Erin's Side-Incursion (Scene VI.V)

(12:53:57 PM) Erin: [fyi? i am rolling stealth. >.>]
(12:54:30 PM) The Storyteller: [Good idea] The basement of the Museum of the Industrial Revolution had not, on the whole, changed very much in Erin's brief absence. It was still dark, it was still deserted, it still felt very much like a burrow or cavern of some manner. Rakesh-the-German-Shepherd followed along after Erin, padding along as silently as a moderately clumsy dog bigger than Erin could. ||
(12:55:27 PM) The Storyteller: [Faildog gets three successes on five dice. Of course]
(12:55:40 PM) Erin: [dex check, so nine again...]
(12:55:45 PM) The Storyteller: [yup]
(12:56:23 PM) Erin: [not that it helped one whit. 3 successes]
(12:56:34 PM) The Storyteller: [You are sneaky, and over to you!]
(1:00:38 PM) Erin: Erin stuck to the wall, her UV lamp safely off now that it was no longer required. She'd spent enough time around the building to have some inkling of where the cameras would be, and lurked in the shadows to avoid them. It was dark, but she was used to the dark - hopefully Sergei was less so, or hadn't fit the cameras with infra-red.
"Mr. Rakesh? Did you happen to see the tool room when you were down in here?" she whispered to the talking dog. She'd never managed to find it, what with all the murder and mayhem.||
(1:01:50 PM) The Storyteller: "Smallish room, plentiful hammers, wrenches, boxes of nails, so on and so forth?" The dog asked. ||
(1:02:09 PM) Erin: [what tools did i need again?]
(1:02:45 PM) The Storyteller: [Gear shafts, spare wheels... pretty much whatever you think you need.]
(1:03:14 PM) Erin: [it was never really specified.]
(1:03:44 PM) The Storyteller: [Alright, we shall say that does in fact sound like the tool room]
(1:04:26 PM) Erin: "Yes, that would be correct. Mr. Meade used to deal with the tools, so I don't know where they are," Erin replied.||
(1:04:45 PM) The Storyteller: "Follow me, in that case."
(1:05:44 PM) The Storyteller: The tool room proved to be about as small and as out of the way as one would expect, and Erin and Rakesh reached it without any Russian Mafiosos or Clockwork Ghosts leaping out at them from the shadows. ||
(1:08:44 PM) Erin: "It shouldn't be too complicated. I just need to dismantle the wheel structure of the Devourer so I can get at the problem," Erin explained quietly, picking up a socket wrench. Given the Devourer was a very long metal centipede, one could only wonder what she thought was complicated.
(1:09:35 PM) Erin: "Hey, Mr. Rakesh?" she asked, mostly to kill the time as she snuck toward where the Devourer was supposed to be kept. "How did you get in the room without keys or hands?"||
(1:11:38 PM) The Storyteller: "I gripped the door handle in my teeth and pulled. The lack of opposable thumbs is a bit of a problem, admittedly." The dog said, following along after Erin. "In public, whining at the door frequently works in this form as well." ||
(1:14:16 PM) Erin: "Nobody came to shoo you out?" Erin asked, Given the amount of security surveillance on this building, that didn't seem like a good sign.||
(1:15:33 PM) The Storyteller: "No... you were the first person I'd met, as a matter of fact, after leaving Hammond." Rakesh said a little uneasily as you arrived at the large storeroom where the Devourer was kept. ||
(1:17:49 PM) Erin: "I think we should enter very carefully then, Mr. Rakesh," Erin said after a moment. She knelt down and put her ear to the door, still being very careful to avoid the cameras and the light.||
(1:18:01 PM) Erin: [how do you perceive things in this game?]
(1:18:12 PM) The Storyteller: [Wits+Composure, most of the time]
(1:20:02 PM) Erin: [three :P]
(1:20:27 PM) The Storyteller: [The supersensory dog with two and a half times your dice pool got four. Poor Faildog]
(1:21:28 PM) The Storyteller: "There's someone inside." Rakesh said suddenly, velvet nostrils flaring. And there was indeed. Erin could hear someone inside. The shuffle of footsteps, and a low whistling, the sound of someone attempting to carry a tune, and failing badly. ||
(1:21:37 PM) Erin: [sound like someone i know?]
(1:21:59 PM) The Storyteller: [Not... really... neither Sergei nor Aleksander have whistled in your presence, that you can recall[
(1:22:39 PM) Erin: [how far away is the security room?]
(1:22:59 PM) The Storyteller: [Like, halfway across the museum]
(1:23:08 PM) Erin: [frrrg.]
(1:23:21 PM) Erin: [if it was close we could try to spy on the camera into that room]
(1:23:48 PM) Erin: [any other doors/windows/grates/vents into the devourer room?]
