Adrianna  grabbed the shorn bumper from the SUV and with a few steps, she bounded atop the SUV--moving fast enough to be a veritable blur.

Inside, a man and a woman were moving, struggling to ubelt themselves and get out.  But they were moving.  The man had blood on his face.  So, a head-wound.  He didn't seem particularly traumatically injured and head-wounds tended to bleed like all get-out.

"What?" the woman  in the passenger seat kept saying as she fumbled at her waist, finally freeing herself  "What?  I don't... what?"   Thus mobile, she moved to help her male companion who was stuck in the driver's seat further off the ground

So passenger side is to the ground

Adrianna turned to face the tentacled man and called out, "Hey Lovecraft! Wanna step away from the nice people?"  Then she hurled the bumper right at the mass of tentacles in the middle of Lovecraft's chest top speed.

Galvanized into action, Alexey reached out with an arm of silver fire, which wrapped around the shirtless man.

The tentacled man jerked suddenly, stepping back and his head swung around as the SUV bumper flew wide and landed to his side.  His eyes glowed an unearthly light blue, as if his whole body was crackling with pent up energy...


To Alexey, it was always an interesting feeling using this fiery arm to grab things. He didn't feel it like he wound if he were holding something in his hands.  There was no sense of texture of warmth.  But there were sensations, like a itching all along his scalp...

Grabbing Lovecraft was like like trying to hold onto a next of snakes.  Holding Lovecraft felt like there were things slithering all over his scalp, with the subtle dry scritching of scale on scale.

Lovecraft roared and several of the tentacles pulled back, writhing in the air around him like some sort of perverse aura...


--
Side Notes:
Adrianna:
She made sure to stay subsonic as a sonic boom would kill or injure all the norms close by.
While possibly true, I'm not going to take it that far...  'cause this is not a gritty grimdark iron age setting, I'm not going to have her mere presence cause irreparable damage to witnesses.  Now, running through someone at those speeds... that's another matter entirely.  For our setting, I think dizziness and loss of balance might be a logical outcome asa complication.  Although if you're doing it on purpose, it should be bought as an alternate effect somewhere.
This message was last updated by the player at 11:53, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

__

• Adrianna grab SUV bumper and throw it at Lovecraft
  
  • No dice-roller roll made.   GM didn't ask player didn't offer
  • GM rolled Adrianna's throw:  rolled 09 vs DC16 - FAILED
  • +01 Hero Point to Adrianna - GM offered for railroaded bad-roll
• Alexey Grab Lovecraft with Move-Object power
  
  • Rolled 20--SUCCESS!
  • Lovecraft rolls 19 resist Grab DC19 (with Crit 16-20)
  • Ties goes to PCs - So grab is successful
  • Alexey is hindered and vulnerable while maintaining the grab
  • Lovecraft is Restrained (immobile and vulnerable)

And that leads us to initiative, in case it matters...

• 40 Adrianna
• 25 Jen
• 23 passenger woman in car... (person in vehicle)
• 17 Cythi
• 12 Lovecraft
• 09 Virginia
• 06 Matt?
• 05 Alexey
• 05 driver man in car... (person in vehicle)

This message was last edited by the GM at 11:54, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

Adrianna cursed her terrible aim! Now that Lovecraft was fairly stationary and relatively isolated from other people she saw her opportunity. She knew she needed to take out the tentacles but she didn't think punches or thrown objects would do the trick. Doing a little mental math she figured that a sonic shockwave would probably do the trick without hurting any bystanders. They were far enough away..... probably.

Everyone cover your ears!

She zipped up to Lovecraft Turned pináta and slowed right next to him just long enough to grin at him cheerily and ask "Have you ever heard a sonic boom?"


07:43, Today: Adrianna rolled 10 using 1d20.


She then put on an adrenaline fueled burst of speed that would shame a Porsche breaking the sound barrier in an instant, within a foot of Lovecraft's immobile form.

Cythi still in the store and the lady not answering back lets out a sigh as she creates her staff and teleports to the area where the battle is going on preparing to join the fray.

