Roleplaying
2004 Archive
2005 Archive
Seminars
| When: | 15 March 2005 |
| Who: | Alvira, Bronwen, Galen, Nicodemus, Sandra |
| What: | Angry Dupont workers track down Nicholas Lyman and rioting ensues. Alvira, Sandra, and Bronwen get caught up in the fray. |
Downtown - Austin
The downtown of Austin is well-maintained and not too hard to get around in for a large city's downtown. The streets are frequently lined with trees, many quite large and with several predating the city, such as the last of the Council Oaks, Treaty Oak; poisoned by vandals in 1989, the tree still lives, and some say that it is now a symbol of Austin's resiliance.
Downtown Austin has many places to go and things to see, ranging from historical landmarks like the Capitol building and the Governor's Mansion, to museums such as the Bob Bullock Texas State Museum. It also has the usual and more modern stores and businesses of any modern city, skyscrapers included. Nearby is Town Lake, along the Colorado River.
This is not looking good for Nicholas Lyman. The disgruntled Dupont picketers, which insist they are not striking but suffering under a forced work stoppage, have him trapped outside his office building and a ways from his driver and limousine. Still, he can be thankful for his faithful bodyguards, that are able to keep the crowd at bay. Granted, the picketers have only resorted to nasty looks and chants thus far. Having him greatly outnumbered, they could do much worse. Thankfully, red and blue begin to illuminate the streets as the police officers that have been spared from their usual beats and the citywide manhunt pull toward the hostage office building.Alvira rushes forward towards the noise as the police begin to announce her arrival, briefly uttering a brief prayer of thanks to the foresight to have worn flats today.
Shaking his head as if the picketers had chosen a wine not to his taste, Lyman gestures toward the arriving police cars, "Please, people. This is not the time or the place. This can all be handled at the bargain table between myself and your union representatives." Indeed, Lyman's words seem diplomatic, but his tone is odd. It glitters with a mild amusement that could easily slip into disinterest, it is sarcasm, and it is insulting. One of the protesters shouts back, "Yeah, if you'd meet with our rep!" Another voice chimes in, "What am I suppose to do? Tell my family they have to wait to eat...wait until you can find time to meet with our union!" As for the police, they are slow to react as they cautiously eye their numbers.
Alvira arrives at the far side of the line of police and shields her eyes against the streetlights, searching for the nucleus that's irradiating this mob to angry calls of... greeting? She looks around, and nods, once, at seeing a building with the Dupont logo...
The police begin to circle the crowd as best they can with their manpower. No doubt, with Alvira and Galen on the fringes, they will get a polite yet stern request from one of the officers, "To please disperse and go back inside". Meanwhile, Lyman shakes his head and waves a hand dismissively at the charges made from the crowd. "This all will be resolved very shortly," he states, almost vaguely as his gaze centres on one Dupont employee that is oddly silent and at the head of the pack.
Alvira holds up her hands and takes a few steps back in acquiesence. The crowd seems... noisy but contained. For now. Aloud she says, "Trust me, I have no wish to create any additional disturbence, officers..."
Galen looks over at Alvira, "I'm with her on that one boss."
Galen saunters back to Fado's and enters.
"Thank you," the officer says to Alvira, a long, relieved sigh escaping with those words. The law is ill equipped to handle the situation and these policemen and women know it. As for Lyman, he seems quite content with his small security force. Eyeing the quiet Dupont worker, he even has the gall to crack a wicked smile. "Do it," he rasps underneath the raised voices of the crowd. Has the protestor threatened Lyman? Is the industrialist now calling his bluff? No, so little has passed between the two. And yet, the man, after regarding the cement under his feet, lunges at one of Lyman's guards swinging wildly. Suddenly, hell breaks loose.
Alvira's eyes widen for a moment before she starts stepping backwards quickly into the relative obscurity of a nearby alley, music already coming from her lips as she begins a call out to the Symphony.
The violence is isolated at first, the one guard responding to the disgruntled worker with a wide blast from a pepper spray bottle, brandished from a jacket pocket. Of course, the offender is not the only one that pays. Seeing this, Dupont workers react, starting a battle on another front with Lyman's guards. Yet, by this time, the fight is not just with the private security team, but the police as well. "Cease and desist!" and "Please, remain calm!" are the first orders given, but as pushing and shoving ripples out from the epicentre, the officers begin to use more forceful means. One policeman, to stop a protestor from throwing rocks, is forced to perform a takedown to cuff the assailant. As for Lyman, his response, besides smirking wildly, is to sing.
