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Post by Veta on Sept 22, 2013 20:47:44 GMT -6
A 1 and 2. I didn't pick 3 since, well, there's Isabella to look for.
Michelle the sacrificial lamb.
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Sept 22, 2013 21:37:49 GMT -6
A 1 and 2, no sacrificial lambs.
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Post by Slayer_22 on Sept 22, 2013 23:46:38 GMT -6
c, arianna
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Post by Rai Chiller on Sept 26, 2013 19:32:14 GMT -6
A 1 and 2, no sacrificial lambs.
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Sept 26, 2013 20:15:16 GMT -6
Like it or not, it looks like I'm stuck here. Rachel weighs her options and decided it best to remain at the club for now. With night setting in, the streets will be even more dangerous, especially toting around an unconscious Cynthia. She takes this opportunity to treat her own wounds while the strippers elect to put on more clothes. Glad they're putting some clothes on. It was getting a little awkward running around with everyone in their underwear. She grabs an ice pack from the scattered medical supplies and cracks it open before applying it to her bruised midsection. The cold sensation stings at first, but it is soon replaced by a soothing wave of relief. Rachel hadn't realized she was in so much pain before. I'm definitely feeling it now though with the adrenaline wearing off. I need to be more careful. As she takes a few moments to catch her breath, Rachel observes the other women in the room.
Maria changes into a gray tank top that exposes a small portion of navel along with form fitting blue jeans. She also puts on a pair of tennis shoes, a practical choice Rachel commends her for. She chats with Arianna as the younger woman dons a dark blue bustier top and black short shorts. Her choice of footwear is a little less ideal, a pair of knee high black boots with a half inch heel. Not the best choice, but at least she'll be able to run in them. On the other side of the room, Michelle has put on a purple halter top with a frayed black miniskirt and black moccasins. Beside her, Rose has put on possibly the most impractical outfit. A small white cocktail dress with a black design running down the center of it and three inch high heels.
After several minutes of icing down her sore midsection, Rachel decides it might be a good idea to get to know one of her new companions. Arianna joins Michelle and Rose in a conversation, leaving Maria by her lonesome. "So how are things looking, Maria?" Rachel asks her after taking a seat nearby. "Not so great. Arianna said Tanya and the others fled to the private dance rooms on the other end of the club. Nobody knows if they're still there or not..." Maria's sentence trails off, the thought of more of her friends perishing a somber thought.
Rachel attempts a change of subject to lift her mood, "It looks like you know how to handle yourself from the state of that stake there." She gestures to Maria's bloody weapon with her free hand. "Well, someone had to make a stand against the zombies. Michelle and I fought as many back as we could before she lost her knife, and we got trapped in here." She replies, revealing who did the majority of the fighting. "So I need to know, how's everyone fighting wise? If we're going to make it out of here alive, I've got to take stock of who can carry their own weight." Rachel forgoes further small talk; she doesn't have anymore time to waste. "I guess that's fair. Well, Arianna told me how you found her hiding on stage, so it's safe to say she's not the bravest soul. I watched her face down one zombie at the initial siege without fear, but the second they started swarming in, she lost it." Maria says of Arianna, confirming Rachel's suspicions of the girl.
"I can handle myself, you just caught me at a bad time before. I thought Lola was dead, but, stupid as I am, I couldn't bring myself to make sure she stayed that way." Rachel accepts Maria's explanation of her own skills. "I can definitely say Michelle is the toughest of us. She's a little reckless, but I don't think any of us would've made it without her. She pulled the first zombie off that grabbed me and kept them back with nothing but a knife." Maria exemplifies Michelle's skills, something Rachel will definitely be taking note of. "Finally, there's Rose. Bless her, she's the sweetest woman around, but she'd walk straight into a zombie's arms if she didn't know better. She can make an airhead look like Nikola Tesla in comparison. We try to keep her out of the action as much as we can." Maria insults the blonde woman in a kind voice, casting her a pitiful gaze. Rachel silently takes all this in before reaching a decision.
"Okay, I think I've heard everything I need to. Maria, I don't know if you saw it, but the thing that destroyed the front doors abducted a friend of mine. She's the cousin of Cynthia over there, and I owe her. I need to find out where it took her, but I'm going to need help. Can I count on you to come with me?" Rachel explains her situation to Maria before requesting her help. "Well...I'd have to tell the others, but of course I'll help. We all owe you for saving us when you didn't have to." She responds, giving the agent her help. This is good, I can count on some back up out there.
Rachel waits as Maria goes to discusses the plan with the others. "I think we're good to go. Michelle volunteered to keep an eye on your friend Cynthia along with Arianna and Rose." Maria returns to tell her soon after. "Good to hear. We need to get going now, I've lost track of how long it's been since Isabela was taken." Rachel orders before collecting supplies for the journey. She retrieves her flashlight from Arianna, who is a bit reluctant to part with one of their only weapons. "Stay safe and....thanks." Arianna says to Rachel, surprising the agent with her honesty. "Will do." She replies to the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Cynthia, I've got things under control here." Michelle tells them confidently despite being totally unarmed. "Shit, nobody has any weapons. Here, keep this. It's not much, but it's something." Maria offers Michelle her stake before departing, knowing they'll need a weapon. "Thanks, I'll put it good use." Michelle says before taking the weapon.
Rose remains quiet throughout the exchange, watching with uncertain eyes as Rachel and Maria depart....
______________________
Trent slowly stalks the rooftops of the city, surveying the streets below as the undead wander aimlessly. Something big wandered through this area and attracted his attention about thirty minutes ago. He saw a large creature on the street on the way over carrying something on its back, unaware it was the source of the disturbance. Whatever happened here, it started at that strip club. Wispers blinking letters stand tall despite the damage inflicted to the entrance, almost like a beacon for anything that might be around.
Trent nearly dismisses the expedition as a lost cause, but the emergence of two women from the club sparks his interest. Hello, who are these two lovely ladies? He moves to the edge of the building for a closer look, pulling his black hood over his head so as not to be seen....
___________________
"Rachel, look at this. That thing must have left these cracks in the road." Maria says upon arriving outside and scanning the ground. Sure enough, Rachel finds the trail of destruction left by the beast. Each of its footsteps left a large indention in the ground, creating a convenient trail for them to follow. "We'll find out where it took her in no time." Maria states hopefully. "Then let's go." Rachel leads the way without any delay, allowing Maria to use her light in the same fashion Arianna did previously. She keeps her handgun at the ready should they encounter any surprises, though the streets seem to be relatively empty for the time being. The creature must have taken care of any stray zombies and anything else out here. Not that I'm complaining.
They advance slowly despite being pressed for time, Rachel doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks. Maria holds the light low so that its beam shines directly on the ground ahead as they walk. The trail continues for two blocks before they arrive at a parking garage covered in webbing. "This must be where it took Isabela. Stay sharp." Rachel advises before entering the ground floor of the garage.
"Oh god, that smell is horrible. What the hell is it?" Maria covers her nose due to the putrid smell emanating from everything around them. "I don't know, but we'll have to bear it for now." Rachel replies sternly, keeping a stoic face even as the smell permeates her nostrils. A loud boom garners their attention next, forcing the two of them to dive behind a nearby car for cover. Rachel quiets Maria with a finger over her lip as she peeks around the corner to investigate. Out on the street, the brutish beast that shanghaied Isabela patrols the area, ensuring the safety of its nest. "We'll have to keep a low profile from here on out, I don't want that thing finding out we're here." Rachel says as she and Maria proceed further into the parking garage once the beast is gone.
They make their way to the second floor before finding a writhing cocoon sitting against a red sedan. The shape of the cocoon suggests it to be a woman, but Rachel doesn't know if it's Isabela. "Is it her?" Maria asks they stand over the struggling person. "I don't know. Isabela? Is that you?" Rachel asks aloud, but the person's reply is muffled. Rachel doubts it to be Isabela as the apparent bust of the woman appears too large, but that could simply be a result of the thick webbing. "How are going to cut her out? We don't have anything sharp." Maria notes. Rachel ponders searching the area for a blade, but they still have to find their main objective. Aw hell, what should we do?
_________________________
Michelle sits patiently in the room with Arianna and Rose. The room's ambiance is more bearable now that they've piled the bodies out in the hall. They cleared it immediately after Rachel and Maria left while the area was clear. "How long do you think they'll be gone?" Arianna asks Michelle to make conversation. "There's no telling, we'll just have to sit tight until then." Michelle prepares to enjoy a quiet moment, but a woman's scream through the vent prohibits any hope of this.
"What was that?" Rose asks, looking around the room for the source of the noise. "It came through the vent. It sounded like a person, Tanya and the others must still be alive!" Arianna exclaims, leaping to her feet after this revelation. "They went toward the dance rooms, didn't they? Christ, we've got to help them." Michelle states before actually thinking the action through. She has no doubt about taking care of herself, but she has Arianna, Rose, and Cynthia to worry about. Damn, should I let them come with me?
Before I post the statuses and choices, I'll give a brief summary of each stripper's combat capabilities:
Maria Flores: She can face down a zombie or two without flinching and most likely emerge victorious, but anymore than that and her chances of her survival dwindle dramatically. She is safe from a frontal zombie assault though for her massive bust can hold a zombie at bay for quite some time.
Michelle Ortega: Michelle can handle zombies no problem, she is light on her feet and knows when to strike against the undead. Though she can fight well, she has a tendency to rush headlong into danger due to brash recklessness. She might need a mellowing presence around for best results.
Arianna Beaty: Arianna is a generally quiet, timid girl. She can stand her ground against a single zombie but has a tendency to panic when things get out of control. She should remain with the group or have someone keep an eye on her to ensure her safety.
Rose Johnson: Rose lacks common sense, or rather any sense for that matter. She has a tendency to do things without thinking them through or wander off alone. She should definitely be kept under a watchful eye lest she perish.
Cynthia Velasquez: Unconscious for the moment, she could wake up at anytime, but until then, she's totally defenseless.
Michelle Ortega
Health: 88%
Fatigue: 30%
Entourage:
Cynthia Velasquez: 60% (Treated with Zombrex, her condition will remain stable now, Will require a dose of Zombrex from this point onward at 8:45 pm every night, still unconscious)
Arianna Celeste: 90%, Nothing
Rose: 85%, Nothing
Inventory: Inventory: Wooden stake (35%, may break soon)
A) Investigate the dance rooms by herself, Michelle is more confident by herself. (Chance of Michelle's survival: 70%)
B) Bring along someone else, Michelle shouldn't venture out by herself plus she could use the back up. (Chance of Michelle's survival: 100%)
C) Remain in the dressing room for now, Michelle doesn't want to risk venturing out so soon.
If you vote B, who will accompany Michelle (Can choose as many as you want):
1) Arianna, she seems eager to investigate the source of the scream, but she'll have to be careful without a weapon. (Chance of survival: 80% if only she goes with Michelle, 95% if anyone else goes with her and Michelle)
2) Rose, Michelle can keep an eye on her while they investigate the dressing rooms but she'll have to be watched carefully. (Chance of survival: 60% if only she goes with Michelle, 85% if anyone else goes along with her)
3) (May only be chosen if both Rose and Arianna accompany Michelle) Cynthia, someone can carry her so she isn't left alone in the room (Chance of survival: 70%)
Arianna's chance of survival if left in the room: 100% with Rose, 90% with just Cynthia
Rose's chance of survival if left in the room: 100% with Arianna, 70% with just Cynthia
Cynthia's chances of survival if left in the room: 100% with both Arianna and Rose, 80% with just Arianna, 60% with just Rose
Rachel Zane
Health: 70%, Bruise along midsection
Fatigue: 40%
Current time: 9:05 p.m.
Entourage: Maria Flores: 92%, Heavy maglight (80% battery, 95% durability)
Health: 70%, Bruise along midsection
Fatigue: 40%
Time left to rescue Isabela: 2:47
D) Search one of the nearby cars for anything sharp, maybe Rachel and Maria can find a knife or something (75% of being done quietly)
E) Try to free the person with their bare hands, they don't know how strong the webbing is but maybe it's fragile enough for their nails to cut through (IF you choose this one, state in your vote who will try to free her first, either Rachel or Maria)
F) Leave the woman be, Rachel is pretty sure it isn't Isabela and the latina is their number one priority right now.