So, hey... Alexey...  Now that you're grappling with Lovecraft's love-child, what are you gonna do with him?

of course he's going to try to escape, but you've got the initiative advantage here.

This is where I'm at right now:

• 40 Adrianna
  
  • "Everyone cover your ears!" Adrianna called out.  She zipped up to Lovecraft and slowed right next to him  "Have you ever heard a sonic boom?"
  • 07:43, Today: Adrianna rolled 10 using 1d20.
• 25 Jen - No action defined
• 23 SUV passenger - Actions withheld from display
• 17 Cythi - No action defined
• 12 Lovecraft Attempt to escape - results pending
• 09 Virginia - No action defined
• 06 Matt? - No action defined
• 05 Alexey - No action defined
  
  • Alexey is hindered and vulnerable while maintaining the grab
  • Lovecraft is Restrained (immobile and vulnerable)
• 05 SUV Driver - Aim firearm at Lovecraft +5 circumstance on to-hit for next turn

This message was last edited by the GM at 07:47, Sat 19 Dec 2020.

40 Adrianna
"Everyone cover your ears!" Adrianna called out.  She zipped up to Lovecraft and slowed right next to him  "Have you ever heard a sonic boom?"

Adrianna rolled 10 using 1d20.

• Rolled 1d20(10) + Sonic Boom (Damage 8) ToHit vs (10 + Parry) - FAILED

And Adrianna was off, leaving the rush of the sonic boom in her wake.

It washed over tentacle-man, suspended in the air, held by a crackling silver bond by the big Polish guy--Alexey...  An open reveal!  But then, she was in the same boat, wasn't she?

23 SUV passenger - Actions withheld from display
Behind them, the lady from the SUV kicked out the remains of the sunroof, and poked her head out, glancing around.   "What is he?  What happened to him?"  She called out, but the crowd was far enough back, buffeted by the remains of Adrianna's sonic boom, that nobody answered her.


12 Lovecraft Attempt to escape - results pending

• Lovecraft rolled 24 vs (10+MO:9)
• Alexey is no longer hindered and vulnerable
  Lovecraft is no-longer immobile
• and vulnerable

In the wake of the blow-back from Adrianna's sonic-boom, the tentacled-man groaned briefly, then arched his back suddenly, shattering Alexey's hold on him..

He fell to the ground, landing with a solid thump on the pavement, sending shattered pieces of metal and glass and fiberglass in all directions.

"Oh." he said rolling on to his side.  He extended one arm towards the SUV and the tentacles once again lashed out towards the woman.

Amazingly, she dodged to one side, side-stepping the lashing of the writhing tentacles with a dancer's grace, and crouched down, her eyes never leaving Lovecrafts.


05 SUV Driver - Aim firearm at Lovecraft +5 circumstance on to-hit for next turn
Behind her, the driver of the SUV, a thick-set guy in a nondescript black suit, popped up out of the driver's side window and trained a thick-pistol sighting on Lovecraft's form with slow, calm, unperturbed intention.  Even despite the blood streaming down from the facial wound.

--
OOC: So, I'm trying a slightly different format with this.  Does it work better for you, the Mechanics/IC thread derived from it?  Or does it even matter to you?

This message was last edited by the player at 01:30, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

I liked it. It was entertaining to me for what it is worth.

PC Initiatives & Conditions

• On-Site:
  
  • 40 Adrianna (no conditions) - No action defined
  • 25 Jen (no conditions) - No action defined
  • 17 Cythi (no conditions) - No action defined
  • 05 Alexey (no conditions) - No action defined
  • 09 Virginia (no conditions) - No action defined
• Unknown
  
  • 06 Matt (no conditions) - No action defined

NPC Initiatives & Conditions

• 23 Blond woman, SUV passenger (No conditions)
  Her actions haven't been telegraphed, no supposition available
• 12 Lovecraft (No conditions)
  He seems pretty focussed on tentacle-grabbing the blond
• 05 Black Suit man, SUV Driver - (Staggered)
  He's probably going to shoot Lovecraft with his pistol

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:26, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

Virginia
Huddled down beside the dumpster, Virginia felt a presence moments before she heard movement.

