[ May 17, 2091. Current time in Red New York City? 3:00pm. ] (Those []s mean narration has started :|) (:|) [ Our not-quite heroes have had a busy day. It's been discovered that the still-comatose Xavier Aurin 1.) still has highly active neurons and 2.) flips out if you hold a little pyramid near him. The group has resolved to contact the person who sent them on this little jaunt in the first place. ] [ Zak, however, has opted to visit Box City to see if Hettie is in evidence... perhaps because he's still freaked over the whole Controlling The TV thing, or perhaps because he just doesn't like Platina. ] (Perhaps even both!) [ Either way, that leaves Rochelle and Kat to deal with things between themselves, for now. How will it all play out?! That's what we're here to discover. Game staato! ] (Time for alcohol.) * Rochelle is on the couch, watching TVNet. It's like she never moved out of Kat's apartment in the first place. She kind of sort of seemed a little worried when Zak went off, but she's clearly over that now. (Hey, Ard. Roch saw the TV better than Kat, so having us have written down what we saw together sound good?) (Fine with me, but it would be Kat's idea. ;P) (Well, yeah.) (*I* don't remember diddly!) * Katherine is sitting at the table, pyramid sitting far away from Xavier while she stares at few pages of notes. So anachronistic. She's rubbing her forehead and looking slightly annoyed. After a moment or two more of this, she mutters, "God, I need a drink," and stands up out of her chair. "Your show about over?" she asks Roch. (Mecha?) (... yeah?) (http://mechalink.sandwich.net/rp/atcg/atcg-05-01.txt has the full details.) (*poke?*) (I posted, darn it!) * Katherine is sitting at the table, pyramid sitting far away from Xavier while she stares at few pages of notes. So anachronistic. She's rubbing her forehead and looking slightly annoyed. After a moment or two more of this, she mutters, "God, I need a drink," and stands up out of her chair. "Your show about over?" she asks Roch. (Odd.) Yeah, sure. * Rochelle tosses the remote to Kat. * Katherine does fancy futuristic TV phoney things to see if she can get Miss Johnson in HD! [ The TV rings! The little display in the lower right hand corner identifies the number given as 'Dunno Corporation -- DRAUPNIR Laboratory -- Red Stockholm'. It seems to ring for a strangely long time and then finally someone picks up: a tallish man who actually has a nicely featured face, though like Xavier, he seems a bit rumpled. ] [ He has bright blue eyes and longish brown hair, and is wearing a lab coat. "Uh, hello? How did you get this number?" ] * Katherine narrows her eyes slightly, before putting a hand on her hip and saying, "Platina." * Rochelle nods. She's in the background! The dude can probably see her. (Given the apartment layout, Xavier should not be in view. Thankfully.) [ That makes the person on the other end brow-furrow a bit. "Ms. Fortescue?" He seems confused for a moment, then shrugs and looks offscreen. "Maria, could you go get Platina, please?" There's the sound of a chair scuffing across the floor, before the brown-haired man says, "Can I ask who's calling?" ] (Sorry about that, had to crack open a molded plastic container.) * Katherine replies, "Yeah, sure. Miss Parker." [ He nods and inclines his head off screen; there's the sound of retreating footsteps. "She should be here shortly." And then he... waits. You can hear the questions he's not asking, as it were, but at least he's not asking them. ] * Rochelle idly rubs at her nails. She's going to need more polish soon. * Katherine appreciates it, really. She looks past him at what's there, because hey, it's info she didn't have. [ It's a gunmental-grey wall. There's a window with the blinds drawn... apparently they don't want people looking in any more than Kat wants people seeing what's in her apartment. ] [ Eventually the brown-haired man steps aside and, indeed, the prim and perfect features of the silver-haired Platina Fortescue shifts into view. No words are spoken, but the two look at each other for a moment. One of Platina's eyebrows go up, and then the brown-haired man shrugs and walks out of the frame. ] [ "A pleasant surprise, Ms. Parker," Platina says in an even tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" ] * Katherine replies, "We're done, what else?" * Katherine replies, "We're done, what