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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 7, 2015 23:56:21 GMT
((I know what you mean . . . time lapse ahead sounds good. Any thoughts on what could happen now? I have a pair of baddies I could introduce, maybe, unless you have something already cooked up.))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 8, 2015 0:41:26 GMT
(Yeah you can do that, and also word will get around about the murders. Maybe for now the heroes are just chilling)
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 8, 2015 0:55:08 GMT
((Ohhhh I'd totally forgotten about the murders, to be honest, since they happened when I was offline. Would you rather start with some of our characters investigating that, and I can introduce my baddies in a little while? I'm only asking since mine are kind of higher-level . . . I'm excited to try them out. ))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 8, 2015 2:13:10 GMT
(Heh okay. They're out of state anyhow. But we could have another plotline or league, so to speak)
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 8, 2015 12:19:07 GMT
((Oh. True; didn't notice that either. And yeah, we could have two . . . I'll introduce my baddies later today, then.))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 8, 2015 15:36:15 GMT
Jack stepped out of the diner, shutting the lights and locking the door behind him. Humming absently under his breath, he walked half a block down to his car and drove the short distance back to his new trailer lot in the suburbs of Union City. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he could tell Andrei wasn't around again. Shrugging, Jack flopped onto the couch and flipped on the TV to see what was interesting.
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 9, 2015 20:38:20 GMT
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 9, 2015 21:35:53 GMT
((Sorry, yesterday ran away from me.))
About an hour earlier . . . The small figure slipped through the sea of people hurrying to and fro around Union City's Central Station, occasionally bumping into a pair of legs and bouncing off in a different direction. Few people noticed the child, even when she did bump into them; all were too busy with their own schedules and places they had to be. The girl, for her part, took no more notice of them than they did of her; she seemed quite determined to get somewhere, though her erratic path left doubts that she knew where that somewhere was.
Before long, however, a businessman waiting for the next train felt a tug on his jacket. He looked down to find a girl in a cornflower-blue dress staring up at him, a curious smile on her innocent face. For some reason, he felt compelled to shudder as he met her golden eyes, but he shook the feeling off. Of course there was nothing strange about them, no sense that she was anything more than a little girl . . . "What do you want? Are you lost?"
"No," she replied, matter-of-factly. "Are you scared, mister?"
The man shook his head disgustedly. Children and their games. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. Where's your mother?"
"You should be scared." The child's smile grew mischievous. "You should be . . . verrrrry scared." With that, she darted away, off into the crowd once more.
Once again, the businessman shook his head. Strange child. He looked up, hearing the whistle of the approaching train. The bright glow of its lights appeared in the tunnel.
Then, disaster struck.
The ground beneath the station shook, sending the lights swaying and people stumbling to the ground. The shaking continued as a crack split across the tiled floor from the ticket counter to the train tracks. Men and woman scrambled back, some nearly falling in. The crack widened slowly but steadily as a deeper rumbling came from the tracks themselves.
The train burst from the tunnel at the same moment as a tall column of stone and earth erupted from the tracks. The train had no time to stop; it slammed into the column, its front end crumpling under the force. The rumbling stopped at last . . . but the damage was done. People dashed about, trying to get to safety or attempting to get survivors out of the wrecked train.
And in the midst of all the chaos, a young woman with red-gold hair and golden eyes hurried up the stairs to the street, laughing quietly to herself.
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 9, 2015 21:45:14 GMT
((*tries to think of how to put Brianna in somewhere...* *remembers an old OC* *cackles* Let me find time to see if my laptop will cooperate, then I'll join.))
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 9, 2015 21:46:05 GMT
(( WookieeElf: Awesomesauce. )) ((Edit: BTW, NightBlade: All that should be showing up on the news at this point. ^.^))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 9, 2015 22:18:17 GMT
(Sorry was gonna reply eariler)
Jack took another sip of soda and set it back on the slate coaster by the couch, leaning back. The explosions in Mad Max were so mezmerizing. And he could literally feel the deep bass reverberations in his chest. In fact, he... Wait. The soda can was rattling on the coaster. Jack muted the TV and stood up, now feeling slight vibrations in his feet. "Errrrm..."
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 9, 2015 22:22:08 GMT
(('Tis fine. Though . . . jsyk, this isn't a standard earthquake . . . Jack wouldn't be feeling the vibrations all the way out at his house, unless it's fairly close to the station.))
Just then, Jack's cell phone rang. Or buzzed. Or vibrated. Or otherwise did things to catch his attention.
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 9, 2015 22:25:40 GMT
(You said Union City specifically. Jask literally lives right at the edge of Union City)
It took Jack a moment to notice his buzzing phone aside from the tremors, but finally pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 9, 2015 22:31:07 GMT
((Yes, I said Union City, but as I said, it's not a standard earthquake. It doesn't really matter, though . . .))
Lydia's voice. "Jack. You're ok, right? I'm assuming the answer is yes, since you're answering . . . if it is, turn on the news, now."
((And I must go eat dinner, but I will be back as soon as I can be afterwards.))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 9, 2015 23:07:23 GMT
(Ok...)
"I-what-okay..." Jack blinked at the rapid stream of words, but picked up the remote and started flipping channels. "What am I looking for?"
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 9, 2015 23:24:22 GMT
"All the news stations are talking about basically the same thing . . . just pick one."
As Lydia said, nearly all the news stations were indeed showing nearly the same story: an earthquake, or a series of small earthquakes- no one was sure which- had struck throughout the city. The first had been at Central Station; others had followed with no discernible pattern. Locations ranged from a few different monuments and museums to various neighborhoods of varying degrees of respectability to two different government buildings.