She glanced up and found a young man--university age at leas--with a dishevelled Malory College sweatshirt and a old well-worn canvas backpack.   He had brown hair just a little too long for the conservative look, and clothing just a little too well-worn for the Malory-College Prep-school elite.

He glanced up and down the alley, then cocked his head to one side, before stepping forward.    "It's okay." he said, almost placatingly.  "Whatever the big guy's on about, I don't think you're in any danger.  Still, it's not a bad idea to clear the area and let the ... wait.  Are you hurt?  Do you need help?"

He offered her a hand up, but his eyes still seemed focus on the crowd  at the end of the alley, a dozen feet away...

Oh I am over this violent loon. Also the lady appears to be a precog. I hope her bodyguard can handle himself.

00:12, Today: Adrianna rolled 3 using 1d20.

Eat this!

Grabs a piece of twisted metal and hurls it at Lovecraft. (Also spending a Hero Point to ensure a successful hit)

Realizing she is being observed, Virginia holds her pose beside the dumpster for a moment. From her squatting position she probably looks like she is about to take a piss in the alley. Awkward! She is (mentally) relieved when he asks if she is hurt!

She takes his strong outstretched hand. Quickly she rises to her feet and presses down her dress properly with her hands. She tries to smile but with the brain freeze it comes across as more of a wince.

"Oh thank you! I am quite alright, ...really! It was only the milkshake." She points to the dumpster as if he would know she just tossed it in. "Have you ever had..."

The rest of her explanation does not come out. She sees him get distracted by what is going on down the street, in zero seconds flat! Not paying her a bit of mind! It slightly offends her. Her priorities shift.

"Oh!" She accidentally-on-purpose falls into him. She throws her arms around him and buries her face in his lovely long hair with a distorted brain freeze grin. She takes a deep breath of his scent and pulls back.

"Oh my god, I am SO SORRY! I must have... I don't thiiiiink I am hurt." She keeps one arm on him indulgently "for balance" and totally fakes some hobbling action. "Oh! I think I got caught in a crack in the pavement. I am so clumsy!" She puts on an act and gives a ditzy giggle.

"Ok, I am alright now. Honest." Yet, her arm is still around him. "What would I have done without you here?!" She waits to see if she has his attention NOW and takes the moment to reassess the situation up the street for herself.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:16, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

(OOC - I like what you are doing.)

Cythi taking a moment to get her bearings decides that she does not have enough information to determine what needs to be done.  Still she does realise she may need to help people around or help against the tentacle thing.

She lowers her hand and shoots a beam of pure dimensional energy at the creature (Lovecraft)

Strike - 10

(DC21; +4 to strike; affects insubstantial: Full; Increased Range 2; Perception; Incurable)

20:44, Today: Cythi rolled 10 using 1d20+8.  Strike.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Wed 23 Dec 2020.

Alexey's eyes went wide for a moment, the silvery fire grippign Lovecraft burning out as the monster feature escaped.  The last time he'd fought with his powers he'd let things go or thrown them without; no one had ever slipped free from him.  Eyebrows furrowed, and Alexey reached once more with his power without the unnecessary gesturing.  His 'grip,' too, was far less gentle.

<orange>OOC:
17:25, Today: Alexey rolled 15 using 1d20+7.  Move Lovecraft.

Alexey is going to try grab and squeeze (his power has 'Damaging').

Virginia

Whoever he was, he had a pleasant scent.  No cologne, but a subtle woodsy scent that suggests nature and idyllic pastoral life.

""Jesus.  These guys  are tearing stuff up.  The whole place is going to be crawling with police and Aegis, soon." he said for a moment, his own hands lingering around her waist. "They're going to want to question everyone.

Just outside the alley, a woman in a busines spant-suit vaulted over the top of the downed SUV, and her partner popped up out of the driver's side window with a gun.  He popped off a couple of shots, but Virginia couldn't tell what the results were from her field of view.