Z) CYOA
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Post by Rai Chiller on Sept 26, 2013 20:48:18 GMT -6
B 1 2 3
also D. #YOLOSWAG
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Sept 26, 2013 20:53:18 GMT -6
C and F.
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Post by Veta on Sept 27, 2013 19:22:03 GMT -6
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Sept 30, 2013 19:05:57 GMT -6
The thought of leaving her friends behind after barely surviving such a harrowing ordeal isn't very enticing to Michelle, prompting her to allow them to accompany her. "Arianna, Rose, each of you take one Cynthia's arms, you're both coming with me." She says unexpectedly to the two women. "Are you sure about that?" Arianna replies, understandably hesitant to leave the one bastion of safety they have. "Positive. We need to stick together, strength in numbers and all that." She states, flashing Arianna a reassuring wink. "If you say so..." The young woman answers without voicing further concerns. "You got it, Michelle." Rose says in a bubbly voice in direct opposition to Arianna's grim tone. The blonde woman gingerly steps to Cynthia's side to await Arianna, obeying Michelle without another word. Ha, at least I can count on Rose to listen.Arianna assists Rose by taking Cynthia's left arm around her neck, the blonde woman taking the other. They lift the Latina to her feet, not a difficult task by any means given her light weight. "Okay, let's go." Michelle quietly opens the door and guides them into the hall, squinting her eyes momentarily as they adjust to the darkness. Moonlight filters into the hall as the sun has set, giving the club an odd hue of light when combined with the flickering lights. They make their way to the main floor, avoiding the scattered remains of the undead as well as the bits of debris. Rose, try as she might, simply looks straight ahead as they walk, not bothering to scan the ground for threats. A zombie torso that appears to be lifeless lies in wait until she walks directly in front of it. Somehow knowing flesh is nearby, the zombie springs to life and wraps its hands around her right ankle. Rose screams out on instinct, "Help!" Michelle pivots on her heel to react, but she is too far away to make it to the stripper in time. Instead, Arianna drops Cynthia's arm and rushes to the zombie's head before driving the heel of her boot into into its skull, caving it in with a single stomp. "Oh, gross!" She gasps, revolted by the brain matter decorating her boot. "HOly shit, are you two okay?" Michelle asks after arriving to their side shortly. "Yeah, we're good." Arianna tells her as Rose remains silent. "Okay, let's keep going, but keep an eye out." Michelle states, particularly toward Rose. The blonde woman nods absentmindedly though her eyes begin wandering the room almost instantly. Oh lord Rose, I hope you make it out of here...They circumvent the stage and stand at the entrance of the dance room hall, which is punctuated by individual rooms in the same fashion as the dressing area. The women's shouts are audible by this point, guiding them directly to their destination. "Be ready." Michelle warns once before opening the door to the room...... _________________ Trent silently works his way to the ground, keeping his supplies from making too much noise. Trent is wearing a black, form fitting windbreaker with a black hood and matching jeans for camouflage in the night. His black shoes complete the ensemble, rendering him reminiscent of a modern day ninja. He also wears a single strap back pack that is cross shoulder so that it remains fastened even when he navigates the city. Trent is something of a parkour enthusiast, necessitating the get up. In his back pack, he possesses an eight pound grappling hook with a twenty foot rope attached that allows him to reach most of the city's rooftops with ease. His current weapon of choice that hangs from a strap on the backpack is a baseball bat, the perfect weapon for someone seeking quick combat. Next to it, a five pound crowbar also dangles loosely, though he uses it more as a tool than a weapon. Completing his outfit is a black policeman's belt acquired off a law enforcer's body he stumbled across. Latched to it is a handgun with seven bullets remaining, a last resort weapon Trent still has yet to use. In a back pouch he has also stored a taser for emergency purposes, though he still has yet to need it like the handgun. Finally, fastened to his right hip is a World War 1 era trench knife, a keepsake from his grandfather that has proven invaluable thus far. The last weapon he retains is a pair of brass knuckles that hang around two chains on his neck, the pair liberated from a dead gangster somewhere in an alley. Something else Trent has found extremely helpful is a set of steel bracers around his forearms. He'd visited an antique store a day prior and taken them from a suit of armor, inspired by a book he'd once read on medieval warfare. They've saved his life once already as the standard zombie's jaw seems incapable of piercing the metal. His final tool is his most treasured. A red and silver climbing ax that helps immensely when performing parkour. He holds the ax in his left hand, his right resting on the ground as he surveys the street once again. After several minutes of inactivity, Trent sneaks across the street to enter the club through the destroyed front doors.... __________________________ Back at the parking garage, Rachel has reached a decision. "Let's search these cars. There's got to be something we can use in one of 'em." She instructs Maria to try the car directly in front of them as she keeps a look out. The woman tries the front passenger door, but it is locked. The same stands true for every other door of the car, denying them access for the moment. "Shit, all right let's try that black one." Rachel instructs once more, pointing this time to a black hatchback across the garage. She and Maria race to the car, keeping a look out for anything suspicious. "Okay, I'll get this one." Rachel whispers as she attempts to open the driver door. Luckily this one opens, allowing access to the car. "Phew. Alright, I'll search the front, you get the back." Rachel orders while unlocking the doors. "Will do." They both begin searching their respective areas; Rachel combing through the glove box and console while Maria looks under the seats and in the back. The contents of the glove box are utterly useless save for a pair of batteries for her flashlight. At least these'll come in handy. "Hey Maria, could I get some light up here?" She requests as the console lacks a built in light. "Sure, here ya go." Maria obliges by holding the light directly between the seats so that it shines to toward the ground. Rachel is nearly disappointed until her hand rubs against something metallic. She pulls the object out to find it is a red swiss army knife. Well, not exactly the best kind of blade, but it'll have to do. "Will that work?" Maria asks as they both examine the tool. "It has to, we shouldn't waste anymore time." Rachel steps out of the car until Maria calls for her attention. "Rachel, check this out!" She exclaims under her breath while hunched over the back seat. Rachel climbs in beside Maria to see what has her so ecstatic. Sitting in the rear of the hatchback in the light is a sawn off shotgun with spare shells lying beside. "This is our lucky night." Maria cackles as she scoops up the shotgun before exiting the vehicle with Rachel. They admire their newly acquired weapon until its possible use dawns on Rachel. "We'll have to use this as a last result. It's going to be LOUD and attract the attention of everything for several blocks." The blonde agent tells Maria, crushing her spirits almost as soon as they were lifted. "Oh....okay. But I'll hold onto it in the meantime." The stripper replies, her confidence obviously boosted by the firearm. "I"m okay with that." Rachel chuckles as Maria loads the gun with the spare shells. It now has six shells chambered, all the ammo they have at the moment. "Now let's see who we've got here." Rachel says as they make their way back to the cocooned prisoner.... ___________________ Michelle bursts into the dressing room, which is fully illuminated unlike the rest of the club. "Aaaaggh! Get back!" One of the women in the room screams as she narrowly avoids the swipe of a zombie, causing it to crash into the wall. She is wearing a maroon top with a black skirt and matching open toed heels, her brunette hair a panicked jumble. (Here is a picture of the first woman: www.tasoeur.biz/images/2012/09/18/Sarah-Shahi-Fairly-Legal-1.jpg ) "Stay behind me Vanessa." Another woman, this one clad in a black wrap dress with matching heels as well, (pic of this woman: www.niswan.net/online/images/articles/2012/01/27-01-12/2/debrahlee-lorenzana-(8).jpg ) says as the zombie recovers. It hobbles toward the two of them until the woman in the black dress jams a screwdriver into its eye. The zombie retches a few times before falling backward, motionless on the way to the ground. Michelle recognizes the two women on the left as the club's manager Deborah Gonzalez and her assistant Vanessa Rosario. What's Deborah doing here? She left hours ago to return to her apartment. Wait, her apartment! I've seen it before, that place is a fortress. If it isn't overrun, we could go there for shelter. Before Michelle can celebrate, the vent above Vanessa's head blasts open. The once small creature that developed within Andrea has reached full size and is standing directly above the women, seeking yet another victim to impregnate. It catches sight of its next victim, immediately launching itself toward Vanessa. "Watch out Vanessa!" Deborah shouts before pushing aside her assistant. The creature latches onto the manager instead, wrapping its wings around her and imprisoning her in its vice grip. It repeats the same process that Andrea had to endure, its barbed tail embedding slightly into her exposed breast bone to ensure no escape. It prepares to impregnate Deborah as a long, slimy tentacle emerges from its mouth. "AAaaaggghh!" The woman screams, utter terror overcoming her. Vanessa tries to assist, but the emergence of another threat prevents this. A long, thick tentacle suddenly lashes out of the vent, as if it had followed the rape monster, and wraps around Vanessa's neck. The woman begins gasp for air as it pulls her toward the vent, which is just wide enough to accommodate her slender form. In opposition to all this as it unfolds, another stripper cries for aid on another side of the room. "Rruungh! Let go!" This woman is wearing bright purple lingerie and no shoes, her own long brunette hair waving as she struggles. (A picture of the newest striper: i80.photobucket.com/albums/j186/DonaldDouglas/Second%20Americaneocon/kelly_brook_new_look_lingerie_2012_7-760x1224.jpg) She screams as her left foot is caught in a viscous black ooze. Whatever the liquid is, it is somehow slowly engulfing the woman's leg. At the rate it's going, it will consume her entire body in a matter of minutes. Arianna is the first to recognize this woman, shouting, "Lisa! You're alive!" She drops Cynthia's shoulder to rush to her friend's side without thinking the situation through. She races across the room and grabs her friend's leg just as the creature bursts from the vent above Vanessa. She attempts to pull her leg free, but inadvertently gets her own hand caught in the ooze. She tries to escape, but the goo is extremely adhesive, trapping the Hispanic woman's right hand to the wrist within seconds. Arianna soon begins crying alongside her friend, possibly doomed to a slimy grave. Michelle stands back with Rose, watching the degenerate into a desperate struggle for survival. "What're you going to do, Michelle" Rose asks, even the air headed woman is able to recognize the gravity of the situation. Shit, shit, shit! Should I help Deborah and Vanessa so we can get the key to the safehouse or go after Arianna and Lisa, we've already been through so much together. I saved Lisa already in the initial attack but we got separated. Michelle must now choose, seeing no possible way to save all of her compatriots. _____________ Rachel diligently cuts through the cocoon with the small blade, taking care not to grab the silk too tightly with her hands. She tested the silk previously only to find it is very stick on the outside, possibly to prevent intruders from reaching the prey inside. Maria keeps the flashlight steady all the while. Rachel began cutting at the woman's midsection as she struggled too much at the head, but has only been able to slice open a few inches of the cocoon over the course of several minutes. All in all, it takes nearly ten minutes to cut her free from top to bottom, but the woman isn't who they were expecting. She is wearing a purple dress with straps at the waist and shoulders, the dress has a very keep V neck with a black camisole beneath the dress. The skirt of the outfit stops just above her knees and has generous slits on the sides, revealing pantyhosed legs. The woman also has on black heels and a watch on her left wrist. Her hair stops just below her shoulder, but the most peculiar thing about her is that her wrists are handcuffed. She gasps for air once Rachel cuts her free. (Finally, a picture of this woman: attachments.cngba.com/attachments/forum/month_1001/100119042652f81fb48f8fbc8d.jpg ) Rachel is dumbfounded by the woman's appearance, but she can't be who she thinks it is. WHat is she doing in tthis city? The woman looks up at her saviors, but her tone is less than grateful. "Don't just stand there, help me up." Her accent is thick but undeniable to Rachel; it is Italian in origin. "Come on, on your feet." Maria says generously, overlooking the insolence of the woman's initial tone. "Finally, I thought I was going to be trapped in there