(1:24:51 PM) The Storyteller: [There are air-vents if you choose to go through them, you can also try peeking under the door[
(1:25:07 PM) Erin: [we'll do that first, then]
(1:25:21 PM) Erin: [didn't knwo if there was a gap there, or a rubber door seal]
(1:25:32 PM) The Storyteller: [Pretty good gap]
(1:26:23 PM) The Storyteller: Underneath the door, Erin could make out a dim light from within, as from a flashlight or lamp, and moving shadows on occasion. [Wits+Composure to try and determine anything from the shadow] ||
(1:27:29 PM) Erin: [oh sure, get the three explody tens on the LAST roll. :P]
(1:27:46 PM) The Storyteller: Whoever the shadow belonged to, they were big. Taller than Sergei, certainly. They also seemed to be alone. ||
(1:28:54 PM) Erin: "It doesn't look like Mr. Sergei," Erin whispered, very close to the dog's ear so the noise wouldn't have a chance to carry. "Can you see anything?"||
(1:31:08 PM) Erin: [aleksander's pretty big, does it look like him?]
(1:33:16 PM) The Storyteller: "No... But it isn't Aleksander. Wrong smell." The dog said, equally softly, after a few moments pressed against the floor. ||
(1:34:31 PM) Erin: "Nobody you recognize?" she asked, more rhetorically than anything. [do I recall if there were cameras in the devourer room?]||
(1:35:24 PM) The Storyteller: [Nope. The cameras are mostly in the upstairs areas, they're for keeping track of visitors. There's a handful down here, mostly watching exits, but few of the storerooms have them]
(1:35:44 PM) The Storyteller: "No... no one I recognize." Rakesh said slowly, sniffing the air gently. ||
(1:37:47 PM) Erin: "They weren't supposed to have gotten past the guards. Um, neither were you," Erin replied, looking down at the dog. "I'm not sure what they would be doing in there, it doesn't sound like they're doing anything..." [or does it?]||
(1:39:26 PM) The Storyteller: [Mooostly hanging around, though occasionally there are some suggestive thumps]
(1:39:36 PM) Erin: [suggestive how?]
(1:43:17 PM) The Storyteller: "If I may note, the guards here don't seem to be terribly concerned about keeping people out. The possessed or schizophrenic woman upstairs was led off as a victim when she wandered onto the set." ||
(1:47:22 PM) Erin: "I guess... I shouldn't have to wear the badge if they don't care..." Erin pouted slightly. "I hope Mr. David wasn't a fast food delivery man they lured in to feed to the brain," she added, as if this was somehow worse than ordinary, vanilla murder.
Polishing one of the flatter metal tools that she had acquired, Erin attempted to use it as a mirror to take a glimpse into the room.||
(1:48:09 PM) The Storyteller: [...Alright, Wits+Composure+2 for this being a clever idea. :-P]
(1:52:58 PM) The Storyteller: It took a while, and the off-key whistling inside shifted tunes more than once, but eventually whoever was inside passed close enough to the door for Erin to catch a glimpse of them, albeit a distorted and strange glimpse. She caught a flash of a leather jacket, a shock of grey hair, and after a moment, bare feet covered in grey hair as well. ||
(1:53:34 PM) Erin: [uhhhhh is there an occult roll on that?]
(1:53:41 PM) Erin: [is that a yeti?]
(1:54:47 PM) Erin: [mrs fox lady mentioned a partner but cae didn't get that specific. whoops!]
(1:54:56 PM) The Storyteller: [Who else supernatural would you expect to be wandering around the Museum? Though I'm going to say that if you want to get anything better out of the Occult than "might be a yeti", you need to input more information.]
(1:55:26 PM) Erin: [what DID she tell us...]
(1:55:33 PM) The Storyteller: [Who?]
(1:56:01 PM) Erin: ["two changeling hunter things"]
(1:56:25 PM) The Storyteller: [Let me see]
(1:56:41 PM) The Storyteller: [If we show up two Changeling hunter things will rip you apart.]
(1:56:50 PM) Erin: [do we have any way of recognizing one another beyond seeing through the mask?]
(1:57:13 PM) The Storyteller: [Just that, though it's usually enough. The thing in there is quite possibly a changeling]
(1:57:22 PM) Erin: [i know one way to try and check]
(1:57:33 PM) The Storyteller: [Oh dear]
(1:58:39 PM) Erin: "Mr. Rakesh, can you see the reflection in the wrench handle I'm holding?" Erin whispered carefully, still trying to keep the metal at a good angle to follow the person. "If so, can you please tell me what you see?"||
(1:59:33 PM) The Storyteller: "Grey hair... Black coat... grey combat boots..." Rakesh said, peering at the reflection. ||
(2:00:49 PM) Erin: "I see grey, shoeless feet, covered in fur," Erin replied. "I think that may be one of the hunters your ladyfriend mentioned."||
(2:01:50 PM) The Storyteller: Rakesh swallowed a sound that was probably a growl. "Blast. Very well, what now? Fall back, or...?" ||
(2:02:40 PM) Erin: [alas for not having animation four, or this would be easy]
(2:03:22 PM) The Storyteller: [16 XP, something to work towards!]
