[Oct. 21, 2002]

NerwenGreen [9:39 PM]: Yeah, he was leaving the park.
AgujaCabra [9:41 PM]: I believe he would come close to a small parking area, to the side of a low fence of bushes. There's a chicken carrying on quietly from somewhere in that direction.. although he can probably only hear it due to the overall stillness of the night.
AgujaCabra [9:41 PM]: [why, oh why is there a chicken?]
NerwenGreen [9:41 PM]: so he's coming out in a spot different from the last two nights?
NerwenGreen [9:41 PM]: [dunno, you wrote it in ;)]
AgujaCabra [9:41 PM]: no.. it's the same spot. There just wasn't anything odd from the parking area before.
NerwenGreen [9:42 PM]: oh
NerwenGreen [9:42 PM]: so ... there's something odd today?
NerwenGreen [9:42 PM]: the chicken?
AgujaCabra [9:43 PM]: I think a chicken in the middle of the city is odd... but that's me. He can completely ignore it, of course.. but whenever there is something I think might possibly seem out of place, I describe it.
NerwenGreen [9:43 PM]: oh
AgujaCabra [9:43 PM]: It's not a major plot point at _all_.. But it would be there.
NerwenGreen [9:43 PM]: oookay
NerwenGreen [9:44 PM]: Thomas decides to go in the direction of the chicken
AgujaCabra [9:44 PM]: [he doesn't have to!]
NerwenGreen [9:44 PM]: [oh all right :p]
NerwenGreen [9:44 PM]: [I don't actually have any clue where he'd go next though ]
NerwenGreen [9:44 PM]: I guess he'll go home.
AgujaCabra [9:45 PM]: wait wait.. does he check out the chicken?
NerwenGreen [9:45 PM]: sure
NerwenGreen [9:45 PM]: he wanders in that direction
AgujaCabra [9:46 PM]: There are two vehicles parked alongside the shrubbery. One is a hot-rod style orange truck, and a small lap chicken trots around aimlessly in the bed of it.
AgujaCabra [9:47 PM]: There's a bit of seed scattered for the bird to eat.
NerwenGreen [9:47 PM]: ah
NerwenGreen [9:47 PM]: hmm...
AgujaCabra [9:47 PM]: [there is method to the madness..]
NerwenGreen [9:47 PM]: He goes up to the truck and watches the chicken for a few minutes
AgujaCabra [9:48 PM]: The chicken is simply going to peck at seed, unless Thomas tries to interact with it.
AgujaCabra [9:48 PM]: It clucks a bit, and pokes around the bed of the truck.
AgujaCabra [9:48 PM]: [as chickens are wont to do. ]
NerwenGreen [9:49 PM]: Thomas loses interest and wanders away, back in the general direction of his house.
AgujaCabra [9:50 PM]: As he begins to walk away from the park, he could faintly discern the sound of a railroad gate lowering, in preparation for the [as yet distant] machine.
NerwenGreen [9:51 PM]: Hmm...
NerwenGreen [9:51 PM]: shipment tonight then I guess
NerwenGreen [9:51 PM]: So the railroad is pretty close?
AgujaCabra [9:51 PM]: [trains come by all the time... ]
AgujaCabra [9:51 PM]: it's not terribly close, but I think he could hear the gate from the park...
AgujaCabra [9:52 PM]: hm... he could certainly hear the train when it starts to come by.
NerwenGreen [9:52 PM]: Thomas decides to walk in the direction of the trains instead.
AgujaCabra [9:56 PM]: All right.. the shops and business complexes that frequent the blocks around City Hall, thin to additional apartments and a few old metal buildings, as he approaches the railroad tracks.. About a block over, he could see a barbed wire fence, and a series of long warehouses, that border the tracks.
NerwenGreen [9:56 PM]: hmmmm
NerwenGreen [9:56 PM]: He looks for a way he can walk over to the warehouses
NerwenGreen [9:58 PM]: how long does it seem like it would be before the train gets to the warehouses?
AgujaCabra [9:59 PM]: There is a space in the fence, wide enough to squeeze through, a little ways down the chain link... It also looks like there might be an entrance on another street . . As he's looking, he can actually see the train's headlights in the distance, as its breaks begin to tighten on the track..
AgujaCabra [9:59 PM]: [brakes]
AgujaCabra [9:59 PM]: [very short amount of time.. his visit to the park was good timing. ]
NerwenGreen [10:00 PM]: Thomas slips through the fence and quietly goes into stealth mode as he moves towards the warehouses.