for good." She observes while fiddling with the handcuffs. "I'll assume the two of you don't have a key." She states matter-of-factly before staring Rachel in the eye. It only registers for a second, but Rachel spies the recognition in her eyes. "So what now?" Maria asks, unsure of what to do with the newfound person. "Now she comes with us, but we don't have anything to get the cuffs off." Rachel quickly says, stifling any room for questions. Maria nods in response, goading the new woman forward with the shotgun. "Now now, no need to be so incessant. I don't have much of a choice, do I? I wouldn't last five minutes out there by myself." The woman says politely, gesturing for Maria to lower her gun. "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment." Maria admits, chuckling at her own foolishness. Rachel takes to leading them further up the parking garage until a loud stomp below garners their attention. The Antlion steps into the parking garage, but something is amiss. It begins howling in pain while hobbling forward, some destination in mind. Rachel and the others rush to the next floor only to find it absolutely populated with writhing cocoons. "No way." Maria declares in astonishment, making the connection alongside the other two women. "Everyone of these is a different woman, aren't they?" She asks aloud just to voice her suspicions. "They've got to be, shit!" Rachel stomps the ground in frustration, despairing at the constant dire circumstances. "Might I suggest we move soon? Our host will be here before long." The new woman suggests somberly, not wanting to be cocooned again so soon. Rachel merely sighs as she contemplates her options. Rachel Zane Health: 70%, Bruise along midsection Fatigue: 40% Current time: 9:25 p.m. Entourage: Maria Flores: 92%, Heavy maglight (80% battery, 95% durability), Sawn off shotgun (6/0) Woman in purple dress: 85%, Nothing, Handcuffed. Inventory: 9mm handgun (1/26), Pair of batteries, Mission Datapad, Swiss army knife Time left to rescue Isabela: 20 minutes due to unforeseen circumstances A) Start on the nearest cocoon and cut it open slightly, Rachel will only slice them enough to see if the person inside is Isabela. It's cruel, but the only way they'll be able to find her in time. She will only go after the cocoons that are close in size to Isabela's build. (65% of finding Isabela) B) Work on freeing every person they can, Rachel hasn't come this far only to abandon so many people but she has no idea how much time they have. She will cut open each person's feet and face so they can breath and run.(20% chance of finding Isabela) C) Try to speak through the cocoons, perhaps Rachel can recognize Isabela's voice and save her time cutting. (75% chance of finding only Isabela) D) CYOA While Rachel deals with the cocoons, what should Maria and the woman do: 1) Keep an eye out for the Antlion, Maria and her cohort will enact a warning if it makes it to the top floor. (100% of enacting a warning, will result in Rachel and the three of them taking a cover if the Antlion appears.) 2) Try to help Rachel with what she is doing, two extra pair of hands could prove valuable. (+15% chance to whatever Rachel chooses, but they will have no way of knowing when the Antlion will appear.) ( ) Michelle Ortega Health: 88% Fatigue: 30% Current time: 9:09 p.m. Entourage: Cynthia Velasquez: 60% (Treated with Zombrex, her condition will remain stable now, Will require a dose of Zombrex from this point onward at 8:45 pm every night, still unconscious) Arianna Celeste: 88%, Nothing, (Restrained by black slime.) Rose: 85%, Nothing Inventory: Wooden stake (35%, may break soon) For E and F, choose an accompanying way to lend aid: E) Help Vanessa and Deborah, Michelle needs to get access to Deborah's apartment so they have a safe place to take shelter. 3) Stab the winged creature with her stake then attempt to go after the tentacle, Deborah doesn't have much time but Vanessa is a foot from the vent (60% to save Deborah, 45% to save Vanessa)
4) Pierce the tentacle before trying to help Deborah, Vanessa is losing air fast but the creature is already upon Deborah (70% to save Vanessa, 45% to save Deborah)
5) Look around for anything that might be useful as a weapon before aiding either woman, maybe Michelle can find something better than the stake. (Can be chosen in conjunction with 3 or 4, 55% to find a weapon, which will result in a +15% chance for whichever previous number is chosen) F) Assist Lisa and Arianna, Michelle has been through too much with two of them and can't stand to see them perish. 6) Try to pull Lisa's leg free first, the black slime is only wrapped around her ankle. Perhaps Michelle can pull her free before helping Arianna. (63% to pull Lisa free, 46% to free Arianna, but 30% chance of Michelle getting caught in the slime)
7) Attempt to wrest Arianna's hand from the slime, maybe Michelle can free her before helping with Lisa. (72% to save Arianna, 40% to save Lisa, but 30% chance of Michelle getting caught in the slime) Finally, what should Michelle have Rose do in the mean time: G) Return to the lobby in search of a weapon, Rose might be able to find something or someone useful....( ) H) Remain in the doorway with Cynthia, Rose needs to stay back and out of danger. (100% chance of survival for now) I) Try to help Michelle with whatever she is doing (Will result in +10% for whatever Michelle and a -10% reduction for any negative chances), Cynthia will be placed by the door (80% chance of survival) So to recap, here's a gallery of all the new women: Deborah Gonzalez: www.niswan.net/online/images/articles/2012/01/27-01-12/2/debrahlee-lorenzana-(8).jpgbeta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00691/debrahlee_lorenzana_691423a.jpgVanessa Rosario: www.tasoeur.biz/images/2012/09/18/Sarah-Shahi-Fairly-Legal-1.jpgLisa Brook: i80.photobucket.com/albums/j186/DonaldDouglas/Second%20Americaneocon/kelly_brook_new_look_lingerie_2012_7-760x1224.jpgMysterious Woman: attachments.cngba.com/attachments/forum/month_1001/100119042652f81fb48f8fbc8d.jpg
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Post by Rai Chiller on Sept 30, 2013 19:26:45 GMT -6
B1, we need to gtfo of there
E35
G
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Sept 30, 2013 19:59:55 GMT -6
I agree with Rai. B 1, E 3 5, and G.
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Post by BastionCon on Sept 30, 2013 20:25:19 GMT -6
Hmm, something of a dilemma. I will have to say A, E, 4, 5, & finally G.
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Post by Veta on Sept 30, 2013 22:14:21 GMT -6
I want to say C1, but I can see that even if the antlion finds the group, they'll be in a bind.
So I'll say B2. Latinas gotta be found.
E35
G, I like taking my chances.
I also like the fact you recapped the images and names at the end.
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Oct 1, 2013 14:21:23 GMT -6
Michelle doesn't want to make this decision, she'd prefer to just flee the club and never look back, but it is simply not an option. Regardless, She steels herself for the consequences of her choice. "Rose, I want you to run back to the lobby and look for anything might be useful as a weapon. Anything sharp, small and blunt, whatever. Just go!" She exclaims to the blonde stripper. "O-okay." She merely peeps in response setting Cynthia down by the doorway as Michelle enacts the first part of her plan. She bypasses the struggling due of Arianna and Lisa, avoiding looking Arianna in the eye as she pleads for her life. "Michelle!" She shouts as the slime slowly creeps further up her arm. Michelle adjusts her hair so that it covers the right side of her face, blocking her peripheral vision. She stops by the case of a fire extinguisher, surmising that the heavy canister will make a better weapon than her flimsy stake. She shatters the glass a fist, ignoring the small cuts it leaves on her knuckles. The extinguisher is of a heavy grade, more than the club would ever actually need. Deborah’s oversights actually came in handy for once, go figure. Michelle takes the canister in one hand, stake in the other. She sprints to Deborah’s side just as the creature’s tentacle emerges completely from its mouth. “Suck on this you prick!” Michelle taunts before jamming the stake upward at the base of its left wing. It pierces the flesh easily, but it isn’t enough to stop the thing. She then uses the extinguisher as a hammer to drive the stake further inside the creature. It wails in agony as its grip begins to loosen on Deborah, allowing her to free her arms and push it away. Its tail remains anchored to her chest though, keeping it close. The impregnator begins to flap its wings wildly until Michelle slams the canister directly on top of its head, forcing it to the ground. The stake pierces it completely, driven even further by the impact with the floor. A yellow liquid gushes forth from the wound, a final death wail emerging from the creature before it succumbs to death. Unfortunately, Michelle’s undivided attention was focused solely on Deborah, leaving Vanessa to her fate. The tentacle around her neck tightens drastically until she loses consciousness, enabling it to drag her much more easily. Her head hits the edge of the vent opening with a quiet thud, her body rag dolling as it is dragged further into oblivion. By the time Deborah has been rescued, Vanessa has vanished into the darkness. ____________________ Trent skulks through the club lobby, scavenging for supplies until fate intervenes. “You! Hey you!” A high pitched voice calls for his attention. He looks up to see a gorgeous blonde woman in a black and white dress flailing her arms. “Um, yo.” He replies, waving a hand haphazardly at her. “We need your help, you’ve got to come with me.” She rushes toward him without a second thought and grabs his arm, trying to drag him toward the dancing rooms. Trent allows his body to go limp as she guides him to the destination. What in the world is going on here? “Lisa and Arianna are in trouble, I don’t know what Michelle’s going to do.” The woman explains on the way, the names meaning nothing to Trent. He remains quiet until they reach the dressing room, where he realizes just how dire the straits are. He sees a woman in purple aiding two women on the right while two on the left are struggling with their own problem. “That stuff, I’ve seen it before.” Trent remarks on the slime, dropping his pack to the ground as he digs around inside it. He removes two road flares from its contents as well as a piece of flint to strike them. “Stay back, you don’t want to get too close to the stuff.” He warns Rose, who retreats to Cynthia’s side. He races to the scene of the struggling women, striking one of the flares on the way. “Turn your head.” He tells Arianna, who does as instructed. He shoves the burning flare directly into the slime, which reacts in an unexpected manner. Instead of snuffing the flame and engulfing Trent’s hand, it begins to immolate and turn to ash, freeing Arianna’s hand in a matter of seconds. Trent gently pushes her aside as the first flare burns out. He lights the second and drops it onto the slime just at Lisa’s ankle. The goo immolates exactly as before, burning away all that had overtaken the stripper’s leg. Trent pulls her ankle free and guides her back to Arianna, knowing the slime isn’t done yet. The remaining blob begins to emit an indescribable sound as it slowly moves toward the corner of the room, almost as if it were sentient. Trent watches with a hawk-like eye until it seeps into cracks along the wall, fleeing for survival. “Holy hell, you saved us!” Arianna suddenly tanks Trent with a heartfelt hug, Lisa doing so as well at the same time. “Uh, it was no big.” He replies, unsure how to react to the two women. Guess coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.Just as he celebrates his victory, someone from the other side of the room cries out, “Vanessa! God no!” He looks over to see a woman in a black dress break down into tears, blood pouring out of an open wound in her chest. Trent frees himself from the arms of the grateful women, preparing to hear the story of what has unfolded so far at the strip club… _______________________ Unable to abandon so many lives, Rachel begins frantically cutting the nearest woman’s legs free. She hacks at the silk with the knife while Maria and the other woman stand as lookouts. The blade bounces every swipes, but Rachel makes much faster progress than she did previously. Once the woman is free from the waist down, Rachel works on her head. She is surprisingly cooperative despite no communication between the two of them. From what Rachel can see so far, the woman is wearing a pair of extremely short brown shorts, a pair of pistol holsters, a pistol resting in each holster, hanging from either leg. She also has on thigh high hiking boots. Once her face is visible, Rachel can see she is very beautiful. Her light brown hair is dressed in a ponytail, and her accent is strictly British. (I’m sure everybody recognizes this character: images.wikia.com/laracroft/images/f/f6/LaraLegend.jpg Just for future reference, that is the outfit Ms Croft is currently wearing as well) “Bleh, phew! Thanks for that, it was getting hard to breath.” She quips, sitting still expectantly. “That’s all I can do for you now, I have to help the others. Go stand with those two for now, I’ll cut your arms free as soon as I can.” Rachel helps the woman to her feet before pushing her toward Maria. “Wait! You have to free my sister, she’s here somewhere.” The woman calls out to Rachel, but she has to ignore it for now. The next woman is a bit more difficult to cut loose, her thrashing hindering Rachel’s efforts. “Hey, hey! I need you to stay still, I’m cutting you free.” Rachel instructs. At once, the woman becomes motionless, heeding Rachel’s advice. She hacks through the