[Day: Wednsday, Feb. 9th. Time: 1:00 p.m.] [Location: Milan, Italy] [Following the disaster at Site Dilov-34, Alysha quickly finished up her remaining business and relocated you to Milan. Just in time, too; on Sunday, Northern Tanigia accused Southern Tanigia of attacking its own base (which is technically true, as Malik was a Tanigian general).] [Though they denied responsibility for the attacks, Northern Tanigia imposed strict sanctions on the southern part on Monday. One day later, Montenegro declared independence, followed swiftly by Tanigia declaring war.] [Not that that's your problem. Yet. Instead you're in a cushy hotel suite, with three private rooms and a common room. Three floors from the top of the building and has a great view of the southern part of the city. It's also got a minibar and a TV.] [Start] [Alysha's on the couch, watching TV. Currently it's tuned to news about the Montenegran/Tanigian war. Neither side has begun fighting in earnest yet (neither was prepared to fight the other), but operations are expected to begin from both sides by next week. (three private rooms awwww yeahh) ( With the usual parings :P ) ( Unless someone wants to sleep on a couch. ) (One would expect, yes.) * Gordo is stareing into the minifridge. "The Yanks have had their own country for nearly three hundred years now, give or take, right?" * Shiho is next to Alysha, messing with her phone. "Yes." * Montana looks up at Gordo from his position in a chair. "Why?" And for every single one of those years their beer has piss, right? (has been) * Shiho pauses for a moment. "Three hundred and twenty-something years." She goes back to fiddling with her phone. * Sonia snorts from her position lounging sideways on a chair, her gun in one hand. She keeps shooting it at things, which makes them move slightly. Naaaaaaaaah, that ain't true. Just most of the mass produced ones. So yeah, I wouldn't drink whatever's in there that's American. * Nigel is at a desk and typing away on his laptop. "I still don't understand where that Phoenix egg came from..." He doesn't say that to anyone in particular. Just sort of at the air. ["It was probably there for a while," Alysha responds. "Tanigia just discovered it relatively recently, and weren't sure how to get past the warding." ] Nonpiss Yank Beer, the world has gone topsy turvy. Next you'll tell me the Aussies have learned to make wine. * Gordo closes the minifridge and goes to sit down and think about this relivation. * Shiho offers distractedly, "I think all alcohol would be better if you could just keep the taste and strip the actual alcohol." Well, here's what I don't get. How's a phoenix get an egg in the first place? Don't they just explode in a pile of fireworks and ashes or something and then dust themselves off? * Sonia gives Shiho a sidelong glance through her hair, which she has straightened and made pink in the front. "Girl, what?" * Montana then double takes at Shiho. * Shiho looks up from her phone at Sonia. "What?" What's the point o moonshining if you can't even use it as paint stripper? And I don't keen a thing about fire birds. ["Normally, yes," says Alysha. "It's not unheard of for them to mate, but there's so few of them it doesn't happen often. Especialyl these days." * Nigel nods to Montana. "Yes. That is generally how things work. So your guess is as good as mine." The taste is usually... the bad part. * Sonia shrugs slightly and aims a vase, making it wobble. [Alysha's phone rings. She answers it quickly. "Johnson.... Oh, you're back? Good. Hang on." Then she sets the phone on speaker and puts it on the table. "Okay."] Some of the drinks are tasty. I used to like... um, it's a Chinese rice wine. There's not a good translation for the name. * Shiho shuts up and pays attention to Alysha's phone! Phones are getting all her attention today. ["Good afternoon, Alysha's security team." Pavla's voice comes from the phone. Sounds fairly emotionless.] * Gordo looks at the phone, maybe it's a good thing he didn't find anything he wanted to drink. Good afternoon, Ms. Novakova. * Sonia sighs noisily. "Yo." New job already? [Pavla doesn't take long to get to the point: "Alysha told me about Saturday. Give me more details."] * Gordo waves at Montana and Nigel. "Let onna the boffins might have a clue do the talking. I just shot at a few blokes that didn't have the decency to feel it." * Montana looks