BrokenPromise

Symphony of Espers

Luna was not a huge fan of freelancers. At their best, they were eccentric and motivated by money. At their worst, they were that and a pain in the ass to deal with. Regina was certainly the latter, seemingly looking down her nose at everyone around her. “Uhhhhhh, a hunter without a hunter is a dead hunter, uhhhhhhh!” Like seriously, how chuuni do you need to be to say something so cringe? The fact that she was pretending to be the leader was also somewhat irksome, and totally uncalled for. If anyone was in charge, it would be Billy or herself. Claiming expert skills to a group of strangers was a huge red flag too. At least the quiet girl wasn’t going out of her way to be obnoxious. It was actually kind of cute how she interacted with Billy. Regardless of how much she liked or disliked her present company, or her reservations about freelancers, it didn’t change the fact that she was going to need to rely on them. So Luna decided to keep her chin up and be as pleasant as she could.

”I’m Tetrad, by the way. As for what I do, mmmm, a little bit of everything with a little bit of luck.”

Hopefully that would be enough.

---

The magic veil was unexpected, as was the group of gorillas. Only Luna lacked the animal knowledge to realize they were people in suits, and also the clarity of vision to realize they were suppose to be gorillas.

”This is like that time I got jumped in the Bronx!” _{Apologies to anyone that might have offended. Don't hurt me, tis just a meme.}

Whatever they were, they barely had time to charge before super stealth Regina used a very big attack on them. That was a lot of arrows.

But Luna didn’t feel safe standing out in the open like this. While the “great and powerful hunter Regina” might have been content to just stand there and hose everyone down with arrows, Luna decided to move to higher ground should they close the distance.

She ran for one of the shipping containers and jumped. To get a bit more oomph, she conjured a melody to shove her higher into the air, where she would be high enough to climb onto the shipping container. This felt a bit more safe, provided nothing was hiding inside.

She drew Pit Boss, her hoola-hoop shaped weapon, and pointed it at the incoming apes. The middle of the loop started to surge with energy before it launched a barrage of playing cards. Each card that hit something burst into confetti. Despite how colorful the projectiles were, the confetti was no joke. It cut like shrapnel on contact. Luna focused her fire on the gorillas headed towards the quiet girl. She never gave her name, did she?

”H-hey!” Luna called to her. ”Watch where you’re going!”

She would have shouted a warning to Regina too if she could, but she probably had things under control. That smug little-

Luna

21 | Female | Maverick | Fortune
Pit Boss | Staff | Arcane | High Roller
Croupier | Graceful
Gambit | Gravity | Draw 4
[Weightless(4), Suspend(4)], Damage(2), Heal(16), Push(2), Transplace(8), Extend(2), Purify(6), Zone(4), If: Friend (0), Else(0)

DAMAGE: E | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: D | 750

Roll = Contracted notes roleplayerguild.com/rolls/22317

[Bronze Self][Push] = -16 MP

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 734

Symphony of Espers

The first espers to arrive were all of the Gemini Agents. Jacqueline remarked on how annoying it was to receive an unknown number of freelancers for a mission, which got Binky’s attention.

”I could probably notify you of how many we are getting, though Veronica had me use her account when I put up the hit on Shimr. They give priority to high ranking government officials and qualifying faction leaders. Though I can’t log in and find out who’s coming, as I don’t presently have access to her computer.”

After Binky and Su shook hands, They shook Jacqueline’s hand too. While Silmeria had her hands full, that didn’t stop Su from giving her fellow agent a thumbs up and a huge smile.

Jacqueline asked about possible monster activity, and Binky looked in their direction. ”As soon as Veronica arrives, we’re going to get one of her world famous rundowns. B-but if you must know, we aren’t expecting monster activity. Agent Silhouette and a few others were dispatched earlier to ensure there weren’t any monsters nearby.” Not long after Binky finished speaking, the Freelancers started to show up. The first was “Protector,” who asked everyone for their names. ”I’m Binky, one of the mission organizers. Well, until Veronica gets here!” Binky raised an eyebrow at Leroux. While far from unheard of, it wasn’t common for an agent to use any part of their real name as a code name. Though each agent was free to do as they pleased.

”I am Breacher.” Su eyed the metal giant up and down. ”You look impressive, Protector. I know someone who love to see you! May I take picture later?”

The playful banter came to an end with the roar of an obnoxiously loud engine. Everyone watched Apollo as he sauntered over to the group, showed them the job, and declared his name and role on a team.

”A healer? You mean a medic? Noted.” With a curt twist of her head, she looked to the newly arrived. Klava’s arrival was practically silent. Though her quip about Appolo’s intelligence did get Binky to almost smile. ”Afraid the coffee machine and snacks were left in another van, along with the ice cream machine.” Binky pointed at the vehicle behind herself. ”As for your bike, safest place is probably inside one of the APCs. And the maps…” Binky pulled out a tablet and started tapping her fingers across its surface. ”I should have something shortly. I saved it somewhere for the briefing.”

