Day 0: I'm just calling up to tell you something terrible has happened

[Mister Doctor]

Listening to the stranger growl and intimate that there were greater forces at work, Cole ran through his options as quick as could be. The jig would be up regardless of whether he stayed silent or tried to speak up. Best to tear off the bandaid now and be done with it and maybe find an opening.

"Don't think I'm supposed to be here," Cole said, putting a hand on the doorknob and getting ready to turn it. His voice no doubt already revealing that he was not, in fact, Kacey.

---

Adversity Token: 2

Edited February 16, 2023 by Mister Doctor (see edit history)

[Ezeze]

The Stranger's plague mask hides his reaction, whatever it might be.

"No, you're not" he agrees in the same strained, fake-gravely voice. He glowers at the door for a few moments, mentally going back over the conversation up until now. Finding nothing particularly incriminating, he takes a few steps back. At least enough to let Cole open the door and slip past him to the exit.

"Get out of here. Keep this little encounter to yourself."

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ezeze (see edit history)

[Mister Doctor]

Cole slowly opened the door and fixed the masked figure with a wary, suspicious look. Sidling past the stranger without taking his eyes off him. Once he was out of arm's reach, he stopped, staring intently. He could understand wanting to hide an identity but there were less conspicuous ways of doing that than dressing up like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Ski masks were not that hard to find.

"So why the bird mask? Are you one of them... them..." Cole grasped for the word he had heard Dorf use a few times. "Larpers? Or are you just really goth?" He half-wondered if this was one of Esth-'Ebony Darkness's' friends. He had made the mistake of asking about her fashion choices on one of the occasions the town's resident goth had stopped in at his aunt's shop. Depending on the answer, she might be able to give a lead about this guy later.

---

Adversity Token: 2

Edited February 16, 2023 by Mister Doctor (see edit history)

[Ezeze]

"None of your business" comes the reply. But the stranger isn't angry. Cole has a feeling he might have an uphil battle ahead of him if he's trying to ridicule him into a reaction. "Run along. Stay out of trouble."

[Mister Doctor]

"Alright! Going!" Cole said, hustling out of the old bus station the way he came in. He looped around to a side where he was fairly certain he would not be easily seen and immediately pulled out his phone to message Jackson and Emily.

got made

stay where you are

let me know if it sounds like he leaves

Thinking on it for a minute he texted Kacey next.

got made

guy hasnt found jackson or emily yet

sounded like he knows you

not immediately violent

going back in when you get here

[Ozma]

Emily responds briefly, but keeps her phone tilted down so there wouldn't be any light as she shot a text back to Cole.

"Okay. Will stay put."

[Ezeze]

The stranger's gaze follows Cole out the back door, only dropping when the employee's exist closes with a 'click.'

Luckily for Emily and Jackson, once the first interloper is exised he doesn't think to look for more.  He sighs, looks around, wonders to himself- "... Did he take the chair?"

OOC

Our friend is not bothering to hide his voice this time! But nor is he speaking directly to you, and you're still trying to recognize a voice you've heard before but in a very unfaimiliar setting. So, Emily and Jackson, it's a DC 6 Snap Decision Brains check this time around with the same rules as before - if you both fail, you both get Adversity Tokens.

 

[Knave]

DiceBrawn d20+1
Fight d12+1
Grit d10
Charm d8
Flight d6
Brains4 d4 || StrengthsEasygoing: Get 2AT per failure
Protective: +3 to protect
Rebellious: +3 to persuade children or to resist persuasion from adults or children || FlawsIgnorant
Reckless

Adversity Tokens: 4

---

Jackson looks guiltily at the chair he fetched for Emily and makes a shrugging gesture.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Knave (see edit history)

[Ozma]

Emily shrugs at Jackson, not blaming him for taking the chair. It was a sweet gesture, really. Unfortunately she can't place the man's voice through the door.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Ozma (see edit history)

[Dr Jackal]

Kacey pedals up on a bike that has seen better days. Since she has a better bike at home, clearly this is something disposable, probably that Jackson procured for her.

 

She narrows her eyes at the truck parked on the street. It's not in the parking lot, at least, but it's more visible than she would have liked. She parks the bike somewhat close to the truck, but not obviously so. She glances around and checks the time on her phone, which is still in airplane mode, then begins to head inside.

 

 

[Mister Doctor]

Cole leaned out from the side of the building as Kacey approached and waved at her, trying to get her attention. At this point he was itching to do something, anything productive. Of course, that meant using Kacey to get the guy's attention while Cole skulked in the background and handled Cole things.

---

Adversity Token: 2

[Dr Jackal]

Kacey sighed. Cole had been made, or he wouldn't be outside and waving. And since Jackson and (presumably) Emily were still inside, chances are that Cole had to distract ... whoever. So keeping it low-key was out the window.

 

She pauses and flips her phone off airplane, then quickly scans Cole's new message. No surprise there.

 

Ok. she writes back.

 

She heads inside.

[Ezeze]

For the last 15 minutes Jackson and Emily have been watching the stranger in the plague mask.

They have not learned much.

He spent the first five wandering the other parts of the atrium – looking into the abandoned dining room and briefly sticking his beak-nose into both the mens’ and ladies’ rooms. Maybe checking for more intruders, but maybe just looking for the missing chair. The latter theory is supported when, having not found anything, the stranger wanders back to the check-in desk and lifts his butt onto it. He sits like that, occasionally swinging his legs in the air, for the remaining minutes until all three of you hear the employee door open.

The stranger has exactly enough time to get up off the counter, straighten his robes and fold his hands into a solemn-looking pose before Kacy rounds the corner.

“Ms. Addams” the stranger says in a faux-scratchy voice intended to hide his identity. “I’m glad you decided to accept my invitation.”

“Does anyone know you are here? Are you recording this?”
 

OOC

This is the first time Kacey has head the stranger's voice, so you get a chance at tha DC 10 Snap Decision Brains check to recongize it.

 

[Knave]

DiceBrawn d20+1
Fight d12+1
Grit d10
Charm d8
Flight d6
Brains14 d4 || StrengthsEasygoing: Get 2AT per failure
Protective: +3 to protect
Rebellious: +3 to persuade children or to resist persuasion from adults or children || FlawsIgnorant
Reckless

Adversity Tokens: 4

---

Jackson starts recording this.

[Dr Jackal]

Kacey looks the mysterious contact up and down, then shakes her head and lets out a long, disappointed sigh.

 

"Okay, let me explain a few things, because you're obviously an amateur at this. First, there is no way in hell that I, a well-respected cheerleader, would want anyone -- ever -- to know that I went to an abandoned bus station to have a conversation with some rando cosplaying as a Spider-man villain. Second, I'm a teenage girl who got a creepy invitation to a secret meeting. Do you really think I didn't leave some sort of note, or email, or delayed text, or whatever in case I don't come back? And third ..."

 

She pauses and, with barely concealed scorn, looks the person over once more. "Third, I knew who you were before you started talking. If you want to find Hunter, just tell me what you know."