Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 11:57 am

Dice

Axel watches through the smart-link HUD as his first bullet shatters Agawa's kneecap. The man pitches forward into the second bullet, which punches clean through his sternum. He's likely already dead as the final round enters his chin. An explosion of skull fragments, blood, brain matter, and armor shards blooms behind him. His corpse falls backwards with an ineffectual splash.

Thoryne takes a breath, exhales a bit and then fires at the Kuroikaze. Three of the rounds slip right through gap near the armpit. Mick is bathed in blood as the massive exit wounds become a fountain of arterial spray. Okami makes one last, lunging step for Mick and then gurgles, bloody bubbles forming beneath the face mask. A massive thud accompanies the Kuroikaze's corpse as it slams against the docks.

Molly · Post by **Molly** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 1:01 pm

"WHO'S A GOOD MURDER-MACHINE? " As blood spatters across the docks, painting the historic site with each sticky burst, Mouse's focus instinctively shifts to the flying drones, still shiny, chrome and clean despite their deadly contributions. She spares a glance to her own targeting information: the contents of the kiosk, still largely a question mark, and the lone remaining reservist who's probably regretting his career choices right about now. She passes this data to her digital teammate, even her synthetics taking on a playful tone, as she practically coos: "WHO'S THIS? WHO'S THIS? GO GET 'EM!"

(( Calibration (simple) x 2: Whirlwind (Electronic Warfare (6) + Logic (6) [Data Processing]) = Add Hits/2 to initiative
If somehow Kojima still isn't dead by the time his turn rolls around in the next round of actions, or if the kiosk crew turn to fire at any of us, then use I am the Firewall as an interrupt (-5). ))

Loadout

Post by **GM Nick** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 2:29 pm

Dice

Mouse collects the tactical data being spit out of TacStar and beams it to Whirlwind, apprising the little drone of the battlefield's dynamics. As if to thank her, Whirlwind replies with a data received message.

Just as Yung is about to take a step forward, one of the reinforced shutters on the guard kiosk's windows swings open. The stair team find themselves staring at the barrel of a heavy machine gun. The firearm itself is mounted in some kind of mobile unit and has a rectangular, alloy shield mounted to the barrel assembly; It's the kind of rig one might find mounted to a vehicle. Just visible over the shield is the operator's head-- a shemagh-clad Imperial soldier wearing some kind of goggles.

At the same moment, Mick and Achak observe a door open on the backside of the kiosk. An Imperial soldier leans out, brandishing a Remington 950 rifle.

Before anyone can act, a burst of automatic fire erupts from across the docks. The rounds ricochet off of the gunner's shield, forcing the operator to wince and twist away from the gun for a moment. A very bloody, very exhaust Lafayette is holding the corner of the far warehouse. His bellow can easily be heard across the marina: "Let's bury these fuckers!"

MattL · Post by **MattL** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 6:39 pm

As the heavy machine gun swings into view Yung can’t help but skid to a halt, his eyes are saucers behind the stoic mask. Slack jawed and staring down certain death, the sparks caused by the ricochet of Lafayette’s fire is just enough to spur him back to action.

Seeing the gunner returning to his position, Yung dashes toward the edge of the dock opposite the side of the kiosk, before lowering into a lateral roll. As he approaches the edge he reaches with both hands attempting to grab the side as his momentum carries his body over.

(( Just attempting to roll off the side of the dock and hold on to get as much cover as possible from the gun ))

John · Post by **John** » Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:27 pm

Mick doesn't even register the fresh explosion of gore painting them like some kind of nightmarish Rorschach test. What's a fresh layer of blood on top of a dried layer, anyhow? The ork's body is barreling forward toward Kojima, the Ingram Smartgun falling from their grasp and catching on the strap slung over their shoulder. Their hands rip forward through the air, their fists like a pair of bombs primed to explode on contact with their target.

