, this one's got a danger pay bonus on it."
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
Slider grabbed his phone and unlocked it, turning to face her with suspicion written all over his expression. He glanced down at himself and grimaced at his condition. “I don’t know what your game is, baby, but whatever happened, I must have missed the party.” He flicked his phone. Roxanne could tell from her earlier work that he had hit the “compromised” panic button setting.
“How about you tell me what’s really going on?” he suggested. “Who are you really working for? And why the hell did I pass out?”
He seemed caught between a suspicious desire to figure out what was going on and an embarrassed urge to put some clothes on.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Northbrook)
Northbrook’s phone rang on the line he had given Kartanian. “Hello, Mister Northbrook? KenTanner calling. The details are arranged and I have more information for you. Let me know if this is a good time and place to provide those.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Val activated a privacy spell, so that no one more than a meter from either his phone or the one on which "Ken Tanner" had placed the call would hear anything more than white noise. At least without the proper counterspell, or the services of a very sophisticated computer... In his "Northbrook" voice he replied, "Now is quite acceptable, Mr. Tanner. What can you tell me?"
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
(Northbrook)
“I would like you to pluck a person from a shipping container while it is awaiting offloading at a warehouse. Female, Caucasian, approximate age 20, 155 centimeters tall, slight-to-average build, light brown hair with blonde streaks, hazel eyes, given name Martika, family or patronymic unknown. All information that I have suggests that Martika is a Ukrainian victim of sex trafficking.”
“The timing is going to be important on this. If I understand their operation correctly, the truck with the container on the flatbed pulls into a warehouse, the container is moved from one trailer to another, and a different truck pulls the trailer out again and heads off to a drop-off destination. At that destination, the cargo is unloaded and the receiving party or parties take charge of them. They probably split up at that point and the trafficking organization exits the picture. We want to extract Martika before the container leaves this warehouse. Ideally, there will be a time when the container is not closely guarded, but I can’t guarantee that.”
“I believe that multiple people are being shipped in the target container. There are six pieces of cryptically coded cargo on the manifest copy I acquired. That could indicate as many as six people, or it could mean that we have one person and five other packages, pallets, or whatever. Don’t hold me to the accuracy of that interpretation, though. Getting a look at the contents of that container is part of what I’m hiring you to do. Get me images of the interior of the container; the more detail the better, but you will have to judge what you can safely acquire.”
“For opposition, there are four ordinary security guards in public view from GSM Security Corporation. They are not officially armed, but are probably carrying personal firearms. We were able to spot eight warehouse logistics equipment operators, and I am assuming that all work for the bad guys and may be armed. There are three armed guards while the transfer activity is ongoing. Weapons appear to be submachine guns, but it’s possible those are actually higher-tech weapons. In addition, each truck has a driver—probably armed—and there may be other individuals employed by the trafficking organization that I have not spotted. As far as I have been able to tell, there are no metas involved in the routine transfer operation I am asking you to target.”
“For escape, I have a beat-up Ford delivery van to pick up you and your target. The van is off white, license plate GZX 511, and will be standing by two blocks away from the warehouse. On order, it will pick you up at a designated street location adjacent to the warehouse property. If there are more people in that container, and you feel that you are able to extract them safely, feel free to do so. The van has no other cargo and can accommodate multiple passengers. The driver is capable of defending herself, but I have not personally combat tested her. The van itself is more than it appears, and should easily resist small arms fire. The driver will take you and the passenger or passengers to a location that I have verified is safe. There, we can make a transfer of our own and I will be responsible for protecting Martika and any others who need it from that point forward.”
Tanner provided the address of the warehouse, the GPS coordinates of the current pickup location for the van, and the expected time of arrival of the container truck at 4:20 PM, local time. “Those are the main details, Northbrook. What else would you like to know?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
Roxanne scooted across the bed and stood up slowly, the sheet falling away to reveal her beautiful body. "Daniel, amante. I do not understand why you are so worked up or why you believe that something is 'going on'. You fell asleep after we made love. It is quite common and I am not upset. Please, come back to bed?" she asked, moving towards him slowly with a hand outstretched.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
Val looked over the area of the proposed extraction on a map. "That should be all the information I need; however I do have a question. That being: Do you wish exclusivity on the information I gather for you? I have an acquaintance who takes issue with slavers in general and sex traffickers in particular, and will likely pay me well for it..."
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Julia got off her bike and went into the office to get the van's keys. She put her helmet and jacket in her locker and took off for the location careful to keep to the plan. Once at the target parking lot, she sighed. "Okay if I turn out to be a getaway driver for a crime I'm going to be a little pissed."
Thinking about the situation. She put on a pair of sunglasses and shook her head her hair changed color from the light brown to black.
