Vriqiohr

Samir
[aw shit what is going down today]

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (2) ( fail )

William
They made a pretty decent team when it came to Overwatch. William kept his damned mouth shut unless he needed an assist, he was a good listener, and he followed directions pretty damned well. Honestly, if he could be the kind of person he is when he's playing video games he would probably be an adept by now. But he is not, and he is not.

He is, however, very persuasive. This is how Samir usually ends up in trouble when he hangs out with William. William is like a goddamned duck when it comes to both paradox and trouble, and someday it's going to catch up with him but one could hope that, for once, the fact that all of his friends are Right And Proper Fucked won't catch up with them today.

The blond had conned Samir into coming out because William had requested assistance upgrading the hardware on his PC. Not his laptop, mind you. William had actually broken down and acquired a desktop and had been doing to awkward task of trying to get better at figuring out WTF is going on with it. He hadn't done a terrible job, but he had promised food and the opportunity to mock him mercilessly to Samir if he would help with this one thing.

They were going to meet at Union station and take the same train off to whatever store they were headed to. Save on parking and save on time. Also, William wouldn't have to rive or ride in a car.

Because fuck cars.

Samir
So much time has passed between the last time Sam saw Will and today that he had almost forgotten why he was mad at him in the first place. It isn't as if he has a physical scar, Kiara having healed him beyond what any mundane practitioner of medicine could have done for him. What he does have is the memory of losing yet another huge chunk of time to Quiet. Disappearing into the woods, staying disappeared thanks to Reality's poor job of solidifying him as a person in the world.

But he is a person, and as a person he had grown beyond tired of Will and his thoughtlessness and his appetite for danger. The ease with which he and danger found each other. It was better that the two of them only encountered each other in multiplayer game lounges, only heard from each other when one was giving instructions over the head set or cracking a joke.

He had very much not wanted to answer Will's invitation to meet him downtown and help with his computer ineptitude. He had asked him if Hermetics weren't supposed to be able to learn things in a hurry, why the fuck don't you use your Mind Sphere, dude you're fucking hopeless. But he came. He's here.

Sam steps off the train as one in a sea of dozens, easy to overlook because it is as if he is not there in the first place. It's a million fucking degrees and he's wearing a zip-up sweatshirt, unzipped, over a faded band t-shirt and jeans. Aside from having cut his hair and kept it trimmed, little has changed about him physically. Maybe he's a little taller. His voice sounds the same as he comes up behind Will.

"What's up, Asshole?"

William
"Phfft-fuck!"

He had been drinking a Sprite when Samir came up, didn't notice him when he came up because Samir is forgettable and the next thing he knew there was Sprite coming out of his nose and he was covering his mouth and turning around- "Don't touch me I'm disgusting."

Grant you, there was precisely fuck all of a chance of Samir touching him but it was warning enough that, yes, he was gross and probably didn't need to be touched because, y'know, Sprite and the fact that he was kind of sweaty and wearing shorts. He still looked the same, but maybe a little more tan.

To his credit, though, he felt different. Fearless, dauntless, unafraid to do what he needed to do even if it was terrifying.

Denver
The train station has the standard amount of people. There are couples coming to and fro. Commuters trying to hop back on the train to catch it in time to get back to the office before the boss eats their ass for being late from lunch for the third time in two weeks. You can tell who those people are by the look on their faces.

Oh, and Mormons.

There were a group of Mormons standing about ten yards away from William and Samir. They had pamphlets. Two men and two women.

Samir
That he feels different is not a startling development for Sam. He had progressed a few winters ago, and was happy to stay in his trailer with everything he needed to survive, peeling himself out of his chair a few times a day to inhale the air outside and walk around the warded bit of land he kept up with River. There is nothing he needs from the city or the people in the city, and yet he keeps making exceptions.

Never mind exceptions have almost gotten him killed before. More than once. The young man in front of him now the correlating variable in the two most recent incidents.

"Yes," he says, his hands still in his pockets. "You are."

He spares a glance for the Mormons, if only because holy shit there's like four of them since when do they let the women out of the compound.

Denver
[Mormon 1: Do I notice Sam? -4]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (3, 7, 9) ( success x 2 )

Denver
[Mormon 2: Do I notice Sam? -4]

Dice: 2 d10 TN6 (4, 7) ( success x 1 )

Denver
[Lady Mormon 1: What about me? -4]

Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (7, 7, 8, 8) ( success x 4 )

Denver
[Lady Mormon 2: I have to notice something. (Awareness) -4]

Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (3, 6, 6, 8) ( success x 3 )

Denver
[And alertness]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 10) ( success x 1 )

Denver
[aaaand awareness again]

Dice: 8 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 9) ( success x 3 )

Denver
The first of them- a tall, lanky man with dark hair and the perpetual five o'clock shadow- pointed at the pair of mages standing nearby. There was the subtle nudge to the short redhead next to him but almost in unison the entire group of modestly dressed people swung their attention in their direction.

They were staring, whispered amongst themselves and wore expressions of almost awe before one of them- the small redheaded man, got nudged forward. He started his approach.

"Sir?" he said, quickened his approach and looked at Samir with a look that paralleled hero worship, "oh it is such a blessing to meet you."