(( Killing hands, critical strike, Dim Mak called strike at weak point in armor ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:59 pm

Dice

Yung moves smoothly to the side of the dock, slides his body off and hangs against the side.

Mick's wild haymaker connects with Kojima's torso, shattering an armor plate and several ribs. As the Imperial soldier staggers backwards, he coughs up a gout of blood and sways on his feet.

A buzzing sound accompanies Wind's strafing zig-zag across the docks. The little drone pivots to lay down suppressing fire on the sniper's position.

Achak looks from the dock leading to shore and then back to the sniper. Torn between priorities, he makes a frustrated noise. He extends his hand toward the sniper. Thin veins of electricity lick from his palm and arc to the Remington held by the enemy. Although the spell scores some burn marks on the rifle's exterior, it appears to fail to render the firearm inoperable.

From the opposite of the dock, Lafayette continues to fire indiscriminately at the gunner's position, hoping to keep him distracted.

Kojima lifts his rifle, hoping to blast Mick at point blank range. Mick easily circles around the solider, avoiding the three shots intended for them.

Whirlwind--sensing his owner is in danger-- zips across the marina at full speed. As it soars, the drone reloads a magazine from its internal ammo box.

ReiyaEmm · Post by **ReiyaEmm** » Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:23 pm

Reiya puts the crossbow away, annoyed at her repeated misses. Magic it is, then, she thinks to herself, with a slight smile.

The smile vanishes when the kiosk, a structure of little significance until then, opens up, revealing a heavy machine gun barrel. And here they are, on the beach, with little cover.

Well, the shaman considers, smiling grimly, that can perhaps be fixed.

Reiya drops her hands to her sides and crouches, hands spread as if she’s about to pull something out of the earth. She is indeed seeking the earth, but as a friend rather than a tool to be drawn. She slips into the astral realm and clears her mind. Sanasatasamara, kind spirit, she asks gently, her voice suffused with affection, will you lend me your aid? The shaman carefully recalls some of their recent battles, including the one she sees before her. I ask for a barrier between this abomination and my comrades, who are but flesh and bone.

With deliberation and care, Reiya pictures the barrier she has in mind to the earth spirit, drawing on her teenage interest in Japanese deities. She feels the warmth of kinship, and the spirit’s presence, in the soles of her feet. Let us build this together, Reiya suggests, and as one, they shape the earth.

(( Summon Sanasatasamara at Force 3: ask to use Get Behind Me Ability, taking the shape of the Amida Triad (central Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, DM me if you need more details) ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Sat Jul 23, 2022 11:12 pm

Dice

The beach rumbles; on its surface, the topmost grains of sand hop about as tremors assail the ground. Reiya can feel the heat and pressure of astral energy concentrating nearby. All of the beach's surface becomes hydrous and begins flowing a singular point. Out of that locus springs a glorious sight: a trio of heavenly effigies, composed of a crystalline mineral. The largest of these manifestations is nearly two feet taller than Reiya and three times as wide. Sunlight refracts wildly through the infinitely complex configurations of crystal, projecting caustics across the marina. Reiya can't help but smile at the natural beauty displayed in the configuration as she moves to hide behind it.

Luis follows Reiya's lead, maneuvering behind her. "I don't know what this is or what you did, but thank you." He fires a short burst of fire at the gunner sequestered inside the kiosk. The bullets ricochet off of the machine gun's built-in shield.

The gunner, frustrated by the sudden appearance of a formidable barrier, turns the gun on Lafayette. The marina fills with the sound of thundering automatic fire as he unloads towards the warehouse. The barrage of fire erodes the side of the warehouse, tearing concrete from reebar and sending up a hellacious dust cloud. When the air clears, Lafayette appears unharmed.

Molly · Post by **Molly** » Sun Jul 24, 2022 11:05 am

There’s a strange sense of contradiction in the crystalline portraits of mercy and compassion, sculpted from the earth amidst such bloodshed. Even so, Taipan can’t deny the odd sense of nostalgia invoked by the spiritual into their mercenary interests, as familiar as the shinto shrines strategically placed on each Shiawase corporate campus.