(2:04:39 PM) Erin: "I really should go fix the Devourer..." Erin pouted, somewhat unreasonably. There was, after all, a potentially murderous changeling in there, but there had been worse things in the castle libraries.||
(2:05:11 PM) The Storyteller: "Yes, and you may get killed in the process." Rakesh pointed out. "You could fix the Devourer tomorrow." ||
(2:05:52 PM) Erin: "Mr. Hammond told me to fix it," Erin protested. "And Mr. Fletcher would be really upset if it wasn't working in time."||
(2:06:41 PM) The Storyteller: "Yes, and what would they say if you were murdered?" Rakesh said as reasonably as he could. He seemed to have experience with this. ||
(2:09:45 PM) Erin: "Ummmmm..." Erin tilted her head to the side, carefully mulling the question over. It took a lot longer than it should have, which was probably a warning. "Mr. Fletcher will say... that I've probably met a nice man... and ran off, and there's nothing to worry about. And Mr. Hammond will probably be grumpy I got murdered and didn't fix the Devourer."||
(2:10:46 PM) The Storyteller: The dog merely stared at Erin for a moment. ||
(2:12:03 PM) Erin: "Your ladyfriend said they were hunting tomorrow night, so it should be fine, right?" Erin shrugged.||
(2:13:15 PM) The Storyteller: "I do not think that any encounter with homocidal Changeling hunters counts as alright." Rakesh protested. ||
(2:15:06 PM) Erin: [good sense... or roleplaying. hmm.]
(2:15:50 PM) The Storyteller: [Rakesh is going to be a bit immutable on this, so if you do it you'll probably just have to open the door.]
(2:16:01 PM) The Storyteller: [And I need to go AFK for a few minutes, so you have time to ponder]
(2:16:02 PM) Erin: [that's what i'm deciding]
(2:29:40 PM) The Storyteller: [Bacl!]
(2:30:25 PM) Erin: [hello]
(2:30:47 PM) The Storyteller: [Have you made a decision?]
(2:30:59 PM) Erin: [well, the chat room i was rolling dice it keeps kicking you out, so it's hard to do much BUT leave]
(2:31:17 PM) The Storyteller: [Hrm? Why?]
(2:31:57 PM) The Storyteller: [Go on, open it! :-D]
(2:32:35 PM) Erin: [because rolling that many dice on the boards is going to be a pain in the ass, is why. :P]
(2:33:20 PM) The Storyteller: [If that's the only problem you can roll them in the chat without me. :-P Or I can make a chatroom just for this]
(2:33:57 PM) Erin: "They're not homicidal... um, tonight, anyway..." Erin said. She slinked back away form the door, then stood up, allowing her footsteps to become audible as she walked back to the door.[listening to see how it reacts.]||
(2:35:02 PM) The Storyteller: The whistling stopped dead. Rakesh closed his eyes and crouched in the shadows, not answering Erin just now. ||
(2:38:28 PM) Erin: Erin shrugged as she clicked on the flashlight and opened the door. The last time she had it was Rakesh snooping around, and she could only hope the changeling reacted about the same way he had - namely, staring at the door like a deer in the headlights.
This was starting to become a habit.||
(2:41:53 PM) The Storyteller: The door creaked open, revealing the large store room where the Devourer was kept. It was a special effects marvel, a metal centipede larger than most cars. A few of the other special effects contraptions were located in this room as well. What was not present in the room, however, was a changeling hunter. The room seemed to be empty.
(2:41:55 PM) The Storyteller: Rakesh padded up behind Erin on soft paws and sniffed at the air. "There's someone still here." ||
(2:45:51 PM) Erin: Erin wasn't convinced the changeling wanted a confrontation, and of all the murders in this place, homicidal yetis didn't seem to be the cause of any. She kept a sharp eye out for the man, but otherwise started scuttling toward the Devourer.
She kept a sharp eye on that too. You could never trust things when fey magic was afoot, especially not a giant metal centipede.||
(2:46:03 PM) Erin: [occult for whether i think he's hiding or invisible?]
(2:46:26 PM) Erin: [also, any signs of anything suspicious on the centipede/what he was doing?]
