[Time: Unknown.] [Four figures stand in a what appears to be a museum. Not all that happy of one, as it seems to have both a rack, and a device to do much the opposite. Possibly for putting people back the way you found them. Probably not though.] [There's two college aged. One a male that looks ethnically Indian (the country), one a somewhat overweight caucasion female. There's a rugged looking middle aged man with an artificial leg. Finally there's a female teenager.] [The middle aged guy is carrying one of those EU weapons with a silver tube attached. And military hardware recognition roll Jason. The two college have assault rifles. The teenage girl has a pistol in one hand and a hand-crossbow in the other.] [Only the teenage girl and the middle aged guy look comfortable. They all are also packing grenades.] (look comfortable with the weaponry) [Oddly enough, the museum's fire extinguishers have also been collected near the group. The rifle wielders both have one of the small portable futuristics ones hangig out of pockets.] [Oh and cultural arts/area knowledge (london) roll against mind.] [The oddest part of the scene, however, is that there are a wide variety of plants, flowering, vines, ferns, trees, and otherwise growing at an extrordinary rate around it, even for time lapse.] [The vegetation all has a sickly tone and often looks scarred and burnt. The rack has a noteworthy growth of plants, having a different flower at each of the four corners.] [The plants have no apparent way of entering the room and certainly don't look natural in here. Some even seem to still be moving in to position and covering over stone walls.] [Suddenly an archway of flame, some of it baring a strange greenish tint, opens next to the four. Two look startled, but the middle aged man and teenager keep their cool. The teenager mutters, "About time."] (Pause in here) (I'll make rolls now, Greg, but I gotta eat now, too.) (Okay.) (Fail both. That was easy!) [And there was a secret modifier on the military hardware recognition roll that I didn't use to avoid giving away the game.] [The middle aged guy has one of them cyro-equiped assault rifles Jason so loves.] (Back.) [Jason doesn't really have a coporeal body at the moment. He's just sort of watching. And it's dream logic time, so the absence doesn't seem all that weird.] [Start] (I'm just watching. Am I... doing anything else? Like, it's dream logic, so do I figure I can do anything?) (Go with try and find out. Just simple stuff for now though) * Jason looks around. "Huh." They might hear him. They might not! He's 'standing' near the rack and tries touching one of the flowers. [They show no signs of hearing him. And suddenly Miranda walks out of the portal holding an unconscious Saki in her arms. She has an obsidian dog walking at her side.] [Jason doesn't actually feel anything when he "reaches" for the flowers.] You do love your towers, don't you. (?) * Miranda's tone is fairly mocking. * Middle aged man ignores the question. "Put her on the rack." (And hearing roll please.) * Saki stirs a bit, but doesn't wake up * Miranda puts Saki down on the rack, knocking off a "Do not Touch" sign. The two college students secure her in the clasps. * Jason starts. "Saki?" And then he gets a good look at Miranda. "Fuck." He tries to touch Saki, then, and Miranda. * Miranda looks dubiously at the rack. "Like the old school I see." She looks over the others. "No mortal injuries. I don't think Jason is sentimental enough to want a corpse." (Soul roll Jason. And hearing roll. ;P) (Make first, miss second.) [Jason feels a slight tingle when he touches Saki and then nothing.] * Saki stirs again, blinking her eyes open. Whoa. Saki! Can you hear me? Wake the hell u- that works. * Jason tries undoing the stupid rack clasps. It probably doesn't work. * Teenage girl gives a fairly unpleasant close lipped grin. Then the flowers and their throny vines also wrap around her wrists and ankles. * Jason then hears a slightly sound of snickering behind him. Saki doesn't hear that. * Jason turns to look. * Middle aged man turns to the college student. "Turn the rack." He then looks down to Saki. "Awake? Dead would be better, but good that you're awake." [Eris, in non-winged human form, sits in the air behind Jason. "Doesn't work that way with the chains cutey, but good of you to try." * Jason looks back, then turns to Eris. "The fuck's going on?" Yeah, Jason. Good of you to go for the small talk. You're having a broadcasted vision. I'm eavesdropping because I couldn't break through SAB's protections on my own to reach your dreams. * Jason nods. He tries forming a flame in his nonexistent hand. * Teenager looks to Miranda. "You staying for this?" * Saki turns her head towards the man, but barely seems to notice him. In the background. I want Jason dead, but I don't know *him* to know my role. So if it's a vision, there isn't a damn thing I can do. (know -> want) (For Miranda.) (Thanks) (Give me another hearing roll.) * Eris shrugs. "Pay attention. It seems to be a nominally true vision, so it may be useful." * Jason goes about watching, then. "Sure, lady." * Eris scowls. "Lady?" She looks to Miranda. "I suppose she's more to your taste? You didn't tell Yuri about her, did you?" (And hearing roll, followed by a -2 touch awareness roll.) * Saki blinks more into consciousness. She takes in her surroundings, struggling against the bonds. (Body roll Saki, -4) (Body, strength specifically) ( es @_@ ) No. I didn't want to tell them why. [The chains rattle and strain harshly.] * Eris rolls her eyes. "Had you considered, I don't know, lying about the parts you wanted to keep secret?" I'm not that good at lying. * Middle aged man. "Tighten faster." He then looks down at Saki. "You've got poison at your hands and feet. The flowers are tied to our lives, we die, it strikes. But if you make too much of a struggle, I won't wait." What? She can survive one. Hell, she can probably survive two. * Jason scowls and tries to form the fire again. It won't work. [Nope.] * Saki