The Neighborhood, Session 18

[peregaming] Bert says, "Log on."

[peregaming] GM asks, "So, any lingering questions?"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Are we still mid-heist, or are we assuming we made it out of there and blew the place up without further incident?"

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "Given that Courtney's player couldn't be here, it's fairer to go with the latter option"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'll let you RP that briefly and then we'll go straight to a timeskip"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "So we're skipping out on the question of possibly stealing the escape vehicle and bringing it back to RONIN?"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "(To try to complete our mission.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Hmm."

[peregaming] GM says, "I don't want to take away player agency."

[peregaming] (from Quellynne) GM says, "But my precious notes..."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "If there were some particularly compelling aspect to the situation..."

[peregaming] GM says, "oho"

[peregaming] GM says, "let me see..."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Also, I missed that C couldn't be here today. It's just the two of us?)"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "Sadly, that's the case"

[peregaming] Bobby says (to Quellynne), "Are you on twitter? Some folks have taken to using that to communicate, apparently."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "*Twitter*? No, never."

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "You can use twitter to communicate? How would that even work?"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "It's awkward, but what can you do?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Semaphore? That would work slightly better."

[peregaming] GM asks, "So, anyway, you were suggesting a compel... maybe Bobby's Criminal Past is giving him second thoughts about Falk's reliability, and Q's Shadowed By Failure so she doesn't want to abandon a chance to infiltrate the organization even further?"

[peregaming] GM says, "The other possibility is that you come up with a way to both steal the vehicle *and* avoid blowing your cover"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'll let you guys think about this, since it's not only a pivotal choice session-wise, it'll also have consequences further down the line for everyone"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Hmm. If I'm doubting Falk, then that means I'd be doubting my whole reason for being here."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I am not particularly invested either way, I guess."

[peregaming] GM asks (of Quellynne), "Hmm. What would your character want?"

[peregaming] GM says, "(It can be a milkshake!)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "If you wanted to make it super simple, you could throw an aspect like 'On Full Autopilot' or something on the vehicle, and suggest that none of us know the passwords or have the hacking skills to reprogram it."

[peregaming] GM says, "Hm, that makes sense. And you'd all get a fate point for that"

[D&D] inky says, "it's weird to me that one of the things about d&d getting popular in current times is the explosion of all this clickbait low-content stuff"

[D&D] inky says, "like https://www.nerdsandscoundrels.com/blade-of-disaster-5e/"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "And it doesn't risk changing our motivations and goals completely :)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Indeed!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Actually, I did have one lingering question from the end of the last session:"

The data centre goes up in flames!

[peregaming] GM says, "(waits for Q to finish typing)"

Quellynne asks (of tiny_watchmaker), "So, wait, if this is a *paradox*, it means that the Bobby that just died is the *same* as our own Bobby, i.e. not our Bobby in the future who just time travels to the recent past?"

Bobby says, "Or it's just a mistake. People type stuff wrong into computers all the time."

[D&D] Gunther says, "please combine this with the recipe-clickbait-like life stories"

[D&D] Jota says, "Dungeon Masters Hate This One Weird Trick"

[D&D] Gunther says, "like https://i.redd.it/vkx4q9s1f5f31.jpg"

Tiny_watchmaker says, "PAST HAS BEEN CHANGED. THERE SHOULD BE ONE BOBBY, NOT TWO. BUT BOBBY FROM OLD TIMELINE STILL HERE."

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "I'm pretty sure our watchmaker isn't terrified of a typo."

Bobby asks (of Tiny), "You're saying there were two of me?"

[D&D] inky says, "ha ha"

Quellynne asks (of tiny), "And the universe didn't split, somehow?"

Tiny_Watchmaker says, "IT DID NOT SPLIT. SCARY."

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "(conversationally) Usually, when you change something in the past, you just break off into a new parallel universe."

Quellynne says, "It's how we amassed an army to go rescue my home dimension."

Bobby asks (of Bobby), "So it's more like Avengers than Back to the Future?"

[D&D] Gunther says, "resp. the previously mentioned https://i.imgur.com/LuBoKsA.png"

[peregaming] GM says, "(Also, from this you can also deduce a complication which will probably make it hard for you guys to get information to Falk)"

Quellynne says, "Right."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Er, (to Q)"

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "haha"

Quellynne asks, "Although someone at the base mentioned a time machine that could do either?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Correct"

Quellynne says (to tiny), "What do you know about the time machine thing? Maybe it went haywire."

