hats
Acolotls
Posts: 39
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Post by hats on Oct 8, 2020 21:37:53 GMT -5
Let's do this.
A quick point for you! An immediate riposte from her! A nasty bank shot just slips by your guard--but you fire back and catch her by surprise! Two-two, and the tension's rising... and then Ox leans over to the next table and snags their puck, too! The action heats up as your and her hands fly over the table, struggling to keep both pucks in play with no time to rest.
You're evenly matched--how are you gonna tip the scales in your favor?
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Post by PuntRocket on Oct 8, 2020 23:08:41 GMT -5
What a beginner move, WHIP out your second Mallet! We do everything in TWOS. 2x defense 2x offense
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Post by fuzzysocks on Oct 8, 2020 23:32:22 GMT -5
After grabbing a second mallet, slide your first one across the board. Could make for a momentary distraction - and a moment's all you need.
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Post by Eversor on Oct 8, 2020 23:59:20 GMT -5
>Your grandfather told you never to use this technique unless your life was on the line....But this is dire....time to perform the "DEVIL BLITZ!"
(Pull out two additional pucks from your OTHER back pocket and toss them onto the battlefield.)
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hats
Acolotls
Posts: 39
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Post by hats on Oct 10, 2020 0:33:00 GMT -5
What a beginner move, WHIP out your second Mallet! We do everything in TWOS. 2x defense 2x offense You stretch out as far as you can and yank a mallet out of a service tech's hand. No time to apologize--you just barely manage to counter a wicked dual zigzag assault with your new weapon. Mallets akimbo, you face off against Ox, who smirks and shifts her grip to a position to the groove behind the handhold. A pro stance. (That's the playstyle Jacinta "Goose Egg" Saint-Martin used to clinch a shutout win at last year's regional finals! That clip was on every screen in the rec room for a month!)
After grabbing a second mallet, slide your first one across the board. Could make for a momentary distraction - and a moment's all you need. But you're not out of it yet. You throw a wrench into Ox's relentless offensive machine and send a mallet gliding to the center line, splitting the field in half. The angles of attack change in your mind's eye, ricochet shots playing out in a thousand possible alternate universes, and you deftly bounce a puck off the wall, off the drifting mallet, and into the goal. Point!
>Your grandfather told you never to use this technique unless your life was on the line....But this is dire....time to perform the "DEVIL BLITZ!" (Pull out two additional pucks from your OTHER back pocket and toss them onto the battlefield.) No time to rest on your laurels, whatever those are.
Your grandfather left you three things: an appreciation for the Marx Brothers, an appreciation for Marx, and FORBIDDEN TECHNIQUE: D E V I L B L I T Z. Time to make ol' Pop-Pop proud.
Two more pucks hit the table. Chaos reigns.
You lose track of the points, of everything except the puffs of air brushing your wrists and the clacking of plastic on bumpers and the pulse pounding in your ears. You play like you've never played before.
And then the compressor dies down. The free-floating mallet sinks to the table's surface. Up above, the score blinks at both of you:
10 - 9
Victory.
Ox sets down her mallet, drums her fingers on the table, sizes you up. "Not bad," she says, which is a gross understatement of the legen-fucking-dary performance you just gave but you can't be too mad because there's a hint of a smile there, and that's new. "Not bad at all, Shrike."
Time's ticking down--only enough left on the clock to say just one thing to her before you've both gotta run to that damn meeting.
Better make it good.
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Post by fuzzysocks on Oct 10, 2020 0:46:16 GMT -5
Keep it simple, short. "Not bad yourself."
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Post by PuntRocket on Oct 10, 2020 0:56:25 GMT -5
> If you're free later, I'd like you to show me that grip.
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hats
Acolotls
Posts: 39
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Post by hats on Oct 10, 2020 13:34:20 GMT -5
Keep it simple, short. "Not bad yourself." > If you're free later, I'd like you to show me that grip. Two voices vie for control in your head. You open your mouth-- "Not a bad grip. I'd like you to show me yourself." ...ffffffffuck. Ox lets out one bark of laughter, a ha! that fills the whole room. "Let's survive the mission first." And she's gone. You hurry up and follow in her wake, extremely embarrassed and extremely cognizant of the fact that, hey, she didn't say no. The conference room's as busy as ever. The thirty-odd folk you live beside are there, all in various stages of caffeine-fueled wakefulness. Ox squeezes in between Hare and Leech; you grab a sit next to Stoat, who offers a salutation via fist-bump.  Cat walks in at 0759, counting heads on her stroll to the podium, and waits silently until the clock ticks over to 0800.  In her calm, clear tones: "Good morning, everyone." All together, now: "Good morning." "First: personnel updates." She snaps her fingers; the screen behind her flickers to life, revealing a simple chart with Name and Status columns. Several rows are in yellow; two are red. "Stag has been placed on medical leave." Cat extends a hand toward the lanky man beside Ox. "Leech?" Leech coughs, clears his throat. "Stag's fine. Took a bullet at near-max distance; minimal blood loss, and they'll be fit for duty in a week. Don't let them convince you otherwise." A few chuckles. Stag clutches their injured arm and feigns agony. "Good." Cat points up at the other red-highlighted name. "Crow is now eighteen hours overdue on his check-in, and he has been elevated to missing-in-action. Shrike and Ox are searching the marketplace today. Any other contact from him should go straight to me. Otherwise, standard duty rotation applies."  She presses her lips together, just for a moment. "Due to increased risks and higher casualties, we've requested additional support from the Western Branch. They're sending us one of their best for a month. Shrike, you'll rendezvous on today's mission, and he'll be rooming with you until we find more suitable housing." Oooh boy. Looks like you've got some housecleaning to do. "Any questions?" |
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Post by Eversor on Oct 10, 2020 14:29:10 GMT -5
(Its like one of my animes, transfer student is coming and they are going to fall in love with meeee)-You think
>Raise your hand, Ask "What is the status of Ligma?"