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Northbrook)
“Nah, go ahead. As far as that sort of thing goes, the more the merrier. And if you want that pickup at anywhere else specific, call this number. I'll be riding overwatch on this one, as it turns out.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
“Listen, babe, you’re the kind of girl I’d remember. But I wake up and I don’t remember. And I’m not the kinda guy to fall asleep on his date, trust me. On top of this whole situation? That just says that something is weird, and I know enough of the weird to recognize it when it hits me.” He edged backward, trying to stay out of her reach. “How about you take a powder or something, and I’ll get dressed, and we can continue this conversation by phone. Or in public. Or something.”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"In that case, I'll get a bit of gear as a down payment for sharing the data, and we'll see how much more data we can get with it." He was already texting a wish list of gear to his "acquaintance", essentially a compact surveillance kit, with lots of bugs and tracking devices...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
A thoroughly unremarkable man in faded, work-worn blue coveralls rolled the city trash container out of the alley to the edge of the street. He turned it around, with handle facing the street so the mechanical arm of the garbage truck could pick it up and dump it more easily. This was the third and final one he was setting out. Task finished for the moment, he wiped his brow on his sleeve and settled his cap again, and then headed back up the alley. He glanced at the warehouse and distribution center down the block with green-gold eyes from beneath the brim of his cap. Things should start heating up soon. Kartanian grinned to himself and slipped into a shadow.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Northbrook)
There was a muffled thump over the line to Northbrook. “There we go. A diversion is set up to discourage pursuit, just in case. The darts are ready for pickup at a Mailbox Etc. shop at this address. Box number 226. The clerk is expecting the box renter, ‘Joe Banks,’ who lost his key will be coming in. I’ve already sent him a photo ID pic that looks like you did when last we met. You’ve got about three hours, according to the schedule. Anything else I should provide?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Flux/Julia)
After he finished his call with Northbrook, Kartanian called Julia. "Hi there, Julia! This is Ken Tanner. I'm the mysterious person you've heard about who runs Constructive Enterprises. Welcome to the team! You've got a bit of time before that next pick-up. I wanted to give you a chance to ask any questions you've had, so far. Anything come to mind?"
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
"That should cover it. I plan on checking out your van, it will help in the extraction phase, and according to this text I just got, I'll have lots of bugs and tracking devices to spread around if the opportunity presents itself. BTW, would an extra stealthy drone about three hundred meters above the site help, or do you have enough outside surveillance?"
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Julia had pop the seat back resting. Her headphones in and she was bobbing to the music when it stopped and she answered the phone. "Greetings Mr. Tanner, no questions at this time. This isn't my first rodeo. Oh when on assignment call me flux."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
(Flux/Julia)
“All right, Flux, you got it. We’ve got a guy that goes by ‘Northbrook’ who will be bringing out one or more people from a trucking center a couple of blocks from you at the designated time and place. Follow the GPS route to get out of the area. If there are any cranky followers, I will be able to do something about them on that route. Contact Chelsea and she can get you through to me if you need to. Later!”
The spot where she had parked was low-traffic but not deserted. A good place for a van and driver to be hanging out without arousing any suspicion. From here, it looked like all she had to do was wait for the pickup time.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
(Northbrook)
“Pop the drone if you want it for yourself, but I’ve got adequate coverage for my purposes. Ideally, we make this look like someone that Martika’s family hired to find and rescue her. If you have the opportunity, that’s the cover story. Good luck, or ‘break a leg,’ depending on your preference!”
Kartanian closed the connection and moved to the little nest he had set up nearby to monitor the operation. A quick check with Kisya verified that the Avenue was still moving on the schedule he had obtained earlier. Something would probably come up to through a twist into the job--it always seemed to work out that way--but for now everything was flowing smoothly.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
First he 'ported to the entrance of the secret lab of Tinker Belle and The Duchess, where a repair droid had a large box waiting for him. Then both he and the box went up to the top of a suspension bridge. A well-practiced spell swapped what he'd been wearing for the usual attire of Northbrook. He sat next to the box and opened it, activated the recorder-pen that was on top, and listened as The Duchess talked him through setting up the relay and launching the drone. Just before releasing it from the mooring cable, he added a counter-attention spell on top of the holo-cloak. Satisfied, he ported the box back to the lab, and then 'ported to an alley near the Mailboxes Etc. Curiously, there was no smoke associated with either of these last two 'ports...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Roxanne's voice turned cold and business-like. "Very well, Mr. Shelton, if that is how you wish to conduct our business, get dressed and leave. I will speak with Mr. Porqat and contact you once he has made his decision."
She turned and walked into the bathroom, emerging a few seconds later with her bathrobe on and her hair up, his presence now seemingly inconsequential.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
Danny hesitated for a second, and then scrambled into his clothing. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, he was buttoning his pants. He said nothing further, grabbing his socks and shoes and hightailing it from the room partly dressed.
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
As soon as he was out the door, Roxanne picked up her phone and switched off the fake GUI. She kept it on, tracking Slider's movements while she cleaned herself up and changed into street clothes. She also sent a text to Ken Tanner, requesting a teleconference at his earliest convenience.
