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 Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 7:15 pm
The reinforcements Rob and Tara had managed to make to the hotel were just about done, and Rob took a moment to step back and admire their work. The shower curtains were up over as many windows as they had curtains, towels had been offered up as medical supplies, slings had been fabricated out of ties and scraps of formal wear, and stakes had been carved out of broken chair legs, some of them handed out to the cowering civilians in the hotel and some affixed to windows point-out as a deterrent to the bird monsters. Yep, they had done pretty well. While Rob was working, he'd been approached by one of the survivors. His friend had gone missing while they were fleeing the lodge. As far as the man knew, his friend was still out there. Rob felt terrible, but wasn't sure he could go back outside. Not with those birds still swarming. Still, he'd told the man he'd think about it. Now, studying his fortifications, his thoughts returned to the man. Should he help? It meant going back out there and fending off the monsters again. But he felt a twinge of remorse that he hadn't immediately dropped everything and gone to search for the man's friend. Regardless, he couldn't do it alone... His reverie was broken by someone calling out his name. There was no mistaking that voice. Whipping his head around, he saw Sidney running toward him. He knew she would have had to come along too, since all of them had been conscripted, but in the chaos of his own arrival and subsequent battle with one of the birds, he'd all but forgotten about her. Now the dread rose quickly in him -- what if she had ended up hurt, or even killed? What if Sid had ended up like that man's friend, missing in the snow? "Sid!" Rob shouted and moved to meet her, arms opening to accept her into a hug.
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Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 6:35 pm
Relief made her legs jelly as Sid found Rob, to all appearances unscathed by his adventures without her. She was startled by the strength of her reaction, but she pushed the thought away and flung herself into his open arms. He hadn't even thought about it, it seemed, just reached for her, and she was all too happy to accept. She hugged him fiercely tight before she let go and got a little space between them, forced to untangle her bow from his dreads as she went. "God, Sorry." She laughed as she shook the bow free, pushing his hair back with her free hand. "Made it through okay, yeah? No missing limbs, no gaping wounds?" It looked like people had been shoring up the inside the hotel, baring the windows from the birds and gathering up whatever makeshift weapons they could find. She felt grateful suddenly for the one she'd been given... she felt far more sure of her chances with a real bow than, say, a chair leg.
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:40 am
Rob laughed in return as Sid got her bow free from his dreads. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a couple little scrapes." He fingered one of the bandaids on his face. "Those bird-things are pretty vicious, but it's like our being Chosen of the gods protects us from getting too hurt. Thankfully, or I'd be a bloody mess." Looking around, he spotted the man who had approached him earlier, a haunted look on the other's face. "Look, Sid, I don't want to be a party-pooper, but there are people still out there, people who don't have our apparent protection or any weapons. I think maybe we should go back out and look for them. I mean, you just made it here and all, but…" He shrugged. "I think it's what we're meant to do." He gave her a squeeze on the arms, searching her face. He didn't know what sort of person Sid had grown into -- yeah, they'd caught up with each other on the beach after the game of Two Truths and a Lie, but that didn't give him any insight as to her character. "What do you say, love? You game for a bit of a hunt?"
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Whimsical Blue rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:02 pm
(( roll to bypass the birds - success! ))Scrapes were okay. Sid could live with scrapes. She reached to run her thumb over the bandage before she released him, tugging her heavy coat straight. The new information he provided got him a side-long, disbelieving look, but considering he wasn’t more worse off, she wasn’t inclined to argue with him over it. News about civilians trapped out in the cold brought a grimace to her face and Sidney ran a hand through her bright hair, scrubbing at her scalp as she thought it over. On one hand, they were far better equipped than these people. They had actual weapons and actual training with them… the guests of the ski lodge did not. But Sid had never been fond of the idea of putting herself out for someone else. There was a very real risk of injury to them if they went out there, and its not like anyone was forcing them to do it… Rob squeezed her arm and it pulled her attention back to him. Her eyes searched his face, and whatever she found there, it made her sigh as she dropped her arm, her shoulders falling. “I guess I’m up for it as long as you’re bringing that fronking huge sword of yours. I seem to be doing pretty well with my bow… I got one of the suckers on the way over.” She reached out and poked him in the chest. “If things get hairy though, Us before Them, got it? I don’t want my reunion with your mother to be me telling her you died out here.” The sound of the birds outside and the shouting of people was louder as they neared the doors and Sidney kept herself along the wall as best she could as she wove a path through broken furniture and scattered debri. She was alert for dive bombing from above as they slipped past the defenders, pausing for a moment in the door way before she broke out into the snow and into a run for the cover of the trees.
