WoD (June, 1st Year; Mon 3 - Tue 4): Another Damned Monkey (I009)
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Kate, Jacob, Johnny, Yuri, Eliza, Helena, and John / [XP: 3]
Everybody was here!
Monday, June 3rd (CONTINUED)
John had returned and was waiting at the hotel when the other PC’s (except for Delaney, who wasn’t feeling very good after chewing on the hobgoblin kitty) returned from the Hedge. Helena returned a short time later.
“I had a long talk with Charlie while you were gone”, Violet told Kate when she went downstairs to check on her. “He’s been hurting, and last night really shook him up; but I think he’s feeling better now.” Kate tried to press her for additional details, but backed off when Violet seemed hesitant to share. “Thirteen is a rough age when you’re alive”, Violet did finally add. “When you’re dead and you can barely recognize the world around you anymore; it’s much, much worse.”
The PC’s launched in a lengthy discussion on past cases and incidents; reviewing everything that had gone on recently and discussing what still needed to be done. Though there were a great many unanswered questions, the consensus was that they also had woefully few leads to follow. The PC’s did, however, ask Kate to put together some kind of mundane tracking device with the intention of putting it on Dr. Wallard’s car.
Before starting on that little project, however, Kate took the opportunity of having everyone together to go into more detail about the communication project which she’d been working on (which she’d briefly broached the previous day). After retreating for a minute or two into her workshop, she returned with a Barbie doll and a handful of rather generic-looking Lego figure keychains. She called the system ‘SCRIBE’ (Silent Communication Relay / Intelligent Bonding Entity); and upon a simple bit of verbal encouragement, the doll and keychain figures got up and started to move around. She then explained how the system would work…
Each PC would ‘bond’ to one of the keychain figures by allowing it to bite them (Kate warned that it would be painful, but would only need to be done once). Their appearances as Lego figurines were merely Masques, and she indicated that their specific appearance would alter to suit the owner over time. As a security precaution; once bonded, the figures would be unable to move if observed by anybody who wasn’t bonded to one.
Once bonded, messages could be whispered to the figurines which would then be relayed to the figurines bonded to any named individuals. The receiving figurines would then write the message on their owners’ skin in ink. In terms of range, Kate was confident that they’d be able to reach each other from opposite ends of the Greater Harbor City Area; but their real advantage (and this was actually Kate’s primary motivation for making them) was that they’d be able to communicate within the Hedge!
Even PC’s who’d previously been hesitant decided to go ahead and bond with one. Yuri was the only one who refused; citing that his cell phone worked fine in the city and that he’d like to spend as little time in the Hedge as possible.
Later in the day after Kate went to go get started on the transmitter, Yuri found a vacant room near the lobby and started a ‘pin board’ regarding the Reconciliation (the kind of thing you always see detectives in movies and TV shows using to make a visual layout of everyone who’s connected to something and how they seem to relate to each other).
Still later that evening before working a shift at the ER, Jacob spend some time digging up any mundane information which he could find on Dr. Wallard. Everything in his past appeared to be on the up and up. He was born in England in 1969 and was now one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of neuropsychology. In addition to his research and teaching at the university, he was a member of the city council and worked with Harbor City’s mental health care system.
Tuesday, June 4th
After getting to bed at a decent hour for the first time in days, Kate was awakened at around 2:00 in the morning by a noise coming from the parking garage which sounded like a chain being repeatedly slapped against concrete. She entered the garage to find a length of chain wrapped like a python around something around 18” long and maybe a third as wide. Whatever the something was, it appeared to still be struggling. As Kate approached, one end of the chain rose up like a snake’s head and started swaying back and forth; and she eventually figured out that Charlie was inside the chain.
Deciding that it was a good opportunity to try out the SCRIBEs, Kate told hers to ‘wake everyone up’. The others, uncertain of how exactly to go about that, just started randomly scribbling on their owners’ hands; which was only sufficient to wake up a few of the lighter sleepers (namely Eliza, Helena, and John). After overlapping requests for clarification started being written on her own hand, Kate asked for everyone to come down to the garage.