else?" [ That gets a raised eyebrow. "...done? A... ha. And where is... your charge, if I may ask?" ] * Katherine replies, annoyed, "He's fine. But we ran into some trouble that seemed pretty preoccupied with him." [ Platina's face doesn't move a muscle, and her monotone is just as bad, really. "Were you surprised? I believe that is why I hired you." ] * Katherine snorts, tossing her braid back as she replies, "No." She then meets Fortescue's eyes. "But I wouldn't mind some answers." * Rochelle sits in the background and kind of watches with a blank (but probably not bored) expression on her face. [ Trying to outstare this woman is like trying to outstare the sun, really. "Answers of what kind? Who was after him? It could have been anyone," she says with a shrug. "It's not as if Dunno is lacking for corporate competition. The work we do here is cutting edge research and development. Your... charge is one of our scientists." ] * Katherine replies, flatly, "I don't think you picked me at random. That's what I mean." [ "If I told you I had thrown the proverbial dart, what would that change, pray?" ] More than you seem to think. * Katherine rubs her face. "What now? He's not exactly up to walking." [ An eyebrow goes up again. "Not come to any harm, I hope." ] Insensate. * Katherine shrugs. "No wounds, just... like I said. I don't think you picked me at random." [ The merest HINT of a frown shows itself on Platina's face. You have to look really close. She then proceeds to steamroll right through the unasked questions. "Well then... I think it best if Dunno takes him back into our charge. I'll send someone tomorrow to... collect him." ] * Rochelle glances up at Platina for a moment, then looks back at her nails. (Speaking as the person playing Platina.) * Katherine shakes her head. "First, the creds. Second, you sure you don't wanna see me again? I'd like to hear more. Sure you would too." (She can keep this up all day. ^__________^) (I bet!) (Kat's about done. She's just trying to make sure Platina understands there's something to be gotten here if she gives.) [ Apparently now she's getting irritated. "I'll transfer the money as soon as he's in our custody. As for hearing more, I'm sure our friend will tell me everything I require, if it's all the same to you." There's a cough from off screen, which grabs the woman's attention for a moment, before she turns back. "I'm needed elsewhere. Is there anything *else*, Ms. Parker?" ] (Going to try to restart IRC and see if that fixes lag on this end.) * Katherine frowns a little too, and then replies, "Fine." (Or not?) (I see people talkin'.) [ "I'll have my agent contact you tomorrow. Good afternoon, Ms. Parker... and Ms. Krogstad." Can she see Roch from where she is? Does it matter? No time to ask her, because with that the com blinks off! Whatever channel Roch was watching before resumes. ] * Katherine tosses the controller back towards Roch. "Funny. Was it a blind experiment?" * Rochelle catches the controller and says to Kat, "Don't think she knows everything." She starts switching the channels. * Katherine nods slightly. "Yeah, I'm getting that. But why'd she do it if she didn't know?" If anything, that's worse./ * Rochelle shrugs. "Pretty sure she knows something." She settles on a documentary about Italian/Thai fusion cuisine. (Thaitalian?) * Katherine looks at Roch and then sighs. "That's obvious. Shit. What can I cobble together." [ There is something approximating a groan from Kat's bedroom. ] (Studio!) * Rochelle blinks. She puts the controller down, then gets up and heads over to Kat's room. (Or wherever it is!) * Katherine had started heading towards the closet, but then there's noise, and she turns her head towards Xavier instead as she walks to see him. "X?" [ Indeed, the prodigal NPC appears to be... sitting up. He's bent forward far at the waist, which given his height is pretty interesting, and has one hand cupping his face, his red-blond hair falling forward and covering even that somewhat. ] * Rochelle peeks in to see him and asks, "Headache?" * Katherine adds, "Given what the doc said, I'd buy that." [ He doesn't bring his head up just yet, but he does ask a muffled: "...where 'm I?" ] My place, back in New York. [ He brings his hand away from his face and tilts his neck far back, eyes closed, before opening them and staring at the ceiling. "...nev' been here before. Right?" It