Internally, Roxanne raged at herself for forgetting such a simple step. It would have taken only a few seconds for her micro-comp to check his DNA and determine that he wasn't exactly human. Frowning, she snatched up her comp and strode over to the bed, activating the DNA scan function. The phone chimed musically and a line similar to a UPC scanner shot out of the bottom of it. She ran it over the pillow Slider's head had been resting on. With any luck, she'd be able to find one of his hairs for further testing.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
(Nightstrike/Roxanne)
The device made a clicking reminiscent of a Geiger-counter. The meter indicated intensity and a visual display confirmed DNA sources. She found two hairs that were not her own. With a cynical thought and glance into the trash by the desk, she also confirmed another rich source of DNA, but the hair from the pillow would be more than enough.
The analysis took less than 30 seconds. Based on the results, Slider was a non-meta human. There were no markers for mutation or superpowers, but the app did show a 75% chance of light cybernetic modification. Typically, this category included nerve wires, headware, or cyber-biological implants. Nothing that directly affected the subject’s DNA, but foreign objects to which the body had to adapt. Organ transplants and cosmetic implants also fell into that category, but that seemed unlikely in Slider’s case. She put her bet on a toxin filter, at least.
The questions now were what Slider would do next and whether he or the Avenue would notice the data cloning. Roxanne estimated that she had at least thirty minutes before any organized reaction by the Avenue, even under most rapid response scenario. They seemed more careful, however. It was likely the Avenue would investigate slowly and decide what to do only after checking out her story.
Her phone notified her of an incoming call. The smooth, familiar voice with a hint of a purr greeted her. “Hello, this is K. How can I help you?”
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
While "Joe Banks" (A.K.A. Mr. Northbrook) collected his package from the clerk, the half-meter long drone sped towards its assigned station, just across the street, facing the doors of the warehouse, and about 60 meters up. It didn't use GPS, but rather compared the relative locations of visible landmarks. Until it reach the vicinity of the warehouse, it stayed between the normal altitudes of flying supers and aircraft, dodging the occasional exception. The rigid ovoid (more like an American "football" than a rugby ball) airshell allowed it to reach speeds of over two hundred miles per hour, and the high-efficiency tachyon thrusters pushed it at those speeds with minimal thermal signature.
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
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As he left, Mr. Northbrook slid the package into the pocket inside his coat, alongside two tablets and other things from the crate. He turned and stepped into the alley and made three quick teleports: first to the top of a nearby tall building's fire escape, then to another building's roof top, and finally to a roof overlooking a beat-up looking E-series van... Here he paused and inserted the darts into the gyroc rounds that would deliver them to their targets.
After returning the magazines to their pockets, he 'ported down to the passenger door of the van and tapped on the window to get the attention of the driver.
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
He had the attention of the driver she felt the particles in the air shift when he came closer to the van. Still she didn't know who this guy was so she played it simple and got out walked around the front of the van chewing some bubble gum. "You want something mister? I'm on break before my next pickup."
He might have noticed the window reacted differently then it should as if the glass was much denser than normal window glass. "you aren't one of those heroic adventure types who appear out of nowhere invite some pretty girl to join you in your magic box now are you?"
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
He smiled and shook his head. "No, no magic box. I believe I am your next pickup, and yes I know I'm a bit early. My name is Mr. Northbrook. But I wasn't told your name, Miss...?"
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
She nodded "Greetings Mr. Northbrook. I understand this is a hush operation. I wasn't given much info just wait here till I got the signal. Go to GPS location pick up and then high-tail it out of there without increasing notice. Call me Flux I'm a matter manipulator."
Tapping the hood with her knuckle "Gave the van a bit more density nothing much but should be able to resist common bullets. One of my abilities is air manipulation I can damper the sound in a given area. However, I have to be in the center, as well as other effects like increasing air pressure. Doesn't hurt I can also give one heck of a blowjob." Laughs at her own joke "As in hurricane force wind blasts."
-------------------------------------------
Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
He smiled as he slowly took out a tablet that could not possibly have fit in that jacket without ruining the lines. "Well, I hope you won't take it amiss if I hope that we won't need those powers. But if everything goes pear-shaped, they sound like they'll be very useful." He unlocked the tablet, opened the browser, entered an IP address, and logged into the site. Several images opened up in the browser below a heading that read "BTX1" A small logo at the bottom said, "Protected by TORWARE". "Ah, good, it's in place." A few more commands aimed one of those images at the doors of the warehouse, another at the roof of the building below the drone, a third at the sky above, and the fourth slowly panning around a full 360°. Then he pulled out a second tablet and repeated the process, with a different login that ended up with the same four images. Northbrook checked the time in the corner of the display, handed Flux the second tablet and pointed at the warehouse. "There's where our passengers are going to be in about forty minutes. If all goes well, I teleport in, find them, 'port them out here, plant some trackers, and then 'port myself out, and you drive us all off with the bad guys none the wiser."
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
.
Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Making sure the channel was secure, she spoke. "I have some important information from my preliminary reconnoiter. How would you prefer I get it to you?" she asked while dressing in street clothes and releasing the spell that changed her appearance.
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]
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