After everyone had the chain surrounded, Kate instructed Charlie to let go of whatever he was holding. It turned out to be another animated toy; an old King Kong doll made of rubber. As it used both of its feet and one of its arms to untangle itself from the now loosening chain, the PC’s saw that it was holding something under its other arm. John managed to grab it by its free arm, hoist it into the air, and give it a good shake; forcing it to drop what it was holding: the small lock box from Kevin Charleston’s foot locker which was labeled ‘DANGER’.
The toy gorilla continued to snarl and struggle until someone threatened to destroy it; at which point it started acting all scared and pitiful. Using Industrial Oracle, John was able to ascertain that it was being animated by a spirit and that it had been somewhere in mid-town as of a couple of hours ago. Eliza attempted a Command Spirits spell, but was unable to get anything useful out of it. When Johnny was eventually called down and he tried a similar means to dominated it, it let out a screech and then went limp as though no longer animated.
Now out of the chain, Charlie explained that he’d spotted the gorilla running out of the lobby and down the stairs. Figuring that the garage gate was probably his intended exit (being small enough to easily slip between the bars), he’d manage to get in front of it and Embody a sundry length of chain quickly enough to snag him as he ran by.
Though there was once again talk of just opening the box, the PC’s decided to put it away in the office safe instead. In case its spirit decided to return, the rubber doll was placed over Johnny’s trap seal.
Before Kate headed back to bed; Charlie, clearly looking a little hesitant and uncomfortable, approached her and asked for a favor. “It’s supposed to be warm but overcast today”, he began. “That was always my favorite kind of day”. He paused for a moment and then continued. “You offered once to let me… borrow your body. If you actually meant it, could I just… take a quick walk around the block? If you’re not too busy?”
“Of course!”, Kate responded with a smile and without a second’s hesitation. “And it doesn’t even have to be a quick walk. Do whatever you like, just don’t get me pregnant or anything.” Despite the washed-out appearance of his deathly visage, Charlie was quite obviously blushing like crazy.
Kate, Jacob, Johnny, Yuri, Eliza, Helena, and John / [XP: 3]
Everybody was here!
Monday, June 3rd (CONTINUED)
John had returned and was waiting at the hotel when the other PC’s (except for Delaney, who wasn’t feeling very good after chewing on the hobgoblin kitty) returned from the Hedge. Helena returned a short time later.
“I had a long talk with Charlie while you were gone”, Violet told Kate when she went downstairs to check on her. “He’s been hurting, and last night really shook him up; but I think he’s feeling better now.” Kate tried to press her for additional details, but backed off when Violet seemed hesitant to share. “Thirteen is a rough age when you’re alive”, Violet did finally add. “When you’re dead and you can barely recognize the world around you anymore; it’s much, much worse.”
The PC’s launched in a lengthy discussion on past cases and incidents; reviewing everything that had gone on recently and discussing what still needed to be done. Though there were a great many unanswered questions, the consensus was that they also had woefully few leads to follow. The PC’s did, however, ask Kate to put together some kind of mundane tracking device with the intention of putting it on Dr. Wallard’s car.
Before starting on that little project, however, Kate took the opportunity of having everyone together to go into more detail about the communication project which she’d been working on (which she’d briefly broached the previous day). After retreating for a minute or two into her workshop, she returned with a Barbie doll and a handful of rather generic-looking Lego figure keychains. She called the system ‘SCRIBE’ (Silent Communication Relay / Intelligent Bonding Entity); and upon a simple bit of verbal encouragement, the doll and keychain figures got up and started to move around. She then explained how the system would work…
Each PC would ‘bond’ to one of the keychain figures by allowing it to bite them (Kate warned that it would be painful, but would only need to be done once). Their appearances as Lego figurines were merely Masques, and she indicated that their specific appearance would alter to suit the owner over time. As a security precaution; once bonded, the figures would be unable to move if observed by anybody who wasn’t bonded to one.