AgujaCabra [10:01 PM]: [heheh.. what's his stealth mode?]
NerwenGreen [10:01 PM]: moving very quietly and trying not to be seen as he's moving?
AgujaCabra [10:01 PM]: [ok]
AgujaCabra [10:04 PM]: The overgrown grass brushes up against his ankles as he walks, making little sound, but his footsteps might leave a slight indentation.. The closest warehouse is only approximately 20 feet from the fence, and he could get there quickly. . The train is slowing more now, and coming gradually to stop behind the warehouses.
NerwenGreen [10:04 PM]: He heads for the warehouse where it looks like the train is going to stop.
AgujaCabra [10:05 PM]: [I rolled for when the train might come in tonight, and got a 10... so he had real good timing at the park :p ]
NerwenGreen [10:05 PM]: [ah I see :p ... better timing would've been for him to find Shepard first though, I'd think :p]
AgujaCabra [10:06 PM]: It's more or less behind a few of the warehouses.. Two of them are lit from the interior, with a faint, sickly-yellow light that Thomas can see only when he comes close..
AgujaCabra [10:06 PM]: [ah, well.. we'll see about that one.. ]
AgujaCabra [10:06 PM]: There is some movement from inside the warehouses.
NerwenGreen [10:07 PM]: Thomas stays outside, looking for a window that he can peer through without being seen.
AgujaCabra [10:09 PM]: When he nears the side of the building, he can make out a small, rat shaped creature scuttling noisily beside the wall.. Upon closer inspection, he would see a number of these cat-sized creatures, with long tails and beady little eyes..
AgujaCabra [10:09 PM]: [he might recognize them as nutria]
NerwenGreen [10:09 PM]: are these inside or outside?
AgujaCabra [10:09 PM]: outside.
AgujaCabra [10:10 PM]: he would be walking very close to them, if he stepped up to a window.
NerwenGreen [10:10 PM]: oh ... he avoids them
NerwenGreen [10:10 PM]: [what's a nutria]
AgujaCabra [10:11 PM]: [they're rats the size of cats, essentially.. some people hunt them for fur in Louisiana, or just hunt them to hunt them.. ]
NerwenGreen [10:11 PM]: [ah .. okay]
NerwenGreen [10:11 PM]: He looks for a different window
AgujaCabra [10:11 PM]: [I couldn't believe it when I heard about them :p ]
AgujaCabra [10:13 PM]: hm... there are nutria and insect life outside all the entrances to the warehouse. If he comes to close, I think he would run the risk of being within their masses.. but he can definately stand in such a place that he can partially see inside.
AgujaCabra [10:13 PM]: [*too close]
NerwenGreen [10:13 PM]: okay, he does that
AgujaCabra [10:14 PM]: There is another figure, standing in approximately the same way as Thomas, although it is a bit further off, and observing the tracks rather than the warehouses.
NerwenGreen [10:15 PM]: Thomas studies the figure
AgujaCabra [10:15 PM]: [sec and I can describe inside the warehouses too :p]
NerwenGreen [10:15 PM]: [ok]
AgujaCabra [10:16 PM]: From his position, Thomas can see some industrial machinery inside the closest building-- it might be an old printing press, or part of an assembly line production. A few vague forms are gathered within, although he cannot make out the features.
AgujaCabra [10:17 PM]: The figure outside is standing almost entirely in the shadows. It appears to be masculine, though modest in stature, and has shoulder length hair.
NerwenGreen [10:17 PM]: what color
NerwenGreen [10:18 PM]: Does the figure look like he's noticed Thomas?
AgujaCabra [10:18 PM]: since his stealth roll was pathetic... white.
NerwenGreen [10:18 PM]: Thomas begins silently moving in the direction of the other man.
AgujaCabra [10:20 PM]: It remains motionless as Thomas approaches.. but as he nears the figure, Thomas can clearly see that is is Shepard.. without his typical hat and coat.
NerwenGreen [10:20 PM]: [Thomas was planning to dress more appropriately for this ... but he didn't know he was goign to be doing this tonight :p]
AgujaCabra [10:21 PM]: [hah.. what's he wearing again?]
NerwenGreen [10:21 PM]: [black jeans, black running shoes, dark brown turtleneck, brown leather jacket
NerwenGreen [10:21 PM]: ]
AgujaCabra [10:21 PM]: [that's fine!]