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "So I guess the deal is that somehow we're in a Back to the Future situation where the dad is both alive and dead, I guess."

Bobby asks, "And in the old version of things, 'they' won, and now we're worried that 'they' might be bad guys who might win here too somehow?"

Quellynne says, "Tiny doesn't care one way or the other, I think--he's just scared of the paradox. I dunno what we're worried about, if anything."

Quellynne says, "There were two of you, and now we're back to just one again! Probably simpler for your family, on the whole."

Bobby exclaims, "Alright. Sounds good to me. Let's go get everyone out of here and blow this joint!"

Quellynne says, "Also, *you're* the 'old' version of things. The version where you died was the new one. I think."

[peregaming] GM says, "Q is astute"

[peregaming] GM says, "Probably from hanging out with a timetraveller"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hee"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Man, *that* guy. This is probably all his fault somehow."

GM exclaims (at Bobby), "In what is *not* a mixed drug metaphor, you blow the joint!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Since we got the 'facility explodes!' message before I asked my question, I was imagining this conversation taking place on a nearby hillside. But either way.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "These timelines are confusing :D"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hee"

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "I hate to say it, but if we want to investigate this time machine more, we're going to have to go back, instead of defecting to RONIN now."

Quellynne says, "I suppose one option is that you start to fade away, BTTF-style, and we definitely don't want that."

Bobby asks, "Do you think that's more important than telling Falk where the HQ is?"

Bobby says, "I guess stopping a gang of supervillains is less important than the entire universe falling apart."

[peregaming] GM says, "Especially if those supervillains may be involved somehow ;)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh, I have an idea for a flashback."

[peregaming] GM says (to Q), "go ahead"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I assume Q is typing something cool)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "No, she's just staring off into space having a flashback."

[peregaming] GM says, "hahaha"

(From Quellynne) FLASHBACK: Quellynne, in the middle of the battle with the Zodiacs, strolling around the spinning van at the end of the battle, time slowed way down around them. She takes a USB drive out of her pocket, and tucks it into a corner of the van, looking carefully at various angles to make it look like one of us dropped it accidentally. Then she moves around the van, changing the way that the Z's are being thrown off so that they are aimed for safer parts of the trees, and leaps back to the truck as time speeds up behind her.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hee"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "That is really neat! I'd feel guilty to even ask you to spend a fp for that"

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "If the Zodiacs are at all competent (and I think they have at least one competent member on that team. I hope.) they'll get the information to RONIN."

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "We could call it a wash from the compel you were considering, and say that's how I spent it?"

[peregaming] GM says, "let's go with that :)"

[peregaming] GM says, "besides, you're both a Speedster AND a former secret agent"

[peregaming] GM says, "it absolutely makes sense"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Exactly!"

Bobby asks (of Q), "So does that mean they know who we are now? And will stop attacking us?"

Quellynne says (to Bobby), "That's a really good question! It depends on if RONIN fills them in."

Bobby says, "And if RONIN gets the message, I guess the next step is to wait until they swoop in to clean this place up."

GM exclaims, "And as you ponder this, a spinning silver UFO descends!"

Bobby says, "And I assume having a team on the inside will be a big help whe--"

Bobby shuts up.

Quellynne says, "Ha. Classic."

Quellynne zips into the UFO.

GM says, "It's the getaway vehicle! There's no one in it, so one assumes it's automated"

[peregaming] GM says, "And we close this scene"

Hayley says, "Congratulations on completing a successful initiatory mission!"

Hayley says, "*cough* That was a mouthful *zzzpt*"

Bobby says, "Thanks."

Hayley says, "Anyway, welcome to the League!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Also, would it be OK to stop earlier today than we usually do? Today turned out to be busier than I thought it was going to.)"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "I'd be happy with that"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "You need to go meet Taleslinger?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Hah"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha"

[peregaming] GM asks (of Quellynne), "So, like an hour earlier?"

Bobby says, "Neat."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "That'd be great."

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Quellynne), "Works for me!"

Quellynne high-fives Bobby and Courtney.

Bobby asks (of Hayley), "So is this the kind of stuff that you usually do?"

Hayley says, "What you did was fairly low level stuff - but really cool! You took down those Zodiacs a peg! - and League missions can be really varied"

GM says, "She explains a bunch of stuff, and you basically gather that there are 1) sabotage missions to undermine the governments all over the world 2) tracking down and recruiting mutants 3) time travel heists to gain materials for the various weapons needed for the coming Reality War 4) super top secret stuff she doesn't even have the clearance for"

Bobby asks (of Q), "What do you think we should aim for next? Maybe something to help the people that Vandermund-Pryce has been preying on?"