There’s no time for reverence. Taipan shoots Reiya a nod of genuine appreciation, the shaman quite literally having molded the battlefield to their advantage. As he slips behind one of the flanking bodhisattvas, he seemingly subconsciously stops just short of touching them, lest he dirty the crystalline lotus with his boots. Still, cover is cover, and the old soldier leans out, aiming the FN HAR at the gunner who thought to turn his back on the team.

(( Another FA (simple action) against Nakajima, pushing the limit, please! ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 24, 2022 9:31 pm

Dice

Taipan continues to move forward, switching his target to the gunners. The rounds from his assault rifle impact the perimeter of the window and ricochet off of the shield. The last round, however, strikes the gunner directly in the torso. Blood spatters across the shield.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sun Jul 24, 2022 10:15 pm

Axel's eyes bug out at the sudden appearance of the bodhisattvas. His heart makes one hard beat, threatening a cascade before seeming to stop. Get it together, it's probably just some magic.

With as much hesitation as the chaotic situation will allow for, he takes a breath, and takes position behind one of the serene figures, laying his arms over the crook of its arm. He sights in on the gunner, and fires three rapid shots.

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Jul 25, 2022 10:20 pm

Dice

Axel fires a burst of pistol fire at the gunner, but the rounds ricochet off of the shield.

From his perch atop the cliff, Thoryne ejects the depleted magazine from his AK with a mental command and quickly slaps a new one in. After pulling the charging handle, he unloads a volley at the sniper who is leaning halfway out of the kiosk. Uncharacteristically of the troll, his aim is off and the rounds punch the concrete walkway adjacent to the building.

The sniper doesn't skip a beat and opens fire on Achak, but the shot is wide.

Molly · Post by **Molly** » Tue Jul 26, 2022 2:34 am

""AH! MY… BUDDHA?"" Mouse's jaw quite literally hangs at the sight of the glimmering deity before her, which Reiya has so serenely injected into the 3D meatspace of this plane of existence. In light of this reality hack, her own digital games, down to her little tanuki persona seem infinitely petty and insubstantial by comparison.

Rather than deny a perfectly good hiding place, she ducks down behind the central figure, takes a deep breath, and claps her hands flat against each other. In the digital space, her persona, still bearing its monastic-style garb, calmly raises a palm before its chest in a mudra-like pose, once again focusing its processing power into the space around the team.

(( Another Firewall, same targets/deck settings please! ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Jul 26, 2022 4:13 pm

Dice

The scrimmage continues amid the roiling black clouds of burning fuel and gunsmoke. The sea immediately around the docks is steeped in crimson and the bodies of the fallen bob with the tide. Audible in a break of the battle din is the sound of a motor turning over, coming from behind the far warehouse.

Lafayette sags against the side of the building, struggling with the charging handle on his weapon.

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:21 am

Dice

Yung springs up from the kiosk's walkway, leaning around the corner to fire a burst at the gunner. The rounds hit the window frame, sending debris flying.

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 12:08 pm

Dice

Mick lunges at Kojima, throwing a full-body hook. Their fist punches clean through the man's torso, causing an explosion of gore to erupt from his right side. Kojima manages to land one hand on Mick's shoulder before succumbing and tumbling into the water.

Wind hovers downward, laying down a barrage at the exposed sniper. Kurito ducks back in the doorframe, grimacing as chunks of concrete rain down upon him.

Achak murmurs something and waves his hand towards the wounded dwarf Lafayette. Small, ethereal threads of astral energy worm their way up the dwarf's body and stitch his wounds. Lafayette heaves a sigh of relief and stands a bit straighter.

Whirlwind pivots and lays down suppressing fire on the gunner's position.