Once bonded, messages could be whispered to the figurines which would then be relayed to the figurines bonded to any named individuals. The receiving figurines would then write the message on their owners’ skin in ink. In terms of range, Kate was confident that they’d be able to reach each other from opposite ends of the Greater Harbor City Area; but their real advantage (and this was actually Kate’s primary motivation for making them) was that they’d be able to communicate within the Hedge!
Even PC’s who’d previously been hesitant decided to go ahead and bond with one. Yuri was the only one who refused; citing that his cell phone worked fine in the city and that he’d like to spend as little time in the Hedge as possible.
Later in the day after Kate went to go get started on the transmitter, Yuri found a vacant room near the lobby and started a ‘pin board’ regarding the Reconciliation (the kind of thing you always see detectives in movies and TV shows using to make a visual layout of everyone who’s connected to something and how they seem to relate to each other).
Still later that evening before working a shift at the ER, Jacob spend some time digging up any mundane information which he could find on Dr. Wallard. Everything in his past appeared to be on the up and up. He was born in England in 1969 and was now one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of neuropsychology. In addition to his research and teaching at the university, he was a member of the city council and worked with Harbor City’s mental health care system.
Tuesday, June 4th
After getting to bed at a decent hour for the first time in days, Kate was awakened at around 2:00 in the morning by a noise coming from the parking garage which sounded like a chain being repeatedly slapped against concrete. She entered the garage to find a length of chain wrapped like a python around something around 18” long and maybe a third as wide. Whatever the something was, it appeared to still be struggling. As Kate approached, one end of the chain rose up like a snake’s head and started swaying back and forth; and she eventually figured out that Charlie was inside the chain.
Deciding that it was a good opportunity to try out the SCRIBEs, Kate told hers to ‘wake everyone up’. The others, uncertain of how exactly to go about that, just started randomly scribbling on their owners’ hands; which was only sufficient to wake up a few of the lighter sleepers (namely Eliza, Helena, and John). After overlapping requests for clarification started being written on her own hand, Kate asked for everyone to come down to the garage.
After everyone had the chain surrounded, Kate instructed Charlie to let go of whatever he was holding. It turned out to be another animated toy; an old King Kong doll made of rubber. As it used both of its feet and one of its arms to untangle itself from the now loosening chain, the PC’s saw that it was holding something under its other arm. John managed to grab it by its free arm, hoist it into the air, and give it a good shake; forcing it to drop what it was holding: the small lock box from Kevin Charleston’s foot locker which was labeled ‘DANGER’.
The toy gorilla continued to snarl and struggle until someone threatened to destroy it; at which point it started acting all scared and pitiful. Using Industrial Oracle, John was able to ascertain that it was being animated by a spirit and that it had been somewhere in mid-town as of a couple of hours ago. Eliza attempted a Command Spirits spell, but was unable to get anything useful out of it. When Johnny was eventually called down and he tried a similar means to dominated it, it let out a screech and then went limp as though no longer animated.
Now out of the chain, Charlie explained that he’d spotted the gorilla running out of the lobby and down the stairs. Figuring that the garage gate was probably his intended exit (being small enough to easily slip between the bars), he’d manage to get in front of it and Embody a sundry length of chain quickly enough to snag him as he ran by.
Though there was once again talk of just opening the box, the PC’s decided to put it away in the office safe instead. In case its spirit decided to return, the rubber doll was placed over Johnny’s trap seal.
Before Kate headed back to bed; Charlie, clearly looking a little hesitant and uncomfortable, approached her and asked for a favor. “It’s supposed to be warm but overcast today”, he began. “That was always my favorite kind of day”. He paused for a moment and then continued. “You offered once to let me… borrow your body. If you actually meant it, could I just… take a quick walk around the block? If you’re not too busy?”
“Of course!”, Kate responded with a smile and without a second’s hesitation. “And it doesn’t even have to be a quick walk. Do whatever you like, just don’t get me pregnant or anything.” Despite the washed-out appearance of his deathly visage, Charlie was quite obviously blushing like crazy.