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 Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:06 am
He'd been sitting in Peyton's room, across the table from her, uncomfortable as he always somehow seemed to be there, and it had seemed very much as though Astrid, over on the futon with her phone, was tuning them both out. They--the clones--were after an artifact. This was convenient for Taym, as the window of opportunity for securing it was vanishingly tiny, giving him a time and a place. They'd set an ambush, and hopefully let the clones do some of the work for them, because bringing back a trophy for Deus might be a boon. He went over what she needed to know, unusually sober and business-minded, no absent joking or distracted fidgeting. Just a constant, restless unease, as though he wished they could go now, now, instead of the day after tomorrow. He was laser-focused as he ran down what he knew of the clones' pendants, the urgency with which they needed to be stripped of these before they could be used, the dangers if they did; the limits of the clones' regenerative powers (almost none, save small increments of time taken to knit flesh back together), what they needed to do to subdue them and get them in alive, the stressed importance of getting both of them, lest one get away to tell tales. By the end of it he'd apparently become so immersed in the debrief that he'd forgotten Astrid's presence--a fact made obvious by the fact that he jumped at the sudden intrusion of her voice. He was in the thick of pondering whether it might be wise to recruit a third. Just in case. "I'll go," she said suddenly. He glanced nervously at Peyton as though asking for permission before turning to address the younger Creedy directly, soothing, a little, perhaps, condescending by mistake. "Well, there's no need for us to push you into danger like--" "I said I'll go," she said again, testy and defiant, and she was looking at Peyton when she said it. And so here they are, a day and a half later, and Taym's at the portal with his mission bag packed, waiting on the Creedy sisters--both of them--to join him.
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 9:17 am
She didn't ask many questions as he talked, not about the mission, not about the clones themselves or any new information that may have been coming to light. It wasn't a subject he had ever been anything but tight lipped about, and she had always respected that, never pushed, and now was no different. She trusted him to tell her what she needed to know to make their mission a success, and not to endanger her anymore then the job itself demanded. He was professional, but aside from that, they were friends. Had been for years now. If there was anyone Peyton would trust her life to above all others(Moon partner excluded), it was Taym. So she sat across from him quietly, nodding, fingers steepled and ankles crossed across the wrung of her stool. As the possibility of a third was brought up she leaned forward on her elbows, ready to toss out a couple of names of those she thought would be competent and efficient, but she never got the chance. Astrid's soft voice cut through Taym's musing and made them both jump. An immediate, tight lipped frown formed, though as Taym glanced her way she could offer only a twitch of lips and the upward tick of brows before he was trying to talk her little sister down. Ineffectively. Astrid insisted, pale gaze burning up in Peyton's direction, and the older Creedy let out a sigh that wasn't meant to be resigned, but was. She knew that tone. That did not mean attempts hadn't been made to appeal to Astrid's better judgement. This was a mission that could end up being very dangerous, and the idea of Astrid being there was enough to make Peyton's teeth hurt, she was clenching her jaw so tightly. Nothing worked, and by the morning of the mission the elder of the two had a headache she was trying to massage away with her thumbs as they headed towards the portal to meet up with Taym. As they neared she aimed an almost apologetic look in his direction, Astrid a few steps behind her. She had, however, managed to make sure her sister had prepared well. There was even a similar hip pack on the shorter girl. Light brown, instead of grey--a late birthday gift. Peyton herself had brought along all acquired runics, additional runes, and additional none runic first aid supplies. They were as ready as they were going to get.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 4:43 am
Astrid, to the contrary, seemed positively chipper, especially compared to how she normally was confronted with the prospect of work. Possibly it was the lingering after-effects of her tiny personal victory, or possibly it was because she was for some inexplicable reason altogether too proud of her little hip pack and its neatly-packed contents ( I feel like an RPG character, she'd said, beaming). Taym gave them both a glance over, meeting Peyton's expression with a studied lack thereof on his part, and shifted the weight of his shoulder bag, ignoring Astrid's cheery wave which led her to giving Peyton a faintly-incredulous look that all too clearly said look at this jerk. Then again, she'd never been as enthused with Taym's company as Peyton was. "Thanks for showing up," he said, to both of them. "Astrid, you and me will go for the pendants when they show up while Peyton does the Sun thing." He hesitated, uneasy, his nerves finally creeping through as he sucked down the rest of his cigarette in a single drag and ground the butt out under his heel. As he turned for the portal Astrid pointedly reached up to pick it up off the ground, giving his back a nasty look. Beejoux please tag Liz in after you post? biggrin
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 11:20 am
Peyton, for her part, didn't know where to look, or what expression to give, so she very eagerly headed straight for the doorway that lead into the lighthouse and the portal within after Taym had thanked them for showing up and given the division of labor. While she'd have liked Astrid to keep a nice safe distance away from the clones(or anything and everything that could ever hurt her), the fact that she'd be playing decoy herself by drawing fire and dealing damage made the task of going for pendants the safer of the two jobs, and if she had to pick something for the smaller girl to do, that'd be it. Besides, she'd have Taym with her, and he'd keep her safe. No prior discussion needed, Peyton just knew he would. "So where are we headed?" She paused beside the tech that ran the portals, looking up at Taym curiously as she folded thin arms across her chest.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:18 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 12:05 am