ReiyaEmm · Post by **ReiyaEmm** » Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:36 pm

The shaman is certainly pleased by the barrier on the beach, and by the small tributes of the two teammates who clearly know what it is. But Reiya won’t take credit for another’s work; it’s all Sanasatasamara’s doing, and she is profoundly grateful.

What she doesn’t expect, however, is the tingling warmth she feels at being connected to Sanasatasamara again. It’s comforting, and it eases her tiredness and pain slightly, giving her renewed energy to return to the fight.

Casting a calculating eye toward the kiosk, Reiya determines it’s time for another manaball, and smiles.

(( Cast Manaball at Force 5, aimed at the gunner in the kiosk. ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:05 pm

Dice

Reiya concentrates and manifests a ball of crackling energy just behind the window. Violet flames lick out of the undulating sphere and score burns across the gunner's shoulders. He cries out in pain but manages to stagger away.

Luis crouches, takes careful aim with his pistol and fires a single shot. The round punches the gunner's other shoulder, splattering blood against the concrete. The gunner sags at the gun, just barely clinging to life.

Using his last moments to reap revenge, the gunner turns his LMG on Reiya's position and opens fire. The furious barrage hammers away at the front of Reiya's buddha. Small, glittering slivers fill the air, but Reiya remains safe behind the spirit's crystalline form.

John · Post by **John** » Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:47 pm

Taipan's finger drifts off the trigger for the briefest of moments, his FN HAR reloading automatically with a barely-registered mental comment from its operator. The action unfolds in the blink of an eye as the onetime-samurai steadies his weapon trained at the ailing gunner and unleashes another spray of bullets that scream through the air like angry hornets.

(( FA Burst ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Jul 29, 2022 3:25 pm

Dice

Taipan places all six shots directly into the gunner's face, systematically deconstructing the man's skull with automatic fire. The deceased gunner tumbles backwards, headless.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Fri Jul 29, 2022 7:05 pm

Axel is about to squeeze off another burst at the gunner, before the hapless fascist does his best impression of choosing... poorly.

Axel reacquires a target, the final figure that he can spot on the docks that doesn't have a green marker designating them as a friend and not food. He lines up the sights, satisfied with the placement of the floating red reticle, and fires off another three rounds.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:12 pm

Dice

Axels' rounds are wide, failing to find their mark on the lone sniper now battling the team.

Thoryne swings his rifle to bear on the sniper and fires. The automatic fire rakes the concrete walkway, and one of the rounds hits the man in the back. Kurito staggers forward, moving back to cover.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:40 pm

Dice

The spirit remains in its crystalline form, providing a barrier for Reiya and others. Tucked behind it, Mouse continues to operate the firewall program. The end is in sight.

MattL · Post by **MattL** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:36 am

During a brief pause in the exchange of fire Yung yells out, "Oye, Baka-yarō, you wanna make it out of this still breathing? Lose the weapon and maybe you won’t lose your head too."

He advances toward the edge of the kiosk trying to maintain cover between himself and Kurito.

(( Will try to peek through the building/cover and attempt to level the firearm at Kurito but not fire. ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 4:25 pm

Dice

Perhaps it's the tone that Yung employs, or perhaps its the fact the sniper had not detected his presence. Either way, the sudden ultimatum startles the soldier. He drops his rifle, which bounces once off the concrete walkway and disappears into the marina with an ineffectual splash.

Apparently taking in the battlefield for the first time in earnest, the lone soldier adopts a nervous demeanor. Peeking around the edge of the kiosk, he spies the giant crystal buddha-- which appears to be the last straw. Kurito abandons his position and dives into the marina, disappearing beneath the waterline.

The deep silence that follows is broken only by the sputtering of a boat engine. Lafayette waves frantically at the various members of the team, beckoning them to the far end of the docks.

MattL · Post by **MattL** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:27 pm

A momentary look of bewilderment flashes across Yung’s face, "Can’t believe that worked." he says under his breath.