Alexey, however, appeared to have a big silvery tether of some sort wrapped around the guy with tentacles coming from his chest, and Adrianna was zooming around the scene flinging all sorts of stuff at the behemoth...
This message was last edited by the player at 15:27, Fri 01 Jan 2021.

Virginia closes her eyes. His rustic scent has triggered a memory. It is a wonderful memory! Her mind drifts and she bends subtly into his waist hold...

... but it is only for a fraction of a second. The gunshots go off and just RUIN IT!

Her eyes snap open with irritation. "The police?  Aegis? You make this sound like it happens everyday! OOH!!", she reacts to the tentacles, metal tossing, and energy tethers.

"Who is that up there? What is Aegis? Should we help? What should we do? " She clips and spins once in her heels as if she expects to have an epiphany.

Virginia watches what she can of the 'battle royale'. She knows sheeee cannot do anything. And these 'powers' she has, who even knows if she can control them? Then there is this regular guy right here with her. What if she 'transformed' in front of him?! Would that be bad? What is the etiquette for things like this??

Besides he MIGHT need help!? She likes the thought of that!! For the round she stays here with him, "protecting him" !

40 Adrianna (no conditions) - Throw metal wreckage at Lovecraft

• Rolled Throw(+7) + 1d20(+3) = Result(10) - FAILED
• spending a Hero Point to ensure a successful hit
• Control, on behalf of Adrianna, rolled 25 using 1d20+7 - SUCCESS
• Lovecraft rolls vs DC16 - FAILED -  Takes 1 degree of damage
• BRUISED -1 to Toughness checks further in combat this scene

Adriana zipped back into the wreckage arc of the UV, and grabbed for one of the torn metal fragments of what had been the door frame.  There weren't that many to choose from, and what sh grabbed was maybe the size of her forearm, a combination of metal and rubber, the lining to the window on the passenger side door.

She hurled it at the tentacle-man and caught a glancing blow on his shoulder, sending him teetering to one side.

----
23 Blond woman, SUV passenger - vault backwards over the downed SUV to put the vehicle between her and Lovecraft. - SUCCESS

At the same time, the blond woman jumped to one side, and ran around the edge of the SUV, placing the bulk of the vehicle between her and the tentacled guy.  She moved fast and with confidence that suggested confidence or training.

----
17 Cythi (no conditions)

• Rolled 1d20+8(10) + Accurate(+4) for 14 strike - FAILED

Cythi extended a hand and a beam of dimensional energy erupted from her hand, but scored the pavement between the tentacle-man's feet.  It seemed to enrage him.

----
12 Lovecraft (No conditions)

• Blonde is behind cover, tentacle attack aborted
• tentacle attack on male gunman /driver - FAILED

His tentacles already extended, groped and reached and writhed forward, seeking the blond.  With her out of reach, it flicked back and forth looking like maybe it was reaching for the driver, with the gun.   But it didn't seem to be able to find a target, so instead, the tentacles writhed back and forth like frothing cilia...


----
05 Alexey (no conditions)

• Grab Lovecraft again and squeeze!
• Alexey rolled 15 using 1d20+7. - 1-degree of SUCCESS
• I have Move Object 9 on file... so I think I was expecting 1d20+9, not 1d20+7.  But there's also the -4 for inaccurate targetting...  Doesn't matter though .  I've applied a hidden circumstance bonus that might or might not be revealed down the road.
• This time with damage! - two degrees SUCCESS!
• Lovecraft takes on Restrained (Immobile & Vulnerable), Dazed, and two Bruised conditions (-2 to Toughness for the rest of the scene).
• Since it's a Move Object power and not a physical grab, Alexey does not take on any Conditions other than the need to maintain it with a Free action.  Lovecraft will get the chance to break free at his turn next round.

Buckling down and focusing, Alexey snarled and reached out with the silver net of his will, and scooped up the tentacle-man once again.   He felt like slippery snail-sweat against his skin, wet tentacles against the surface of his mind.

And when he Alexey, the tentacle man let out a pained roar of surprise and anger.