sounds like a question. Also: visual rolls! ] (HA count? It probably does!) 2d6-4 (... We need dice. Oh crap.) (No dice. And only Cham is op.) (Roll in #hhhs) (I'll invite some.) (That works.) (Use my dice.) (Yay critfail, you dick.) (Make by 0 on body, 1 on mind.) (Also, your dice are colored, and I will kill you.) (You DRing, before I desc?) (You SUCK.) (COLORS SUCK) (Yeah, DR. ;P) (I'm going to move this along quickly so we can get Saka in, mind.) (Okay, I actually made it.) (Sure!) [ Both of you notice that one of Xavier's eyes -- which were brown, last you checked -- is blue. ] * Katherine nods slightly. "Right." She squints her eyes slightly at the change in eye color. You a shapechanger as part've your SCA, Xavier? [ His head slumps forward -- a little too slowly, it's a very Exorcist sort of moment -- before he gives Kat a strange (and now heterochromic) glance, before slipping off the bed and getting somewhat unsteadily to his feet. "Need s'm air..." ] * Rochelle moves forward to catch him and make sure he's not about to fall over again. [ Xavier sways a little, but appears to be capable of standing on his own. In fact he seems really sort of *insistent* about that needing to leave the apartment thing. ] * Katherine lets Roch hold him up, but stands in the way of leaving. "I don't think you should go stumbling outside. Try n'get your senses back. Heard you were on overload." [ Xavier actually stumbles forward a little, but then stands up and gives Kat a sort of... look, with a ragged laugh. "Why you tryin' to keep me here?" he bites out. ] * Katherine looks back at him, seeming slightly off-put my his mood change, then she frowns as she replies, "Because you were out for a whole day, X, and I've got to watch you for at least one more day." [ He stands up a little taller, and asks in a surprisingly calm tone, "Really not gon' move?" ] Been a weird day, Xavier. Kinda looking for answers before another random guy swoops out of the sky and tries to take you again. (ahaha. This should be fun.) (Kat, roll unarmed defense at a 1 point penalty.) 2d6-2 (Hey you hated my dice so I turned them off. <3) (Make by 3.) [ An interesting tableau results, as probably to everyone's surprise, Xavier knits his brow and actually snaps forward and attempts to lock a hand around Kat's wrist and quite literally shove her out of the way. She is having none of that, however, and a brief struggle results in both Xavier and Kat staying exactly where they are. ] * Rochelle stays out of it, because she is not an unarmed person, but she does ask, "What's with you?" (s/unarmed/brawler) * Katherine meets his eyes as the struggle breaks, a slight grin on her face, "Yeah, this doesn't seem much like you. You're not half bad. Sure you were just a tech?" (I am, in fact, an unarmed person. Presently, anyway!) [ He sucks in a breath through his teeth, and seems a little winded... well, winded and angry. "I wanna go *outside!* Get the hell out of my *way*!" ] * Katherine 's grin fades as she goes, "Then we're goin' with you, yeah?" [ "I don't care what you do, I just need to get *out*." ] * Katherine looks past him to Rock as she gets out of the way, grabbing her purse. (oh the carnage to ensue) * Rochelle goes to grab her own bag, if they're going out. She might have even caught the gaze! [ That... seems to satify Xavier, or at least prevent further outbursts. The trio walks to the elevator, then to the ground floor, and then out onto the sidewalk! Unless prevented, of course. Compared to the last time the group was in RNYC, it's a reasonably nice day, and there are plenty of pedestrians on the street. None of them even start firing at you! ] * Rochelle glances at Xavier to see how he's, uh, handling a perfectly reasonably nice day. [ He appears to be a little less likely to hurl himself at either of you in a violent fashion... though he's squinting a bit in the sun, all things considered. ] * Katherine looks over at him. "So, what do you remember?" [ There's a pause, before he walks over to the steps near the door and ducks down, staring at some nondescript point on the sidewalk. "An... argument? Some sort of... animal." He pauses, then grits his teeth and shuts his eyes. "But I've *never been here*." ] What, an argument upstairs? [ He stands up and turns around. "No. Here. At this spot." ] (Do... I remember an argument at this spot?) (You do