Then another person showed up. A purple-haired woman in a lab coat seemed to fade into reality right beside Binky. The sudden appearance may have been jarring to some, but everyone in Gemini was aware of Dr. Fritzi Moller’s antics. It would have been stranger for her to just show up like a normal person. While she had a reputation for being “scary,” the agents had never seen her that way. If anything, she was a bit goofy. She smiled way too much for a government official, and anyone who colored their hair purple had to be a little odd. There was a rumor that all the researchers who worked under her had to color their hair at her behest, and was the primary reason Binky’s head looked like a cabbage patch.

”Good afternoon, agents!” Her eyes scanned everyone before coming to rest on the freelancers. At which point her smile receded. ”Binky?”

”Y-yes?” She looked up from her tablet.

”Who are these people?”

”They are the freelancers!” Binky smiled. ”You wanted to hire 1, right?”

”I did, but that’s-” Fritzi waved the tip of her finger between them all. ”That’s at least 3.”

Binky blushed. She might look like a Christmas elf if she got flustered enough. ”I put a hit out on Shimr. I can’t really decide how many people take the job.”

”Yes you can!” Fritzi said with a chuckle. ”Have you never used it before?”

”Um...”

With a sigh, Fritzi walked closer to Binky’s side and leaned over her so that they could both look at Fritzi’s tablet. ”Do you see that little box over there?”

”Yes.”

”You want to check that box when you host a job, and then you see this box here?”

”Uh-huh.”

”You’re going to scroll down to limited and then this second box appears, and you’re going to select ‘MAX ESP’.”

”Okay.”

”And then you select the maximum number of espers you want. It won’t let you go less than 3 because they already accepted.”

”Alright.” Binky sighed. ”Sorry everyone, I don’t use the app that much.”

”There’s no need to be sorry, Binky. I’m sure the freelancers love to get paid.” With a wink, she addressed the freelancers. ”I’m Veronica, I’m the primary overseer of this operation.” Vermillion Veronica was her full code name, which allegedly made more sense if you were looking at her esper form. But no one in the unit save maybe Binky had ever seen it before, so she usually just ended up shortening it to Veronica. ”Time is urgent, so let’s make every second count. Your primary objective is to retake PSPD #11 from Cobra Gang, ideally without leveling the place. The government is dispatching an organization that doesn’t exist instead of the army for a good reason. ”

Binky plugged a dongle into her tablet, and a drone flew overhead. Once the drone was flying between everyone, it projected an image onto the ground. It seemed that Binky had located the blueprints to the PSPD #11. ”The blueprints are a little dated, but the general layout should be the same. There haven’t been any major revisions to the building, aside from whatever the targets did after their arrival.”

The first image on display was the first floor. The rectangular building’s north and south walls were the longest, with the east and west walls being roughly half the size. Each wall had 2 and 6 windows respectively, with a large pair of double doors allowing people into the front (west) entrance and the back (east) entrance. The rooms themselves weren’t marked, but there was a large corridor that ran the length of the building and allowed access to all the side rooms. Near the front entrance was a staircase that went to the basement, while the back entrance had a staircase leading to the second floor. There was also an elevator not far from it.

”What makes this mission a little more interesting is that the basement floor contains a prison. We estimated Cobra Gang to be 30 men strong, but they may have recruited some extra muscle from the prison. Worse still is that not everyone in jail is a murderous scum bag. Aside from petty criminals, it’s possible they rounded up some innocent people as a deterrent from future attacks. This wouldn’t be the first time they did something like that. Things could quickly turn into a hostage situation if handled poorly.”

The next floors were more of the same. It seemed like each floor was essentially a giant corridor that fed off into the smaller rooms and offices. Only the entrance ways were replaced by a 3rd window, and the front door staircase was non-existent. It seemed the one staircase was the only way up or down. The 4th floor had a small change. The corridor terminated into the commissioner’s office by the west wall, and there was a clearly marked kitchen area right beside it.

”Looks like the commissioner knows how to party.” Veronica looked to Binky. ”Maybe we can have some coffee and snacks when this is all over?”

Binky didn’t sigh, but a single look at her and anyone could tell she wanted to. ”We have some people of interest too.”

”Of course.” Veronica addressed everyone again. ”The big bad that really needs to be taken out is a man who goes by the moniker ‘King Cobra.’ As you likely guessed, he’s in charge of Cobra Gang. He likes to play with explosives, so be ready for that. Killing him should seriously demoralize the gang. We don’t really know who he is though, so it would be preferable if you didn’t totally vaporize him. The second target is Jean Wagner, better known as ‘Rottweiler.’ During the police station takeover, he decided it would be better to serve his new friends, which he is still doing to this day. His capture would be ideal, but is not necessary. It should also be noted that he was trained in military Krav Maga, Tae-Kwon-Do, Jiu Jitsu, and Muay Thai. Basically, do not engage him in striking distance unless you know what you’re doing, and don’t let him grab you unless you want to have every bone in your body broken.” She pushed her hands into her pockets. ”Beyond that, there are your usual seasoned killers in the gang, but most are your average garden variety thugs. They shouldn’t know what melodies are, so use their ignorance to your advantage. Just remember that guns kill more espers than anything else, so don’t get cocky.”