----
05 Black Suit man, SUV Driver - (Staggered)

• Shoot Lovecraft - BOTCHED!

Having spent the last moment aiming, the gunman calmly fired off a couple of shots, but if the bullets hit, they didn't appear to have made any appreciable impact.

----
"I think you need to blind it!" the blond woman shouted.   "He can't touch what he can't see!"


----
ELSEWHERE

• Jen (no conditions) - No action defined, kept her head down.
• Matt<i> not in the current scene
• Virginia<i> (no conditions) - not involved directly in this conflict.

This message was last edited by the player at 15:54, Fri 01 Jan 2021.

On-Site:

• 40 Adrianna (no conditions)
  
  • Adrianna rolled 22 using 1d20+3 - to smash bottle of perfume in Lovecraft's face
• 25 Jen (no conditions)
• 23 Blond woman (Bruised) - Behind the SUV
• 17 Cythi (no conditions)
• 12 Lovecraft (No conditions)
• 05 Alexey (no conditions)
• 05 Black Suit man gunman (Staggered)

ELSEWHERE

• Virginia (no conditions) - not involved directly in this conflict.
• Matt (no conditions) - No action defined

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:07, Fri 01 Jan 2021.

Blind him huh? Let's see about that.

Adrianna dashes into a shop and grabs a bottle of perfume. She then dashes right up to Lovecraft and, hopefully before he notices her sudden presence smashes the bottle directly into his face. Right across the bridges of his nose.

11:52, Today: Adrianna rolled 22 using 1d20+3.
(Also assuming some sort of bonues is in place since he is immobile and restrained. Unsure what to apply there though.)

Now you smell pretty.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Fri 01 Jan 2021.

@VIRGINIA

The guy grinned.  "My ex used to say, 'what day is it?  Oh, they're fighting.  It must be Tuesday.'"

He stopped for a moment, as if in thought--though Virginia could tell that that wasn't really the case--he just wasn't that good an actor.   "You want to get a better view of the action?  I can get us up to the roof."   he jutted his chin to the side of the alley behind him.

He paused for a moment.  "Aegis is a police thing.  Like SWAT, but for metas, I think.  Though I'm not sure how you fight a guy with tentacle coming out of his chest like that."

"Tentacles out his chest? You have not been on the dating scene in a while have you dear?" Virginia mocks as if that is not so uncommon.

"But a rooftop view sounds great. Let's hurry!" She follows where he leads.

The weight of a meta police force is not lost on her though. Along the way she imagines the indignity of being shot in the ass by a tranq dart and then put on display behind glass. I wonder if they would consider cooking the meat before throwing it to me??

"So what happened to your ex? She was not dating someone with tentacles coming out of their chest was she?" It was always good to know where the exes stand in the mind of your prey.

@Virginia
He led her away from the dumpster, to one of the nondescript doors that led out from behind the shops that lined the Yellow Brick Row.  He produced a key--so likely he had legitimate access.

He shrugged at Virginia's question.  "Could be.  We wanted different things."  It was obviously a practiced response, but there didn't seem to be much of any emotion behind it, either.

"I'm Matt."  he said as he opened the door. "We run the dry-cleaner.  Not much to look at, but it's a good location and when shit like this goes down, it's got a killer view."

He led her up a narrow stairway, black vinyl coverings on cement stairs, red-painted steel hand-railings and sulfur-tungsten lighting casting everything in a bizarre yellow light.

He took her up two flights to the third floor, which opened out into a small rooftop garden.  Lots and lots of green, and carefully tended rows of vegetables.

While buildings on either side were taller, he hadn't lied.  The view from the rooftop had an angle on one of the cross-streets that allowed a vision right up Senator's Avenue, to View Royal.

The accident was only four or five shops down the street, towards the waterfront, but from their vantage point, Virginia had a pretty good birds-eye view of everything that was going down.

Cythi randomly teleports to make sure she keeps the enemy from attacking her or getting a bead on her.  But as such she does a bit of focus and tries to attack using her dimensional blast again.