On the other side it was cold and raining, and Taym started shivering in the fashion of a wet dog almost the instant they stepped through into the wet. "Georgia," he said. "Right next door to Russia, which explains why it's so ******** miserable." No wonder he'd told them to dress warm. He'd already explained that the clones were after an artifact: the Torc of Prometheus. "Metaphorical name. I hope. Something about enlightenment," he'd said, vaguely troubled, "so maybe we don't have to worry that it's literally going to make them fire-bearing Titans." The plan was to set up an ambush at the exit. The ambient energies of the place were too unstable to support a direct portal and so, Taym had speculated, they'd be too unstable to support the clones' pendants, giving them a window of opportunity. If everything went smoothly (but when did it ever?) they'd be returning to Deus with two captives and a trophy to turn over, a small way of justifying Taym's continuing distraction with what Edith undoubtedly saw as personal vendettas. "Keep it down," he said roughly. It was easy for him: he was naturally stealthy, and among the patter of the freezing rain even Astrid's none-too-graceful steps were lost. She shot Peyton a woeful glance, stretching out her palms under the rain, and fell into step behind the two of them as Taym led them to the spot where they'd be waiting--around a little curve of stone, a pocket barely large enough to hold the three of them huddled in and made the more uncomfortable by the fact that Taym immediately summoned (Astrid made an impressed face that he missed entirely at the undeniable beauty of the falcata that he'd always taken for granted) and hid the glow of the runes under his coat, leading Astrid to do the same and further encumbering the tight squeeze with sharp edges. It was probably for the best all three of them fought small and light, with no seven-foot swords or enormous hammers to speak of. [quote="beejoux"
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:05 pm
Jesus Christ, it was cold. Goosebumps sprang up immediately under the sleeves of the hoody Peyton had on under her jacket, and she regretted, now, that she hadn't layered up more than she had. Muscled or not, she was still a twig, and the chill cut straight to the bone. Taym might have been first, but Peyton was a close second with the shivering, small body going into head to toe spasms in an attempt to retain some semblance of heat. It didn't work. "Miserable is one word for it," she agreed dryly, voice little more then an unhappy grumble as she kept on the Moon's heels. When directed, however, any and all talking ceased. She, like Taym, was good at stealth. It wasn't in her division's nature, but she was naturally light on her feet. At Astrid's woeful glance she'd offer a reassuring little smile, a bump to the shoulder, before ushering the smaller girl into the stone crevice ahead of her and squeezing in herself. It was a tight fit, tighter for the weapons they all had summoned(Peyton had her own tucked up behind her back, blades and runes safely under control.), but at least it was warmer here. Shared body heat.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:31 pm
It was a long and miserable wait. At least once the ground shook beneath them for several moments, followed by a thunderous roar from deep within the mountain. Finally, two voices could be heard approaching the entrance. Both were Taym's in one respect or another. Light, with a proud smile hiding in its edges, "...put it on?" "No, we don't know what it really does. Wish fulfillment is a dangerous thing and it seems the sort of thing with a grim humor. Enlightenment could just as easily mean lightening the burden of your head from your shoulders." Calm and cautious. "It'd help if she would just let us do the translating." "You did well in there," and the affection was obvious. "But stay here." " Yes dad..." there was a smiling roll of the eyes, audible even outside the entrance. His footsteps were, of course, quiet to the point of nearly silent.
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Rejam rolled 2 20-sided dice:
11, 20
Total: 31 (2-40)
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 9:55 pm
At the sound of the approaching voices (so much like his own) Taym's tension ratcheted up to such a degree that it was almost tangible. By the time they were definitely within earshot he was trembling from head to toe with barely-restrained anticipation, the image of a dog longing to bolt after a rabbit and just barely held in check. Astrid shot Peyton an uneasy glance over his shoulder--either for the sudden reality of impending violence or because she was beginning to doubt the sanity of their mission partner. She would not, in any case, have much time to think about it. With a movement as sudden and whip-quick as anything he ever did Taym erupted from their little hiding place with his knife already drawn, sending Astrid scrambling out a half a beat afterwards, slow and inelegant in comparison. Several things happened very quickly, but the key points were this: when one of the things--the one that seemed somehow older, although they were not--reached startled for its pendant, it never made it: Fionnghal went through its wrist and the pendant's necklace as easily as if they were clay, sending both hand and trinket away. (It didn't bleed right. The blood moved wrong, independently.) Astrid was a moment after him, and despite the sudden bloodlessness of her face, her obvious terror and regret, she moved with as much certainty as she was able, and somehow managed to yank the pendant away from the inexplicably-younger clone as well, tossing it away from the fray.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 12:58 am
The older seeming one barely took notice of the hand, the loss of the pendant, or even Taym himself as Astrid dashed past it and into the cave where Son was (obediently, impatiently, trusting in the other) waiting. Turning, it dashed after her, overtaking the girl too late to salvage the pendant, but in time to throw itself between her blades and the other clone. Habukkuk: entirely defensive HP: 40 Auto defending Son for: 4 Son: quick and with decent stamina, uncertain sometimes while overly trusting in Habukkuk's defense. HP: 60 Auto Attack: 6
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Beejoux rolled 2 12-sided dice:
5, 1
Total: 6 (2-24)
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:15 pm
Peyton was out of the little fissure in the stone fast enough to see Astrid wrestle a pendant from one of the two clones--and wasn't this a trip, sharing a battle ground with three Tayms--and there was that immediate flare of pride followed quickly by near panic as one of their two targets made a charge for the smaller Creedy to throw himself between her and the other clone. Her next move wasn't even a conscious one, she was moving on familiar impulse as she charged in after him. A little more reckless than was her usual style, the vicious swipe she took at the clone was wild, catching only the sleeve of his shirt, but it succeeded in driving him back from the smaller blonde. Not ideal, but certainly effective to her goals in that instant. She gave Astrid a firm nudge with her other hand, steering her out from between the two and closer to the original Taym. Just in time, it seemed, as the second clone moved in to attack. The fist was unexpected, catching Peyton in the side of the head and throwing her balance, but she caught it as she spun on her heel, placing herself firmly between the two sets of two. HP: 54 DMG: good job, bro CHG: 0/3 rejam Do I need to quote liz too? idek.