”Plan?” Su rubbed her chin.

Veronica hardly needed time to consider her orders. ”I was going to go for a stealth approach, but with so many espers, why not go for a spit roast?” Veronica pointed in the direction of the police department. ”Breacher, go knock on the front door. Leroux, you might as well go with her. Valkyrie, there’s a vacant apartment complex right across the street. You can offer them supporting fire from there. Just be ready to move, as they will see you firing from a building across the street.” She pointed at Binky, then the freelancers. ”Binky, you’re going to take the freelancers around back. With everything hitting the front, you should be free to enter. Fight your way to the upper floors, I’m sure that’s where their boss is hiding.”

Binky raised an eyebrow. ”Just the freelancers?”

”No no, Silhouette will be with you shortly.”

This seemed to put Binky at ease. ”Sounds good.” She said after taking a breath.

”Once the freelancers are on the second floor, The Gemini squad will attempt to secure the jail and the first floor. Meanwhile, the freelancers and Silhouette will work their way up the floors. If the enemy is fully distracted, there shouldn’t be much resistance on the eastern stairwell, as most of them will be shooting through the windows at the Gemini unit if you hurry. You may be able to climb to the top floor, but use your own discretion and don’t get surrounded. If the Gemini squad gets pinned down, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you clearing out a floor or two.”

”I’ll try to relay information to you from Veronica and update you as the situation changes.” Binky huffed. ”Don’t expect much fire support from me. I’m strictly here for support, regrettably.”

”Get into positions everyone. Daylight is about to fade.”

---

From up above and from beneath!

VARIOUS GOAT NOISES!

FIRST SHOWDOWN

SPILL THE TEA, SIS!

Once the freelance squad was in position, Su walked out into the street before the west entrance. It was getting dark out, but it was still possible to see outside thanks to the orange light washing over the city. She could see a few of the gang members by the windows. Some were resting, others were on guard, but they were all armed and dressed in fancy suits. She could spot the familiar curved magazine of an AK-47 on one, while another held a small black pistol. The make wasn’t familiar to her, but it did look like something the local police used. They must have raided the gun lockers, if they didn’t loot them off of fallen officers directly.

But woman dressed up like SWAT members are not something that most gang members would be happy to see, and their reaction to her appearance was about what she expected. Someone on the first floor looked up from their shot glass and nearly jumped out of their seat. While he was reaching for his pistol, Su already had hers drawn, and she didn’t hesitate to shoot. His head kicked back, and he fell out of view. All that remained of him was a bit of blood on the opposing wall.

The sound of gunfire drew several armed men to the windows. ”The fuck is she suppose to be? That’s no pig!”

”Who gives a shit? Unload on her!”

Su was able to fall onto one knee and raise her shield, which covered herbody from fire. But with so many people shooting at her, it wouldn’t be possible to return fire. This was hardly the distraction her team needed, she would need to do a bit better.

Dust from the street surged to Su’s position. The effect was plainly noticeable to an esper, but not to those who had never seen magic before. But the effect would become apparent as soon as Su attempted to jump. She didn’t soar just a few inches off the ground, she flew. The thugs were initially startled by this, and weren’t able to track their target as she flew into the air.

”I gotta stop drinking.”

The gang members weren’t going to stay stunned for long, but Su was able to gun down two more of them before raising her shield again. She tucked her knees under her shield and and started to glide to the ground before her melody wore off. Hopefully that was enough to give her fellow agents the opening they needed.

specs + melody cost

32 | Female | Gemini | Steel Gaze
Bipartisan | Handgun, Greatshield | Physical | Bullet Window
Dragon Breacher | Kevlar Vest
Debris | Wind | Locally Sourced
[Storm (4), Flight (6)], Push (2), Pull (2), Build (8), Purify (6), Restrain (4), Damage (2)

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: C | 500

[Bronze Self][Flight] = -48 Mana

PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: D | CHAOS: E | 452

---

Meanwhile at the back entrance, things were pretty quiet. The espers could hear shots being fired, but that was at the front of the building. There was some movement in the windows, but it was thugs in suits rushing to the front of the building rather than a diligent patrol keeping watch for them.

”I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you this, but the attack started.” Binky pulled the APC out of the allyway and into the street. ”This isn’t exactly an inconspicuous vehicle, so the sooner you get out there, the better.”

And there were ample opportunities for the freelance squad. Veronica had instructed them to go through the back door and up the staircase, but there was no reason things had to be just like that. There were plenty of windows that could be used to enter the building, and some of them even had those gang members in them. It was also possible to see the staircase, and it did seem like some people were moving up and down the floors. But if they wanted to prevent the Gemini squad from being overwhelmed, they didn’t have time to talk about it. They needed to move now.