silk at her legs, repeating the same procedure as before. The lower portion of her outfit consists of a gray skirt that stops just above her knees, white stockings on her legs. She has on matching heels as well. Rachel takes care not to injure her as she liberates her head. Much like the first woman did, this female inhales a large breath of air. She has a rounded but attractive face, her glasses had somehow remained on inside the cocoon. “Where are we?” She begins asking questions, but Rachel merely goads her toward Maria and the others. She has a good feeling about the next person, her build is right size as Isabela’s. Come on Isabela, let this be you. She is disheartened after loosening the legs though. This woman's lower attire is a pair of khaki climbing pants and a pair of boots similar to the first woman's. Once her face is free, Rachel is slightly stunned by her beauty. She shares several facial features with the first woman, but she seems to be several years younger. Her eyes aren't as hardened either, her expression shrouded in terror. (Und here is this woman: img2.hebus.com/hebus_2013/04/29/preview/1367249552_49724.jpg Ze younger, newer Croft) "Gah!" She inhales deeply, glad to be free once more. "Wha-" Rachel cuts her off with a hushed finger, pointing to the growing group of women. "Big sis!" She exclaims after seeing the women. "Lauren, you're okay!" The first freed woman instinctively tugs at her binds, but must settle for shooting her sister an encouraging smile. "What's happening?" She asks, but Rachel merely shakes her head before guiding her to her sister's side. "Lara, do you have any idea what's going on?" The younger Lauren asks, stupefied by the situation. "I don't know, but just stay close." Her older sister advises, scanning their surroundings all the while. Rachel ignores the banter of the sisters to help the next person. She doesn't bother to get her hopes up, instead slashing blindly at the cocoon. This timer her persistence if finally awarded as Isabela's familiar legs emerge. "I found her!" Rachel can't help but proclaim, electing to free her friend completely rather than just her legs and head. "R-rachel?" Isabela asks somewhat in a daze, not faring as well as the other captives. "Yeah, it's me Isabela. Don't worry about Cynthia, she's alright back at the club. Let's get you up." Rachel addresses the Latina's obvious concern, garnering a grateful smile from her. "Of all the....Isabela?!" The blonde woman Rachel freed babbles, recognizing Isabela as an acquaintance. "Jessie, is that you??" Isabela is just as shocked at the coincidence, the chances of them meeting in such a place after Willamette are astronomical. "You two know each other?" Rachel asks once they reunite with the group. "It's a long story bu-" Isabela is unable to finish her sentence before Jessie interrupts, "We'll have time for it later. I see you found my prisoner, Excella." She reveals about the handcuffed woman. "Ah, Agent McCarney. I see the beast captured you as well. Though I wouldn't exactly call me YOUR prisoner." Excella replies, motioning to Jessie's still cocooned arms. "Speaking of that, are you going to cut us loose or just keep staring? And why did you cut her free completely?" Lara interjects, wanting to be freed once and for all. Unfortunately for her, the meeting is cut short by Maria's warning, "We might want to cut this short. That thing's right below us." This serves to quiet everyone as they are in no condition to combat the Antlion. "Damn it all, we need to hide. I'm NOT going to be captured by that thing again." Lara declares, maintaining an air of dignity despite her somewhat vulnerable state. "We should split up on this floor, I see a few spots, but there's only room at for a few people at each of them." Rachel says, having scoped out the area the entire time she was cutting. It is a solid plan, but the Antlion won't be having any of that. Somehow it senses something is amiss, causing it to charge up to the third floor. "Fuck it's coming!" Maria barks, readying her shotgun for a possible battle. "Cut me loose, I can help you fight it." Lara requests, turning so that Rachel might heed her. "Do you really want to take this thing on? It captured all of us before no problem." Jessie counters, wanting to avoid a battle. "But that was separately, we have numbers on our side this time." Lara retorts, wasting valuable time arguing. "Lara, it's here." Lauren whispers into her sister's ear. The British woman gulps before turning her head, dreading staring down the beast again. The creature isn't looking so well. It is seemingly leaking a viscous black slime that covers its body. Its roars are hoarse and its steps shaky, no longer filled with the strength it once had. It is still an intimidating presence though, and a threat to be reckoned with. Rachel tries to devise a plan of action, but the Antlion abruptly charges, stifling any hopes of an organized effort. All of the women scatter in different directions, inciting chaos amongst the group. Excella and Maria flee to the northwest, toward a blue ford truck. Maria accidentally drops her shotgun as they run, thinking only of survival. Excella maintains her balance in the heels, lagging only slightly behind Maria. The two of them unaware that a trio of emaciated but active zombies infiltrated the garage some time ago. They don't know of the free meals within the cocoons, but they will certainly seek to feast on the flesh of two incoming women. Lara and Lauren take flight north, seeking to stay on open ground as they are both still restrained. Lara keeps watch over her shoulder at the Antlion though its attention is diverted for now. Both sisters keep their back turned, blinding them to the enlarged spider on the ceiling above. It has acted as a caretaker up to this point for the Antlion, too meager to fend for itself, but it is still a threat if it catches its targets off guard. Finally, Jessie and Isabela retreat to the west toward a bundle of cocooned women. They seem to be heading to safety, but lurking behind the bundle is a frog like creature that finds the moist climate of the garage very comfortable. It has avoided detection until now by blending in with the scenery, but it will most certainly break its camouflage for a free meal. All the while, Rachel dives to the south to avoid the Antlion's charge, the blonde agent the only one cognizant of the threats throughout the garage. The brute's stops just before it bursts though the barrier and into an adjourning alley. It stares down Rachel, sending a shiver down her spine. Come Rachel, you can do this. Everyone's depending on you. Again.Rachel Zane Health: 70%, Bruise along midsection Fatigue: 48% Current time: 9:40 p.m. Entourage: Maria Flores: 92%, Heavy maglight (80% battery, 95% durability), Sawn off shotgun (6/0) Excella Gionne: 85%, Nothing, Handcuffed. Lara Croft: 83%, Colt .45 (8/??), Colt .45 (8/??), Arms restrained by silk Lauren Croft: 86%, Nothing, Arms retrained by silk Jessie McCarney: 85%, Nothing, Arms restrained by silk Isabela Keyes: 80%, Combat knife, Still dazed from being trapped Inventory: 9mm handgun (1/26), Pair of batteries, Mission Datapad, Swiss army knife So before I post the choices, I'm going to have to display this precarious situation with a picture: Basically, this shows what direction each duo is going and what they are heading toward. It doesn't represent their actual position. It also has the layout of the garage just for convenience's sake. It helps to see the picture if you open it in a new tab. A) Stand her ground and see it if charges again, perhaps Rachel can dodge it once more and let it run itself to the lower floor. (64%) B) Try to flank the Antlion and fire into its abdomen, she can tell from looking at it that's obviously the weakpoint, but there's no telling how many shots it will take to put it down. (80%, but will use up a large amount of ammo.) C) Jump the barrier to the second floor, Rachel can flee to buy herself sometime but it'd mean abandoning the others. (100%, but Rachel will be unable to affect the chances of anyone else's survival.) Z) CYOA If Rachel makes it past the Antlion, who will she save (Can choose two...., Order post matters): D) Go after Maria and Excella, She can grab the shotgun on the way. She needs to find out why Excella is in the city and Maria has already proven herself a valuable friend. (Maria's chance of survival: 100% if chosen first, 80% if chosen second, 61% if left alone) (Excella's chances of survival: 100% if chosen first, 60% if chosen second, 48% if left alone) E) Help the Croft Sisters, both of them are still restrained, and it is Rachel's fault after all. They both seemed like good people, and Lauren seems to be too young to deserve death. (Lara's chances of survival: 100% if chosen first, 85% if chosen second, 67% if left alone) (Lauren's chances of survival: 100% if chosen first, 43% if chosen second, 33% if left alone) G) Lend Aid to Isabela and Jessie, Isabela only has a knife and Jessie is completely defenseless. She's come so far to search for Isabela, and Jessie is in an extremely unfortunate position. (Isabela's chances of survival: 100% if chosen first, 74% if chosen second, 43% if left alone) (Jessie's chances of survival: 100% if chosen first, 42% if chosen second, 20% if left alone) Z2) CYOA (Impress me, I might take this CYOA under consideration for different chances and outcomes if you give me very clever rsponses) Something I'm also allowing is for another woman to interfere if the other is in danger. For example, say if I'm rolling for Maria and Excella, you can ask that Maria interfere for Excella, transferring 10% of her success rate over to Excella. If you wish to do this, just mention so in your vote. This can be done for the second and third set of rolls. Once more, here's a recap of the two Crofts: Lara: images.wikia.com/laracroft/images/f/f6/LaraLegend.jpgLauren: img2.hebus.com/hebus_2013/04/29/preview/1367249552_49724.jpgI'll also repost the chances of survival for organization's sake: Maria Flores: 100% if chosen first, 80% if chosen second, 61% if left alone Excella Gione: 100% if chosen first, 60% if chosen second, 48% if left alone Lara Croft: 100% if chosen first, 85% if chosen second, 67% if left alone Lauren Croft: 100% if chosen first, 43% if chosen second, 33% if left alone Isabela Keyes: 100% if chosen first, 74% if chosen second, 43% if left alone Jessie McCarney: 100% if chosen first, 37% if chosen second, 20% if left alone Now for this scenario, since there are SO many factors, I'll post the results of the rolls before I update. In this case, if there are any negative rolls, I will allow each voter to ask for ONE character to get a reroll. So say if Lauren's roll fails, one person can request a reroll for her. Now if multiple people request a reroll for a character, that person's chance of success will be boosted by 20%. This is a way to ensure someone's survival if everyone cooperates. Also, this might seem kind of cruel after going through hell to save these characters, but I need a way to cull the herd. There are just way too many people right now. Last of all, this choice WILL have an impact on the story besides just a character's presence. Recall that Rachel is still a Phenotrans agent whose mission is capture Isabela and escort her out of the city. If she doesn't get Isabela, there's no telling what they'll do to Rachel. But then again, she has a history with Excella. A history that might prove very enlightening or enable her a way out of Phenotrans' clutches.
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Post by Rai Chiller on Oct 1, 2013 14:51:19 GMT -6
A.
ZZ. Get Isabella and Jessie away from the garage. Once you have them, take a potshot at the blue ford truck. This should get the attention of Maria and Excella and startle the spider and zombies. Leave Isabella and Jessie in the care of Maria and tell them to run toward the ramp to the top floor while the creatures are distracted as Rachel books it to the Croft sisters to unbind them from the silk, then regroup with the others on the top floor.
If that fails, then G then D pls.
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Post by BastionCon on Oct 1, 2013 15:26:17 GMT -6
God damn it Eric, you can go to hell with these choices. I'M GOING TO HAVE COME BACK TO THIS ONE.
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Post by BastionCon on Oct 1, 2013 22:40:30 GMT -6
Until I can formulate a plan of my own, my choices will have to be B, D, and lastly E. I'd prefer to see Rachel make it out alive one way or another.
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Oct 2, 2013 1:03:53 GMT -6
I'll have to go B, E, and G if mine and Rai's Z choice doesn't suffice.
Z) Go with the situation given in B, since it has a high success rate though at the cost of a possibly large amount of ammunition. Then potshot the truck, setting off the alarm; go for the Crofts first, then Maria and Excella, picking up the shotgun along the way. The car alarm should distract the zombies just long enough for Rachel to finish off the spider and then deal with them in an orderly fashion. Assuming the frog is startled nicely enough by the car alarm to give Isabela and Jessie a better chance, all will be well.
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Oct 2, 2013 20:29:07 GMT -6
Okay, since Ace and Rai unified for this Z, I'll post the percentages of their choice. IF anything goes wrong, you can blame those two:
Maria Flores: 85%
Excella Gione: 72%
Lara Croft: 100%
Lauren Croft: 100%
Isabela Keyes: 64%
Jessie McCarney: 43%
But going with these much higher percentages changes the reroll, it will only add 10% instead of 20% now.
The results for the roll are in:
Rachel's was a success so the survivors are: Maria Excella Lara Lauren Isabela
Sadly Jessie didn't make it. Fate conspires against her once more.