Looking up toward the rifleman providing overwatch he opens his commlink, << Nice shooting big man, but vamonos amigo. Let’s see how quick those legs move, eh. >>

Yung lets out a sigh of relief before holstering his sidearm and taking in the carnage of the battlefield. He bows his head, shaking it slightly before turning his attention back to the newly commandeered boat. Dios mio.

Yung begins walking toward the recently acquired means of egress, as he passes the end of the kiosk he notes the fallen Kuriokaze. He stops next to the elite soldier, kneeling down to take a closer look at the corpse. He quickly rifles through the guards pockets, pocketing anything that might be deemed useful. Before rising he grabs the hilt of the katana, using the blade to cut loose the sheath and wakizashi.

He wrinkles his nose as whisps of smoke begin to rise off the body, finally rising back to his feet and looking back to gauge the progress of Thoryne. << Got a little souvenir. >>

(( Assuming there is a wakizashi etc for that course of action ))

Molly · Post by **Molly** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 12:40 pm

The chaotic skirmish surfaces a thousand emotions, all standing in defiant contradiction of one another. An involuntary shiver snakes down the decker’s spine at Yung’s authoritative demands, while facial muscles that had been gripped in paralyzing fear ease into an absurd curl of the lips as the last visible threat simply 'nopes' into the bay. Before her, the glimmering portrait of the divine towers over twisted, ragged bodies, serene in their unspoken invitation to something better. Below, the putrid, metallic smell of blood and internal organs made external is enough to make her stomach lurch. Her entire body trembles.

With but the briefest of hesitations, she reaches out toward the crystalline display, and splays her fingers against its cool form. "Thank you." Her words slip away, little more than a whisper swept into the marine air.

She still doesn't know what that thing is. It bends this reality in a way both infinitely familiar and alien to herself. It wears the faces its onlookers expect to see. It doesn't belong here. Neither does she.

That’s enough introspection. She straightens herself up, as though she hadn’t spent the last half minute cowering behind the gun-toters, and that she hasn’t just swallowed down the contents of her stomach. "DOES THIS MAKE US PIRATES NOW? ‘CAUSE I WANNA BE A PIRATE." As she hurries toward the boat, her resting anxiety has been fully covered with a familiar veneer of bravado and ancient references, with just a pinch of genuine excitement beneath at the prospect of stealing an imperial ship.

ReiyaEmm · Post by **ReiyaEmm** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 7:44 pm

The shaman breathes out a deep sigh of relief as the last enemy target disappears. It’s not quite over, but it feels like the worst is past. She knows how dangerous that feeling can be, and she knows they’ve still got to get to the escape boat, but the immediate crisis is past.

Reiya takes a moment to lay her head and arms against Sanasatasamara in gratitude and affection. The same feeling of warmth reaches into her, as if Sanasatasamara is breathing her essence into Reiya.

The shaman allows herself to revel in it for several seconds, reciprocating as best she can, before reaching up to pull a shell, a feather, and a stone out of her hair. She presses them against the crystal. Our thanks, brave spirit. Until we meet again. She takes the objects in her hands and places them on the crystal form, letting go of the items and her connection with the earth spirit at the same time. The crystal glows for a brief moment, as Sanasatasamara responds, and then the crystalline triad form drops back into the earth, along with the few small gifts.

Reiya immediately bereft, horribly alone again, and then calms herself with another long breath. "Time to grab our ride? "she suggests aloud, forcing herself to move and return to the mundane world.

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:05 pm

Luis races across the docks where he greets Lafayette warmly. Achak hangs back with the runners, keeping a watchful eyes on the cliffs above the marina. As the team waits for Thoryne to meet them, a sleek sliver of a gunboat drifts out from behind the far warehouse. The vessel is shaped like an elongated wedge with gleaming armor panels, an enclosed cabin, and a forward mounted machine gun. As the gunboat draws near, Zal waves from the deck.