(2:46:44 PM) The Storyteller: [Wits+Crafts, Wits+Occult]
(2:48:14 PM) Erin: wits+ crafts:
(2:47:20 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 6 10-sided dice: 10 5 3 6 10 1
(2:47:39 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 2 10-sided dice: 10 3
(2:48:00 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 1 10-sided die: 2
(2:49:09 PM) Erin: wits+occult
(2:48:42 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 5 10-sided dice: 2 1 7 3 10
(2:48:50 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 1 10-sided die: 7
(2:50:01 PM) The Storyteller: [The changeling was not tampering with the centipede, but he was very interested in the air vents leading through the building. Beyond that... you're thinking invisible. Its a trick that Changelings pick up (Contracts of Smoke 5)]
(2:50:46 PM) Erin: [did rakesh say "he's still here" loud enough to be heard?]
(2:51:00 PM) Erin: [er, well obviously by me, but by someone else?]
(2:51:10 PM) The Storyteller: [Nope!]
(2:51:28 PM) Erin: [lets hope this thing has terrible occult]
(2:55:32 PM) Erin: "Be a good boy while I just fix this one thing," Erin said in a typical dog-owner 'whos a little snookums' voice, ruffling Rakesh's neck fur in what was probably an undignified manner. She snuggled the dog's head up against hers. "He's doing something to the air vents," she whispered into one of his large ears as she nuzzled it.
With that, she went over to the Devourer, and started to look it over, hoping to provide a decent cover and to actually accomplish her job tonight.||
(3:01:15 PM) The Storyteller: The dog regarded Erin with a look of profound canine amusement, then began to casually wander around the room, doing a passable job of pretending to be a normal dog. For a few minutes, that's all that happened, though once or twice Erin thought she heard movement. Rakesh watched the door carefully. Then there came a voice from the door. "Erin... the Moth, Spring Court is it?" ||
(3:04:18 PM) Erin: "Lamothe, if you please, sir," Erin answered. Old habits died hard. She did a passable job to wheeling herself out of the detritus and loose metal from the Devourer's repair job. "Hallo? Did Mr. Hammond send you?"||
(3:08:55 PM) The Storyteller: "Pardons." There was a man standing at the door. He was a man, because he was too small to be called a giant. He stood close to seven feet tall, dressed in what to Erin's fey eye came across as a combination of human biker's leathers and a suit of chainmail. A leaden breastplate glinted underneath his open jacket. He had long arms with big hands, and bare feet, all covered in thick grey hair. His face looked a bit like one of the Lon Chaney wolfmen from old movies, weathered, rough, with unruly grey hair and long side-burns. His voice was the odd part, however, a low, smooth voice. Rather comforting, actually. He half-bowed to Erin. "Afraid not, Miss. W--, Isengrim, also of the Spring Court." ||
(3:12:06 PM) Erin: "Spring's Blessings," Erin greeted back, and that was about it. The small folk like her weren't usually noticed, and they weren't very good with what to do when they were.||
[do i know this guy? and can i empathy(desire) on him to get why he popped out of hiding to bother me, when as far as i know he's not sure we spotted him?]
(3:12:42 PM) The Storyteller: [Roll Intelligence+Politics+Mantel to see if you've ever met him, and sure, you can empathy him]
(3:12:50 PM) The Storyteller: [Wits+Empathy]
(3:13:10 PM) Erin: [is there some untrained penalty on politics?]
(3:13:15 PM) The Storyteller: [-3]
(3:13:26 PM) Erin: [spring mantle doesn't count as trained?]
(3:13:47 PM) The Storyteller: [nope, though it obviously mitigates some of the penalty]
(3:13:50 PM) Erin: ]k]
(3:14:16 PM) Erin: [never seen im before in my life.]
(3:14:25 PM) The Storyteller: [Whooops]
(3:15:10 PM) Erin: [and haven't a damn clue what he wants.]
(3:15:35 PM) The Storyteller: "Spring's Blessings." Isengrim said jovially, observing the dog for a moment. "Nice pup. Didn't expect to find anyone of us here except for the old scare-bones Hammond, to be honest." ||
(3:18:12 PM) Erin: "Oh, he hired me on... or something..." Erin replied, her antenna making a passable attempt at scratching her own head. She was actually a bit fuzzy on the details of what had happened and who had told whom to hire Erin, but it meant she had an income and something to do all day. "It was very kindly of him," she said sincerely, as if to make up for the rather unhelpful previous statement. ||
(3:20:01 PM) Erin: [isengrim the wolf, eh?]
(3:20:59 PM) The Storyteller: [Perhaps!] "Just a nice job then, favor for a friend?" The massive changeling said, his low voice calm and somehow light. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking at the Devourer. "Need any help, miss?" ||
(3:21:47 PM) Erin: [there's not polite way to say "don't look at me, it'll make t go twice as fast", so i won't]
(3:22:07 PM) The Storyteller: [Hah, no, but a changeling would actually get what you mean. :-P]
(3:24:57 PM) Erin: [is there anything - besides the devourer - that has wheels? like a cart or something i could use?]