NerwenGreen [10:24 PM]: Well, anyway, Thomas silently sneaks up to him.
AgujaCabra [10:26 PM]: When Thomas nears, Shepard's head turns slightly.. his pale amber eyes appraising the approaching form, before trailing back to their spot upon the railroad.
NerwenGreen [10:33 PM]: Thomas continues to approach silently. Without a word he comes to a halt beside him.
AgujaCabra [10:37 PM]: After a minute, the fourth box car is opened from the inside, and a simple metal ramp slides out of the car, onto the ground.. Shepard observes this without a word, keeping his head slightly lowered from the pale moonlight..
AgujaCabra [10:38 PM]: Two figures exit the warehouse, approaching the car at a regular walk.. One begins to ascend the ramp.

NerwenGreen [10:42 PM]: Thomas looks for somewhere closer that he can go without being seen.
AgujaCabra [10:42 PM]: He could hide at the corner of the next warehouse.. there's no guaruntee someone won't see him, even out here.
NerwenGreen [10:43 PM]: If it looks no worse than where he is presently standing, he sneaks over to it.
AgujaCabra [10:44 PM]: All right.. again, there are large rats moving outside the buildings, but he can avoid stepping on them.. A few seem to be going inside the warehouses as well.
AgujaCabra [10:44 PM]: From this vantage point, he can easily make out the features of the meen entering and exiting the car..
AgujaCabra [10:44 PM]: [sec]
NerwenGreen [10:44 PM]: [ok]
AgujaCabra [10:49 PM]: One is a large, heavily built man, with ashen coloured skin overlapping on his face to form a definate cleft. His eyes are slightly crossed, and bulge precariously from his head, looking alert if a bit dazed.. His arms and legs are bowed irregularly, but he still looks strong. . This is the man who first entered the car. The other figure is extremely tall, over seven feet, with brackish skin dangling from his emaciated form.. His flesh appears to be riddled in bullet holes, and he stands outside the car
AgujaCabra [10:49 PM]: observing..

