Booze to Loosen the Fu Dog's Stick

**Smudge** · Apr 18th, 2013 02:40 PM

There was this one warehouse, actually an old factory, abandoned like so many of its kind that went out of business. Sometimes, it had squatters, other times it was empty. It was pretty derelict, actually, and there was no electricity on site anymore. Luckily, electricity wasn't needed tonight. Instead, there had been set up a small bin fire surrounded by some folding chairs and some stand alone lamps for light. Around them was quite a few outdated and dusty pieces of machinery, left over from the last business.

Sitting next to the bin on one of the chairs was Smudge and he was pleased with his effort. At least here, if Shin did finally loosen up, there was enough space to break stuff. Leaning into the paper bag by his chair, he pulled out a cheap bottle of whiskey and was almost tempted to crack it open but decided to be patient.

Apparently, it was a virtue.

Apr 18th, 2013 03:27 PM

When anyone in the Freehold called for him, Rook would come. Immediately. In force. So when Smudge's text came in, the Metalflesh didn't question why anyone would be asking him to bring Alcohol, or why that was essential for a cry to help. All he saw was that he'd been called, and he came.

He hadn't been able to find any medical ethanol, since he didn't usually bother with medical supplies, but he knew Vodka worked well enough, and there was a heavy glass bottle pressing against his steel frame as he ran.

En route, he let the blazing wrath of Summer invigorate his steel muscles. He was the Red Victor, and the power of it came to him easily. It fit him like a glove. He would have let himself sink into the mind of the Board, but it was too risky here. Instead, he consoled himself with allowing his nature come to the front, his body coursing with its Wyrd-bound transformations.

He paused briefly outside, assessing the warehouse. Quiet, discreet. A good place for an ambush. Beneath his shirt, metal fortifications began to protrude from his body.

When he pushed the door open, the blaze of his mantle washed over the room like the corona of some great star washing into the room.

"I'm here. Where's the problem?"

His metal sunglasses flashed in the light. Whoever it was who was threatening his Freehold was going to have Hell to pay.

8 successes to Noonday Grasp, 4 successes to Armour of Element's Fury

-4 Glamour for Noonday Grasp, Metalflesh Blessing, Elemental Blessing. Catch Met for Cloak of Elements (Metal & Fire) and Armour of Element's Fury

Apr 18th, 2013 06:55 PM

Jezebel hurried down the street, a rucksack slung over her shoulder and a plastic carrier bag in one hand. She wasn't sure why Smudge had texted her, but it sounded like he was in some serious trouble. And while an actual, sworn-in member of the Summer Court might have been the obvious choice, the Blightbent wasn't going to shirk the duty she craved over a silly little thing like not actually being part of the Court.

Need some help. Bring alcohol. Could get messy. The words played around in her head again. The request for alcohol had been particularly confusing, and given there hadn't been a lot of time to think about things, she had jumped to the first conclusion that made sense. Or, maybe just the conclusion she most wanted to reach. Fortunately, the part of town she lived in wasn't short of places to bulk-buy cheap booze, and a couple of old torn-up bits of cloth had done the rest.

Reaching the Warehouse, the Blightbent took a furtive look around to make sure she hadn't been followed, pulled her machete out of her backpack, and shunted her way though the door. Her eyes caught Rook, mantle blazing and Contracts in full swing, and she wasn't sure whether to be reassured or disappointed that Smudge actually had called in the big guns after all.

"Shit, Rook?" She said, glancing between the two men. "This must be serious."

Jezebel pulled away the scruched up newspaper she had used to disguise the contents of her bag, and held up the bag of slapped-together molotov cocktails so they could see.

"Reckon these'll do? Didn't have time to mix 'em with petrol, so I hope they'll go up okay."

Apr 18th, 2013 09:43 PM

Shin was feeling cautiously optimistic about tonight. He supposed that he should be feeling a little apprehensive about letting go in such a way, but he didn't. Perhaps it was that he had faith in the Red Victor's ability to keep him from harming himself or anyone (and anything!) around him. Maybe it was just the feeling that came from testing the limits of what his training had shaped him into and, perhaps if he was lucky, to break them and allow him to live a much more normal life afterwards. (Whatever that was supposed to look like.)

Or maybe drinking with some people he could cautiously call friends just made him feel happy.

Whatever the reason, the foo dog felt pretty good about himself as he approached the warehouse. He clanked slightly with each step - the box he was carrying was full of the cheapest and strongest bottles of booze he could find, as Smudge had instructed. He'd had to spend all of his extra earnings this month to purchase all of it, but as he surveyed the multitude of bottles, he thought it just might be enough to do the trick, with some to spare for the others who would be attending this evening.

It was going to be fun, hopefully. And if it wasn't, well... He hoped that Smudge had briefed the others on what to expect this evening so that they wouldn't hold his drunken antics against him. Smiling to himself, he entered the warehouse.

And immediately dropped the box of alcohol bottles with a loud "CLANKclatterclink!".

Rook and Jezebel were here, and they both looked ready for combat. God, had something happened to Smudge?

With a loud growl of fury, he stamped his foot on the ground, calling the stones underfoot to come to their aid. The floor around him began to rumble and quake as the earth below the concrete floors began to surge upward at his command. He also grabbed the stone pendant with the character "山" carved into it that always hung around his neck, though nothing seemed to happen.