not.) * Rochelle watches him for a moment, then asks with some gentleness, "Does it feel like you were here before?" (I assume I don't, either.) [ "Yes. But no." ] (Roch can do two things:) (A mind check for memory, and a soul check just 'cause.) (Mind first, soul second.) (Jesus tapdancing dicehate.) (>_<) * Rochelle glances around, looking slightly more alert than before. * Katherine murmurs, "Only getting weirder." * Yue is a face in the crowd eyeballing the three. Now and then, not too close, not too far. She certainly isn't trying to look suspicious. [ Xavier straightens, then turns and looks at Kat out of the corner of his eye. Something is clearly still bothering him. "Sorry," he says carefully, before adding: "...at least it won't happen again. No frakkin' idea how I did it in the first place." ] (But she's got a portrait!) Kat. Think our sniper is coming. Or something- it's happening again. * Katherine glance to Roch, then nods and says, "I got a guess. But it's time to move. Inside, you two." [ That gets a look to Rochelle, then at Kat, from X... but he suddenly steps *away* from the door and at Roch and tries to get her arm. Not to toss her, just to get her attention. ] * Yue shifts to the side and takes a call. She is just a young woman listening quietly on her cellphone. "Yes?" is spoken, in a low tone. * Katherine hisses loudly, as her hand goes inside her purse, "Inside with him, Roch!" * ChanServ sets mode: +o Chamelaeon * Dicesuke has joined #atc (sorry) (No prob.) (Night) (*taps Roch*) (Sorry!) * Rochelle is tugged by X. She looks at him briefly and assuming he doesn't do anything major, tries to pull him indoors. [ Xavier, predictably, is ignoring Kat for the moment. "A dog. Did you ever have a dog?" How's that for random. ] * Katherine 's eyes flick up and around, looking for people more suspicious than a young woman on her cellphone. Or maybe just that suspicious! Who knows! [ The streets are full of people. Bullets have yet to make an appearnace. ] * Rochelle blinks. Vwoof. Yeah. * Rochelle tugs Xavier, in any case, because eek. (Sorry, Yue's getting some stuff in /msg so i wanna give her time to pose there and here.) (Nod.) (It's fine. ^^) * Yue shuts her phone and slips it inside of her coat. Then she walks at a casual pace towards the three. She's a docile-looking young woman with Asian features, with long brown hair and dark eyes. Overcoat, rippled skirt, turtleneck, leather shoes, with a lot of dark matching colors. "Hello." * Rochelle gives Yue a blank look, but no doubt Kat will deal with her. * Katherine steps forward, one hand up, other in her purse. "Roch, keep dragging him," she says back to Roch, then meets Yue's eyes. "You gonna ID yourself?" [ The tall, lanky blond guy who was interested in the dog -- who is a bit too heavy to be dragged effectively by someone who has to make a Body roll to lift a TV remote -- turns to blink at Yue, but doesn't say anything. ] (Hey, I don't have to make a body roll to do that! :() (YOU DO FROM NOW ON.) (*shurikens Todd*) (Ninjaed!) (*explodes into a shower of skittles*) (Right. Any more rulings I don't agree with? >_<) (I rule Roch finds a gift basket of nail polish from Platina in Kat's apartment.) (Awesome.) * Yue pauses. Maybe even a little happy at Kat's businesslike response. Not that she's showing it. "Yue." She's trying to roll words together. "You're in trouble." Really. This news, Roch? * Katherine is, for Yue's quick edification, 5'11", bit more muscular than 'toned', with red braided hair and sharp hazel eyes looking right at Yue. (...I have just realized Kat is Crimson Viper.) (... Vell would be amused.) (Why am I being pinged again T_T) (But without cleavage and shooting range goggles?) (I don't get what the deal is with the goggles.) (I expect Kat also lacks the rooster tail and just has the braid.) (Yeah.) (She takes after her great grandmother. ;) (Did we lose Roch to the lagbeast again?) * Yue is... oh dear, I never specified her height. 