---

”Hey Huntress, I’m Tetrad!” She waved enthusiastically at the totally-not-ominous girl leaving the shadows. ”I don’t know about having a plan though. Most of our group is still out of city, so we don’t really know what we’ve got to work with.”

Billy turned to look at the other girl who arrived and smiled. It was hard to see his mouth, but his cheeks puffed up like any normal person’s would when they smiled. He even raised his hand and waved back to her, flexing his fingers individually as he returned her kind gesture. With his other hand, he brought up a comparably tiny phone to his face. ”Guess y’all are the freelancers we’re gunna get.”

”Oh well.” Tetrad forced a smile. She would have really liked it if a guy joined them, but she was fine with these two. Huntress and the other girl didn’t look like the type to try and smother her face in their cleavage like someone else she knew. ”So what’s the plan, Billy?”

The giant stepped out of his fancy car and brandished a sword with a serrated edge. People told stoeries about the larger than life man, but seeing him in the flesh was the only thing that did his size justice, ”We’re gunna clean Bastion of every last cultist. I say every last one!” He hoisted his blade over his shoulder and paced in front of the espers present. ”The Queen O’ Bees has decided to take Bastion for herself, and has her whole ‘Church of the Hive’ along with ‘er. Don’t know nothin’ other than that. Just that they hoard honey and kidnap people as quick as a hiccup. Even woman!” The last word he spoke caused his fist to tighten until his entire arm quivered. ”Taking the queen out is a must, but I want the rest of those honey suckin’ cultists outa Bastion too!”

”So you have a plan?”

Billy nodded. ”Why don’t y’all try sneakin’ in? I’ll make sure the exit stays clear. Not sure how useful I’ll be inside Bastion. Barely enough room to swing my blade in them corridors. Not to mention I ain’t exactly easy to spot. I-say I-say I’d be better suited makin’ sure nobody goes in after ya.” Billy walked towards the warehouse entrance. He took hold of one of the garage doors and pulled it open with ease. Sure enough, the warehouse was empty. Aside from a few empty crates put in place to disguise the Bastion’s entrance, it looked like it was abandoned. ”Y’all watch yourselves. Just don’t overextend and get surrounded.”

---

BIENVENUE POWER BOTTOMS!

IT'S YOUR TURN.

Concert 1

Unite up!

And with varying levels of hesitation, three Espers entered, their steps echoing against hard concrete and past the pale line of dust that had gathered at the edge of the warehouse’s heavy doors. In that instant, however, an electric shock, a realization of magic, shot up their spine. At a distance, viewing from the outside, the warehouse was totally empty, devoid of anything of note. But now that they were inside, the illusion cast over the mundane environment was pulled off, like a bystander walking past the curtains into the backstage.

The heavy crates, shipping containers more like, had been pushed off to the side in various manners of disarray, while the manhole that lead to the depths of Bastion was currently being occupied by…gorillas? No, Regina had experience in animal physiology, understood instinctually that these were not actually gorillas in jumpsuits, but rather furries. Seven furries with various weapons that looked like approximations of Rainbow Six Siege melee equipment, from riot shields to sledgehammers to…was that a fucking katana?

“Grugh?!” One of them let out, obviously surprised that anyone else planned on entering, before the seven of them all beating their fists against their chests and rolling their shoulders back to expose the size of their (costume’s) pecs. “RETURN TO MONKE! RETURN TO MONKE!” was the warcry they chose…and yet, as none of them carried guns, there was no real attack made yet.

---

The Great Escape was still rocking to Elroy’s fantastic covers of Van Halen’s music. It didn’t quite sit right with Betty to let Elroy do all the work, so once the first song was over, she stopped him to talk.

”I think, um.“ She sighed. ”Thank you, Elroy. I do want to finish my set though. So if you’d like to play a few more songs, I’ll get something to drink and hop back over here.“

”Take your time, Violin girl!”

”You can call me Betty if you like.“

”I prefer Violin girl!”

”Well okay then!“

Elroy was an odd duck, but Betty couldn’t argue that she owed him big for this. She hopped off the stage and moved away from the amp before he started playing his next song.

On her way past the stage, she caught a glimpse of “Trisha,” the girl who had fetched Elroy’s amp and guitar. She was wearing a retro game inspired outfit covered in little Pac Man ghosts and other videogame sprites she didn’t know the name of. While many were captivated by Elroy’s playing, no one seemed as into it as her. She stood at the corner of the stage, propping up her head with both hands. ”Knock ‘em dead, Elroy!” Betty was sure there was a story there, but if she didn’t do something about her daydreaming, she wouldn’t be able to finish her set!