(3:25:21 PM) The Storyteller: [Some trolleys used to carry heavy exhibits]
(3:30:24 PM) Erin: "Um..." Erin wasn't used to people offering to help her, either. And admitting to needing help was something she'd learned not to do. "It's actually a pretty simple problem. It's just a weight distribution issue on the wheel axles which is pushing down on the rubber shock absorbers... except that makes it squeak kind of like a mouse, which makes the film crew start giggling, and I think Mr. Alder kind of got upset." She pouted again. "I thought it was funny..."
"Actually... um, do you know the room with the clocks, down the hall?" she asked. "There's a really big clock on the table in there?"||
(3:30:54 PM) Erin: [now playing: the stupidest thing erin is about to do (so far)]
(3:35:17 PM) The Storyteller: "Hah!" Isengrim snorted laughter. The huge changeling slapped the side of the wall in amusement, the flap of his jacket flying open in the process. Erin caught a glimpse of polished metal, long knives. The changeling grinned, his smile showing sharp teeth set far apart, like a wolf's. "I think I do, little lamb, think I do. Big place, lots of grandfather clocks. How come?" ||
(3:36:04 PM) Erin: [why do i keep running into wolves down here? is it my perfume?]
(3:36:40 PM) The Storyteller: [I really couldn't say]
(3:36:48 PM) The Storyteller: [There is a definite sense of deja-vu here]
(3:37:11 PM) Erin: [i'm going to have to start dressing in red]
(3:37:25 PM) The Storyteller: [LOL]
(3:45:50 PM) Erin: "The big clock in there... I wanted to fix it," Erin explained. She fidgeted a bit. "It's a nice clock," she added, a bit defensively.
"I was going to take it to the elevator in one of the trolleys, so I could take it home," she continued, hoping the wolf would fill in a sensible reason she needed to take it home - because the real reason amounted to no reason whatsoever that could be explained without getting into either murder or theft. "But maybe... you could while I fix this?"
"I can do it myself afterward, so don't worry too much about it," she quickly added. Given the clock was a good two feet taller than she was, this was almost certainly a lie - one born of old memories and fear.||
(3:46:19 PM) Erin: [let me know if any of this requires subterfuge or if isengrim doesn't care really]
(3:46:33 PM) The Storyteller: [Manip+Subterfuge]
(3:47:01 PM) Erin: (3:46:54 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 5 10-sided dice: 8 2 5 8 9
(3:47:09 PM) The Storyteller: [<_<]
(3:47:13 PM) The Storyteller: [>_>]
(3:47:14 PM) Erin: [what?]
(3:47:29 PM) Erin: [you gotta learn how to work the masters. :P]
(3:48:18 PM) Erin: [the latter bit is just cover, she's all for him moving the clock]
(3:49:51 PM) The Storyteller: "Not a problem, miss." The wolf said with a grin. "Where do you want me to take it?" ||
(3:50:18 PM) Erin: [how does the elevator work?]
(3:50:47 PM) Erin: [rather, where's it come up in the museum?]
(3:51:16 PM) The Storyteller: [It's a basically a really big elevator that goes from the basement to the third (top) floor, and also opens directly into the parking lot]
(3:53:26 PM) Erin: "Just into the elevator, down the the left," Erin asked, gesturing with her antenna. "I can take it from there once it's in the trolley."||
(3:54:33 PM) Erin: [wow, it's been four hours.]
(3:55:18 PM) The Storyteller: "Easy as pie, little lamb." The changeling said, nodded his head politely and heading down the corridor, still grinning. Pretty soon he was whistling a merry little tune again. [Really? Woosh] ||
(3:55:35 PM) Erin: [okay now can i fix the darn thing!!! O.O]
(3:55:43 PM) The Storyteller: [yes]
(3:55:49 PM) Erin: [I DO IT]
(3:56:08 PM) The Storyteller: [lol. Trying to leave before Isengrim comes back?]
(3:56:54 PM) Erin: [i'm less concerned about that than when he comes back i have to talk to him again, and that entails not fixing the damn devourer :P]
(3:58:08 PM) The Storyteller: [lol. Alright, decide how much essence you spend, and toss me, hmm... three Int+Crafts rolls]
(3:58:16 PM) Erin: glamour?
(3:58:20 PM) The Storyteller: [yes]
(3:58:44 PM) Erin: [hoy, i've managed to spend 1/4 of it already]
(3:58:58 PM) Erin: [i'll be stupidly optomistic and spend two.]
(3:59:16 PM) The Storyteller: [So we'll say 7 minutes per roll]
(3:59:31 PM) The Storyteller: [Goal is 15 successes]
(4:00:05 PM) Erin: [i don't suppose the devourer counts as a toy :P]
(4:00:40 PM) The Storyteller: [Uh.... probably not, no]
(4:02:05 PM) Erin: guh, this is miserable.
(4:02:10 PM) The Storyteller: ?