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tatterpixie rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:40 pm
"Don't worry," Rob reassured Sid. "I have no intention of dying. Us before Them, always. And of course the sword is coming with me," he added with a grin. "Never go anywhere without it." He was quite pleased she had decided to go along with the plan to rescue some of the people that were trapped in the snow out there -- partly because it was the right thing to do, and partly because Sid decided to go along. That meant that she felt it was the right thing to do as well. He followed her to the doorway, cautiously picking his way through the debris. Once they reached the door, he peered out and saw a number of the big birds circling over the snowy field between them and the trees. He could only hope they weren't noticed amid the chaos of others fighting them. Then Sid took off, dashing for the trees in a mad run. He quickly followed, running through the snow as if his life depended on it (which it did), greatsword thumping on his back in its sheath. Luckily the birds didn't even notice them, too occupied with the other Chosen. They made it safely to the trees, and Rob stopped and leaned his back against one of them, panting and grinning. "We did it! I don't believe we did it. Not a feather thrown at us! No crap either!" He allowed himself to bask for a moment in their minor triumph before returning to the task at hand. "Right. Now we look for survivors."
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Whimsical Blue rolled 1 8-sided dice:
7
Total: 7 (1-8)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:50 pm
(( rolling for finding people - success x1! ))Sid’s grin was playful, but there was an edge of relief to it when he agreed with her. She would do what she could, because she could, but she was not going to die for these people. If she had her way, Rob wouldn’t either. It was good to know he felt the same way. The dash to the trees was probably one of the more nerve-wracking things Sid had ever done. Willingly exposing herself to danger, pushing her already questionable physical state in a desperate run for the trees… adrenaline spiking as she anticipated each moment to feel the rake of claws through her hair… By the time they made it, she was breathing hard. Doubling over, she braced her hands on her knees as she drew short breaths, the cold air burning her lungs and misting before her mouth. Eyes closed agains the glare of sun on snow, she focused for a bit on calming her racing heart.Rob’s triumphant crowing earned a cracked eye and a wrinkled nose. “Crap? The ******** are you talking about?” She panted. “These things throw s**t? Gross… And definitely not normal. I’ve never heard of real birds doing that…” Finally, her breathing some-what tamed, the young woman straightened and shook herself out, before huddling down into her large coat. The effect was much like a turtle withdrawing into its shell, her bow slung across her back with her quiver so she didn’t have to hold it. She was far more interested in burying her hands in her coat, because not even five minutes out and she was feeling the n** of the cold. “Come on. I don’t want to be out here longer than we need to be. Its ******** cold…” She said as she picked a random direction and started stomping off, her boots sinking into the white powder. There was some interest in the way it gathered around her boots… New York snowed, but it wasn’t like this. White when it fell, but brown and grimey with salt not long after. This was the sort of snow you saw in pictures and movies… it was surreal. Away from the birds and the chaos of the hotel, the world was strangely peaceful. It was easy to feel isolated and alone out here… nothing she recognized anywhere for miles around. Save for the tracks they left, everything seemed utterly untouched… as though nothing living moved in these woods. Perfect setting for a movie about getting trapped in an avalanche and fighting away hypothermia, to Sid’s mind. “Do you know where we’re supposed to be looking?” She said after they’d been hiking for a bit. She tucked her face into the collar of her coat and blew air into it to warm her face with. “Like… did anyone say where people might have gone? Or like… wait, hold up.” Something irregular caught Sid’s eye and she swerved to head towards it, squinting at the distinctive shapes pressed into the snow. They matched what she and Rob had been leaving behind them… a running set of foot prints, headed away from the direction of the hotel. “Hey, I think someone went that way.” She said as she waved a sleeved arm. She didn’t even bother uncovering a hand… Rob would have to get the idea without it.
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tatterpixie rolled 1 8-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-8)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:33 pm
"Yeah, they fling crap. It's toxic, too, not just gross." Rob moved to walk alongside Sid as they wended their way through the trees. "They're definitely not normal birds. Not only do they throw their poo at you, they can throw their feathers off. And those things are sharp as razors." He once more fingered one of the bandaids on his face. "That's what caused this s**t on my face. They're some kind of monster birds, that's for bleedin' sure." The stillness of the woods, save for the soft crunching of their boots through the snow, made Rob think of winters back in London. It snowed a bit in the city, but it wasn't this kind of snow. For this, you had to go out to the forest preserves, out in the suburbs. He recalled trips out there as a kid to frolic in the snow, play hide and seek behind the trees, build snow-monsters to knock down, throw snowballs at his parents. Sometimes Sidney would come along too, and that would make it double the fun. He was brought back down to reality by Sid's question. "Dunno. I-" She interrupted him, and he followed her gaze and waved coat-sleeve down to tracks in the snow that weren't theirs. "I think you're right. Let's follow them." Lengthening his stride, Rob took point, following the tracks until they ended near a rock outcropping. "Hallo?" he called out. "Anybody here? We've come to take you to the hotel." A man's head popped out from behind the rocks. "Are you insane? Those birds-" "We have weapons, don't worry. Come on, before they turn up in here!" The man cautiously came out. "Come on," Rob encouraged, "let's go!" Grabbing the man's sleeve, he nodded at Sid and started back the way they had come.