By the time she got to the counter, the owner was just finishing his transaction with Fable. ”If the current performance is too loud for you, we have some seating in the back. Should make for a quieter atmosphere, if that’s what you’re looking for.” Once Fable departed, he turned to Betty. ”Suppose you want coffee too?” Betty nodded as her eyes tracked Fable. ”I’m pretty sure you kids would have the energy to get through the day if you did’t stay up so late. Not to say I don’t understand why you do it. I loved doing stuff after my parents went to bed at your age. Just don’t get use to it, I couldn’t stay up past 11 if I wanted to.” He passed her a cup of coffee. ”Anything else? I’ll just take it out of your payment if you’d like.”

”That works.“

Betty was only half listening to the owner as she walked after the hooded boy. There was no doubt in her mind that whatever brought everyone else here had brought him here too. They had to be one of those “esper friends” like Elroy. But what surprised Betty was how young he was compared to everyone else. Everyone present had to be at least an adult, but here was this boy who might not even be a teenager.Betty didn’t like to drink by herself. It looked like he had a coffee too, so that was something they had in common, right? She didn’t want to bother him, but…

Regardless of where Fable sat down, Betty would stare at the back of his head for approximately 5 seconds as she contemplated what to do next. After giving herself a moment to breathe, she took a seat opposite to Fable and put on a warm smile.

”Well hey! A fellow evening coffee drinker!“ She picked up her cup and gently shook it. ”I’m Betty, maybe you saw me up on stage? I need a pick me up before I go out there again.“ With a chuckle, she popped the lid off of her coffee. A puff of white steam whiffed into the air, making the area smell like ground coffee beans and caramel. She never understood why coffee was so hot. Yea, you had to brew it, but nobody actually drank it at that temperature. They even put a lid on it to help keep all that heat in. ”So, why are you drinking at this hour?“

Symphony of Espers

@FamishedPants That works, you can post edgy orphan boy in the character tab.

@Crusader Lord I'm extending the time in which you can make a character since you notified me of your work load this week. but I'd really like to see her finished by Wednesday next week. Maybe spend less time shitposting.

To everyone else still working on sheets: I fully plan on making my next post over the weekend. We would really like to see your character sheets before then, as it will be nigh impossible to get you into the current events otherwise.

Symphony of Espers

Also Broken:
"IC will go up on Monday."

@ERode

if not earlier!

@BrokenPromise

Symphony of Espers

Alright lads, first post is up. Move out, espers!

G.E.M.I.N.I. Agents: Veronica has assigned you to the mission to reclaim PSPD #11!

Mavericks: Are there any of you guys? Uh, just, just show up outside the warehouse where Billy and Tetrad are waiting.

Freelancers: You've got a bit of a choice to make. You can join either faction's assignment.

To those of you still working on your sheets: You have about a week left to make your characters AND get them into one of these assignments before things really take off.

Symphony of Espers

Pax Septimus roughly translates to “Peaceful Seventh.” Originally the city might have been named after the seventh heaven referenced in the Talmud: the place where the throne of god resides. Regardless of the case, god certainly isn’t in Pax Septimus now.

The terror of the local populace was hidden from view. Anyone driving by would think the city was fine, but everything was run by one group of criminals or another. Most of the wealthier establishments paid tribute to the local mafia, cultists abducted fresh victims from their homes, and criminals plundered what they could at every opportunity. The underpaid police force was barely a match, and few of them valued the law over any bribe they could be paid.

Worse still were the unseen horrors lurking in the shadows. Otherworldly monsters loomed at every corner. They discreetly manipulated the populace through fear. The more fear they created, the more they could consume. And as they made more fear, more creatures would show up to expedite the process.

But with all the misery happening in Pax Septimus, there was one pocket of comfort. Beneath an unassuming warehouse was a massive underground dwelling called Bastion. It had taken a long time to construct, but the mastermind behind its construction had found it worthwhile. Regardless of what happened outside, they would be able to continue living in comfort.

The queen of Pax Septimus stood in a concrete room with a pool filled with a chromatic liquid. Like most espers, Penny wasn’t quite normal. Her maid suit was your typical anime convention fan fair, but her hulking gauntlets were not. Every once and a while, a bolt of electricity would leap off of her gauntlets and into the concrete floor. While her face was normal, a hard look at her eyes would reveal cameras hidden behind her pretty blue irises. A closer inspection of her head dress would also reveal rows of metal pegs that were embedded directly in her head. The sound of servos filled the air as her eyes shifted from one side of her room to the other. A typical ritual for the paranoid queen of Pax.

She had done everything in her power to ensure Bastion was as safe as possible. Bastion was a fortress, but she had also bought out anyone who could possibly oppose her operation. The mafia, the cults, even the police force. They were all in her back pocket. Not only did she pay them well, but she occasionally left Bastion to help crush resistances before they could fight back. It was their lives or her safety, and that was hardly a choice worth wasting her processors on.