to Nigel, because he seems to have a better idea. * Nigel sighs. "Well I'm not entirely clear myself. There was a security breach. We provided a counter strike the force that was breaking in and found several agents who were extracting... a phoenix egg." He shakes his head again in confusion. "We had a confrontation, but the bulk of the oppposition escaped." ["Describe the attackers."] Mostly chicks in bikinis, to be honest. Some Americans, some Germans. (What did they look like again? I don't remember) General Maric was involved, but I think you were told that. A couple of heavily cybered folks - one man, one woman. Maric's sniper got turned into some sort of... thing, I don't know, Nigel told us to attack its heart so we did and it worked. There was also a man, looked like in his thirties, seemed to be the leader. Named Sebastian? Yeah. Also several women in very little clothing who used techniques often attributed to ninja in fiction. * Montana nods. * Sonia speaks up to say, "Sebastian had a sword. Cut through the bots like they were nothing." ["Musume no Hebi," Pavla says, and Alysha nods (though why when Pavla can't see it is anyone's guess.] That it did. Speaking a wich, how would I go about getting some armor piercing rounds? ["That's what I thought," says Alysha. "But they're normally just ninja for hire."] ["Normally," says Pavla, "But four years ago a sect split off from the main branch."] ["Hmmmm," says Alysha. "Well, what about Sebastian? Do you think it's the same one?"] ["Mid-thirties, can cut through bots like butter with that sword of his? Probably."] ["How's he still alive?" asks Alysha.] [Pavla responds, "The bigger question is who is he working for?"] * Sonia looks back over her shoulder at Montana and rolls her purple eyes at him. ["And what they'd need a phoenix egg for," adds Alysha.] * Montana shrugs at Sonia and then pushes his hat over his face, leaning back and pretending to be asleep. [Pavla takes this opportunity to answer Gordo: "We can arrange some for you at the next available opportunity." ( that being when you decide to spend CP on it :D ) (Ah so.) (So, near the end of the game when I can afford another weapon attack? :P) Good show. ["Keep on this, Alysha," says Pavla. "If you find any more information, keep in touch. I want to know what Sebastian's after."] ["Will do," says Alysha.] ["Good," says Pavla. "Is there anything else?"] 2d6+11 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+11 for Nigel and gets a natural 8 for a result of 19. * Nigel taps away at his laptop and hmms. "As it happens... I may have found the answer to what purpose the phoenix egg would be used for." ["Hm?" Alysha looks to Nigel curiously.] Aye? * Nigel nods. "Most likely... they are using the egg in a ritual to ..." He clears his throat nervously. "bring somebody back from the dead." ["Makes sense," says Pavla. "But who?"] * Nigel shrugs. "Nearly impossible to do. Would make sense that they would need a nearly impossible object." ["Gertrude?" Suggests Alysha.] Christ. * Nigel shakes his head. "Beats me..." You two, ah, know these people from somewhere? ["If she's even dead. I doubt it. And if she was, I don't see what this group under Sebastian's command stands to gain from it. Gertrude was hardly that important."] * Sonia groans and says, "This ain't getting any saner." [Alysha grins at Gordo. "Friends of the family, you might say."] * Montana mutters into his hat, "Some friends." [Pavla snorts. "More like enemies. Old coworkers of mine. Few people liked them."] ["Mom and dad talked about them sometimes," explains Alysha.] ["But we never knew what happened to them after we got out of Germany," says Pavla. "I assumed Sebastian would have died without the Sherman's formula."] Right, because I remember signing on to get paid a stupid ammount of money to fly guns into places that may or may not be willing ta pay us for 'em. I'm just making sure that's still the job I'm doing for you here. ["Technically, you were hired to protect me." Alysha grins.] ( brb >.> ) * Montana snerks. "Amounting to the same thing these days, let's be honest." * Gordo snorts. "Teach me to spend more time reading the fine print." ( Back ) * Sonia says, "At least you don't have to drive around boxes with wheels all the time. I'm gonna rust." [Alysha smiles. "Besides, it's not like this changes much. You're still getting paid tons of money to get shot at."] * Sonia shoots at a lampshade quietly. It rattles slightly on the lamp. ["Quite," says Pavla. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's some things I need to take care of. Contact me again if you have more information."] [She hangs up.] Aye, but I'm much better at not getting shot when I've got wings. [Alysha stands and stretches. "Anyway... Did you see this?" She grabs a nearby newspaper and flips a few pages in, holding it up and pointing to an article. It says.... you don't know, none of you read Italian.] [But Alysha tells you anyway. "Twelve objects on display at the Museum of Milan. They're from Adza in Egypt."] ( Gimme, um... Cultural Arts (History) rolls! I guess. ) ( Nigel gets a +4 ) * Sonia looks over at Alysha, then says, "Looking to pick up something for the bedroom?" 2d6+5 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+5 for Gordo and gets a natural 9 for a result of 14. [Alysha grins. "Maybe I just want to take in some cultural arts."] 2d6+5 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+5 for Sonia and gets a natural 5 for a result of 10. Yeah, Montana does that too. * Sonia looks up and half-smiles. "For five or six figures." 2d6+7 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+7 for Montana and gets a natural 10 for a result of 17. 2d6+5 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+5 for Shiho and gets a natural 10 for a result of 15. * Montana grins at Sonia. "Ain't no point in goin' small time." He checks out the article. ( Waiting on Nigel ) (Sorry) * Sonia gives him a slight grin in return. "Ain't got time to be small about it." 2d6+7 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+7 for Nigel and gets a natural 6 for a result of 13. (Man, Nigel needs to pay more attention to random History channel madness) (That was straight mind. I'm untrained, apparantly. I'm trying to figure out how that's possible) (Or did he forget his extra +4) (I'm blowing CP on that as soon as the session is oveR) (I may not have realized that Cultural Arts had a history spec.) [Everyone but Sonia and, oddly enough, Nigel recognizes Adza. 43 years ago, a new pyramid was unearthed in Northwest Egypt, having been buried under the sand for thousands of years. It's hailed as the greatest archaeological discovery of the century. Archaeologists are still trying to determine what its purpose was.]] (You know what, Brett. I'm DRing because it feels dumb otherwise) 2d6+7 * Chibi_Vernon rolls 2d6+7 for Nigel and gets a natural 6 for a result of 13. (Well damn. Okay carry on) ( ._. ) (o_O) (Nigel has a mind of 3?) * Montana whistles lowly. "That display would be worth a large fortune. We going to see them?" (Oh. Did we get a +4?) (Just you) (That's a 17 then) (Ah!) (Okay. Yes 17) (I'm dumb and tired) (I assume 17 made it) ( Then Nigel does recognize it. ) Isn't that were they dug up that new pyramid? [Alysha nods. "They're having a field day with it. It'll be fun to take in some new culture. And besides..."] [Alysha grins. "Remember when I said Zukunft has been active in gathering artifacts for some reason?"] (Stupid newspaper in a stupid not-dead italian language) They putting out feelers for a job? [Alysha nods "Possibly, anyhow. I'm not sure the intel's reliable." She shrugs, "But it's worth checking out."] * Montana raises an eyebrow, then looks to Sonia. * Nigel nods. "Besides... I'd like to see these artifacts." Never thought I’d be protectin’ artifacts from thieves. This job is full of surprises. [Alysha grins.] ( Annnd we can probably end whenever. ) Sneaking into Southern Egypt'll make for an interesting trip. Less you've got a stash a weapons waiting for us there. * Sonia shrugs and sits up, putting her feet on the ground. "Easy money, boy." ( You're not going to Southern Egypt >.> ) If you can keep your hands to yourself, eh? (Man, I've got the Stargate SG-1 theme running through my head now.) (Oh, whups. Misread where the museum was Nevermind!) Hey, my hands're right where you can see them. * Montana raises his hands. See? * Shiho goes back to her phone. "Wherever you need me, boss." * Sonia raises her gun at Montana, half-smiles, and then shoots him in the chest. It's a moment of slight pressure. * Montana oofs and falls backwards into his chair, his hat flying off dramatically. * Sonia shakes her head and says, "What a boy. I'm taking a walk." Oi! ( K, I'm calling it. ) [End!]