scowls. Grr. (Also, you making any of these awareness rolls Jason.) (Saki still trying to break ties?) (No?) * Saki checks to see if he's telling the truth first. (give me a botony or occult roll. -2 bonus.) ( That's a make ) [Suddenly there's a cell phone ring from behind Jason. The song is "Whatever Lola wants." Nobody but Jason hears it.] * Jason looks back at Eris. * Eris looks embarrassed and checks her phone. "Err, Yuri, I should take this. What should I tell them about Miranda without crediting you?" * Eris also sort of fades. (Mind observors?) * Jason scowls and looks back to Miranda. "Everything you want." * Saki stops struggling and settles for glaring. (Don't care.) * Eris speaks quietly into a phone cupped in her hand. "Hey! Currently watching this vision Jason's having, but I have some info." Well, you don't seem to sleep, so I was going to give him the information. I also figured he'd have more interesting dreams. Didn't expect a vision. [The various people begin to fan out. The middle aged man slowly turns the rack. Pain resistance roll, -2 bonus against soul Saki.] Got defenses prepared? ( No way @_@ ) We had some remaining mines we rigged. That would take out the whole tower. We hae that handled. (have that handled) * Saki screams. Next time I need independent contractors to get around *his* notice, I'm training my own team. * Jason winces a little. * Eris glances up for a moment. "Ouch. No I think he's getting intel now. Not sure why exactly..." * Saki glares at the man, gritting her teeth. Sounds like Miranda, this fire slut who works for a hell lord, organized the plan. Although from what I've reached of her, that's not her style. * Middle aged man scowers. Teenaged girl, behind Miranda's back, gives a close mouthed grin and looks up at the ceiling. Middle aged man notices this and smiles to. [Jason also begins to hear the distant sound of voices, sounds like Yuri and Maggie. The scene is getting a little fuzzy.] * Jason looks around. "Hey, Eris, keep this vision going a little longer! They're gonna wake me up, dammit." Aw, hell, looks like the vision is ending. Err, lemme try that Jason. * Eris gestures and the fading stops for the moment and Miranda looks around. The college aged girl also looks up. Uh, shit? * Miranda looks to the colleged aged girl. "Don't pull any of your scrying on my thoughts." I wouldn't waste my powers on what passes for your mind. * Eris eeps and gestures again, the dream then suddenly ends. [#sab2020 and wake up.] * Jason has left #sabsaki ( Me too? :P ) (Nope. :P) [Rack stops for a moment, leaving Saki in pain.] Enough paranoia. Stay alert. * Saki manages a grin in spite of her pain. "Scared?" * Middle aged guy turns the rack again in response. [Pain roll, -1 bonus.] ( Bah. She knew it was coming :P ) ( Oh hell no ._. ) [Enter the pain. Also, temporary body drain of 1.] (Well, as temporary as most body drains are) * Saki screams again. They aren't coming yet. [The other non-Miranda people settle at that.] If your fortune telling was that good, wouldn't she ::gestures to Saki:: be dead? * Saki grins. "Used to be." * College girl then looks puzzled at someting and gets out a Tarot deck. In response to Miranda's comment she mutters "You know nothing." * College aged girl does a quick reading. Indian guy is patroling and out of sight. Miranda has dismissed the doorway by now and pets her dog. Middle aged guy watches Saki. * Grysar sets mode: +v Saki * Saki watches him back. Perhaps it's good that you are alive. The life force you possess ::he sneers:: that we share, will soon be entirely the Council's. But if you were to lose it all at once, much would be wasted. Still calling yourselves that? ( afk a sec ) Did you changed your name? ( Back ) No. But I wasn't destroyed, either. And are you the same person as that Saki? * Middle aged smirks. * Saki is silent for a minute, then says, "Yeah. Yeah, I am." * Middle aged man smiles. "Good. I want her, I want you, to suffer." He turns the rack again. [Soul roll against pain, no bonus.] ( Nope! ) (Ouch. :P) (What's your margin?) ( 3 ) (Okay, no more body damage for now) * Saki sceams again! There's another organization hunting us now. Mercenaries but not SAB. They seek profit and in a sense serve Saki's interest. * Middle aged man flicks his eyes to the college aged girl and then looks back to Saki. "Made new friends?" Who, me? I think it's just the Council's popularity. * Middle aged guy looks to the fortune teller. "Find out why." * Fortune teller starts a new reading. Tarot is bullshit. All astrology is. I mean it can be used to divine and all, but give me eviceration and organ reading any day. * College girl scowls and keeps reading. At the behest of the Page of Swords and the Queen of Pentacles. But the Page is in Japan... And all the Pentacle Queens are dead. Maybe a non-Arcana or two. They're coming. ( brb again! ) ( And back ) [Everyone tenses a bit and gets ready. Middle aged guy comments. "Say when the paramour arrives."] I'm already here. * College aged girl looks attentive and starts working her way through the deck, drawing one card at a time. They're hesitating. Now. * Middle aged man gets a focused look for a moment. * Saki smiles at the man. "Hope this plan of yours works. If I come back lke you, you know you're screwed." * Retrieving #sabsaki modes... * Middle aged man barks out a laugh. "True, but then it took us some time to master the form. And you're not really a quick study." He turns the rack one final time. [Pain roll, +2 penalty.] ( Nope! ) [Fairly extreme pain, and another two points of body drained. Total three. ( >.> ) * Saki screams and howls again! [This time, he's actually going with a full turn of the rack, none of this quarter at time stuff.] Fields up. [The college aged guy heads down as does the teenaged girl. The girl looks to Miranda. "You coming?" * Miranda shakes her head but pats her dog on the butt and it walks downstairs with the two.] [There [There's sounds of battle downstairs.] [And Jason enters and this becomes an official log.]