Samir
Sam does not even hesitate before taking a deep breath and taking a long-legged step back to come as close to hiding behind Will as he can, considering the fact that Will could hide behind a fucking fence post. There is no hiding behind Will.

"I--heh!" Jesus what is going on. "Why's that?"

William
William has, during the course of their not-meeting-in-person, not puyt on any weight. He's tall, but he's never been a particularly physically imposing guy, but he was more than willing to put himself as far between Samir and Creepy Mormon Dude as he possibly could.

"Heyyy look, this is great and all, but we've already been to the motherland. Read the book, we're good," now please go away, the rest of that statement went.

Denver
The man didn't seem deterred by the fact that there was now a person between him and Samir, and he continued his approach only to stop right before he ran into William.

"You're him, He Who Speaks Midnight. The Scion of Beyond- Vriqiohr," he whispered, and the name coated with honey and all the flies trapped within it.

Samir
[int + occult: that's a mouthful. keen-edged mind spec GO.]

Dice: 5 d10 TN8 (1, 1, 3, 3, 5) ( botch x 2 ) [Doubling Tens]

William
[Int+occult: go go gadget Hermeticism?]

Dice: 6 d10 TN8 (1, 4, 6, 6, 7, 8) ( success x 1 )

William
Dude, Samir. He totally thinks you're the actor from that new web series... something about people acting out a dorky tabletop group's game? Something like that. Felt a little too much like Harmon Quest without the charm]

William
Be flattered, if you roll with this you might be able to get some free shit.

Samir
"... oh."

Given Sam has never heard of either the Scion of Beyond or whatever that new Youtube series that was like Drunk History if the History were Dorky TT Groups' Sessions and also not funny, he doesn't feel the acute need to get them the fuck away from him. They're just overenthusiastic fans dealing with a case of mistaken identity. That happens to people sometimes.

Not to him necessarily, but he's heard of it happening.

"Oh, I... yeah, I get that a lot."

William
William, however, does feel the need to leave right about now. He placed his hands out and began the careful extrication of himself from the man who was literally an inch away from being pressed against his chest. Hands out and caaaarefully moving him away from them.

"We've really got to be going, Mister Midnight talker has... uh... a really busy schedule, don't we?"

Denver
[Redbeard the Mormon: No touchy]

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (4, 7, 7, 7, 9, 10) ( success x 5 )

William
[Maybe dodge?]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 3, 7, 9) ( success x 2 )

Denver
[Just making sure we don't pop his shoulder out of place]

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 3, 10, 10, 10) ( success x 3 )

William
[Oww?]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (2, 6, 8) ( success x 2 )

Denver
Clearly, the redhaired man was not too keen on being removed from Samir's space via the twiggy meat shield that was standing between them. The movement was efficient and brutal. William put his hands out and the man took a grip on his wrist and soon enough had the taller blond turned around his his left arm hiked up somewhere between his shoulder blades in a position that made the would-be bodyguard infinitely more manageable.

"So you've met the others?"


Samir
It isn't the efficiency with which the ginger puts Will into a secure hold that has Sam flinching but the speed. Now that his meat shield is gone Sam starts to step back, not attempting to be polite anymore. If he has to unleash something nasty to resolve this - aka, if he ends up in Quiet because of the idiot who doesn't know self defense or reverse holds even though he loves trouble so much - he doesn't want to be close enough for chunks of viscera to hit him.

"Hey, man," Sam says, his palms out of his pockets and presented to show he's unarmed, "it's cool, we're all cool, I... if you say I'm Vrikor, I'm Vrikor. But I'm not answering any more questions until you let him go."

William
That could have hurt a lot worse than it did, and he inhaled some sharp breath that broadcast the fact that this hurt.

"I got this," but with the sort of forcefulness that says fucking run without coming out and saying it. William knows something, he knows something that he can't come out and say because he's stuck in the kind of hold that would make Israeli special forces golf clap at its execution.



Denver
The grip didn't falter just yet, he didn't seem keen on letting go and at that juncture the rest of his creepy crew was headed their way. This was starting to look more and more like a problem. As though having someone in a police hold wasn't already a problem.

"And then you will come with us, meet the others, yes?"



Samir
[wp: just leave him there man it's what he wants]

Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 3, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10) ( success x 3 )

Samir
For the three seconds it takes Samir to make a decision, he has a raging internal debate.

Though all Will can see is empathy and uncertainty, he knows the Virtual Adept. Sam is the sort of player who will allow his character to die if it means the team will gain more points, but has rarely been in that situation. He's an intelligent individual who can predict other people's behavior based on their previous actions. The fact that Will has made it this far behaving the way as he has been behaving ever since Sam first met him is astonishing.

It is not up to Sam to decide whether Will's time is up or not. Some part of him believes that the Hermetic can, in all seriousness, handle four people by himself. That he is in this situation to begin with is fucking bullshit, and plain old-fashioned bad luck. But Will, bless his stupid little heart, is willing to stay behind so Sam can get the hell out of there.

And then you will come with us, meet the others, yes?

"Nah," Sam says. "Fuck that."