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 10, 2015 1:10:24 GMT
((Found my OC!))
In the wreckage of the train station, an older woman called for help. But who would hear her through the cinderblocks around her? Grimacing, she pressed a hand to her bleeding forehead, and tried to move againāher right leg flared in pain, making her drop back down with a cry. This is it... She thought to herself. This is how I die. A bright light shone in her eyes, and she knew she was in Heaven. Look, there was an angel, hands shining with light, healing her wounds and pushing her towards a crowd of peopleā "There! Another one!" Hands gripped her arms, pulling her into the wrecked train station, not the Pearly Gates. She looked around in shockāhadn't she just died? "...and not a scratch on her. Unbelievable!" Someone said close by as an aide-worker led the woman to a group of survivors. As she was wrapped in a blanket and given water, the old woman knew no one would believe her story. Glancing around, she caught sight of a teenage girl in a pink jacket looking her way. The girl gave her a brief smile, then disappeared into the crowd. The lady sat back, smiling as well. Angels are real.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 10, 2015 1:14:43 GMT
((Awesomesauce. My plan is to get some of my and Nightblade's characters out to one of the quake sites to investigate things, and maybe then they can meet up with your charrie?))
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 10, 2015 1:15:24 GMT
((Sounds good to me! She's probably gonna stick around the station for now, until everyone's rescued.))
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 10, 2015 1:54:43 GMT
(Crud youre probs gone Sunblade :/ )
Jack's eyes flickered across the screen as he looked at one news channel, then another. "Earthquakes? Bombs? What's going on?"
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 10, 2015 11:57:55 GMT
"Don't we wish we knew for sure." Lydia's tone suggested a grimace. "But- listen. Here's what the news channels don't know. Shortly after the last quake, a bunch of government-related agencies- including our agency- received a message- a video with images of the destruction and the words 'this is just the start' at the end. And, well, we've detected signs that the quakes were . . . not-natural."
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 10, 2015 15:27:39 GMT
"Where are you?" Was Jack's reply, accompanied by the sound of him rummaging through a box or a drawer or something.
(BTW Just so we're on the same page time-wise it's quite late)
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 10, 2015 17:30:45 GMT
((Right . . . I was thinking early evening, not late-evening.)) (( WookieeElf: Change of my plans, because of what Nightblade just pointed out.)) "A few blocks from Central Station. There's already a few others on-site, helping with clean-up and rescue . . . I'm mostly just waiting to see if there's any way I can help. My skill set isn't exactly the most useful one at the moment. I guess you're at home?" -------- (At Central Station:) Rachel moved among those pulled from the wreckage of the train and others who'd been pulled from the crack in the earth or otherwise been injured. She spoke a few words to each, smiling reassuringly, occasionally resting a hand on a shoulder or taking the hand of one of the people. Each time she touched a person, she sent a bit of healing energy into them- just enough that it would make them feel a bit better without leaving her utterly drained. She glanced towards the area past the ticket booths, near the station entrance. Most of the more seriously injured people were already being tended by paramedics, but all the same, she wished she could go help them. Movement caught her eye- over by the train's wreckage. Most people had already been pulled from the train- they thought they'd found everyone still alive. And yet . . . a girl in a pink jacket helped an old lady from the train, handed her over to an aide worker, and hurried off into the crowd. Rachel left her group and headed towards the old woman, falling in step between her and the aide lady. "Ma'am, I'm glad you're out of there- are you all right? Any injuries?" The woman nodded dazedly. The aide-worker leaned across. "You didn't hear? I suppose you must not have gotten over in time- there isn't a scratch on her!" "Really? What a miracle!" And yet, Rachel knew, miracles were often performed through people . . . as she assisted the woman to a seat and got her settled, her gaze scanned the station for the girl in the pink jacket.
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 10, 2015 17:35:49 GMT
(( Leilani Sunblade: Okee-dokie.)) I think that's everyone...guess I should keep moving. Anna zipped up her coat as she made her way to the exit, jamming her shaking hands into her pockets. The quakes had basically shattered her nerves, and she needed some fresh air. Glancing back, she saw someone looking in her direction. Sucking in a breath, she sped up.
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 10, 2015 17:37:28 GMT
There was a harsh metal click. "Be right there." Jack offed his phone and shoved it into his pocket. As he hurried out the door, he slid his Beretta into the waistband at the small of his back. Hopping in his car, he made the short drive to Union city bbut quickly found himself backed up in traffic. Half the people weren't even in their cars anymore. Locking his own door, he got out and started running towards the smoke and sirens.
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 10, 2015 17:42:23 GMT
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 10, 2015 17:44:26 GMT
(Crap xP)
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Sept 10, 2015 17:50:39 GMT
There she was- and moving fast. Rachel hesitated a moment, remembering too clearly the last time she'd invaded someone's privacy of that sort . . . but at the same time, she wanted to say something. So, she hurried in the girl's direction, careful not to attract too much notice. -------- "Great." Lydia slid her phone in her pocket and went back to pacing. Finally, she saw Jack running up the sidewalk and waved.
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Post by WookieeElf on Sept 10, 2015 17:55:12 GMT
Anna looked back again and whimpered softly. The girl was following her! She quickened her pace again, trying to add more distance between her and her pursuer.
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Post by NightBlade on Sept 10, 2015 18:23:20 GMT
Jack slowed to a jogging walk in front of Lydia. "Someone did this? Did we find them?"
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