Quellynne asks (of Hayley), "So hey--it looks like someone or something is trying to mess with our timelines. We found evidence of, like, a second Bobby in *this* universe, who seemed to be an alternate version. My understanding of time travel is that it either splits the universe or re-writes it, right? But somehow the universe didn't get split but also didn't get fully re-written? Have you heard of that sort of thing happeneing before?"

Hayley says, "Hmmmm... That's worrying."

Quellynne says, "Right."

Hayley says, "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this..."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "She's reticent to come forth with something. Rapport challenge!"

Quellynne shrugs sympathetically.

Bobby asks, "If we're going to be going on time heists, shouldn't we understand how all this works?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Or plain RP"

[peregaming] GM says, "that's always better"

[peregaming] GM says, "no dice ;)"

Hayley says, "You're... yeah. Okay."

Hayley says, "So, basically we're dealing with a bit of an issue. There's a possibility that some group within the League has some sort of rather nefarious agenda"

Bobby, remarkably, keeps a straight face.

Hayley says, "Are you familiar with a certain Carl Von Hartmann? German philosopher?"

Bobby says, "No."

Quellynne says, "No, not I."

Hunter disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.

Hayley steeples her fingers; static crackles between them. "Basically, he was a philosopher who came up with the idea that the Universe exists in order to evolve beings compassionate and clever enough..."

Hayley says, "...to abolish existence itself."

Quellynne says, "Philosophers, man."

Bobby asks, "Is 'existence' the same as 'the Universe'?"

Hayley says, "There are people who are serious about taking this idea and putting it into practice. And since the endgame of the League is to put ourselves in a position where we can control reality... those acolytes of von Hartmann would basically be biding their time inside the League for a chance to take that power and use it to erase all of reality. The multiverse, everything."

Quellynne sighs.

Hayley says, "I've been investigating, and there are a few suspects, but nothing definitive yet. So please keep an eye out, you know?"

Quellynne asks, "Can you send us on a mission with those suspects?"

Bobby asks, "So, wait, how does this relate to timelines crossing?"

Hayley says, "I'm not sure, but if someone is tampering with our equipments, it could be them. Perhaps even setting up something ahead of time, tweaking the timeline, who knows? They're crazy."

Hayley says, "I can try to arrange a mission with one of the suspects..."

[Setting the zoned flag.]

Bobby asks, "A time mission?"

Bobby says, "Hey, can we do one of those things where we go back and steal something that's about to be destroyed? So that we end up saving it by stealing it? That sounds like it would be pretty cool."

Bobby says, "And it means that even if they messed up the timelines, we wouldn't really be changing the past, so they couldn't actually do that much harm."

Hayley says, "Yep! Let me see... not the Berlin Wall... not Christmas 1986... hmm, yes, there's the Cube mission coming up with that Ferdinand Mann guy."

Quellynne asks, "Is Mann one of your suspects?"

Hayley says, "Yeah!"

Hayley says, "Probably not the ringleader, but his psychological profile..."

Bobby asks, "What's 'the Cube'?"

Hayley says, "Schrodinger Cube, invented by current head of RONIN Professor Theodore Quint, and destroyed a while back during a CIA convoy gone wrong."

Quellynne's eyebrow twitches.

Bobby asks, "Does it have something to do with cats?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "However, you're gonig to have to remind me if that was a mission I was actually on ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says (to Q), "It was your very first session :D"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "The highway thing!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I think you weren't so much on the mission as just randomly appeared from an alternate universe in the back of a truck in the middle of it."

[peregaming] GM says, "Basicaly"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "How was it destroyed?"

[peregaming] GM says, "The van it was in fell off a cliff and exploded."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I had forgotten that a Cube was even involved with that."

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "it was one of the things we couldn't possibly allow the CIA to have :D"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Hmm. Oh, they had raided Quint's house and stole all his research stuff."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Including Mallory."

[peregaming] GM says, "Correct"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "It's all starting to come back :)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "And we still have 1 hour and 50 minutes before lps is sucked back into another universe!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha"

Quellynne . o O ( I do *not* want to go on that mission. But I don't want anyone else to go on the mission either. I... oh crap. )

[peregaming] GM says, "By the way, if you want to Investigate during the downtime between now and the time travel, you can. Otherwise, we'll skip ahead to that"

Quellynne asks, "So, uh, tell us about the cube. What does it do?"