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Post by PuntRocket on Oct 11, 2020 0:29:12 GMT -5
>Yes Maam. Why are we wasting time on confirming the death of an old timer?
We all know our time is brief, and he's had many turns to enjoy.
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hats
Acolotls
Posts: 39
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Post by hats on Oct 11, 2020 0:54:16 GMT -5
>Yes Maam. Why are we wasting time on confirming the death of an old timer? We all know our time is brief, and he's had many turns to enjoy. "The vitals feed from Crow's transponder was... disrupted. My chief concern is that Crow is not dead, and that he is instead in enemy hands." Cat spreads her own hands wide. "Given enough time, none of us are wholly immune to coercion. If Crow is broken, or turned, then the whole branch could be compromised.
"If he is merely delayed or injured, bring him back. If he is dead, confirm the kill. If he talked... confirm the kill."
That's some cold shit. It's gonna be a good day.
Cat doesn't blink. She waits for the tittering to die down. "Project Ligma is at 45% completion. Our contractors have struggled to find enough raw materials to complete the construction on schedule--contractors you recommended, Shrike, and I expect a full accounting of every nut and bolt when this is all said and done. This was your brainchild, and it's on your head if you fail to see it through."
You roll your eyes. Ha ha, yes, very funny. But... when was the last time Cat made, like, a single joke? Ever?
She's gripping the podium with both hands now, varnish curling from the antique wood as her nails dig deeper and deeper into it. "Need I remind you that fully half our discretionary income is going towards Ligma? Do you have any idea how much creative accounting we do to keep your pet project off of the books and under wraps?"
There's a little less humor in the room now. A couple of your coworkers glance in your direction, confusion in their faces. There's confusion in yours, too. Did you come up with another superweapon in your sleep? How drunk were you at the holiday party, anyway? "Cat, what--"
"Every single report that goes to high command raises questions, Shrike. You know the top brass doesn't settle for anything less than perfection. General Theseus and General Bophades are inches from coming out here themselves and putting the whole branch through an audit, which would cost time, which means lives, Shrike. Is that what you want?"
You claw through the fog, grasping at any strand that might lead you out. "Generals? We don't have... What are you... Theseus and who?"
The expression on her face... it's not a smile. Not exactly. It's more like a predator baring its teeth right before moving in for the kill. "Bophades. Bophades Nuts."
The room erupts in cheers, jeers, laughter, a bunch of other dumber sounds. Stoat fully slides off her seat and onto the ground, clutching her stomach, almost sobbing with laughter. You glare down at her.
Bosses, man. Why this place hasn't gone full worker-owned co-op is beyond you.
Cat claps her hands once and attention gradually returns to the front. "Shrike, Ox, your ride leaves at 0845. Moving on: regional status updates. Stag, your report?"
Ugh. You know all this shit by heart already. It'd be pretty easy to just space out until this thing is over, unless you're keen on a refresher course in intra-urban political upheaval and some real unpleasant numbers about mortality rates. Or if you wanna sneak another genital joke in somewhere. That's always fun.
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Post by fuzzysocks on Oct 11, 2020 0:57:16 GMT -5
Zone out, think of something cool, like stuff we do in our free time. What DO we do in our free time? Endless air hockey?
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Post by Eversor on Oct 11, 2020 14:13:37 GMT -5
Shrike just got murdered and all the witnesses clapped.
Zoneing out is really your only choice.
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hats
Acolotls
Posts: 39
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Post by hats on Oct 11, 2020 16:57:13 GMT -5
You let your focus drift. Your old shrink might've called it meditation. You call it "being a daydreaming fuckhead."
What do you do around here, anyway?
Air hockey's fun. Good to a have a hobby where you can annihilate people and not have to fill out paperwork afterwards.
You did... kinda... sorta... turn the other half of your quarters into an anime nest. There are some questionable pillows in that pile, and it'll be good to get 'em stowed before your new roomie gets here. Maybe they're into it, but that's not exactly a day-one conversation unless they carry their gear in an ita-bag.
Ooh, shit, speaking of which--the last supply drop had some actual print manga! You only caught a glimpse, but there might've been the collected Tekkonkinkreet in there, and that shit is cash. Better hit up the library later to snag it before somebody else does. (There's at least one other anime nerd on staff, and by the gods you will find them, and you will talk to them about how season three of Ass Swordsman Tetsuo is unparalleled genius.)
"Shrike..." You're yanked out of your anime fugue. "...And Ox, remain here for briefing. The rest of you: dismissed."
Thirty-odd chairs scrape against the linoleum and most of the room trickles out, still chatting about your brutal assassination. You and Ox head to the front.
Cat spares you only the slightest glance. "Your contact is well-rounded. Demolitions, infiltration, close-quarters. No picture provided; described as large frame, brown hair, minimal implants. He goes by Johnson. He's to follow your orders and provide general support until you return to base."
Ox nods. You nod, too--more authority? No complaints there, even if it's just temporary.
"Get it done." Cat leaves without a backward glance.
Ox reaches over and punches you on the shoulder in a we're-all-friends-here sort of way. Still hurts like hell. "I'll see you at the gate. Look on the bright side: you've already died once today. The odds are good that it won't happen again."
Reeeeal comforting, that.
You wanna take a minute to go over your gear list, hit up the armory, spec out for the job? Or just go with the standard stuff and head for the gate, ready to rock and roll?
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Post by fuzzysocks on Oct 11, 2020 17:37:26 GMT -5
Go over the gear list then hit up the armory. It'd be better to figure out what we're bringing before we go to grab more.
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