Queen Penny did not like to return to her normal form, but the queen discovered that she could restore her mana reserves by soaking in a pool of mercury. It was also one of the few times she could enjoy swimming, as her metal chassis was too heavy to do so normally. She reached behind her waist to untie her corset top when one of her henchmen came to the door.

“My queen!” An oni called out to her. “You must-”

”Imbecile!” The flustered queen shouted. ”Entering these chambers is punishable by death!”

The henchman did not get a chance to respond before a black blade popped out of her chest. She had just opened her mouth to scream when the light left her eyes.

”…I guess she got exactly what she deserved!” With a swing of her blade, the oni’s corpse was cast off the onyx katana. Standing in the doorway was a woman in a black miko outfit with a mane of pink hair billowing out of her head. ”Hello, robo-slut!”

”Oros the mad.” Penny growled the name through her teeth. She didn’t really know why a depraved esper like herself had decided to attack Bastion, or how she had even discovered it existed. Though she didn’t really care. Regardless, it wasn’t an outcome she hadn’t prepared for. Oros probably had to fight her way through some of her henchmen, and likely expended some mana in the process. Meanwhile, Penny had a vat of mercury that would raise her mana levels as soon as she touched it. She also had no reason to believe Oros was stronger than herself. What footage she was able to recover was impressive, but impressive compared to her? Not a chance. ”What do you want?” Penny folded her arms. ”I don’t feel like killing you, so if you swear fealty to me, I’ll overlook this little incident and maybe even help you with whatever you came here for.”

”Alright, I’m all for trying the diplomacy option.” Oros cleared her throat, not bothering to wipe the oni’s blood off of herself. ”I, Oros the mad, do swear fealty to Penny, queen of Pax! My servitude is contingent upon her cutting off her own head, and to cease living entirely!”

”Do not mock my gifts!” Her fists arced with electricity. ”Whatever you’re being paid, I can triple it. If you want a Bastion of your own, I can help you build it. But if you keep pretending that my death is what you seek, you’ll only find your own!”

Oros chuckled darkly. ”Right, of course. Because who in Pax Septimus wants to kill the queen? A coward who hides in a concrete bunker, refusing to ever show a single moment of weakness, refusing to stand up to monsters that even the Mavericks would gladly slay?”

Penny scoffed. ”You’re not pretending you care about those fools, are you? So long as we’re safe, does anything else matter.”

”Mmmm.” Oros got a crick out of her neck. ”Anyone I could get mad about you hurting is already dead, or has been driven away.” She gripped her sword with both hands. The grin on her face vanished. ”I’m not here for any noble cause. I just want revenge. I demand satisfaction, and you’re going to give it to me!”

”If you insist!”

”Yea, just after my patron finishes our sheets and my commission is completed. Then we’ll fight!”

---

Days Later…

Pax Septimus had 15 precincts, each one covering a fair swath of the city and needing its own Police station. Out of all of them, none were more corrupt than PSPD #11, and for good reason. The station used to be home to some of the bravest officers in the city, but a local crime syndicate came down on it with everything they had and overwhelmed the small police force. Those that weren’t slain were driven from the area, and they quickly moved in to help themselves to everything available to them. That included weapons and confiscated narcotics.

Naturally, the government had to get involved.

An armored transport vehicle was parked just out of view of the 4 story building. Standing at attention was Su Fang, or Breacher as she preferred to be called during missions. Her real identity wasn’t something she liked to share with others.

Anyone dressed head to toe in ballistic armor with a steel riot shield was bound to be an impressive sight. Though her height certainly didn’t detract from that image any. A soft breeze rustled her short blue hair, but couldn’t do anything to her horns. She was standing at attention, waiting for the mission to begin.

”We start soon?”

A woman will green hair had just stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle. Su knew her as “Binky,” and had no idea what her real name was. What Su did know was that she was one of Su’s most trusted espers, and her being out here only meant that their mission was going to be an important one. ”Um, hopefully!” She folded her arms and leaned up against the side of the van. ”It’s probably not necessary, but I put a hit out on Shimr. I’m hoping a few freelancers join us. It will be good to see who stands with us. Once everyone’s shown up, Veronica will begin the briefing.”

”It good to have police back.”

”That’s not all!” Binky smiled. ”Without going into confidential territory, the station will give us access to our outpost. From there, we can continue to run operations inside the city.”

Su pushed herself off the van and turned to face Binky. ”You come with us? Or you just operator?”

”Not an operator, more like a trump card.” Binky sighed. ”My esper form is great, but I can only maintain it for 30 seconds tops. I’m just here in case something goes horribly wrong.”

”I see.” She looked around to make sure they were still alone. ”My daughter still safe?”

”Mika, right?” Su nodded. ”Yea, she’s at the forward base just outside of Pax Septimus. You should be able to see her after the mission.”

”Good.” She holstered her pistol and extended her hand towards Binky. ”To a successful operation!”
.
Binky smirked and accepted her hand. ”To a safe one.”