Quellynne asks, "Is it dangerous?"

Hayley explains a bunch of stuff that are all prefixed with quantum, but it boils down to 'it can kill Soulmongers! so, um, great weapon in the coming war"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "I thought it *summoned* soulmongers?"

[peregaming] GM says, "It can do a lot of things"

[peregaming] GM says, "Quite versatile"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "You never know what it can do until you open the box and look."

[peregaming] GM says, "heee"

[peregaming] GM asks, "anyway, we should probably end the scene here?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Sure."

Bobby says, "Alright, let's do it. Let's steal a Cube from the CIA."

[peregaming] GM says, "I imagine Bobby doing an El Mazo pose, complete with freeze-frame"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Woo."

GM says, "So, a week passes! Courtney is busy with another mission that involves stealing some artefacts from Nazis, and seems to be enjoying her new status a lot"

Quellynne asks (of Bobby), "So, what if we do this: the cube gets loaded on the van here, right? And they search for it in the wreckage of the explosion here. What if we reinforce its containment so it would survive the explosion, then wait at the bottom of the cliff and pick it up?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Clever"

Quellynne also writes a note to Bobby that says, "Also, I was *on that van*. The League can't find out, so we have to plan the mission to not see that part."

Quellynne then destroys the note.

Bobby says (to Q), "Huh. Seems less fun than being on the van when it goes off the cliff."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Bobby shapeshifts into a box"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(also, was I on the van with the cube or a different van?)"

[peregaming] GM says, "different van"

[peregaming] GM says, "the one with Mallory"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "On the one hand, Bobby doesn't want to blow anyone's cover."

Quellynne's note made that distinction, then.

[peregaming] Bobby says, "On the other hand, he is an Adrenaline Junkie who was looking forward to driving an exploding van off a cliff."

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Bobby), "Have the fate point!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Any excess will carry over"

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha."

GM gives a fate point to Bobby.

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Woo!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(forgot the one from earlier)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Actually, I forgot to refresh earlier."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "oh no!"

Bobby sets his current fate point total to 3.

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "oh no!"

Bobby asks (of Q), "Won't the CIA be searching the crash site afterward?"

GM gives a fate point to Bobby.

Bobby says, "We won't be able to get within a mile of it without them catching us. They're sure to find the Cube in the wreckage before we do."

[peregaming] GM says, "Bobby's right"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Remember the Eagler!"

[peregaming] GM says, "-r"

Quellynne says, "They don't know where it's going to crash. We do."

Quellynne asks, "I... I *guess* if you wanted to go over the cliff with it, we could be waiting at the bottom? And you could make sure the reinformcements hold?"

Bobby says, "Yeah, I think we really ought to have at least one of us with the Cube."

Bobby says, "We don't want to let it get away."

[peregaming] (from GM) Taleslinger says, eating popcorn, "yessss split the party'

[peregaming] GM says, "And yeah, that works."

[peregaming] GM asks, "So, plan settled?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Sure."

Bobby asks, "OK, so how do I get into the van? Do we have any cool CIA infiltration stuff I could use to pretend to be one of the guards?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Although Q still has reservations about the cube existing."

Bobby asks, "Or is there a way I could stow away? Like, hiding in a crate of stuff that's supposed to go in the same van?"

GM says (to Bobby), "Mann was a former CIA agent, so he could help you with the first option"

Bobby asks, "Was he involved with this the first time around?"

GM says, "Indirectly: he was a prisoner being transported with the convoy and shit happened"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Do I know this part of the story? 'Mann' sounds vaguely familiar."

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "Ferdinand Mann was a former nemesis of Remba and Jack's who was hired by the CIA to pose as a supervillain as part of a conspiracy ultimately orchestrated by Old Jack"

[peregaming] GM says, "Otherwise known as the... Funny-Man"

[peregaming] GM says, "You thought he'd died, though�."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Aha! OK."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "So I only know stories."

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "He may have seen a vague blur when you ran past him, but nothing more"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Also, can I safely assume that you guys have been dimensionally transported by Diana Trapp to the location of the time machine, along with Mann?"

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Sure!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Sure."

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Can we also say that we were briefed, so in the future if we have questions, we can retroactively say she answered them already?"

Mann says, "I felt like a classic videogame character for a moment there!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Sure!"

Mann says, "stretches; his limbs extend like rubber."

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Is Mann dressed as a clown?"

GM says, "oops"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Bobby), "He is!"