"Where is the enemy?" He snarled, looking around the room for any hidden foes. From his vantage point, he couldn't see the Ogre sitting by the fire and assumed the worst. "What's happened to Smudge?"

1 suxx to Calling the Elements, 0 to Armor of Elements Fury (which is good, since I accidentally rolled the wrong # of dice)

-4 Glamour for Calling the Elements, Catch met for Armor of Element's Fury (stone pendant).

**Malcolm Green** · Apr 19th, 2013 04:21 AM

The mountain plodded with slow determination to the place Smudge had requested they meet. Uncertain as to what the Blight Bent had in mind, Green had taken the time to gather an eclectic mix of... stuff. In one hand he carried a clinking bag of cheap bourbon and in the other a tearing bag stuffed with children's chemistry sets. For my nephews, Green had lied glibly. On the way he had passed a hardware store and had added a bottle of methylated spirits. That, Green had secreted in his old greatcoat.

Green had been hoping to conduct a quick reconnaissance of the warehouse and its environs, but the growling echoing from within put paid to that. The Earthbones' lumbered into a quick run, pounding clumsily within.

**Smudge** · Apr 19th, 2013 10:56 AM

When Rook entered the warehouse, his mantle flaring and armoured for war, Smudge looked slightly bewildered but before he could say anything, the rest arrived. Hearing Shin mention his name, he rose from his seated position shaking his head.

"Nothin's 'appened t' me, ya bunch of Elemental nutters! Why're y'all dressed f' war?!" he asked, looking at each of them in turn, the build up of snow flakes on his shoulder apparent.

Apr 19th, 2013 12:54 PM

Jezebel placed the clinking bag down on the ground and looked around in confusion. She had expected to find Shin already there with Smudge, so it came as something of a surprise when he rumbled in, drawing upon his own contracts and calling out for the Ogre. Green's arrival only muddled things further.

"You said you needed help." She said. "I thought it was an emergency."

Jezebel paused for a moment, then looked down at her cache of crude bombs. "Does this mean we're not torching the warehouse?"

Apr 19th, 2013 04:51 PM

Rook's steel eyebrow arched slightly, and he turned his head. He didn't drop his guard. He was incapable of deception himself, but that didn't mean that he was incapable of understanding it existed in other people. Even in Smudge, whom he rather liked. The situation rang wrong to him.

"You called me out her, asking for help, and saying it was going to get messy," the Metalflesh's voice sounded perplexed. "What else would you call me out for like that?" He was already clocking Shin's position. The Board had screamed the moment the floor had begun to shake, and if Rook hadn't known all the attendees by sight, then it probably would have ended a great deal more unfortunately.

He was the Red Victor. When people called him out, usually it meant they wanted his protection. That was the way things went. Exactly what was wanted here was beyond him.

Next time, he was going to get Anya to filter his text messages.

**Smudge** · Apr 20th, 2013 05:42 AM

"Oh, fugggg..." Smudge said as realisation dawned at the way he sent the text message. He shook his head, the plume of smog on his head to waft slightly with the movement. "Nah, nothin's wrong, I just asked y'all 'ere to 'elp Shin with som'thin' is all."

And this is why Smudge really should learn to understand emotions better.

Apr 20th, 2013 10:06 AM

Shin glanced sideways at Smudge as he appeared in the middle of the room and said something, but most of the Foo Dog's attention was still focused on scanning the room for threats. It was a dark warehouse, and as Smudge had just proved, things could be hiding behind any of the debris laying around.

It was odd, though. Shin might not be great at reading people, but he did have a lot of practice reading a battlefield, and right now, Rook's attention seemed to be focused on...

Feeling uncomfortable, he glanced over his shoulder. Nope. Nothing there. Which meant that...

Which meant that the enemy was him.

He froze up for a moment, not entirely sure what to do, but then his training kicked in. He had been trained what to do if he mistook one of the Lords wearing a Shape for some Creature trying to sneak onto the manor grounds. Instantly, he dropped to one knee and bent his head. He put one hand on the ground and muttered something in another language, soothing the earth which was still trying to come to his aid. Then he barked, "I submit."

He went utterly still after that. He would not offer any resistance if the Lord tried to punish him for his mistake, and he would not move again until he was released and forgiven for his affront. The memory of why he did this might be lost to the Thorns, but the training still held. The training was all-important.

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2013-04-18 15:14:56	Rook rolls 16 to Stamina 4 + Brawl 5 + Pledge 2 + Mantle 5 (10 Again)	1, 9, 5, 7, 10, 10, 10, 4, 8, 7, 7, 8, 5, 3, 5, 10, 8, 3, 6, 4	8 successes
2013-04-18 15:13:21	Rook rolls 8 to Dexterity 4 + Wyrd 4 (10 Again)	2, 8, 9, 9, 2, 8, 3, 5	4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2013-04-18 21:22:35	Shin Wei rolls 5 to Calling the Elements (10 Again)	1, 5, 3, 8, 2	1 success
2013-04-18 21:21:41	Shin Wei rolls 5 to Armor of Element's Fury (10 Again)	2, 3, 5, 7, 1	failure

Booze to Loosen the Fu Dog's Stick

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