"I will be glad to be free of this place," Achak says. He glances at the team. "I thank you."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 12:11 pm

Axel rests on his knees on the dock, pistol hanging limply in his lap, slide locked back to an empty chamber. He gazes for a long moment at the disturbance in the water left by the fleeing sniper, and begins to laugh. He throws his head back, face toward the sky, laughing from the belly and drinking in the absurdity of... Of all of it.

His eye catches movement, and his gaze settles on Reiya. He watches as she gives offerings to the magical barrier... No, that's not right. The look of mirth drains from his face, and he's up without remembering standing. He locks his saucer-wide eyes directly ahead, spinning his finger in the air, "time to go, kids" he says, then under his breath, "gogogogogogo."

John · Post by **John** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 4:53 pm

Mick runs their right hand over their face, tracing from their cheek along the crown of their head and down to the knobby protrusion of the ork's temporal bone at the base of their skull. The motion smears the several redundant layers of blood into a kind of crazed warpaint. Had they a mirror, Mick might appreciate how truly untethered from reality and "normal" society they'd become. It wouldn't be the only time such an observation might have taken to wing.

But the gore-streaked adept tended to avoid mirrors.

From the outside, it probably looks like a fugue state. The ork's comrades race and scurry, bounding over smoldering piles of harbor wreckage and steaming heaps of corporeal wreckage just the same, but Mick's movements remain stalled a moment. They close their eyes and draw a deep, cold breath of salty air into their nostrils, noting the same sickly bright, earthy aroma of externalized organs as did Mouse.

In the mad, ascending fracas of the world's slowest cargo elevator, the ork had hurriedly snatched a grenade from Thoryne's bandolier that they'd never had the opportunity to chuck at the heavens. Their thoughts return to it– a cold, hard lump that they'd shoved in a frenzied moment back into a pouch pocket now pressing into their hip. A slow grin dawns on Mick's lips, casting the ork's own personal brand of sunshine back in the direction of the early-mid-morning light, now blazing ferociously a modest distance above what the adept wouldn't likely be able to identify as the once-Oakland Hills.

Reaching into their pouch, Mick extracts the explosive device and walks over to the dock above the barely-but-still-there dervish of surface bubbles left by the bugged-out sniper. The trigger on the grenade pops playfully as the ork thumbs it with a flick. They hold it for a second– wouldn't want it to sink all the way to the bottom before it detonates!– and drop it into the bay with a cartoonish THLOOMP that threatens to send them into a lunatic gale of laughter. A moment later, a massive geyser explodes just before the still-grinning adept. The cool spray of water blasts over their face in stinging needles, and for a moment they're transported back to a moment from their past. It's gone in a second, but for the span of a breath, Mick is back in the family driveway, having just gotten an unexpected shot to the face from the business end of the green garden hose that usually sat coiled by their front step, their father impishly cackling on the other side of the family's be-sudsed sedan. It's the most pleasant moment the ork has experienced since unintentionally-but-not-necessarily-unwantedly flirting with Mouse in the canteen. That the explosive spray of water appears like it just might be slightly pinkish as it blossoms into the optimistic, beaming light of A New Day in the Bay does nothing to dull the ork's pleasure.

With that, the fugue-like state is broken, and Mick is all heavy, fast bootfalls that CLOMP apocalyptically down the dock. Reaching the boat, the ork boards with a leap that extends fluidly out of their bounding gate. It's a graceful motion, and might even be beautiful if the ork didn't look like an insane nightmare made flesh.

Finding space next to Mouse, Mick rubs the cold, salty water up from their cheeks and orbital sockets over their head, diluting and washing away some– but not exactly much– of the blood left there. Catching a sidelong look from the decker, the ork offers a wan smile and nods back in the direction of the docks.

"Thought I could do with a shower."