(4:02:56 PM) Erin: (4:00:45 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 8 10-sided dice: 2 9 4 10 7 1 2 6
(4:01:09 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 2 10-sided dice: 7 9
(4:01:26 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 1 10-sided die: 4
(4:01:47 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 8 10-sided dice: 10 6 6 4 8 4 7 7
(4:02:32 PM) Erin: Erin rolled 2 10-sided dice: 2 1
(4:03:10 PM) Erin: first two rolls, and i'm rolling on mythweavers because the explody dice is realy annoying.
(4:03:19 PM) The Storyteller: [kkkkkk]
(4:04:37 PM) Erin: [another three, for a total of not nearly enough...]
(4:05:08 PM) Erin: [currently at ten. >.>]
(4:05:25 PM) The Storyteller: [...let's call it there, I think]
(4:05:36 PM) The Storyteller: [for 35 minutes]
(4:05:54 PM) Erin: 7x3 = 21?
(4:06:17 PM) The Storyteller: [Oh! I figured you meant two rolls, plus three more]
(4:06:24 PM) The Storyteller: [But yes, that works out]
(4:06:47 PM) Erin: [no, i meant i was at 10 successes from the three rolls you asked me for]
(4:06:54 PM) Erin: [oooooone moment]
(4:06:58 PM) The Storyteller: [kkkkk]
(4:07:45 PM) Erin: [oh for ****s sake, how do you botch on eight dice]
(4:08:05 PM) The Storyteller: [...ask Kage?]
(4:08:34 PM) Erin: yes, well, 42 minutes instead.
(4:08:46 PM) Erin: [*shakes head* me and faildog...]

(4:37:53 PM) The Storyteller: Rakesh was getting decidedly uneasy as Erin finished the repairs to the Devourer. The german shepherd padded just outside the room, letting Erin finish up her work at Faerie-speed. Finally, she was done, and not a moment later the cheerful, off-tune whistling began once again, coming from the door. "Maestro of tools, aren't you miss?" Isengrim's voice came, amiable enough it seemed. ||
(4:40:34 PM) Erin: "Not really..."Erin replied, making a poor attempt at wiping the various scuzz and detritus from the repair job off of her jacket. "I'm just a normal worker."||
(4:43:02 PM) The Storyteller: "If you say so, little miss." Isengrim agreed, a wolfen smile on his lips. He observed Erin for a moment, his ugly, large face seeming for a moment significantly less amiable and more... businesslike, might be the best word. "Interested in a little job on the side, perhaps?" ||
(4:44:13 PM) Erin: "Hmm?" Erin hummed, her antenna perking up slightly. "Like what?"||
(4:46:10 PM) The Storyteller: "Can you turn off the fire-alarm system?" Isengrim said frankly. "It's got this rig-up of smoke-detectors, sprinklers that turn on by themselves, a siren, and automatic connection to the fire-department." ||
(4:46:45 PM) Erin: [can i? would i have to go to a main something or other?]
(4:47:32 PM) The Storyteller: [You'd probably need to go into the maintenance room, which isn't very far from where you are right now.]
(4:48:43 PM) Erin: "I could. Are you planning on burning the building down?" Erin asked childishly. "I don't want to lose my job. Mr. Hammond's the only person who would hire me."||
(4:50:44 PM) The Storyteller: "Well, I'm not planning on it, but better safe than sorry, I always say." Isengrim said, then grinned suddenly. "And don't worry, little sweet, Mr. Hammond is going to stay home tomorrow and he won't mind a bit."
(4:51:00 PM) The Storyteller: "And, he won't be the only person who'd hire you." Isengrim pointed out. "Since I'm hiring you too." ||
(4:52:12 PM) Erin: "Oh." It was hard to argue with the logic of that - at least, Erin's mind wasn't up to it. "What do you need it off for, sir?"||
(4:54:57 PM) The Storyteller: "Keep people from getting hurt. Things are going to get right nasty tomorrow, and there's probably going to be some fire around. If firemen show up, they might get hurt." The wolf-changeling said, stretching for a moment to work out the kinks in his arm. He had really long arms. "Tell you what, lamb. You don't need to turn off everything, but switch-off the automatic fireman alert." ||
(4:56:01 PM) Erin: [how much of the museum is flammable? is it mostly wood, or marble floors?]
(4:56:27 PM) The Storyteller: [It's got hardwood floors, but it's mostly brick.]
(4:56:54 PM) Erin: [can i approximate how hard it would be to burn it down?]
(4:57:10 PM) The Storyteller: [The whole place? Pretty hard]
(4:57:45 PM) The Storyteller: [Aside from the floors, there just isn't all that much flammable in here. Most of the exhibits are metal, after all.]
(5:00:33 PM) Erin: "Okay." Erin chewed her lip a bit. "If you do start a fire, you'd call the firemen once the trouble was gone, wouldn't you, sir?"