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Rejam rolled 2 12-sided dice:
5, 10
Total: 15 (2-24)
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:14 am
A split second to assess the situation shouldn't have been enough, but Taym had more knowledge of the fight than he should have: knew the vague shape of what would happen, knew that Habakkuk would be tooth and nail protecting the one they called the son (and god, how he bristled at that).
Get rid of the shield first. In this case the shield was Habakkuk, and never mind that it was the other that was tearing into Astrid.
"Focus," he barked at Peyton, and Astrid fumbled back with a cry of alarm as Taym laid in with a vicious swing of the knife.
HP: 54
DMG: 9
CHG: 1/3
Habakkuk HP: 31
Son HP: 60
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Rejam rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:20 am
For an instant Astrid simply stood helplessly. Taym was a Moon, Taym was supposed to be watching Peyton's back while Peyton did what a Sun did best, but there he was, leaving her sister open, and Astrid hadn't had enough time on the battlefield to think that maybe he was just concerned with making the enemy manageable, with doing what he could to prevent losing one of them, with prioritizing and trusting in Peyton's ability to handle a few hits. From where Astrid stood--and maybe she wasn't wrong, for all the possible concerns of strategy--it simply looked as though Taym had been longing for the chance to hurt one of these things, and didn't give a ******** about what happened so long as he did. After a paralyzed moment of fear she darted back in, doing what she could to deflect the quicker clone's knife. "You liar," she yelled, with a flare-up of rage that made her look for a moment even more like her sister than she normally did. HP: 34 DEF Peyton for: 5 CHG: 1/3
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Beejoux rolled 2 12-sided dice:
12, 8
Total: 20 (2-24)
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:30 pm
This wasn't the first time Peyton had stood between a target and the rest of her team. It was a familiar place, and so long as she had a Moon at her back(America usually), it easy. The little Sun fell into the role of aggressive protector so easily, it came as second nature. Ingrained into her mind through years of standing between Astrid and whatever might threaten the smaller girl. it was no different now. What was different, and unexpected, was Taym surging forward to take a vicious swing at the clone that had gone on the defensive. It was startling, and pale eyes tracked his movements until that bark of an order pushed her back into focus. Obedient. Astrid yelled furiously, and Peyton watched in horror as the tiny Lifer launched herself into the fry to slash at the more mature clone's arm as it came around again for another blow. It was all wrong. Moving on instinct, Peyton's hand shot out, dagger disappearing as small fingers wrapped tightly around Astrid's arm and jerked her back as the other clone came around the first to throw a punch of his own. She needed the room to move, and as soon as she had it she took full advantage. A round house kick to the first clone's stomach sent it stumbling back against the second, and she was summoning her dagger again as she charged in and closed that gap. A serious of vicious blows kept them pushed back, her movements faster even than most of their peers. A near blur of motion that left the older clone sliced and bleeding, albeit it oddly. It was at the end of one such slash that she'd turn a hard look on Taym, voice raised to bark back at him. "I've got it!" He had other things he should have been doing. HP: 53 DMG: 14 CHG:1/3 Habakkuk HP: 17
Son HP: 60
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Rejam rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 2:18 am
Peyton's blow was enough to render Habakkuk unable to defend his charge any longer (Taym barked a tiny little manic laugh), but Astrid was still fine, and accordingly she nipped in, her eyes blazing in anger at having been shoved out of the way, even if it was to get her out of the range of friendly fire.
"I," she said, ignoring the remaining clone's cry of dismay at Habakkuk's state and his own sudden vulnerability, "--am--" another swing of her arm, deftly knocking his blade aside entirely "--fine," she informed her.
HP: 34
DEF Peyton for: 6
CHG: 2/3
:>
Habakkuk: Incapacitated, chasing his arm or something
Son HP: 60
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