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:44 pm

Thoryne whistles appreciatively as he strides up to the end of the dock. "Guess Saito doesn't scrimp when it comes to ships." He taps the side of the hull with his cybernetic hand. "Inch thick titanium armor plating. Reinforced carbon fiber shell. And is that a T-92 powerplant I hear?"

As the team's resident pirate marvels at the commandeered vessel, Zal leans over the bow. He nods solemnly at the team. "You did well. A damn sight better than we fared." He glances back at his team, many of which are nursing wounds but exchanging jubilant greetings with Luis. A rare smile creeps across his face. "It's good to have him back. I know you're being paid but... we couldn't have done it with you. I guess not all mercs are shit heads."

Wind and Whirlwind slowly return to hover above Axel's head. As Achak boards the vessel, Zal clocks him with a sidelong glance. "That must be Preacher's man, huh? Must be a VIP."

Thoryne moves to the helm, seemingly already acquainted with the ship's systems.

"What say we get the fuck out of here?" asks Lafayette, chewing on a freshly lit cigar.

Molly · Post by **Molly** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:54 pm

With each natural rock of the boat, the contents of Mouse’s stomach rock even harder. These factors, combined with the gore spattered docks on the horizon, make for a nauseous wombo-combo in full defiance of her attempts to act as though everything is fine. She settles into a spot leaning over the rail, falling into a distant, almost pensive expression as she looks back on the island, attempting to distract herself with lining up a good parting shot for her illicit collection of Alcatraz imagery.

And then she's not alone. She doesn't catch when Mick sidles up alongside her, even after catching the fallout from the impromptu fountainhead. The brief moment of surprise, even at the ork's bay water and blood drenched form, is short lived. She nods along with their words, as though taking them at face value, before raising a finger to point toward her own cheek. "YOU'VE STILL GOT SOME RED ON YOU."

The brow furrows as she looks out again, the contemplation suddenly less an act to seem cool, and more genuine. "SO, AT WHAT POINT DOES THIS DREK GET EASIER?" There's a slight quiver of her bottom lip as the boat dips gently once more. "CAUSE AS IT STANDS, I'M ONE BAD HEADWIND FROM BLOWING BITS INTO THIS BAY."

John · Post by **John** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:49 pm

A smile tugs at the corners of Mick's mouth. "Yeah? Where is it? Here?" The ork gestures to their entire torso, pointing an index finger at themself and waving it in a large, dopey circle. A snicker escapes them, as ridiculous as it is. But the smile sets like an evening January sun as the decker follows up her joke, the question a plea the ork has begged of the empty darkness of 4am squats and flophouses far more times than could ever be counted. Mick does their best to measure their words.

"If you're lucky? Never, I think." The adept fumbles for the thing to say. The thing they mean. "You get used to the fear. The panic. That drek all settles down sooner than later, and sooner than you'd probably think. It's like our circuits just get fried, or something. You lose your ability to feel that part of yourself." Their gaze drops to their craggy hands, scarred and freshly split from battle and coated with dried blood and grime. "But if you're lucky, I think, the death never gets easier." Mick's focus shifts beyond their ravaged mitts, plumbing the depths of the murky, churning bay, its shallow waters somehow black as pitch, obsidian and fathomless. When their voice returns, it sounds small, a missive from over the horizon line and sailing on. "So long as that stays hard, I think there's hope for you."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 7:12 pm

Axel walks toward the waiting vessel without remembering the act of walking. He feels disembodied, a simple viewpoint bobbing above the marina in a way that doesn't seem to match the movement of his legs. He nods absently at the conversation between Mick and Mouse, and pauses.

"I dunno. I thought I was signing up to boost some medical supplies, or maybe provide some protection in the Barrens" he says distantly, turning to take in the whole island for the first time since they arrived. "..The frag are we doing here?"

His thoughts turn to the basement that the team stumbled on, and a shiver pierces the heat from the sun. "Just wish we had a nuke to bury this place under the waves. Nothing good has happened in this place."

Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

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Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Re: Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place