AgujaCabra [10:52 PM]: The one inside the car has begun to push around a couple of large wooden boxes.. He's maneuvering one to slide down the ramp.
AgujaCabra [10:53 PM]: The other man steps inside to grab a metal cart to assist in moving the boxes, and begins to step up the ramp.
NerwenGreen [10:53 PM]: Thomas watches silently, looking over at Shepard from time to time.
AgujaCabra [10:56 PM]: They are able to put two long boxes onto the cart, and wheel them down the ramp into the warehouse [these boxes are about 4'x4']. . Thomas can see other wooden parcels on the train, and some of these are the same size, while others are almost coffin-sized.
NerwenGreen [10:57 PM]: hmm
NerwenGreen [10:58 PM]: can Thomas use feral whispers on these rat things without making a sound?
AgujaCabra [10:58 PM]: hm... feral whispers usually requires that you speak out loud to the animal. I think he could listen to them, but not speak without being heard. Of course, 'speaking' to rats is making rat noises.
NerwenGreen [11:00 PM]: "Although it isn't necessary to actually "speak" in chirps, hisses, or barks, some vampires find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time; if it's broken, the Kindred must look into the beast's eyes once again to regain contact."
AgujaCabra [11:01 PM]: [hm... if he gets a good roll]
NerwenGreen [11:01 PM]: [ok .. lemme figure out what he's actually going to do ... he'll just keep watching until then ;)]
AgujaCabra [11:04 PM]: A number of these rats begin to gather around Thomas, brushing up against his legs unless he steps away from them.
NerwenGreen [11:04 PM]: Thomas drops to a crouch and finds a nutria to talk to.
AgujaCabra [11:05 PM]: One of the nutria attempts to bite him in the face as he gets down low.
AgujaCabra [11:05 PM]: [sucky roll]... it misses.
NerwenGreen [11:06 PM]: Thomas stands up again and withdraws from the crowd of rats.
AgujaCabra [11:06 PM]: The crowd follows him..
NerwenGreen [11:06 PM]: hmm... this isn't good.
NerwenGreen [11:06 PM]: Thomas looks for somewhere that he can climb.
AgujaCabra [11:07 PM]: There is a closed trash dumpster on the side of the warehouse, and a small, mainly dead tree, further away.
NerwenGreen [11:08 PM]: Can he climb up on either of them without being seen?
AgujaCabra [11:08 PM]: the dumpster, yes.. if he's quiet.
NerwenGreen [11:09 PM]: He carefully climbs up the dumpster.
AgujaCabra [11:11 PM]: The nutria encircle the dumpster, some of them looking up at Thomas, while the others merely grouse in the dirt... A couple of spiders scatter out of the way, as he joins them on top of the trash receptacle..
AgujaCabra [11:11 PM]: [man... I am sorry this is not such a pleasant place to be.. ]
NerwenGreen [11:11 PM]: Thomas looks around warily for other small animals that might be approaching him.
AgujaCabra [11:14 PM]: [shoot... I don't want to do this.. ]
NerwenGreen [11:14 PM]: [player cringes]
AgujaCabra [11:16 PM]: [er... nevermind... ] There's a slight hiss of movement by Thomas' ear, as the blade of a knife swings by.. missing him entirely... He can see the figure, crouched beside him on the dumpster-- a bizarre looking, skeletal man, with the skin pulled cruedely from his face and hands...
NerwenGreen [11:17 PM]: [oh joy]
AgujaCabra [11:17 PM]: [my rolls suck tonight... so don't worry... I got 3 botches... ]
AgujaCabra [11:18 PM]: [he probably dropped the knife, actually.. ]
NerwenGreen [11:18 PM]: [well good for him ;) ... ]
NerwenGreen [11:20 PM]: Thomas springs into a defensive crouch, trying to step on the knife in the process, grows his claws, and swipes at the other man. [does he have time to do all that?]
AgujaCabra [11:20 PM]: [whoa.... that's multiple turns!]
NerwenGreen [11:20 PM]: [yeah I know ... how badly did the guy botch and how do you want to do this ;)]
AgujaCabra [11:21 PM]: [haha... he can step on the knife, and grow his claws.. no swiping!]
NerwenGreen [11:21 PM]: [heh okay ;) .. claws take one turn, btw]
AgujaCabra [11:21 PM]: The other man scuttles off the top of the dumpster, almost falling off into the nutria.
AgujaCabra [11:22 PM]: [I know.. so next turn, you can swipe.. ]
NerwenGreen [11:22 PM]: [if he's still there ..]
AgujaCabra [11:22 PM]: [well... he's no more than a turn away.. you could attack him]
NerwenGreen [11:22 PM]: [does he look like he's planning to beat a hasty retreat, if so in which direction, or does it look like he's planning to attack again?]
NerwenGreen [11:23 PM]: [actually Thomas would swipe at him anyways]
AgujaCabra [11:23 PM]: [more a retreat position.. he would head towards the front of the warehouse, which is away from the tracks... in the direction Thomas is facing, probably]

AgujaCabra [11:26 PM]: He barely dodges, the claws grazing his shirt sleeve slightly... However, a moment later, the man vanishes entirely from view.
NerwenGreen [11:26 PM]: that was level 4 obfuscate right?
AgujaCabra [11:27 PM]: [yes.. I did roll]
NerwenGreen [11:27 PM]: [hmm... this is not good]
AgujaCabra [11:28 PM]: [it's okay.. hm. Shepard can't see him either, unfortunately.. I wonder if he can even see :p He'd have stepped up to look with the commotion.. ]
AgujaCabra [11:28 PM]: [even see you, I mean.. ]
NerwenGreen [11:29 PM]: Thomas quickly checks on what Shepard is doing and what's going on at the warehouse. He remains in his defensive crouch on top of the dumpster, dropping down a bit lower if he thinks it'll help him stay hidden, assuming that he hasn't already been spotted.