"Why are things going to get bad tomorrow?" she asked as she trotted out to look for the maintenance room, keeping a sharp eye out for any security cameras.||
(5:03:01 PM) The Storyteller: "I'll try to." Isengrim said, following along after Erin. With his long legs, he took one step for every three Erin took, and still managed to keep pace. Rakesh trotted along after both of the changelings, keeping a sharp eye on Isengrim. "Because the missus and I are hunting, and the prey might get a little rough-and-tumble on us." ||
(5:04:15 PM) Erin: "Oh. Do you hunt steam engines?" Erin asked, it being the only thing she could think of being in this place. That actually sounded a little exciting. ||
(5:05:41 PM) The Storyteller: Isengrim howled laughter, an ululating sound that at times didn't sound all that much like a laugh. "Naw, though I'd have to ask the missues about it some time. We're hunting monsters." ||
(5:08:10 PM) Erin: Erin looked a little disappointed. "Oh."
Curiosity rallied her spirits somewhat. "What kind of monsters? This doesn't seem like a place monsters would come to," she noted, despite the entire evening's evidence to the contrary.||
(5:11:43 PM) The Storyteller: "You'd be surprised." Isengrim said blandly. "Smart monsters. The kind that doesn't die if you cut them, that just keeps going and going and rips your head off if you look at them cross-eyed. You might want to stay home tomorrow, miss. Safer for you."
(5:12:26 PM) The Storyteller: It was at this point you reached the maintenance room. It was a small place, barely larger than a normal office, and utterly covered in utility boxes, circuit-breakers, and more wires than one could believe possible. ||
(5:15:56 PM) Erin: Erin shuffled through the wiring - seemingly at random, but most of what she did was - looking for the wires to the automatic fire system. "How do you know they're coming tomorrow, sir?" she asked curiously, her antenna tapping a fuse box idly.||
(5:19:16 PM) The Storyteller: "The missus has an inside-track with Fate. She says Wormwood's going to be here tomorrow, Wormwood will be here, even if no one's told the old bones about it yet." Isengrim leaned against a door-post and peered at what Erin was doing with genuine-seeming curiosity. ||
(5:22:29 PM) Erin: "Wormwood..." Erin murmured, recalling the illuminated manuscripts of the Library. "The Fallen Star...?"||
(5:23:39 PM) The Storyteller: "That's what he calls himself. Heard tell some American gave him the idea." Isengrim said, shrugging. "Right nasty piece of work, but he'll fetch a good price." ||
(5:25:22 PM) Erin: "People buy Fallen Angels?" Erin asked, her feelers tracing a clump of wires, attempting to see what they connected to. "What does he look like?"||
(5:28:51 PM) The Storyteller: "Lamb, people will buy anything and anyone, including you or me." Isengrim seemed to find this very funny, and his howling laughter echoed off the walls. "I've never seen him myself, to tell you the truth, but hear to tell he's this pockmarked chappie, almost as ugly as me. So see, I've got two reasons to get rid of him. I don't want any competition either." Isengrim grinned like a wolf, showing off entirely too many teeth, and a jaw that seemed to unhinge just a bit. ||
(5:36:26 PM) Erin: "Oh!" Erin squeaked in recognition, pausing halfway through rummaging through dangerous looking wiring. "The man in the suit! He is really ugly," she agreed, with a childish giggle. "...and I think his security guards killed my co-worker... and a bunch of other people... hey, Mr. Isengrim, be careful tomorrow - they have security cameras all over the place." She tugged at a stray wire, making a face. "And don't tap any brains."||
(5:38:48 PM) The Storyteller: "You've seen him?" Isengrim said, raising one grey, hairy brow. "Don't worry miss, I didn't get as old as I am by being careless." ||
(5:44:32 PM) Erin: "Only once... I think those are his guards, though. And his cameras. And they have this brain... I don't think they're supposed to have it." Erin waved her feelers a bit. "I guess a lot of people are mad at him. But he must want something out of all this..." She frowned, shrugged, and then went about seeing if she could disarm the automatic fire alert.||
(5:44:59 PM) The Storyteller: [Int+Crafts]
(5:45:07 PM) Erin: [uh oh.]