So after some reconsideration, I'm going to have to exercise my creative control over the story and substitute Jessie's death with Maria. This is only because the extremely well endowed stripper really has nothing more to offer the story at this point unlike Jessie. Let the rage commence if you have a problem with this.
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Oct 19, 2013 23:08:56 GMT -6
With everyone's lives hanging in the balance, Rachel strengthens her resolve for what lies ahead. She swallows her nerves while staring down the Antlion, its intentions perfectly clear as it strokes the ground with a leg like a bull. Anticipating its charge, Rachel readies herself for the perfect moment to move. The time comes after the third stroke of its leg, a massive guttural roar accompanying the movement. She leaps to the right with pistol in hand, quickly recovering to flank the brute.
She fires the last bullet in the chamber before swiftly reloading, her hands steady all the while. She quickly aims down the sights again before unloading a barrage of eight more bullets into its abdomen. A deluge of dark green blood pours out of the bullet wounds, mixing with the black slime covering its skin to create a horrific new liquid. The Antlion's already sickly form finally collapses to the ground due to its grievous wounds, drawing short breaths as its existence comes to an end.
Rachel cautiously prods its body with her gun to be sure of its death. Once she is sure it's dead, she turns her attention to the dilemmas at hand. Acting more on instinct than rationale, she bolts towards the Croft sisters as fast as she can. "Lara, Lauren, watch out above you!" She cries while pumping her arms as she breaks off into a full on sprint. "What's-Lauren, duck!" Lara reacts to Rachel's warning first, throwing her body at her sister. The two of them roll in a tangle of related limbs just as the enlarged spider strikes.
It misses its prey by mere inches, but is unable to control its momentum as its fangs strike the pavement. They shatter with an almost glass-like sound. The spider squeals in pain, thrashing about violently while oozing blood. Leaving itself vulnerable, it fails to react to Rachel's advance. She stands a few feet short of the spider before executing it with two swift shots to the face. Its body twitches sporadically as the life fades from it. "Okay, head toward the overlook, you'll be safe there. I'll be back as soon as I can." Rachel orders the Croft sisters, who aren't in a position to do anything but obey her. Lara leads Lauren to safety, removing at least one concern from Rachel's mind. Okay, those two are safe. I better check on Maria and Excella next.
_______________________
As Rachel was first assisting the Crofts, Maria and Excella contended with their own problems. Unaware of the trio of zombies awaiting them, they race to the far side of the truck and huddle against it for shelter. "That damn thing is persistent." Excella remarks on the Antlion's tenacity. "Did you hear all of those shots? I think Rachel was fighting it." Maria begins to look back to see how Rachel is faring when disaster strikes. A trio of malnourished zombies suddenly lash out from underneath the truck. One of them grabs Excella by the ankle, who cries out in surprise. "Let go of me!" She orders fruitlessly, kicking at the zombie's ankle with her heel. Its grip remains steadfast however as it attempts to pull her in. "Not today you anorexic bastard." Maria stomps on its hand as hard as she can, breaking multiple fingers and allowing Excella to escape. "Up and at 'em." Maria helps Excella to her feet just as the zombies emerge from under the truck completely.
"I'll draw them away, you get to safety." The stripper says valiantly, somewhat surprising the other woman with her selflessness. "Whatever you say." Excella scoffs in response, not passing up an opportunity to preserve her own life. "Over here, I know you can't resist this." Maria taunts the zombies, winking at them all the while. She takes flight after being sure she has their attention, but she doesn't bother to make sure. The sight of Jessie and Isabela in peril earns her now undivided attention.
Excella shouts at Maria to come back, but her plea falls on deaf ears. The three zombies quickly lose interest in their fleeing prey, preferring the vulnerable meal directly in front of them. Excella bolts toward the third floor ramp, but trips over another cocoon on the way. "Unngh..." She moans as she rolls onto her back. The zombies have closed the distance abruptly, only feet from the handcuffed woman. Excella shields her face, not wanting to see their gruesome forms as they descend upon her. Four consecutive booms ensures this never happens though. Excella pulls down her hands to see Rachel standing over with Maria's shotgun in hand, the three zombies dead at her feet. Two of them are missing their heads while the third'd legs lie in tatters with a hole nearly blasted through its back. "You're not dying today." She tells Excella while pulling her up. "Fortunate that you came along when you did." Excella replies, abstaining from directly thanking her rescuer. She's still as arrogant as ever. "Go back to the overlook. Lara and Lauren are there waiting." Rachel shoos Excella away, only three more people in need of assistance now.
______________________________
As all of the other action unfolds, Jessie and Isabela confront their own obstacles. A haphazard stack of cocooned victims seems to offer them asylum from the Antlion. "We can hide beneath them, I'm sure it won't bother us then." Isabela suggests, believing it to be a solid plan. "It's not like we have much choice." Jessie retorts, unable to devise a stratagem herself. They arrive at the pile of prisoners, but Isabela is unexpectedly uneasy about her plan. "It seems cruel to hide behind their bodies..." She mutters under her breath. "What're you-" Jessie begins to criticize the Latina, but the heap of cocoons suddenly moves on its own. One of the women rolls aside to reveal a large, gray frog whose skin blends in with the pavement. "WHat is that?!" Jessie exclaims as the frog croaks, looking directly at them. "I don't know bu-AAaggh!" Isabela tries to reply, but the frog lashes out with its tongue, interrupting her. It snatches her ankle and instantly pulls her foot out from under her.
Isabela is momentarily stunned by the maneuver, but regains her composure swiftly enough to grab her knife. She slashes at the fleshy tongue several times until the frog releases her. Isabela scampers to her feet, placing a bit of distance between herself and this new adversary. Jessie trembles as the frog turns its attention to her, finding a defenseless meal to be much more preferable. She turns to run, but the amphibian is faster. It whips its tongue at her head, succeeding in grabbing her just below the neck as her back is turned. It gives a might tug and reels her in much rapidly than it did Isabela. Jessie's vision blurs as she approaches it at a high speed, her head soaring directly into its mouth. The inside of its mouth is warm and slimy, much to the woman's dismay.
Isabela watches in horror as Jessie's legs flail erratically in vain to escape. She rushes to her aid, grabbing both of her legs in an attempt to pull her out. The frog simply proves too strong however, gulping another portion of her body further into its mouth. "Need some help?" Maria quips, arriving just as the upper half of Jessie's torso is engulfed. "Very much so." Isabela replies, allowing Maria to take Jessie's left leg. They pull back as hard as they can, digging their heels into the ground for leverage. Their combined strength proves to be too much for the frog, relinquishing its prey despite a growling stomach. "Gah! Huh." Jessie sucks in a mouthful of fresh air, her head and chest coated in the frog's saliva. "You alright?" Isabela asks her, though the blonde is understandably disoriented. "Uh yeah, just peachy." She barks, struggling all the while to free her arms. The silk still proves too strong, forcing her to remain bound a short while longer.
The frog regroups before they can react, leaping forward to attack them directly. It tackles Isabela aside, sending her tumbling several feet away. Jessie cries out before fleeing toward the overlook, wanting nothing more than to avoid its maw. Maria is the unlucky third victim, lacking a weapon to defend herself. She tries to use the maglight as a club, but it merely bounces harmlessly off the amphibian's hide. Irritated of being deprived of two meals already, it whips its tongue directly at Maria's face. "RRragh!" She screams as it drags her into its mouth, securing a firm hold with its jaw this time. It begins swallowing her much quicker than it did Jessie, though it has trouble at her bosom. The frog must open its mouth completely to accommodate such large proportions, allowing the stripper just enough time to scream for help.
It clamps its mouth shut on her midsection, sucking her down almost like a noodle with her legs kicking all the while. Maria vanishes into its gullet, finally sating the frog's appetite Isabela is too late to save her as the frog performs two powerful leaps to the edge of the garage, escaping into the alley below with a churning belly. It disappears into the night, having secured a meal that will take some time to digest. "No! no... Damn it all." Isabela curses at her failure, feeling responsible for Maria's grisly fate. "Isabela, I saw it all." Rachel says just as she arrives. "It's too late to do anything now. I have to get back to Cynthia." The turn of events serves to steel Isabela's resolve to see her cousin again. "Let's get out of here, everyone else is waiting back at the overlook." Rachel places a comforting hand on Isabela's shoulder, leading her back to the others.
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"Looks like this is everybody." Lara begins the discussion. "Everybody but Maria." Rachel says, acknowledging the loss of her companion. "I'm sure she wouldn't want us standing around, mourning her loss. We need to get back to the club as soon as we can." Isabela declares, ready to leave the accursed parking garage behind. "She's right, you know. All of this bedlam has no doubt attracted the attention of every creature in a three block radius at a minimum." Excella observes, noticing they weren't very stealthy in all the commotion. "If stealth is no longer a concern, I propose we take a vehicle. But first thing's first, please get these blasted strands off us!" Lara barks, her arms no doubt becoming sore from being restrained for so long. "OH right, sorry." Rachel apologizes for taking so long to begin freeing them, but in her defense she notes they only just received a bit of downtime. I really can't be angry with her though, I'd be a little irate if I had to run around with my arms tied behind my back for that long.
It takes a full ten minutes for Rachel to free all three of the women, the blade of the pocket knife nothing but a dull piece of metal by the time she is done. "Finally! My wrists were starting to go numb." Lauren states while rubbing her arms. "Same here, let's not do that again anytime soon." Lara echoes her sister's sentiment, performing a set of stretching exercises to make herself limber again. "So about these cuffs." Excella says to Jessie, excepting her to remove them now that the danger has passed. "What about them? There's not a chance in hell I'm taking them off now that we've finally got things under control. Your still in my custody and you'll remain that way until Brad and I receive orders." Jessie snaps at the insufferable woman, receiving an icy glare in response. "You'd best ensure my safety then, I will not perish in this miserable excuse of a city." Excella retorts, maintaining an air of superiority all the while.
"You two can argue later, wait until we reach shelter to go at each other's throat. Now I think I saw some keys in that truck when I was helping you, Excella." Rachel addresses their argument before offering a solution to their current predicament. Lara checks the truck with a sister, flashing Rachel a thumbs up after checking inside. "Now to see if it'll start." The group heads toward the truck as Lara takes the driver seat to test if it will start. The engine hums to life, Rachel presuming their luck might finally be taking a turn for the better. "Here, I believe this is yours." Isabela taps Rachel on the shoulder before they depart, holding Rachel's maglight in her hand. "No sense in letting it go to waste." She tells her, smiling wearily as the weight of Maria's demise hangs heavily on her shoulders. "Come on, let's go see Cynthia." Rachel replies, garnering a grateful expression from the woman.
All of the women load up into the truck with Lara acting as driver. Lauren rides shotgun alongside her sister as Jessie, Isabela, and Excella crowd into the backseat. Rachel elects to ride in the bed, wanting to keep a lookout even for the short drive back to the club. Lara drives them out of the parking garage, leaving behind numerous women still in need of assistance....
_______________________
Trent patrols the lobby of Wisper's alongside Michelle. They've secured the remaining rooms of the club and left the others waiting in the dressing rooms, the vents and any other area of entry blockaded. They are ensuring it will be clear when Rachel and Maria return, hopefully with Isabela in tow. Cynthia and the others filled him in on everything that's happened, surprising him a bit to find out they've survived such ordeals. This is why I prefer to fly solo, stay around other people too long, and you're bound to be dragged into their problems. Though this is Trent's mindset, he sees no harm in offering momentary assistance to the women. Of course helping these lovely ladies if only for a short while can't hurt anything.
"Okay, I think we're good." Trent tells Michelle after they patrol the entirety of the club yet again. They're making it a point to make the rounds once every ten minutes, this being their third time around so far. He's unsure of how long he's been in the club already, but he suspects it's been close to an hour. The moon hangs high outside, shedding quite a bit of light on the street. At least it's nearly a full moon tonight. "Fine with me, I think I could use a quick break anyway." Michelle says, clutching the crowbar Trent lent to her with both hands. They return to the dressing room to find the other women awaiting anything new.