---

The Bastion was formerly a strong hold for the queen of Pax Septimus. Mysterious events caused the queen to flee her bunker, which made the area ripe for cultist takeover. Now they use the local tunnel complex to prey on civilians with impunity, sacrificing everyone they find to appease their dark lords.

But only for the moment.

A lone motorcycle rolled through the streets of Pax Septimus. Some old thing that the owner gave a quick coat of paint to slow the rust. Though onlookers were likely looking at the rider instead of her rusting motorcycle. She looked like a jester, only she appeared to be wearing a black leather leotard over a colorful outfit. A solid black helmet concealed her face, but her jet black hair spilled out of the back of the helmet. It was accompanied by neon colored braids that flapped in the wind.

She didn’t have far to drive. Parked just a few blocks away from an old warehouse was a black Cadillac. Not a new one either, this was a muscle car that had been kept in pristine condition since it’s debut in the late 50s. Though it had been modified. Instead of having five seats, it had just one to accommodate its large driver. A giant with white skin and a gas mask waited for Luna’s arrival. One of his arms hanging out the side of the vehicle.

The woman parked her bike in front of the Cadillac before dismounting. She pulled off her helmet and shook out her hair so that it would lay flat on her back. Once she was done, she fixed her eyes on the giant. ”Good evening, Billy!”

The giant straightened out his posture before puffing out his chest. It was covered in scars, but they seemed to disappear between his well defined muscles. ”I-say I-say, it is a fiiiiiine evenin’, ain’t it Tetrad?”

”You can call me Luna when nobody’s around, I don’t mind.” She tucked her helmet under her arm and looked around. ”I’m here first?”

”The old HQ got hit pretty hard. Trixy and Jez are gettin’ things in order while we clear out the new one. Unsure if we have the manpower to spare anyone right now.” Billy snorted.

”Are you saying it might just be us?” Luna pointed at the warehouse as her eyes grew into saucers. ”Just the two of us breaking into the Bastion!? That place is over run with cultists now, isn’t it?”

”I’m fixin to make sure there are no complications out here. But ya ain’t gunna be by yourself.”Billy’s large hands presented Luna with a comparatively tiny phone. ”So relax, girl. I put out a call on Shimr. Gunna have some freelancers join us if nothin’ else. Would be a big help to find people who believe in us.”

”Mmmm, Well, I’m not too hot on fighting along side randos.” A smile crept across Luna’s face. ”Buuuut, maybe we’ll have some guys join us. That’s always fun.”

Billy reached behind his head and scratched his neck. ”Accordin’ to Shimr, most of the local espers are woman. So uh.” He averted his gaze. ”Ya might get disappointed, is all I’m sayin’.”

”Huh? Really now?” Luna lowered her shoulders, but she kept her smile up. ”Guess I’ll be fine if they aren’t turbo lesbians. I get enough of that from Trixy.”

---

With G.E.M.I.N.I. and Maverick Alternative moving into Pax Septimus, it did not take long for the freelancers to move in as well. Pax Septimus was due for a good cleaning, and with two large factions moving in, there should be more than enough work to go around. The night before, a swath of freelancers wiped out every monster in a 5 block radius around a vintage diner. The owner of “The Great Escape” was entirely unaware of the menace, and even what espers were. Regardless, he welcomed any patron that was willing to spend money at his establishment. And so it quickly became a hot spot for freelancer activity. A place where they could have a coffee and bagel before beating down some occult menace.

The Great Escape held no surprises on the inside. The big red seats, the checkerboard floors, complete with a vintage soda fountain. The only modern addition was a little stage where performers could entertain patrons. In fact, there was someone performing right now!

Standing up on stage was a young, delicate looking girl. There was a distinct lack of color in all of her features. Her hair was white, as was her dress, and her skin was on the pale side too. But her eyes were a brilliant emerald green, and drew in whoever she looked at. Everyone wondered if she could play.

She moved across the stage gracefully. Everyone looked at her at least once. Pretty things are fleeting and an esper needs to treat their eyes every once in a while. Her flowing dress was more appealing than the mangled teeth of a cultist, or the layers of skin on a flesh melder. Though beauty could only remain interesting for so long. The next question was could she play?

The pale girl opened up a velvet case and pulled out a violin. None of the espers present were familiar with wood working, but they could tell a fine instrument when they saw one. It had been polished to a mirror sheen, and was just as captivating as the girl who held it. But could she play?

They were about to find out.

She rested the violin on her shoulder and brought the bow across the strings. And she played. And it made sound. She was playing a song, but it wasn’t anything that commanded everyone’s attention. The espers present were here on bushiness anyway. GEMINI wanted to reclaim a police station from some criminals, and Maverick wanted to clean some cultists out of a depraved esper’s hide out. The pay was about the same for both jobs, so it just depended on what they were feeling up for or who they wanted to appeal to. It wasn’t every day freelancers got choices.

Regardless of the reactions, the girl continued to play.

"Damnit, Bets. Couldn't even wait to say goodbye...?"