Mann stretches; his limbs extend like rubber. His clown features are definitely in the uncanny valley.

Bobby says, "So... I take it you won't be taking part in the infiltration part of this."

Mann says, "I'm here for the spatiotemporal lock! And backup."

Mann says, "I can declownify at will, anyhoo"

Bobby is wearing a non-descript black suit, standard government agent style. It threatens to rip apart at the shoulders if he flexes too much.

GM says, "A vast warehouse stretches out before you, with no natural light. A huge machine is in the middle, and a significant component of it is what appears to be a titanic head in a vat, its eyes lidless. Quellynne, you recognize this as some grotesque parody of Jack's head! Connected to the device via cables."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Before we go, I'd like to Create an Advantage:"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I would like to do a Create Advantage with Provoke to make Mann think he has Something To Prove, so that he might confess something to me later."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha, timing."

[peregaming] GM says, "hehe"

Quellynne blinks at the device.

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "I want to chat with Mann about the CIA and what to expect from them and stuff. Rapport, maybe?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Rapport works!"

Bobby rolls Good (3) + 4dF: 0 -1 0 0 | Fair (2)

[peregaming] GM says, "I set the TN for both at +3, because there's something definitely odd about Mann..."

[peregaming] GM says, "...unsettling, even"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Aw. Oh well."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I'll let Bobby rp first."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Okay!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Also, you can roll for Provoke, same TN"

[peregaming] Bobby says (to W), "I failed, so feel free to narratively explain that by ruining my attempt with your Provoke :)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(are we doing the thing where a failure means the advantage is created anyway with a free tag from the opposition?)"

Bobby says (to Mann), "So what are these CIA guys like? I've never met one before."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "s/W/Q/"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Quellynne), "let's do that!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Mann now has an advantage: Knowing Smile"

Mann 's Knowing Smile freaks you out. He tells you basic stuff as though you being a foreigner meant you were clueless.

[Crows-Nest] Bobby says (to Mann), "Dude, racist much? I was born in California."

Quellynne says, "What, a clown like him? The CIA isn't going to let him know anything important. He's doomed to be a lackey, wherever he lands."

Quellynne rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 0 -1 0 | Good (3)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "oho!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Tie on an overcome, hm, what does that do here"

[peregaming] GM asks, "boost?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Yeah."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "That works!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(not overcome; create advantage)"

[peregaming] GM says, "ah, yeah, forgot"

[Crows-Nest] Bobby says, "Which is definitely a boost on tie."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "that works, you have a boost on him!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Overcome would be success with minor cost, IIRC."

[peregaming] GM says, "correct"

[peregaming] Quellynne adds both to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h88N6VTO6dtQ2RVzk1tqx4NdA5PNyShAjpXcoVjhU8M/edit#gid=454481499

[peregaming] GM says, "thanks Q"

Mann says, "I'm not a lackey! You... oh, where's a pun when you need one!"

GM says, "He is noticeably fazed."

GM says, "You people stand inside the time machine with special wristwatches wirelessly connected to the flux."

GM says, "The time has come for TIME TRAVEL"

[peregaming] GM says, "Last words? :D"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Can I try a Notice to see if anything seems tampered with? Like, presumably we can see the 'split universe' / 'overwrite universe' dial."

[peregaming] GM says, "Sure, that's a TN of +3 since you don't want to be noticed and you have limited time"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(or the equivalent)"

Quellynne rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: -1 -1 0 0 | Mediocre (0)

Bobby says, "I'll be back."

[peregaming] GM says, "aww"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Meh. Hmm. I guess I won't spend my fp yet."

[peregaming] GM says, "also yay Bobby Schwarnegger"

[peregaming] GM says, "(technically more a South American Robert Patrick, but let us not be distracted)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "And of course he said this in a Guanaman accent instead of Austrian."

[peregaming] GM says, "indeed"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha."

Quellynne is distracted by the time flux!

GM says, "You all hurtle through unreal space! It's painful and scary! (Also, for the record, the Watchmakers opted to stay at home in Q's dirty laundry basket, where the comfort of entropy and thermodynamics reassures them)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "So, time to split the party!"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'll probably handle this more as a Challenge with opportunities for complications/RP as we go along"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Is it Bobby +Mann and Q or B and Q+M?"

[peregaming] GM says, "probably the latter if you want to provoke M"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "B and Q/M."

[peregaming] GM says, "excellent"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "'You take him.' 'No, I don't want him. You take him!'"