"It's still the same out there. Sounds coming from the street, but otherwise the building's clear." He reports, receiving a sigh of relief from everyone. Rose returns to the project of arranging her locker while Arianna and Lisa crowd around Trent yet again. Michelle begins a discussion with Deborah about what they'll be doing next, but it is of no concern to Trent. Cynthia, on the other hand, keeps to herself in the corner, having barely said a word since she woke up. Trent noticed the wound on her shoulder as soon as he saw her, the bite mark having left a distinct blood stain on the white gauze.
"Ladies, please. I need a minute to clear my head." He says to the two women, disappointing both them and himself as Arianna and Lisa join Rose in her endeavor. I need to decide what I'll be doing once these other women get back. I can't stick with a group this large, it's just asking for trouble. With several minutes left until the next patrol, Trent finds himself with a chance to strike up a conversation with one of the numerous women in the room.
Trent Reddick
Health: 100%
Fatigue: 5%
Entourage:
Michelle Ortega: 88%, Crowbar (99%)
Arianna Celeste: 85%, Nothing
Lisa Brook: 83%, Nothing
Rose Johnson: 85%, Nothing
Deborah Gonzalez: 81%, Nothing
Cynthia Velasquez: 60%, Nothing
Inventory: Baseball bat (100%), Climbing axe (100%), .45 Handgun (9/0), Taser (100%), Pair of brass knuckles (100%), Trench knife (100%)
Current time: 10:12 p.m.
A) Ask Michelle and Deborah what they're discussing, it seems to be important as they both have a grim expression on their faces.
B) See what Rose, Lisa, and Arianna are up to, they seem to be entertaining themselves well enough and Trent could use a bit of a pick me up.
C) Try to strike up a conversation with Cynthia, she's keeping to herself but maybe Trent can get her to something at least.
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Post by Rai Chiller on Oct 19, 2013 23:18:50 GMT -6
A
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Oct 20, 2013 20:13:28 GMT -6
B.
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Post by Slayer_22 on Oct 21, 2013 1:22:11 GMT -6
b
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Oct 22, 2013 11:44:40 GMT -6
Even though he just shooed them away, Trent decides to join Lisa and Arianna at Rose's side. "Sorry about that before ladies, just needed to get my bearings after the patrol." Trent says to Lisa and Arianna as he pulls up a chair. Since being rescued, Lisa has elected to wear a white, short sleeved blouse with khaki shorts and half inch light brown heels, rather casual attire given the current state of affairs. "We'll let it slide this time." Arianna quips as she rummages through the contents of Rose's locker. All of which have been piled onto a small table. "I wonder how much longer they're going to be." Lisa says, wondering aloud the status of the other group. "I just hope everyone's okay." Rose finally speaks up, having been oddly silent up to this point. "I'm sure they're fine. Maria knows how to handle herself, and she's got Rachel to back her up." Arianna states nonchalantly, possessing the utmost faith in the two women. For your sake, I hope they are too. Not that it's my problem, once they get back I'm heading out.
As the conversation unfolds without any particular direction, Trent shoots Cynthia a cursory glance out of the corner of his eye. She still has yet to say so much as two words to anyone outside of explaining what happened before she passed out. Oh well. "Wait, what is that?" Michelle announces near the door. Everyone looks over to see beams of light settling to a stop. "I'll check it out. Michelle volunteers, stepping out of the room to see what it is. "Someone's pulling up in a truck, it must be Rachel and Maria." Michelle tells them from the hallway. "Good, they're finally back. Now we can finally get out of here." Deborah states, her tone making it evident she is ready to be clear of the accursed club. Guess it's time already. Trent and Michelle corral everyone at the door to escort them to the lobby. They move as one, ready to close this chapter of their lives.....
___________________
Rachel rests her new found shotgun on her shoulder, contemplating her mission to Phenotrans. Now that I've finally found Isabela, we can start heading toward Fortune City so I can rendezvous with Agent S. Rachel's conscience begins to gnaw at her as she's come to know and respect both Isabela and Cynthia; she might even classify them as friends after everything they've been through in such a short time. Damn it! I don't want to do it, but I don't have a choice. Rachel will have to see her assignment through to the end, lest the company decide to terminate her. Terminate in this case meaning a bullet to the head and her body dumped unceremoniously in an unmarked grave. On the subject of her mission, she wonders how Agent S will react since they should've established radio contact by now. She waves the concern away for now, she'll cross that road when the time comes. For now, she dreads arriving back at the club. She'll have to break the news to the others about Maria's grim fate. I'll leave out the details, they don't need to know exactly what happened.
The full moon illuminates the streets just enough so that Lara can drive without turning on the headlights. This allows them to maintain some semblance of stealth. "We're almost there." Isabela calls from the rear window. Rachel taps the truck with a fist to acknowledge her, a knot forming in her stomach with every passing second. The truck rolls to a stop in front of the battered entrance, but the club's neon lights are still flickering, a sight that is not lost on Rachel. She climbs to her feet and leaps to the ground as Lara flashes the truck's headlights. She does so three consecutive times before getting out herself. "I figure that will let them know we're here." She tells Rachel after closing the door. "Good idea, I thought you were going to honk the horn or something." The two of them chuckle at the foolish notion, showing they might share the same sense of humor.
"I see someone coming." Lauren states as the other group approaches. Guess it's time already. Isabela wastes no time in rushing forward to greet her cousin. "Mi hermana!" She shouts with glee, wrapping Cynthia in a large hug. "Isabela!" Cynthia cries, tears streaming down her face. The two step to the side so they can enjoy their reunion in private. "Good to see you made it back, and you brought a few more people along." Michelle regards her new companions with a pleasant smile. "We were in a bit of a....sticky situation, but Rachel bailed us out." Lauren jokes, though she is the only one to laugh at the pun. "Yes, a rather harrowing ordeal it was." Excella chimes in as Rachel remains silent. "So where's Maria?" Arianna is the first to ask after not seeing her anywhere. "Arianna, I'm sorry. Maria.....she didn't make it." Rachel decides to be blunt, no point dancing around the issue at this point.
"What? You mean-she's dead?" Arianna takes the news hard, as does nearly every employee of the club. Arianna begins crying as Lisa places a comforting hand around her shoulder. Rose stifles a saddened moan with her hands as Michelle remains stoic. Deborah's gaze falls to the ground, even she had great respect for Maria. They're taking it worse than I thought.... "At least her sacrifice wasn't in vain. I see you found who you were looking for." Michelle blinks away a single tear, but she remains focused on what lies ahead. "Rachel, I just want to say thank you for everything you've done. We wouldn't be here without you, but it's time we parted ways. Deborah has an apartment not far from here we're going to take shelter in." Michelle reveals the stripper's plans while introducing one of the newer women.
"Glad to hear you've got a plan. I don't know what we're going to do, but we'll be out of your hair. I doubt there's enough room there for this many people." Rachel replies, leaving the apartment to them. "Trent, what're you going to do?" Michelle calls inside the club. A man in a peculiar outfit steps forward, Rachel hadn't seen him before. "As for me, I'm heading back to my place now that everyone's here. I don't do so well in groups." He discloses his own plan as Michelle and the others begin to prepare for their departure. They'll be taking the truck at their own peril, Rachel believes it to be too dangerous to continue using the vehicle.
_________________________________
"As for me, I'm heading back to my place now that everyone's here. I don't do so well in groups." Trent tells the woman named Rachel. He finds himself slightly intimidated by the massive group of beautiful women, trying to keep his gaze from wondering in one of their various directions. "You have a place around here?" Rachel asks him, but he is reluctant to answer. "Well, not so much a place as a warehouse." He caves and tells her the truth, unable to lie to the woman. "A warehouse huh? I don't suppose you'd entertaining a few guests?" She says, finally requesting sanctuary just as he knew someone would. They always do, but this time's different. I can turn away one or two people no problem, but they look like they wouldn't last a day out here.
Trent tries his damnedest to deny them, but his male tendencies get the better of him. "Shit. Okay, I guess you can stay there for a while. It's not a permanent thing though." Try as he might, he caves at the prospect of housing seven of the most beautiful women he's ever seen. I better get something of this, seriously. He hangs his head in defeat as he begins devising a way to escort all them safely.
___________________________
Ha, that was easier than I thought. Rachel smirks at how easily this Trent was convinced to house them, but she knows how the male brain works. "Looks like we've got a place to go. Trent here has very graciously offered to shelter us for the time being." Rachel tells her own group, causing Jessie to speak up. "He has, has he? You're doing your country a service, Trent." She states as if he knows what she is talking about. "Ooookay, I am?" He asks her. "Jessie McCarney, DHS. Once we make it out of the city, I'll make sure your properly incentivized for aiding a federal agent." Jessie takes this opportunity to present her badge and pull Excella to her side. Excella scoffs the blonde agent's declaration, shooting daggers at her all the while. Rachel chuckles at how formal Jessie is, but there is something agonizingly familiar about the woman she can't place her finger on. I swear I've seen her somewhere before. I just can't remember where.
Rachel joins Isabela and Cynthia to inform them of their plans. "Looks like things are finally starting to look up." Isabela beams at the prospect of a safe place as Cynthia does the same. "I hope he has a shower there, I feel disgusting." Cynthia states, a sentiment that Rachel echoes. After telling the cousins, Rachel addresses the Croft sisters. "Lara, Lauren, you're welcome to come with us. We're all in the same boat now." She tells them while everyone begins converging to discuss their plans. "What do you think, Lauren? Care to join them?" Lara asks her younger sister, retaining a cheery demeanor despite all that's happened. "Sounds good to me. It'll be nice to be around more people for a change." Lauren replies, mirroring her sister's smile. "Count us in." Lara and Lauren officially join the entourage, increasing their total numbers to 8. We're starting to amass quite the number of people here. Maybe that will deter some of the more pesky creatures from confronting us for the time being.
"Okay, so here's the deal. My warehouse is about seven blocks away, normally I'd be able to cover the distance by myself without any hitches, but we'll need to take some precautions with this many people. I think the best thing to do is take a few of us first then come back for the rest. It's way too risky to travel this late with this many of us." Trent lays the basis for the plan. Rachel finds no flaws in the general design. "Who's going first is what we need to decide. I'm comfortable taking up to four people first, I can come back for the rest." Trent will be assuming the lead on this since he is the only one that knows the way. As they ponder who to send, Arianna suddenly taps Rachel on the shoulder, the strippers having yet to depart. "Rachel, I have to know. What exactly happened to Maria?" The young woman pleads with her, her eyes demanding closure. Damn should I tell her? I'd hate for her to do anything crazy.
Rachel Zane
Health: 70%, Bruise along midsection
Fatigue: 36%
Current time: 10:31 p.m.
Entourage: Trent Reddick: 100%, Baseball bat (100%), Climbing axe (100%), .45 Handgun (9/0), Taser (100%), Pair of brass knuckles (100%), Trench knife (100%), Crowbar (99%)
Excella Gionne: 85%, Nothing
Lara Croft: 83%, Colt .45 (8/24), Colt .45 (8/24)
Lauren Croft: 86%, Nothing
Jessie McCarney: 85%, Nothing
Isabela Keyes: 80%, Combat knife (82%)
Cynthia Velasquez: 60%, Bag of medical supplies
Inventory: 9mm handgun (3/13), Pair of batteries, Mission Datapad, Swiss army knife, Heavy maglight (80% battery, 95% durability), Sawn off shotgun (2/0)
First, Rachel must decide what to tell Arianna (this choice may seem inconsequential, but it will have ramifications on a certain character's fate when it comes time for the stripper spin off of the story....)
A) Tell her the truth, Maria resides within the belly of a large frog with a voracious appetite. Arianna deserves to know what happened, but Rachel has no idea what she'll do with this knowledge.
B) Decline telling her, she doesn't need to know the details and it will only keep her up at night if she knows what really happened. Doing so might keep her from doing anything reckless in the future.