And then he turns and books it down the platform.

Denver
[Because I can't find the mechanics of this damned pursuit thing in m20, I think I've figured something out.

Running speed is 5 x Dex = meters traveled on 1 success. You need 1 success to maintain speed and each success thereafter gives you 5 extra meters per turn.

Roll to run is dex+athletics, diff 6 (base, until you hit people and then difficulty will be modified)

example: Nora has Dex 3, so Nora moves 15 meters per round (provided she doesn't fail or botch). Nora rolled 3 successes on her Dex+athletics roll. So, this turn Nora moved 25 meters.

Jake has Dex 4, so he moves 20 meters per success. Jake rolled 3 successes so he moved 30 meters this round and is gaining on Nora.



So, uhhhhh, basically just roll Dex+athletics and I'll do the weird math and shit.



Denver
[Roll initiatives to start the chase!]

Samir
[lol sam is toast +5]

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (7) ( success x 1 )

Denver
Tall Mormon: 5+1d10

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (4) ( fail )

Denver
Red: 6+1d10

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (6) ( success x 1 )

Denver
Chick: 5+1d10

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (1) ( botch x 1 )

Denver
Magical Girl Mormon: 7+1d10

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (10) ( success x 1 )

William
Aaaad will. Dex3+wits3+1d10

Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (2) ( fail )

William
Chick: 
The lady, who wasn't terribly close at that moment, looked around awkwardly before kicking off her sensible heels and picking up her skirt and trying her level best to catch up with Samir-

"Wait!"
[action: begin pursuit, dex 2 +athletics 1]

William
"It's fucking stupid to incur Vriqiohr's wrath. Let. Him. Leave." fists clenched around something, something then muttered under his breath and tried to keep his head together.

[Mind 2: Inspire fear for MGM because she a boss-assed bitch who don't feel like everyone else.]

Tall
The taller man looked around confusedly and then started along with his pursuit.

[Pursuit started! Dex 3 + athletics 2]





Samir
[corr 3: Get Me the Fuck Out of Here. may need to extend this if the dice gods aren't pleased.]

William
Red
Quit. Fucking. Moving you goddamned blond.
[Action: apply pressure and reassert grapple?]

MGM
"I just need to talk, stay," she said and continued her calm pursuit.

[Mind 2: Suggestion "Stay"]




Denver
MGM: Arete 3- Stay the fuck put. Diff 3+ 2 (sphere) +1 (fastcast)

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (2, 7, 10) ( success x 2 )

Denver
Red: strength 3 + brawl 3 = 6, diff 6

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 4, 4, 4, 10) ( success x 1 )

Denver
[Ouchies?]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 7) ( success x 1 )

William
[Soak]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (1, 3, 6) ( success x 1 )

Samir
[corr 3: nyeeeh. base diff 8, modifiers are a pain in the dick. -1 for Quint, spending WP.]

Dice: 3 d10 TN7 (2, 3, 10) ( success x 2 ) [WP]

Denver
[Tall guy: Maybe?]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 5, 7, 8) ( success x 2 )

William
[Will: fast casting! Mind 2. Diff 3 + sphere 2 + fast 1 - 2 quint= diff 4]

Dice: 3 d10 TN4 (1, 5, 5) ( success x 3 ) [WP]

William
[Short and Skirty: Dex 2+ athletics 1: Iiiiiii'm running!]

Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (4, 5, 9) ( success x 2 ) [WP]

William
"I just need to talk, stay," she insisted, and there was a push against that shield and it was as though it just bounced off of him like a bullet into a brick wall. Not strong enough to break through but certainly enough to put a dint in the side of the foundation. This was, all the while, when Samir was being pursued by several of the modestly-dressed cultists. The taller one started his run, and was gaining on the stationary Virtual Adept while the woman in her bare feet and longer skirt was doing her best there. There was the effort put in, and written clear about her face that she wanted to be there. That she wanted to meet Him. The One. The glorious Vriqiohr.

The other man reaffirmed his grip on the younger man and reapplied pressure there, but not enough that it really seemed to make much of a difference. The other mage was stuck, but not stuck in such a fashion that he wasn't going to be able to really act or function. He didn't necessarily need to move.

"It's fucking stupid to incur Vriqiohr's wrath. Let. Him. Leave," William barked with the sort of firmness that only came when a Hermetic was dressing someone down, and if there was any doubt in his ability to do so, it was dashed when the other woman- with her red hair and soothing voice and serpentine feel about her- stopped and her expression turned to that of pause, then mortification, then fear. She stopped her pursuit, backing away slowly.

"I-" she stammered, shook her head and put her hands up, "oh, great one forgive me-" she told Samir, stopped in her tracks. The people around the scene seemed... mostly weirded out by all of this. The next train was departing already, and the station was clearing out.

William
It was unfortunate, of course, that they just weren't fast enough, because with little fanfare their glorious god-figure disappeared, leaving the cultists in awe and leaving the rest of the people in the station confused.

And then shrugging it off as though the man who disappeared had never even been there.

Samir
[Heather, you are a marvel. Thank you so much! <3]

William
[Thanks for having me! I had a blast, and thank you for playing!]