Strike - 18

OOC - Forgot it had penetrating on it
Dimensional Energy Blast - Colony Teleport, Metahuman, DC21, Accurate -2 (+4), Affects Insubstantial - 2, Increased Range - 2: Perception, Incurable, Penetrating - 6

19:16, Today: Cythi rolled 18 using 1d20+8.  Strike.

On-Site:

• 40 Adrianna (no conditions)
  
  • Adrianna rolled 22 using 1d20+3 - to smash bottle of perfume in Lovecraft's face
• 25 Jen (no conditions)
• 23 Blond woman (Bruised) - Behind the SUV
• 17 Cythi (no conditions)
  
  • Dimensional blast - rolled 18 + (Accurate:+4) using 1d20+8
• 12 Lovecraft (No conditions)
• 05 Alexey (no conditions)
• 05 Black Suit man gunman (Staggered)

ELSEWHERE

• Virginia (no conditions) - not involved directly in this conflict.
• Matt (no conditions) - No action defined

@VIRGINIA
"Just so you know..."  Matt said, leading her to the edge of the rooftop.  There was a little ledge all the way around it, conveniently at arm-resting height.   "I don't typically bring girls her on the first meeting."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Sat 09 Jan 2021.

40 Adrianna
Adrianna rolled 22 using 1d20+3 - to smash bottle of perfume in Lovecraft's face
GM: Attempting to blind him. reading this as a an affliction (vision impaired / blind) attempt.   SUCCESS!
Lovecraft resists and soaks the physical damage, but failed the Affliction-effect, and is now Vision Impaired


Adrianna blasted into one of the nearly shops, nearly blowing the doors off it's hinges, and certainly leaving customers and the more safety-inclined gawkers startled and bewildered by the sudden rush of air and  energy around them.

With a delicate bottle of fluted glass in her hand, she closed the distance with Lovecraft, who was caught up once again in Alexey's silver-fire claw of doom, and--without stopping--she smashed the glass container against the side of the mis-shapen monster's face.

Tentacle-man roared with pain and surprise and tried to lash out at Adrianna, but all he managed to do was grasp after her doppler-effect after-image.


17 Cythi
Dimensional blast - rolled 18 + (Accurate:+4) using 1d20+8
GM:  SUCCESS! (One Degree of Damage)

Capitalizing on the distraction, Cythia unleashed another bolt of pure dimensional energy catching Lovecraft in the chest and forcing him to spasm in shock and discomfort.  He didn't roar this time, only issued a strangled "Urk!" as his movements seemed to slow down considerably.



12 Lovecraft
Bruised x3, Dazed, Restrained (Immobile & Vulnerable) by Alexey, Vision Impaired by Adrianna
GM: Lovecraft attempt to break free of Alexey's grab this time - FAILED

05 Alexey
GM: Maintain hold or regain hold if broken
Alexey(Control) rolled 22 using 1d20+7. to continue squeezing the vice apply new damage with MO Lovecraft. SUCCESS
Lovecraft's attempt to soak damage FAILED by two degrees.  As he's already Dazed, he's now out of the picture INCAPACITATED.


But Alexey could feel the big man pulsing, like he was trying to build up the energy to burst free from the energy-grip.

Through the psychic projection, Alexey could feel the slimy tentacles writhing in his containment, and Alexey doubled down, clamped down on his will and forced the vise to squeeze just that little bit harder....

With a certain sickening relief, Alexey could feel the tentacled man relax in his grip, succumbing to the lack of oxygen provided by the vise-like clamp around his mid-section.


05 Black Suit man gunman
Staggered
GM: Fire again, damn it! - SUCCESS! Lovecraft soak FAILED by 2 degrees

And then there was another gun-shot.  The suited-man caught Lovecraft square in the chest, causing the behemoth's whole body to rock and shake in Alexey's gripm, until after a moment, he simply hung limp, suspended in mid-air by Alexey's silver-fire.

In the distance, the sound of sirens could be heard.  It seemed that Emerald City's finest were  on their way.

How convenient that it happened after the battle... but still.... this whole fight was was less than a minute from start to finish.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Sat 09 Jan 2021.