5'5", so she's a good bit more diminuitive than Kat. She is a little bit more on the willowy side, and has black holes for eyes. (LOOK OUT G-FORCES OVER 9 GS) * Rochelle shakes her head at Kat's prompting and continues to give Yue the blank look. * Katherine doesn't hear Roch's response, but she says anyway, "Is this you trouble, or you someone on my side I don't know about?" [ Xavier also gives Yue a more appraising look, and actually says in a point-blank sort of tone: "Thank god, I don't recognize you at all." He sounds relieved. ] * Yue tilts her head and stares at Xavier for an appraising few moments. And then back at Kat. "As much trouble for me as it will be for you," she responds flatly. Not good with inflection, her. * Katherine 's eyes flick away from Yue as she replies, "You know that doesn't answer the question, right?" I'm known city-wide for bein' trouble. (Haha, "city".) (*laughs behind his hand*) (I'm laughing too.) Yeah. I know. * Katherine nods slightly, glances back to Xavier, then sighs as she glances around again. "Space Jesus save me from marks that don't want to be protected." * Yue gets to business. "You have a better place for trouble than the streets?" (11:30... we should wrap this up soonish.) * Katherine replies, "Depends how much time we got. Nobody pays attention to Box City." (My old killin' grounds!) (I am not NPCing Hettie! You've been warned.) (I believe you!) * Rochelle doesn't look happy about any of this, but whatever. [ Xavier mouths the words 'box city?' with a confused look on his face. ] * Yue glances at Rochelle. She is a quiet one. Just like her. She likes. But right now, business. (Ha ha.) * Yue says, "Assume no more than a few hours." (Poor Todd. Yue and Roch are silent, Zak speaks in nothing but Gibberish, and Kat drives the crazy train.) (I'm knitting.) (Crochet? :D) (*a handful of knit shuriken bounce off Rochelle*) Don't think you should take this, Kat. * Katherine nods. "Box City." She glances back to Roch. "You think you can get him walking at all?" (What is Box City?) (A part of RNYC. It's basically where the homeless go, among other things. Not a lot of people.) (Lots of air conditioners.) [ For the first time *ever*, Xavier shows some amount of self-preservation by turning to Roch and asking, brow furrowed: "Why not?" ] * Rochelle hesitates, then just says, "Because she reminds me of the sniper." * Katherine is silent a moment, narrows her eyes at Yue, then says, "You two get moving. You're with me, Yue. Start talking." Get Zak to intercept, Roch. You're headed his way. * Rochelle nods and moves with Xavier. Awesome. [ Xavier looks confused, but doesn't seem to have any particular attachment to Yue, and thus follows Rochelle wherever the heck it is she's going! ] * Rochelle explains the box city bit to Xavier as they go. "I used to live there. It's not bad, if you like boxes." (And who doesn't love boxes?) * Yue walks towards Katherine as she watches the two go. "Talk?" she's pretty bad at this feigning business, but it isn't like she can't try. [ "It sounds..." He pauses. "Familiar." ] * Katherine gestures towards the building with her not-in-purse hand. "We are going upstairs. You are walking in front of me. And you are explaining what you know." * Rochelle nods, then asks Xavier, "You know your eyes are blue?" (Eye! Singular!) * Yue glances towards the building, and starts walking towards the building. No reason to not comply. She doesn't start talking, though. [ That gets a frown and a scoff. "Don't be silly, they're hazel." ] (LAST REACTIONNNNNNNNNNNNNS.) (... these are lies.) (That was more than 10 lies.) (He can't see his own eyes!) * Katherine lets Yue walk in front of her, guiding her to the elevator. There's really not a gun in that purse as she walks Yue in front of her. Honest. (Hey, can we pretend I have a hand mirror so I can freak Xavier out? :D) (Go for it.) (For those... hard to see... toenails. I got nothing.) (Yeah, you're not big on the face makeup!) (Maybe it comes free with the nail polish fillup.) (Fifteen bottles of nail polish, free hand mirror.) * Yue enters the elevator. She doesn't walk tensely. She's just walkin'! (Makes as much sense as anything else in this universe.) * Rochelle reaches into her bag and pulls out a cheap hand mirror. She gives it over to Xavier so he can see. [ And as a capstone to the day, the geek takes the mirror and holds it up. His eyes widen... including the one blue one in question. His face quirks into a very visible D: face. ] [ Which begs the question: Why is one of his eyes blue? Who is Yue? What danger is on the horizon? And what secrets is Platina Fortescue keeping from the group? Find out... next time! ] (OR NOT) (Note: mysteries may remain unsolved. If mysteries remain unsolved for more than 4 hours, see a doctor.)