(5:45:22 PM) Erin: [can i hit myself with a brick to roll less dice? :P]
(5:45:30 PM) The Storyteller: [...yes]
(5:45:44 PM) Erin: [i swear i am splitting this into two rolls]
(5:45:51 PM) The Storyteller: [I can impose up to -3 distraction penalties, if you'd like. :-P]
(5:46:05 PM) Erin: [nah, i'll just roll four dice twice. ]
(5:46:10 PM) The Storyteller: [lol,k]
(5:47:28 PM) Erin: [...didn't work much better, but two]
(5:48:53 PM) The Storyteller: [Good enough! You switch it off] "Wormwood tends to make people hate him. He's good at it. Course, most of the people who hate him end up dead as dormice." Isengrim said with another shrug of his massive shoulders. He wasn't broad, like Aleksander. He was just ridiculously big. "Haven't a clue in hell what he wants with the brain, but using lackeys is what Wormwood does." ||
(5:52:01 PM) Erin: "Do you know anything about him yourself?" Erin asked as she deftly started switching wires around. From the sounds of it the pair had been hired to do the job, but she figured she'd ask.||
[I ocmpletely forgot to ask to watch out for security cameras on the way]
(5:53:10 PM) Erin: [wait, i just said it in character and forgot THAT.]
(5:53:55 PM) The Storyteller: [There were some, but Isengrim seems utterly unworried about them, and you didn't notice any of them tracking you] "Fair bit, but it's a tad gruesome for a little lamb's ears." Isengrim said, peering at the boxes. "Finished yet?" ||
(5:54:13 PM) Erin: [*shakes head* there aren't any, in here are there?]
(5:54:32 PM) The Storyteller: [nope]
(5:56:35 PM) Erin: "I feel like I should ask... his guards have been murdering people I know..." Erin said, looking quietly down at the ground.|| [can i try persuasion?]
(5:56:53 PM) The Storyteller: Sure
(5:57:10 PM) Erin: [what is it, manipulation?]
(5:57:47 PM) The Storyteller: [Presence+Persuasion, I think]
(5:57:56 PM) The Storyteller: [Note that you don't get 10-again on Presence pools]
(5:58:18 PM) Erin: [*scratches head* what's manipulation for, then?]
(5:58:37 PM) The Storyteller: [If you were trying to be sneaky about it and trip him into saying something]
(5:59:01 PM) Erin: [one! :P]
(5:59:14 PM) Erin: [at least it wasn't a ten.]
(6:01:26 PM) The Storyteller: "No." Isengrim shook his head. "Trust me, the less you know, the safer you are." ||
(6:01:48 PM) The Storyteller: [I ought to go wash soon, and Isengrim is getting restless, so let's move towards a wrap?]
(6:05:16 PM) The Storyteller: [hallo?]
(6:07:31 PM) Erin: [weren't you supposed to be here at nine for perry?]
(6:07:42 PM) The Storyteller: [yes, but he's not here]
(6:07:48 PM) The Storyteller: [surprise]
(6:07:58 PM) Erin: [it's seven minutes after. :P]
(6:08:08 PM) Erin: [and apparently you intended to leave to wash anyway. >.>]
(6:08:08 PM) The Storyteller: [Well I need to wash anyway. :-P]
(6:08:18 PM) Erin: [great planing there, neo. :P]
(6:08:24 PM) The Storyteller: [shush]
(6:08:40 PM) Erin: [i expect him to show the instant you leave. take a shower or something. :P]
(6:08:53 PM) The Storyteller: [I'll be quick, alright, alright!]
(6:08:58 PM) Erin: [lol]
(6:12:32 PM) Erin: "I'm not a kid, you know," Erin pouted, unintentionally demonstrating the opposite. She shut the metal box. "It's done. I think there might be people coming for that brain tomorrow..."
She'd intended to wish Isengrim good luck, but she was still pouting over his refusal.||
(6:12:37 PM) Erin: [and there he is.]
(6:14:36 PM) The Storyteller: "You're a gem, little lamb." Isengrim said with a wolfish grin. He thrust a hand into an inside pocket of his leather-and-chainmail coat, then tossed a glass phial to Erin. It contained within it a small puff of crystalline fibers, like cotton-candy made from ice. "And here's your pay. Swallow it, and you'll be safe from a roasting, little lamb, least for long enough to get to a door. Care for your clothes though, they'll burn any which way."
(6:15:53 PM) The Storyteller: "And trust an old wolf, stay home from work tomorrow night, you'll be safer that way." With that, Isengrim gave Erin a final parting nod, and with a faint shimmer, disappeared from sight. Erin could hear his footsteps withdrawing, and the occasional notes of off-key whistling. ||
(6:16:11 PM) The Storyteller: [And that, barring any final words from Erin, is a wrap, and you have gained a Hoarcotton Trifle. Back soon!]
(6:16:18 PM) Erin: [but perry is right there...]
(6:16:23 PM) The Storyteller: [yes]
(6:16:30 PM) The Storyteller: [I told him I'd be back in a moment
(6:16:35 PM) Erin: [this was objectionally badly planned! :P]
(6:16:52 PM) Erin: alrighty... and i'm wiping my fingerprints off everything. >.>
(6:17:02 PM) The Storyteller: Good plan.
(6:17:04 PM) Erin: i don't know if i HAVE fingerprints, but i'm doing it.
(6:17:07 PM) The Storyteller: Back soon!