[peregaming] GM says, "haha"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And also it means Mann is further away from past-Q."

[peregaming] GM says, "indeed"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "So, Bobby goes first!"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "OK! What's the scene?"

Hunter arrives at home.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Also, is this an Overwrite time mission or a Split time mission? I've been assuming the former.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "It's an Overwrite"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I was assuming the latter."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Oh, OK."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Hopefully we won't accidentally kill Jack, Remba, or that lady from the other dimension in the process."

[peregaming] GM says, "The reason is that a Cube from the same universe is more effective blablabla"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Bobby), "Hopefully!"

GM says (to Bobby), "You are driving the van that contains the Cube, under false pretences. There's a CIA agent next to you."

[peregaming] GM says, "(let me check the transcript)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I forget, is the back of the van connected to the front? (Like, a door or something?)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "(Also, darn. How did I wind up stuck driving...)"

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "There's a door"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks (of Bobby), "Did you want to not be driving?"

[peregaming] Bobby says (to Q), "I don't know how I can get to the Cube if I'm behind the wheel."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Also, we want the same thing to happen as last time, so having the same driver would make sense, I think."

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Yeah. But if it wasn't possible for me to finagle that, then I'll just have to figure out a way around it!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Hold on a sec, I'm terribly sorry"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I'm a PC; I'll get creative."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Heh."

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "This is going to get quite awkward. Because it seems the van with the Cube is the same which had MAllory."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Ha ha."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Which, as you're about to find out, is not necessarily a very safe place to be!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Also, it might be amusing to cut between Bobby trying to do stuff in the middle of a firefight and Mann and I having a Mental battle of insults.)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yeah!"

GM exclaims (at Bobby), "So, a lot of things happen: a Mamborghini speeds up behind you, then crashes spectacularly, then there's the sound of people shouting in the back and your fellow driver pulls a gun out to shoot through the hatch/door at them!"

GM says, "INITIATIVE"

Bobby rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 +1 +1 -1 | Great (4)

GM clears the initiative.

Bobby registers Bobby at init 4.

GM registers Protagonists at init =100.

GM registers CIA agent at init 3.

GM displays the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA agent(3)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(for me too, just for coordination?)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I'm going to go with the fact that Bobby doesn't know how this played out the first time, and just do whatever I think he would do, without metagaming to make the timelines match."

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "Makes sense! Plus, it's an Overwrite so there's fun there"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I think you know that Mallory survived, at least."

[peregaming] GM says, "You mean Quellynne"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha, yes, me too."

GM advances the initiative: BOBBY(4) CIA agent(3)

[peregaming] GM says, "(Don't worry about the protagonists for now)"

Bobby exclaims (at Agent), "Don't just shoot randomly! You could hit something important! Open the door and get back there!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I'm not sure what to do mechanically just yet, so I'm considering creating an advantage if I can."

CIA agent says, "OK!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Like, taking a certain amount of control of the situation rather than just passively responding, by directing him back there."

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Would that make sense as a Rapport CA?"

[peregaming] GM says, "You can probably create an advantage with Rapport to do that, defuse the situation before the protagonists start fighting back"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "s/protagonists/antagonists/"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "TN 4!"

[peregaming] GM says, "since it's high tension"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Oh, dang."

Bobby rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 +1 +1 -1 | Good (3)

[peregaming] GM asks, "Fp?"

[peregaming] GM says, "You have a mustache that inspires confidence"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Nah, I don't want to start burning through them on something that minor."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "I was just doing it because there was nothing else useful for me to do yet."

Bobby advances the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA AGENT(3)

GM exclaims, "The CIA agent opens the door, and a gelatinous mass leaps at his face! He tries to shoot it, but it latches on to him!"

Bobby . o O ( OK, I guess I'm glad I'm the one driving now... )

GM asks, "Behind the door are... Quellynne? And a guy who looks like her twin brother? And some female CIA agent?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Wait, we *are* on the same van after all?"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "That's why I checked the transcripts."

[peregaming] Bobby | [peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "This is going to get quite awkward. Because it seems the van with the Cube is the same which had MAllory."

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Was this a re-write from what I remember?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Fortunately, you're not on that van. The future you, I mean. Past you is there."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I saw that, but I thought Mallory was on a different van from past-me."

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "nope, it's just me checking the transcripts"

[peregaming] GM says, "and realizing I'd misrembered"

[peregaming] GM says, "Misremba'd."

[peregaming] Bobby says (to Q), "Mallory was in the van with Jack, and you were in the van with Jack."