”Mph...“ Betty did her best to ignore the voices. They weren’t here, it was all in her head. She was able to keep playing, but the voices were getting more intense.

"Okay? OKAY?! No shit everything isn't okay, everything is fabulously fucked in fact, and it has been for awhile, AND NOBODY DID JACKSHIT ABOUT IT!"

”Calm down, please.“ Betty whispered. She tried to keep calm herself, but it was like she could hear this man screaming into her ear. Her heart beat faster, and she struggled to keep playing without incident.

"Just say the word. I can end this, here and now!"

”Don’t!“ Betty cast her eyes at the floor in a vein attempt to hide her expression. But these feelings would pass. All she had to do was-

"Do it."

Her hand froze in place. The music had stopped, and her arms were visibly trembling. Someone called out to ask if she was alright, but she couldn’t speak. Her vision was blurring over with tears, and her throat was too tight to speak words.

”Hey, hey!” A handsome man with remarkable red hair hopped up onto the stage with Betty. He pulled out a wooden stool from the back of the stage and pushed it up behind her. ”Sit down, violin girl!”

With a sigh, Betty sat down in the chair. She tried to avoid eye contact with everyone who was presently looking at her. How embarrassing to have a break down in front of so many people. She didn’t even finish the first song in her set. Though she could feel her neck loosen up just from resting. ”T-thank you, mister…?“

”Just call me Elroy!” He extended her hand towards her. ”America’s top freelance esper!”

After she wiped the tears off of her cheek, she tipped her head in Elroy’s direction. ”Esper? What’s that? Is it a fancy name for a…“ She examined his outfit. ”Costume designer?“

Elroy binked, curled his hand closed, and continued to smile. ”Espers are friends, violin girl!” He folded his arms. ”What happened?”

”I’m not sure.“ Betty didn’t take her eyes off of Elroy. ”I just had a dream a few days ago. I was on a beach, and I left without telling a friend goodbye. And even though I wasn’t there, I could see how upset it made them. But I don’t remember if I’ve ever seen them before. I don’t even know if we were ever friends. And it makes me really sad because-“ She brought her hand up to her mouth. ”It’s all really strange and doesn’t make sense when I put it into words. But I woke up crying, and occasionally it just works its way into my head. I haven’t been sleeping well.“

Elroy laughed. ”Yet you’re performing a late night set? Silly violin girl!”

A portly man approached the stage. Anyone familiar with the The Great Escape knew this man was the owner. Perfectly bald, but they had an outstanding mustache. ”It’s been hard times for all of us.” He groaned. ”I paid good money for a full performance. So unless either of you are going to perform, please move off the stage so that someone else can.”

Betty might have been a bit humiliated, but she wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to pay her if she didn’t keep playing. ”I should be fine now. Sorry sir!“ She was prepared to stand up when Elroy’s arm stopped her.

”What did I say, violin girl?” Elroy cast out his arms. ”Espers are friends, I work freelance, and I’m the best in America!” He extended his arm towards the crowd. ”Trisha! My axe!”

”On it!”

A Gibson guitar flew out of the crowd and landed in Elroy’s outstretched hand. It was a classic design: a Less Paul with a sunburst color scheme. It had been beaten to shit from years of shredding, but that only primed the few people who didn’t know about Elroy for what they were in for. It had already been plugged into an amp, and a kick plate had been shoved over to Elroy’s position.

”Who’s up for some Van Halen?” Elroy didn’t wait for a response. He ran his fingers over the strings of his guitar and started to play the definitive version of You Really Got Me.

Symphony of Espers

Public applications are closed for the time being. If you showed interest in the interest check or were specifically invited by me, You may still submit a character sheet for review.

Going to be working on some sheets and the first post over the weekend. Barring any acts of god, it should be up around Monday, if not earlier!

Symphony of Espers

@Izurich Your leitmotif is kind of like Regina Smith's. it's cosmetic grade, so I won't urge you to change it, but you may wish to take a different "upgrade path" down the road.

Only crtique we have is Teslic Gauss's defense debuff is too easy to proc, and isn't "situationally useful" like silver glamors should be. But if you are going for an anti-material gun, you could beef up the pierce angle and make it peirce anything with E grade physical defence. This would make it a great crowd controll weapon as it would cut through almost all forms of cover and mundane targets with ease. Other than that, she's character tab ready!

Symphony of Espers

The discord is up!

You can now join and discuss things with others to your hearts content. If you don't feel like using discord, all the important announcement stuff will still get posted to the OOC, so you won't be missing anything important should you decide not to use discord.

Symphony of Espers

So, just an update on a few things.

-The discord is almost done. With any luck it should be up for your rapid-fire chatting pleasure in a day or so.

-I will not be available to look over sheets or answer questions for part of Thursday, as that's the day the boys and I get together for table top. So please be patient if you happen to submit a character sheet tomorrow. you still have plenty of time to work on your characters.