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Whimsical Blue rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:51 pm
“The ******** hell are these birds…” Sid grumbled. She fell into step behind Rob as he set off after the tracks, turtling even more as she scanned the woods with suspicious eyes. The trees hadn’t seemed to loom quite so much when she had thought it was only the two of them out there… even if anyone out here supposedly needed to be saved. The whole thing just rubbed her the wrong way. The sudden appearance of a head over a stack of rocks made Sid jump and she made a grab for her bow, scowling at the man they’d found. His hair was covered by a rolled up ski mask, and despite being out in the woods after a bird attack, he didn’t seem too bad off for it. His down coat looked expensive and more or less brand new. Same with his boots and pants, when he emerged from the dubious safety he’d found. Sid wrinkled her nose and finally pulled her hands from her coat so she could unsling her bow. “I’m Sid, that’s Rob. He’s got a sword, and I got this.” She said, turning when Rob grabbed the man and began to tug him back towards the hotel. She waved her bow in the air. “They’re fortifying the hotel, so its a hell of a lot safer than being out here. We’ve got some friends back there too, with more like these.” At the man’s curious and skeptical look, she shrugged, her collar burying her chin and cheeks. “We’re the professionals, I guess, and we got called in to help. So. Here we are.” She said. The man didn’t look terribly impressed.
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tatterpixie rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:16 pm
(( rolling for getting back to the hotel -- success! ))Rob continued to "encourage" the man along by pulling him by the coat-sleeve. "Yeah, we're the bloody cavalry." He resented the skeptical looks they were getting from the guy. Hell, if they hadn't come along, he would have been trapped out there in the snow, and the birds would have eventually come for him! Didn't the bloody fool realize that? They reached the edge of the trees and Rob pulled the man to a halt. "Alright," he said in a low voice to both Sid and the man, "when I give the word, we run for it. And keep your head down. Hopefully the birds won't notice us." He watched the fights going on out in the open field between the trees and the hotel. There were a lot of birds. But they all seemed to be occupied, attacking other Chosen who were fighting them off. He really just wanted to wait until the birds all got bored and went away, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Nor would them all getting killed off, though there were a good number of bird carcasses littering the snow. Finally he huffed a sigh and tightened his grip on the man's sleeve. Looking over at Sid, he nodded. "Right, let's go!" He charged out into the snow, running at top speed and dragging the man along with him. Couldn't this guy run any faster? He knew Sid could, and he checked with a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure she was with him. It was sheer dumb luck they were ignored by the swirling clouds of monster birds as they pounded across the field toward the hotel.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:57 pm
Sid struggled to keep up with the taller men as they made their way back through the trees. Between their longer strides and the deep snow forcing her to pick up her feet higher, she was puffing and red faced by the time they reached the treeline. Bracing her hands on her hips, she struggled to catch her breath as she scanned the birds milling in a cloud of angry wings over the hotel. It still nagged at her, how oddly they were acting. Why was this all happening? There was no good reason for it that she could see, nothing that screamed; this is what has pissed us off. It might have made for an easy resolution, if they could find whatever the trigger was. Attacking random people for no reason at all just didn't sit well with Sid. There had to be something. Sid's eyes dropped to her friend and her expression firmed, her mouth a tight, grim line of determination. Safety was in sight. All they had to do was make it there and they could finally rest and relax. She nodded tightly as Rob tensed, preparing to run, and she tightened her grip on her bow, drawing an arrow to grip in her other hand. Running with it drawn wasn't an option, it would slow her too much, so it was the best she could do. They broke together from the trees in a pelting dash for the doors, kicking up snow as they went. Rob and the man they'd found pulled slowly ahead, but Sid pressed herself, her heart racing with the same fear and adrenaline as when they had come out. The snow expanse stretched wider and wider behind them as they closed in on the doors, and a few dark shapes wheeling over head turned and broke off from the mob just as Rob reached the door they had come out through. Fear zinged through Sid and she redoubled her efforts, clutching her weapon in clammy hands. She reached the door steps behind her friend and flung herself through it, stumbling at the lack of snow to hamper her ankles and the rush of warmth against her face.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 3:25 pm
Practically tumbling through the door, Rob dragged his charge into warmth and safety. He immediately looked around for Sid, to make sure she was okay. She stumbled in right behind him, and he let go of the man they had rescued and reached for Sid, catching her before she fell on her face. The man didn't even offer Sid or Rob a thank you as he stood trying to catch his breath from the mad dash across the snow. As he looked around, he heard a familiar voice call his name. Whipping his head around, he made his way across the debris-littered lobby of the hotel and into the arms of his friend -- the man who had initially spoken to Rob and asked him to go out and look for survivors. Rob watched the scene unfold with mixed feelings. He knew they'd done the right thing, but it had been a terrible risk, and the guy they'd rescued wasn't even appreciative. Just a little bit of gratitude might have made him want to go out again and see if he -- they, if Sid wanted to come along -- could find anyone else alive in the snow and cold. As it stood, though, he wasn't about to do that again. (( final tally: 1 survivor rescued! ))
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