AgujaCabra [11:33 PM]: The hefty man who'd been inside the train car has slipped out of site.. although Thomas can still see the taller figure, bringing boxes down into the grass... Shepard cannot be seen from where Thomas crouches.
NerwenGreen [11:34 PM]: Where can Thomas go from where he is, aside from back down?

AgujaCabra [11:34 PM]: He might be able to get on top of the warehouse, if he gets a good jump...

NerwenGreen [11:39 PM]: so .. umm... has anyone seen him?
AgujaCabra [11:39 PM]: uh... everyone has seen him, in some sense...
NerwenGreen [11:39 PM]: do they know he's present :p
AgujaCabra [11:39 PM]: yes.
NerwenGreen [11:39 PM]: what do they look like they're doing in response
AgujaCabra [11:40 PM]: well.. you can only clearly see the tall man by the train, who is still unloading boxes. The movement inside seems to have died down somewhat.
NerwenGreen [11:40 PM]: hmm.
NerwenGreen [11:41 PM]: Thomas decides to fly away ...
AgujaCabra [11:41 PM]: hahah... he spends his blood points, and transforms into an osprey?
NerwenGreen [11:42 PM]: yeah ... does it look like he has 3 turns or does it look like someone might attack him before then
AgujaCabra [11:42 PM]: he can't see anyone approaching him...
NerwenGreen [11:42 PM]: okay ... 3 turns later he's an osprey
AgujaCabra [11:42 PM]: er... someone might do something..
NerwenGreen [11:43 PM]: fine fine, he does it in one turn :p he'll just be feeding tomorrow apparently
AgujaCabra [11:43 PM]: haha.. all right. . I'll let that slip for now :p Next time you say he does it in three, if someone interrupts him.. they do.

NerwenGreen [11:46 PM]: well anyways, he wants to fly back towards the park next to city hall, but not in the direction of Shepard.
NerwenGreen [11:46 PM]: and not over the warehouses with the unloading either
AgujaCabra [11:47 PM]: As he flies off, the area surrounding the warehouses is blanketed in utter darkness... Thomas can no longer see one side of the building he has just departed.

AgujaCabra [11:49 PM]: The shadow covers a 20 ft radius around where Thomas was.
NerwenGreen [11:51 PM]: a turn passes .. he's going to fly back to the other side of the fence, turn back into a man, and try to sneak back over to where he last saw Shepard ... assuming it isn't huge distances, and assuming he can do this without being watched ...?
AgujaCabra [11:52 PM]: well.. the trouble is... after another turn passes, the shadow expands rapidly to a 50 ft radius... Thomas can no longer see most of the warehouses.
NerwenGreen [11:52 PM]: oh..
AgujaCabra [11:52 PM]: This might occur while he is trying to land.. I will say that the shadow misses Thomas by a hair.
NerwenGreen [11:53 PM]: [if shepard dies, both of us are going to be really pissed :p]
NerwenGreen [11:53 PM]: he might not turn back into a man right away then
AgujaCabra [11:53 PM]: [this has gotten out of hand... Shepard will be okay. He has good escape mechanisms, even if he can't fight his way out]
NerwenGreen [11:54 PM]: Thomas remains in his osprey form and looks for some high-up spot where he can watch from a distance
AgujaCabra [11:55 PM]: He can either perch on a building, or continue to fly overhead..
NerwenGreen [11:55 PM]: Would any of the buildings give him a good enough vantage point to see what goes on clearly?
NerwenGreen [11:56 PM]: (such as when the shadows go away :p)
AgujaCabra [11:56 PM]: yeah, sure.
NerwenGreen [11:56 PM]: okay he lands somewhere.

NerwenGreen [12:01 AM]: Thomas continues to watch and wait.
AgujaCabra [12:02 AM]: The shadow is not going to lift for quite some time.. It's completely silent around the warehouses, and he cannot see any movement.. After around two minutes, the train begins to pull away.
NerwenGreen [12:03 AM]: What time is it anyway?
AgujaCabra [12:03 AM]: um.. was it around 12:30 or 1?
NerwenGreen [12:03 AM]: well he left his house at 11:45
AgujaCabra [12:04 AM]: so ... 1:30? I don't think he spoke to Chauncey for very long.
NerwenGreen [12:04 AM]: then he walked to the park, talked to Chauncey, and talked to the raven.
NerwenGreen [12:04 AM]: okay
NerwenGreen [12:05 AM]: Thomas is just going to sit there until an hour before dawn.