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "got it!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "So I'm going to make some deductions and use the transitive property to guess that you were on the van with Mallory."

Jack says, "OK, I thought we might be able to get in, do this, and get out before they realized we were here, but it looks like that's not happening."

Jack blips!

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: 0 0 0 -1 | Fair (2)

GM says, "(attack roll to teleport you, the driver, and take your place)"

Bobby rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: +1 0 -1 -1 | Poor (-1)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Whoops, should have been 1 higher, but so sad, I failed anyway :)"

Bobby says, "Woah, man. If you want to drive so bad, you could have just asked."

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "And because you Think With Your Fists, your attempt to punch back means Jack teleports you slightly off from where he'd planned? *offers fp*"

[peregaming] GM says, "By which I mean you're now dangling on the outside of the van"

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "OK!"

GM gives a fate point to Bobby.

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Since he was teleporting me to the right, that means I'm outside the passenger seat, right?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "yep!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "RP and then we'll cut to Q!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I assume typing is happening)"

Bobby's vision blurs for a split second, and then he's suddenly in free-fall! He grabs at the side of the van with adrenaline-fueled strength, embedding his fingers in the metal plating of the passenger door!

Bobby . o O ( Is this what happened to that guy in the first timeline? )

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Q!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "(Also, I'm AFK for a moment.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "no problem"

Quellynne says (to Mann), "So, I read your file. People have been using you for a while, looks like. I'm surprised your OK with that, really."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(normal attack with Provoke, I think. Mental stress/consequences if I succeed.)"

Quellynne rolls Good (3) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 0 | Superb (5)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] GM asks, "what skill does he defend with?"

[peregaming] GM says, "I forgot :P"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "I also forget. Maybe empathy?"

[peregaming] Quellynne looks it up.

[peregaming] Bobby says, "My thought was Will."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "It doesn't actually say for Attack, but it's Will for the others."

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 -1 0 +1 | Fair (2)

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "I'll go ahead and tag my boost!"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Back."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "('something to prove')"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "So a total of 5 damage!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "He ticks a box and takes a Mild Consequence!"

Mann says, "Who said I was okay with it? I'm a clown because The Smile On My Face Is Fake!"

[peregaming] GM says, "there's the name of the consequence right there"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Done!"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Is he attacking back?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(or doing something else)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Actually:"

Quellynne registers Quellynne at init 2.

GM registers Mann at init 1.

Quellynne advances the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA agent(3) QUELLYNNE(2) Mann(1)

GM displays the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA agent(3) QUELLYNNE(2) Mann(1)

Quellynne advances the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA agent(3) Quellynne(2) MANN(1)

Hunter disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "He'll strike back with Provoke himself!"

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 +1 | Great (4)

Quellynne rolls Average (1) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 -1 | Average (1)

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "I'll take the hit! What's he say?"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Also, did you present yourself to the League as Reset or Quellynne or Jacqueline?"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I don't think it came up)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh, hmm."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I guess "Reset"."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh! Can I say that I Empowered Jack as things got started? I was going to when I was clearing the aspect page and then forgot."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "No problem!"

Mann says, "Now listen to me *his face contorts itself, no longer a clown but a shifting mass of rubbery chaos* Reset, do you honestly believe there's any point to this all? This Reality War? Look at me, I'm standing at the foot of a cliff near where I should have died. Why are we here? Why are YOU here? You're not any better than me. You're a lackey who thinks they think for themselves, but really you're just a pawn! It's all a game!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I mean, you're literally accurate..."

[peregaming] GM says, "So meta"

Quellynne winces.

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "And it's B's turn!"

Bobby is danging from the passenger door of the van by his fingers, with his legs dangling behind. He's not really interested in getting back into the front of the van with that guy who just teleported him out, so instead he kicks as hard as he can at the side of the van, trying to break smash open a hole into the back part!

Quellynne advances the initiative: END OF ROUND

Quellynne advances the initiative: BOBBY(4) CIA agent(3) Quellynne(2) Mann(1)

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "I'm guessing that's a Physique Overcome? Vs. some opposition number?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yep!"

[peregaming] GM says, "TN 6! 7, if you don't want to injure Jack."

Bobby rolls Legendary (8) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 0 | Legendary+2 (10)

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Wouldn't it be Q and Remba I'd be injuring?"

[peregaming] GM says, "oh, right"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "(Since they're in the back, where I'm kicking.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "anyway, you're amazing them"

Remba says, "Halt! Are you a supervillian!"