Now for the real choice, for this I'll need to know who Trent will be escorting to the warehouse (You may choose up to four, but remember that the people staying back at the club will still need to watch out for themselves...):
1) Rachel will come along first, she'll help to oversee the safe passage of anyone else coming along and everyone else seems to trust her so it will help Trent immensely having her around. (95% to make it there safely, bring Rachel along will boost anyone coming by 10% as well, 95% to survive if remaining at the club, having her stay will boost anyone else remaining by 15% as well)
2) Isabela will be joining him, she can offer medical support as well as help if they run into trouble. (75% to remain safe, if Cynthia comes along Isabela will boost her chance by 10%, 85% to survive if remaining at the club, if Cynthia stays as well Isabela will boost her chances by 15%)
3) Have Cynthia come along, Trent can keep an eye on her this time and she'll be safe once she's at the warehouse. (55% to survive the trip, 64% chance to remain safe if remaining at the club)
4) Escort Jessie this time, the agent seems to be ready to reach safety and she'll be safe once at the warehouse (60% chance to survive the trip, Paring her with Excella will boost Excella's chances by 10% regardless, 70% chance to survive if remaining at the club)
5) Bring Excella the first time, Trent would rather get her to safety as quickly as possible considering she is handcuffed. (58% chance to make it there safely, 67% chance to remain safe if remaining at the club)
6) Allow Lara to come, she looks more than capable of handling herself and she might be able to bail them out of trouble. (90% of surviving the trip, having her come will boost everyone else coming by 10%, 90% to survive if remaining at the club, having her stay will boost anyone else remaining by 15% as well)
7) Bring Lauren with him, it seems like it'd be better to get her to safety as soon as possible. (60% to survive, pairing her with Lara will boost her chances by 10% regardless, 70% to survive if remaining at the club)
By the way, there is indeed a difference between the chance to survive of some characters and the chance to remain safe of others. It essentially means that if that character has a chance to remain safe, but their roll fails, they may not perish. They may instead be abducted by a creature of some sort or some other stroke of bad luck may afflict them.
One last thing, I'm willing to be a bit lenient here; if anybody wants me to, I will change one or two characters to chance to remain safe rather than chance to survive.
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Post by BastionCon on Oct 22, 2013 12:37:19 GMT -6
A, I have a soft spot for a pretty face. Though these numbers are very lenient, it's still somewhat of a difficult choice. I must say 1, 2, 3, 5.
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Post by Slayer_22 on Oct 22, 2013 14:30:48 GMT -6
b, 3, 4, 6, 7.
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Post by Rai Chiller on Oct 22, 2013 15:53:34 GMT -6
B 1 2 3 4
(EDIT: I've learned from Javik)
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Post by AceTheMercenary on Oct 22, 2013 23:05:51 GMT -6
A, 1, 2, 3, and lastly 5.
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Post by Veta on Oct 23, 2013 15:11:24 GMT -6
A 2, 3, 6, 7.
EDIT: Cuz lol
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Post by Tbone110 The Amurican Bastard on Oct 24, 2013 8:42:46 GMT -6
Since Veta changed his vote to A, I'll proceed with that one...
It'd be cruel not to tell her. Despite knowing what the decision might entail, Rachel decides to divulge the truth to Arianna. "If you really want to know....as preposterous as it sounds, this is what happened. She was swallowed whole by a giant frog, but she did it to save Jessie and Isabela's life. She sacrificed herself for their sake." She paints Maria in a hero's light, though she was exactly that in Rachel's eyes. "Eaten alive? Oh my god..." Arianna gasps at her horrible fate, but her expression soon changes to one of determination. "Thanks, Rachel. You don't know how much I appreciate this." Arianna thanks her with a large, friendly hug before joining her comrades in the truck. Good luck, Arianna. I hope that brought you closure.
As the others begin loading into the truck, Michelle approaches Rachel. "Well, I guess this is. Good luck out there, I hope we can meet again outside the city someday." She tells Rachel before they depart, offering her a friendly handshake one last time. "Same here. Keep an eye on Arianna though, would you? She's a good kid, just prone to anger." Rachel offers a last minute piece of advice that Michelle may find useful. "I'll do that. Guess I'm responsible for the lot of them now that Maria's in a better place. Take care, Rachel." Michelle offers the agent a respectable salute before taking the role of driver in the truck. The vehicle roars to life, its engine idling for a moment before Michelle pulls out into the street. She soon disappears around the corner along with the rest of her group. Rachel wishes them luck before returning to the task at hand.
"Now that that heartwarming scene is done, who's coming along first?" Trent asks his own companions as Rachel approaches, seeking volunteers rather than asking individually. "Cynthia and I are coming. I don't feel comfortable waiting around here any longer." Isabela speaks up for the two Hispanic women, eager to reach safety once and for all. "I'm tired of standing by and watching everyone else act for me, it's time I made myself useful." Cynthia finally speaks up as well, surprising Rachel with the conviction in her voice. "Okay, that's two down. Got room for two more." Trent states as he begins sorting through his supplies, Rachel suspecting he will divvy out weapons among the group.
Well shit, I might as well go too. That way I can keep an eye on Isabela. "Count me in. I didn't just go through hell and back to get you back here only to let you out of my sight, Isabela." Rachel japes at Isabela's misfortune, though they share a chuckle regardless. "Alright, anyone else?" Trent asks for one more prospective passenger on the journey. "If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you. I'd prefer to reach safety as soon as possible." Excella suddenly speaks up, separating herself from Jessie's side. "You're insane if you think I'm going to allow that." The DHS agent snaps, pulling her prisoner back in line by the elbow. "Don't be so hasty. I'll make sure nothing happens to her." Rachel says on Excella's behalf, surprising the other blonde woman. "Hmmm...are you sure? It's imperative she makes it out of this city alive. It's a matter of national security." Jessie utters the fabled cliche line, however Rachel knows her statement carries a certain amount of truth. Excella definitely knows what's going on. I'd even wager that's the reason she was in the city when this outbreak happened. It seems Rachel has managed to win a bit of the agent's trust as she didn't argue against her escorting the captive. She can see the same look of familiarity in Jessie's eyes as well, they must have met somewhere in the past. I'll have to ask her about if we've met when we reach the warehouse. She better make it there alive.
"You can trust me. I didn't bail everyone out of that parking garage just to let someone die this soon." Her response garners a glare from Excella, Rachel smirking in response. "It's for the best. I'd prefer she be locked up as soon as possible anyway. But I'm leaving the handcuffs on, she's too dangerous to be running free." Jessie acquiesces for the most part, leaving the responsibility of Excella in Rachel's hand. "We'll stay here in the meantime and lay low. You won't have to worry about us." Lara states confidently, preparing to head into the ruins of Wisper's for temporary shelter. "You can trust Lara, she knows what she's doing." Lauren tells them as she follows her sister, motioning for Jessie to come along. "I hope you're ready to talk soon." Jessie remarks a last time to Excella, proceeding to take her place with the Crofts. Guess it's going to be Trent, Isabela, Cynthia, Excella, and myself first. Not too bad.
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"It's the five of us then. Before we set out, I want Cynthia to have this." Trent offers Cynthia his crowbar so that she is no longer unarmed. "Oh, thank you. I wasn't expecting a weapon of any kind." She responds, somewhat pleased to finally possess a weapon. "Don't mention it. Just hold onto it, I don't have too many of them." Trent tells her grimly, normally he'd be against handing out supplies, but he knows he's going to have to make more compromises from here on out. "So here's the plan. We're going to stick to the streets since I doubt this group is up to traversing the rooftops. No offense." Trent apologizes if he seems sexist, but the high heels of Cynthia and Excella say more about them than anything else. "None taken, you're right. It'd be much faster to take the streets." Rachel replies. "I'm not a fan of heights anyway." Cynthia says in turn. "Whatever will get us there safely." Isabela says next. "I agree with Isabela. Whatever is tactically advantageous." Excella says last. "Good, glad that's settled. We're going to stay low and move quickly, nobody stop for anything unless it's urgent. That's the gist of it, any questions?" Trent wishes to address any concerns they have now before setting out. This is definitely going to be a new experience. I've never traveled this far with such a large group before.
After several seconds of silence, he takes it that none of the women have any questions. "Okay, looks like we're ready to go. Isabela, I want you to follow me while Cynthia and Excella stay in the middle. Rachel if you would, watch our backs as we're moving." He devises a formation that will protect the two most vulnerable people. Hopefully it's an unnecessary precaution, but still, better safe than sorry. "Good choice." Rachel praises the next step of his plan. Once everyone is in position, he says, "Alright, let's move out."
Trent guides them in the opposite direction Michelle and the others took, adopting a crouch walk as they proceed. Everyone else hunches over as best they can, though they lack Trent's agility. He stops them as a small crowd of zombies approaches, taking cover behind a car that obscures them from view. He places a finger over his mouth until it is safe to pass, watching the ghouls through a mirror on one of the car's doors. He signals it is safe to advance with a flick of his wrist, moving forward as quietly as he can. Isabela is as silent as Trent up to this point, displaying a surprising knack for stealth. Cynthia struggles more than her cousin, but she is able to keep pace almost as quietly. Excella has a more difficult time due to her restrained wrists, struggling to maintain her balance while crouching so low to the ground. Rachel matches Trent move for move, a worthy feat. This Rachel woman seems to know what she's doing, I might be able to count on her for back up in the future.
They progress without any problems for three blocks, but it is at the fourth that they run into trouble. "Hold up." Trent halts them after spotting movement on a nearby rooftop. "What is it?" Isabela asks him in a hushed voice. "I saw something up there. I'm not sure what it was, but keep eye out." He advises before proceeding, not wanting to waste any time. Isabela passes the news down the line until Rachel finally nods in response.
It would seem trouble is unavoidable for the most part as the thing on the rooftop spots them despite their best efforts. It launches an elastic-like tongue that snares Excella's neck, catching them off guard. "Help!" She manages to gasp while the tongue strangles her. "Don't fire at it, we don't want to draw more attention to ourselves." Trent hastily cautions as he sprints toward Excella. Rachel holsters her pistol, albeit doing so grudgingly. Isabela shields Cynthia with her body in case anything else strikes. Trent draws his trusty knife to slice at the creature's tongue, cutting through a thick portion of it in one swing. Another slash cuts off the appendage, freeing Excella from its grasp. The privileged woman falls flat on her rump, coughing for air now that she is free. "Bastard!" She snaps in a raspy voice, waiting for someone to help her up.
"Come on, we have to keep moving." Trent is the one to pull her up, receiving a curt nod as thanks. They fall back into formation, but Trent slows the pace a bit at this point to avoid any further disasters.
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"What do you think of this group, Lauren?" Lara asks her sister while propping her feet up on a table. "They seem like good people. We wouldn't be here without them so they've got my vote of confidence." Lauren replies as Lara thought she would, they share the same opinion in this regard. "We were lucky they stumbled upon us. We can't be so careless again even if we do have strength in numbers." Lara says as she reflects on how she and her sister were captured by the Antlion. They had joined up with a group of five other able bodied people and holed up inside a hardware store. Lara thought they had barricaded the entrance and the rear of the store securely enough, but never in their wildest dreams had they anticipated the horrors that awaited within the city.
Catastrophe first struck when a massive snake, the likes of which Lara had never seen before, rampaged through the store and destroyed the barricade at the entrance. Some fool had wandered to the front of the store while it was passing by and revealed their location. It killed three of them in the attack and left another fatally injured. Lara and Lauren tried to salvage the store, but the undead had different plans. A horde of them struck while they were rebuilding the barricade and killed the other two people, leaving the Croft sisters as the sole survivors. Lauren took it harder than Lara as she had been sweet on one of the men in the group, he was an old friend of hers from college. Lara helped her grieve, but had to strengthen her sister's resolve, Lauren lacked the experience of her older sister.
After the fall of the hardware store, Lara thought they had found asylum with another woman in a clothing store, but the Antlion was drawn to their presence somehow. It ravaged the store and managed to capture the three of them despite Lara's best efforts. She shudders at the memory of being trapped by the Antlion, how helpless she had felt and the sheer despair that the same thing was happening to Lauren. It seemed like they were trapped for days when it had only been a few hours. Lara was beyond elation when Rachel freed them and she saw Lauren was safe. The thought that they left the woman behind at the parking garage leaves a knot in her stomach, but she has to ensure the safety of her sister. Lara watches as Lauren paces around the lobby, her sister's restlessness getting the better of her for the time being. Don't worry, Lauren, I'll make sure nothing like that happens again.