AgujaCabra [12:12 AM]: About twenty minutes later, the shadow begins to shift slowly towards the park... spanning the lanes of traffic, and probably causing an accident or two, although the roads are relatively empty.

AgujaCabra [12:23 AM]: The shadow does begin to move across the street, as I'd said before.. but it starts to move around a minute later, rather than 20 :p
NerwenGreen [12:23 AM]: Thomas watches.
NerwenGreen [12:23 AM]: Is it coming in his direction?
AgujaCabra [12:24 AM]: hm... It will pass over Thomas' building.. however, he is perched too high to be affected by this.
NerwenGreen [12:25 AM]: ok
NerwenGreen [12:25 AM]: He's mainly looking for signs of Shepard at this point.
AgujaCabra [12:28 AM]: As the shadow leaves the warehouse lot, Thomas can see Shepard down near the dumpster.. standing calmly, with clawed hands.. There is a great deal of blood on the ground in front of him, and he appears to be searching for any other approaching forms.. Looking around as the shadow passes.
NerwenGreen [12:28 AM]: Thomas flies over.
NerwenGreen [12:29 AM]: Lands on the dumpster next to him, assuming nothing happens en route.
AgujaCabra [12:30 AM]: Glancing to Thomas briefly as he perches, the red tinge to his eyes fades, and he takes a smooth step back from the gathering nutria..
NerwenGreen [12:31 AM]: Thomas reverts back to his human form.
AgujaCabra [12:33 AM]: When he notices what Thomas is doing, Shepard holds up a cautioning hand, listening intently to the air... There is still a light on inside the warehouse, and a vague shuffling can be heard from the other side of the wall.
NerwenGreen [12:33 AM]: Thomas stops and remains osprey.
AgujaCabra [12:34 AM]: [Shepard gave that bum 4 levels of aggy damage! And that's with a 4 in fortitude.. whoo... ]

[There was a huge blackout, Shepard turned on his night vision... Two tentacles wound about him, but he was able to break out of them easily, and grew some yummy claws. Nosis retreated to the warehouse... A man inside the shadow came a bit too close to Shepard, and so Shepard nearly cut him in half :p ]

AgujaCabra [12:36 AM]: Loosely folding his clawed hands in front of him, Shepard takes a slow step away from the dumpster.. Walking silently over to where he can peer inside the cracked-open warehouse door.

NerwenGreen [12:38 AM]: Thomas flies over to land silently on the roof of the warehouse, near the door.
AgujaCabra [12:40 AM]: After hesitating a few, prolonged moments, Shepard turns from the warehouse, and begins a slow walk back to the open space in the fence.
NerwenGreen [12:40 AM]: Does he look like he wants Thomas to follow, or do anything whatsoever?
AgujaCabra [12:41 AM]: He glanced to Thomas before turning away, but it was not directional.
NerwenGreen [12:42 AM]: After a moment, Thomas follows him.
AgujaCabra [12:45 AM]: After exiting through the small space, Shepard slides into a nearby ally.. Pausing there, with his back nearly against the rough brick, but not leaning.. Looking out towards the warehouses, and the front gate .. a block or so over.
AgujaCabra [12:46 AM]: [erg.. I have lost my ability to write.. that made no sense!]
NerwenGreen [12:46 AM]: Thomas lands at the opposite end of the alley and reverts back to human form.

AgujaCabra [12:48 AM]: [that doesn't make sense.. his gloves are ripped] Once Thomas reverts, Shepard looks over to him momentarily, and offers a very slight, nondescript nod.. After which, he turns back to observing the gate.

NerwenGreen [12:50 AM]: Thomas silently comes to stand next to him.

AgujaCabra [12:51 AM]: All of the lights at the warehouses flicker out, and the doors are pulled shut the rest of the way..
NerwenGreen [12:52 AM]: I guess they keep watching ...?