Quellynne says, "What the actual hey is going on here..."

(From Bobby) Inside the back of the van, there's a loud crashing noise, and the side of the van erupts inward! Crates are tossed aside, narrowing missing Quellynne and Remba, and Bobby hurls himself inside through the hole.

Bobby says, "Hi! Sorry, not trying to ruin whatever you've got going on here."

Remba morphs into a giant robot with LASERS.

[peregaming] Bobby looks around at the crates to identify the one with the Cube in it.

Bobby looks around at the crates to identify the one with the Cube in it.

Bobby advances the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA AGENT(3) Quellynne(2) Mann(1)

Quellynne's head suddenly aches, and she twitches as her memories get changed.

[Crows-Nest] Bobby asks, "Out of curiosity, was that 'the actual hey' line from the GM or lps?"

SATSAM says, "I AM A VERY ADULT ROBOT"

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "GM"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "I'm glad it was convincing"

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "Hee"

[Crows-Nest] inky says, "ha ha"

[Crows-Nest] Bobby says, "Hee."

SATSAM says, "NOW FREEZE, AND DO NOT BE ALARMED! DROP WEAPONS!"

Bobby drops the CIA-style handgun in his CIA-style holster and puts up his hands.

SATSAM says, "*in normal child's voice* I didn't expect that to happen! Usually my totally non lethal LASERS are needed!"

GM advances the initiative: Bobby(4) CIA agent(3) QUELLYNNE(2) Mann(1)

[Crows-Nest] GM asks, "Q?"

Quellynne asks (of Mann), "OK, so that's frustrating; I get it. I *do* feel like a pawn. But I'm doing something about it! What are *you* doing?"

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "I think another provoke attack."

Quellynne rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 +1 +1 +1 | Epic (7)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Wow"

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 0 | Superb (5)

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "I'll tag 'smile on my face is fake'!"

[Crows-Nest] GM exclaims, "You take him out! Mentally!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "So he confesses! Or reveals that he's actually innocent, if that's the case."

[peregaming] GM says, "Let me type this momentous moment out :D"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hee"

Mann says, "Do you know what I'm going to do?"

Mann smashes his time travelling wristwatch!

Quellynne blinks.

Mann says, "I was never planning on going back to the future."

Mann says, "Because, you see, today is the day I died."

Quellynne asks, "Did the League rewrite things and save you?"

Mann says, "No."

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Is Mann a closed loop?"

Hunter arrives at home.

Mann says, "I'm now part of a closed loop. No end, no beginning."

Mann says, "True immortality, my reward for what I did."

Mann laughs.

Quellynne asks, "For doing what?"

Mann says, "Oh, wouldn't you like to know. A service so secret they erased most of it from my mind. But it was the perfect crime."

Mann smiles.

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "And we can wrap this up here if you like! Depending on how you feel!"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Are we going to pick up from here next time?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yep, most probably"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Sure, that works for me."

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Cool, sounds good!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Next time will also be next year!"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Thanks!"

[peregaming] Bobby asks, "Will we retcon Courtney as having been with us all along?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Bobby), "I already have a plan!"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Or Courtney can arrive after the signal from the wristwatch was damaged. Or the pre-existing plan!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Heh."

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Also, I don't think anyone else has filled in the schedule for next month :\"

[peregaming] GM says, "aww"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Yeah, I haven't been able to think about it ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "That's okay. I have a really complicated plot to untangle anyway :D"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Heh."

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims (at GM), "Thanks for the game!"

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "You're welcome :)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "I hope it wasn't too slow or convoluted!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I have been watching way too much Doctor Who)"

[peregaming] GM says, "(blame lockdown for that)"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "Ha."

[peregaming] GM says, "I also hope Tale doesn't mind how I ineptly portrayed Remba/SATSAM's RP"

[peregaming] Bobby says, "That also explains https://twitter.com/wade_peregrine/status/1339600918803726338"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[peregaming] GM says (to Bobby), "also in theory I have created a scenario in which both you and Tale could play two different characters in the same session"

[peregaming] GM says, "*head explodes*"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Anyway, a happy holiday to you all!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "And best wishes for 2021!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(also I thank the small miracle - mainly Q's great Provocation skills - which allowed me to land a cliffhanger at just the exact time Q wanted to end the session)"

[peregaming] Bobby exclaims, "Merry Christmas et al.!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Bobby), "Citation needed!"

[peregaming] GM says, "And thank you for playing"