"Lauren, come here for a moment." Lara motions for her sister to take a seat next to her. "Sure, what do you want?" She bounces jubilantly into the seat, happy to merely be in her sister's presence. "I want you to take this. Just in case." Lara hands over one of her Colts so that her sister is armed. "Are you sure? I know how much those guns mean to you." Lauren questions just as she knew she would. "I'll feel better knowing you have something to defend yourself with. Here's some extra ammo as well." Lara hands over the Colt and two extra magazines, leaving her with only sixteen rounds. "But this is most of your ammo." Lauren objects, but Lara is adamant about her having the majority of it. "I know, but you're going to hold onto that. I can handle myself if I happen to run dry." Lara is confident in her abilities, having put them to good use in the past. Lauren, on the other hand, is less experienced though her sister has taught her all the skills she needs to survive. She just needs to learn how to use them, she doesn't need me to watch over her forever. Lara current thoughts are in direct conflict with those she had earlier, but she brushes it off as sisterly instinct. She just wants her little sister to be safe is all.
"Do you think we should invite Jessie to join in the conversation? She seems a bit tense over there by herself." Lauren asks Lara, glancing over at Jessie standing by herself at the bar. "Sure, we might as well. Jessie! Do you want to join us, dear?" Lara shouts warmly as she waves a hand at the woman. She smiles at the Crofts before making her way to join them. "So what are you two talking about?" Jessie asks once seated. "Oh, nothing in particular. So Jessie, what's your story? What were you doing here when the outbreak started?" Lara questions curiously, wondering what the DHS agent was up to. "I really hate to say it, but that's classified. I can't tell you everything, but I can reveal some of it. I was here with my partner Brad on an assignment to check on Excella, though I'm sure you gathered that much already." Jessie straightens her skirt while readjusting herself in the seat, crossing her legs to become more comfortable.
"You have a partner? Where is he?" Lauren requests. "We were separated when that thing captured Excella and I. We had just apprehended her and were en route to our safe house when it attacked. It blind sided us as we were turning down a narrow street and flipped the car we were in. I was the only one who remained conscious. I managed to get Excella out and tried to reach Brad, but that's when it pinned me down and trapped me. I heard it do the same to Excella, but it left him alone. It threw the two of us onto its back and ran off, leaving him behind. It was still daylight when that happened, we must have been trapped for at least four hours." Jessie concludes her story abruptly, avoiding the sensitive topic of her partner. I suspect it'd be best not to pry. "Lucky for us Rachel came along when she did. I'm loath to think what would've become of us if she hadn't." Lara instead celebrates the person who rescued them, praising Rachel's impeccable timing. "That much is for sure." Jessie beams, her mood having been lifted by the conversation. "Speaking of which, I wonder how long they'll be." Lauren thinks aloud, looking out to the street for signs of Trent's return. Hopefully not too long, I don't like waiting around like this. The three of them allow silence to descend as the minutes roll by.
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Before joining the Crofts in their conversation, Jessie reflects on everything that has happened up to this point. She and Brad had received their orders to question Excella Gionne only days ago, an order that was seemingly issued from on high. Jessie wasn't used to assignments dropping out of the blue like that, especially one of such a high priority, but Brad assured her it wasn't first time something like that had happened to him. Brad took the briefing in stride, displaying unwavering confidence all the while. Just thinking about it flashes her back to Willamette and their adventures with Frank. She vividly recalls how close Barnaby had been to biting her, but Brad sprang into action and saved her along with Frank. The two of them bailed her out several times over the course of those three days, not once did she get to return the favor. She'd sworn to become more independent after Willamette, but even after four years she felt her skills were majorly lacking.
Jessie had always been more numerically inclined, operating better from the confines of a communications room or advising other agents through a headset. She started taking more risky assignments despite Brad's concerns after Willamette to overcome this tendency, but she rarely had any luck to display her new found mindset. She'd mostly been relegated to back up while Brad did all the heavy lifting, preventing her from honing her skills. She regrets never letting him know what her desire was, some foolish form of pride prevented her from speaking up. Now I have no idea if he's even still alive.
Back to their objective in the city, Jessie and Brad had captured Excella under questionable circumstances at the beginning of the outbreak on the twelfth floor of the Hilton where she was staying. She'd rented an entire conference room to conduct a meeting with a group of Middle Eastern men. Brad and Jessie had bugged the room only an hour before and lied in wait across the hall, unbeknownst to their quarry. Just as they finished the exchange, a large explosion rocked the building and sent the Middle Easterners running. The explosion took place on the same floor they'd been on, only three rooms down. As far as she can suspect, it had been an assassination attempt on Excella gone wrong. When two of them went to investigate, they found Excella's men gunned down and the executive of Tricell cowering behind a table. That was when they handcuffed her and charged with her with treason. Excella obviously demanded a lawyer, but they claimed she waived that right the second she sold weapons of mass destruction to a terrorist cell.
Her proclamations of innocence fell on deaf ears as they hauled her down to the lobby. It was at that point all hell broke loose and the undead swarmed the city. Jessie recognized the zombies immediately as being identical to the ones in Willamette. They'd received reports of different viruses producing zombies, but these were unmistakably familiar. With Excella in their custody, they had evaded hostiles for the most of the day until the accident. Brad was driving and only minutes away from the safe house when the brute attacked. It assaulted them head on and rolled the car to the side, knocking around everyone within. Somehow, Jessie remained conscious, but her seat belt kept her trapped until she was able to undo it. Brad had suffered a head wound, but she felt a pulse. She saw Excella breathing in the back seat and knew he would tell her to free the prisoner first. Putting the mission first, she crawled into the back seat and dragged Excella out onto the street. She was about to return to Brad when the hellish Antlion stood atop her and began cocooning her. Just as Lara had, she can clearly recall the anguish she felt as it slowly constricted her until all she saw was white. She'd struggled immensely to free herself, but it was to no avail. From that point, all she knows is that it abducted Excella and herself while leaving Brad behind.
All she can think about is that if maybe she had helped Brad first, she might have been able to wake him up before the two of them were taken. If she had only done things differently. I'm only alive due to a massive stroke of luck. With that thought, she flashes back to the moment Rachel freed her. The second she saw that blonde haired woman, she saw an image of her foster sister race across her eyes. Rachel reminds me so much of her, it's crazy. She was ecstatic to see that Excella was still alive though, she might still be able to salvage the mission in honor of Brad. He might still be alive, but she'll worry about that once Excella is secure. No matter how much it pains to think about him.
"Jessie! Do you want to join us, dear?" Lara's shouts snapped Jessie out of her stupor. I could do with some company right now to take my mind off things. She flashed them a warm smile, accepting their invitation.
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"We're here, just give me a second to unlock the gate." Trent reveals upon arriving at a small, small being relative in this case, warehouse surrounded by a chain link fence. The only entrance is a rolling gate, secured by a heavy chain and a padlock. The top of the fence has razor wire spread across its perimeter, deterring would be burglars. Trent possesses the only key to the lock, ensuring no one can break in without some form of difficulty. "Home sweet home." He tells the others as he opens the gate. "So this is it, huh? Not too shabby." Rachel remarks upon inspecting the premises. The distance between the fence and warehouse is short, perhaps a few feet at most along the sides. Just enough room for trucks to maneuver if it were still being used in that regard.
"Follow me." He shows them to the front door, a large shutter with a revolving chain. "The chain's a little stubborn so sometimes you have to work it like so." He shows them how to shake the chain in just the right place to dislodge it if it gets stuck. After a few seconds of pulling, he allows the women entrance. "I guess mi casa es su casa." He remarks as he flips on the lower floor's lights. The ware house is perhaps though Trent is unsure of the exact dimensions. It has enough floor space for all eight of them to walk around comfortably if everyone was here.
The exact living accommodations are scarce as Trent had never counted on more than himself ever being here. Most of the ground floor is littered with supplies he'd been stockpiling before the outbreak and some he'd liberated since it started. His full arsenal at the moment consists of four crowbars, useful tools in an apocalypse, a fire ax, a souvenir courtesy of a fireman he met near the beginning of the outbreak, a single shotgun, two more handguns, a small amount of ammo for the firearms, a cavalry saber he got from the same antique shop where he found his bracers, and various other weapons. The rest of what he has are building supplies from a rundown hardware store he found and the requisite food and water.
"Wow, did you acquire all of this yourself?" Isabela asks in disbelief, marveling at the veritable fortress Trent has created. "Yeah, I was a bit of a pack rat before all this shit even started. I'll tell you all about it later though, I'm about to go back for the others." Trent says, only taking the time to eat a candy bar and chug a bottle of water. "This is amazing." Cynthia laughs joyously at their new refuge, actually feeling safe for the first time in what seems like days. "I'll admit, I am impressed." Even Excella has to give him credit where credit is due. At least their appreciative, stocking this place hasn't been easy.
"If you head upstairs there's a few cots you can fold out to get some rest. I even have a shower if you want to get cleaned up." He points them to a staircase along the left wall that leads to the second floor. He'll allow them to find their way around for now, he can give everyone a proper tour when he returns. "Hey Cynthia, can I get my crowbar back before I go?" Trent tracks Cynthia down and asks her before he departs. "Oh sure, thanks for letting me use it by the way." She properly thanks him, flashing him an appreciative wink in the meantime. I think I'm going to enjoy this arrangement. Trent merely nods at her before turning and exiting the warehouse, dropping the door so nothing may see inside.
"Alright, time to take the express way back." Trent mutters to himself as he leaves the confines of the fence. He navigates to a nearby alley and takes the fire escape to the top floor. From there, he begins the task of free running across the rooftops, putting his parkour skills to good use. He covers half the distance to the club in a quarter of the time it took them to reach the warehouse, a testament to how quickly he moves while alone. "Here we go, this is a good dropping point." He finds a fire escape down an alley just a few feet from the club. He quickly descends the metal stairs, unsure of what to expect when he finally reaches Wisper's. I hope they stayed out of trouble, I don't know if I have it in me to take on anything more than a few zombies.
Much to Trent's relief, nothing appears out of the ordinary as he approaches. "Everybody in there?" He calls out once standing below the neon lights. "Right here." Lara responds, leading her sister and Jessie out to the street. "Run into any trouble while you were out there?" Lauren asks, wanting to gauge how difficult the trip may be. "A little, but nothing we couldn't handle. We got everyone to the warehouse safe and sound." Trent tells them, his eyes constantly scanning the area for threats. "Sounds like it should be pretty easy then. Whenever you're ready." Jessie states next, no doubt eager to reach the warehouse. "Before we go, I think you might need this." Trent hands Jessie the same crowbar Cynthia used previously. "Thanks, I'll put it to good use." She thanks him briefly, wanting no more delays to hold them at the club. "If that's everything, I think we're ready to go." Trent says as he guides them on the same path he took the others.
Trent Reddick
Health: 100%
Fatigue: 15%
Current time: 10:58 p.m.
Entourage: Lara Croft: 84%, Colt .45 (8/8)
Lauren Croft: 86%, Colt .45 (8/16)
Jessie McCarney: 85%, Crowbar (99%)
Entourage: Trent Reddick: 100%, Baseball bat (100%), Climbing axe (100%), .45 Handgun (9/0), Taser (100%), Pair of brass knuckles (100%), Trench knife (100%)
The choices are going to be rather few this time:
Who will Trent be keeping eye on most as they progress (This will increase the corresponding person's chances by 10%)
A) Lara, though she knows how to handle herself, it might be a good idea for Trent to watch out for her in case anything happens.
B) Lauren, she appears capable but it might not be a bad idea for Trent to keep an eye on her should they run into trouble.
C) Jessie, it might be best to maintain a watchful eye on her, Trent can tell she seems to be the least combat inclined of the trio.
Lastly, what formation will the women take (This will determine their chances of survival). For this choice, just post what order they should proceed in your vote.:
1) Lara (89% if at the front, 95% if in the middle, 84% if at the back)
2) Lauren (85% if at the front, 95% if in the middle, 79% if at the back)
3) Jessie (63% if at the front, 75% if in the middle, 55% if at the back)
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