The following may or may not be caught by the mob crowd outside: "Don't forget what you were taught! Call for backup! Get more uniforms out here to subdue the worst pockets!" Shouted by Bronwen from the doorway of Fado's.
The symphony betrays Lyman and amidst the fists and debris flying into his compromised circle of protection, he curses aloud, "Corrupted by his lies." He adds an irritated snarl, before urging one of his guards forward. Still, Lyman is not below doing his own dirty work. As one protester breaks through one of Lyman's muscular barriers, he quickly pivots, and using the charging man's inertia against him, toss the man onto the cement. By this time, the situation has worsened for the police. Taking Bronwen's advice, one young man, obviously a nervous rookie, is on the radio in the nearest squad car, calling in the riot. But, "falling back on your training" means different things to different people. For many of the nervous officers it means drawing their batons to subdue assailants.
Sandra emerges out of the restaurant at a dead run, looking around to try and get a view of the action. Seeing what's going on, she starts moving, still running...very /fast/ running...towards the nearest protestors.
Alvira pushes towards the inner core of rioters.. and then starts... gently but with a great firmness, reach enshadowed fingers to pull those fighting back farther into the merely yelling phrase and give them a gentle pat of reassurance before continuing forward.
The line that Alvira cuts through the crowd leaves once violent protesters left with suddenly bewildered looks on their faces. With her intervention, these people are now content to run for safety. Unfortunately, there are still a great many unwilling to forego the violence done to them by Lyman's guards, by the police, and by fellow protestors. Speaking of Lyman, he and his entourage are now making for the limousine, displaying a knowledge of various forms of hand to hand combat on the way. For that reason, some protestors have decided to focus their anger on Lyman's office building instead of the man himself. The glass entrance is quickly reduces to shards of broken glass and a metal frame. Unfortunately, others use this as an excuse to attack other local business as well.
Sandra approaches the nearest group of angry protestors, and starts to try and talk to them, encouraging them to run away rather than be arrested.
Alvira spots the nucleus of the irritant starting to move forward, and Ally changes her path to try and intercept, though it's unlikely she'll make it unless she goes from a shadow pulling people away to 'active bulldozing' mode...
Galen follows Sandra, taking up a rather official-looking looming position off her left shoulder. He crosses his arms in a rather stoic pose, and glares at anyone who even looks at her askance.
Fortunately for Sandra, the police dealt with those closest to Fado's earlier, before the riot broke out. They merely stand there, observing the brutality that goes back and forth between the protesters and the police with a morbid curiosity. But, with Sandra's suggestions, they give into reason and begin to withdraw. As for that rookie police officer, he returns to the fray to join his fellow officer, with a rifle he has loaded with rubber bullets, a fortunate addition to his squad car. As for Nicholas Lyman, he and his security team have cleared a door to his limousine. The men in suits are now in the process of filling the vehicle and making their getaway.
As for Alvira, her efforts meet with further success. Portions of the crowd turn back from Lyman's limousine and sprint for cover. Others, still in the thick of it, instinctively drop to their knees and begin to withdraw, crawling over broken glass and other debris.
Alvira grimaces as an escape seems to be made. It'd be... possible, perhaps, to follow yet, but not in any way she's prepared to do in such a large crowd or with her own ethical structure. So, she allows a quick curse to escape, and continues pulling one or two people apart per group with the gentleness that comes with decent strength, before stepping wraith-like to another gruop...
Roll by Nicodemus: (6) (4) (6)
Sandra smiles as some people flee, but keeps moving to the next group, and the next, working her way towards the rougher areas. She doesn't touch anyone, and doesn't seem to have any other tricks up her sleeve but sweet persuasion.
Bronwen stops a few strides out the door of Fado's to give the scene a good visual scan. Managing to catch the eye of another cop, she jerks her head in a 'come over here' motion and requests a report.
Tired of handiwork, Lyman retreats into his limousine, but not before flashing an eerily satisfied grin out at the public. Fortunately, few have the time to catch that fiendish grin, as the closing limousine door quickly locks it away. Within moments, the engine comes to life with a steady roar and the Lyman's driver begins the process of negotiating the chaotic streets. At first, the limousine is tentative about grazing bodies, though it quickly begins clearing a path with angry bursts of speed.
The officer has good things to report to Bronwen, as the crowd seems to be dying down on their front. All thanks to the work of Sandra and Alvira, as well as the sudden departure of Lyman. Yet, for the rookie armed with the rubber bullets, he sees little comfort. Closest to the breaking glass, he still believes he is on an island amidst growing chaos. Shuddering, he does what he thinks is right, levelling the rifle against his shoulder and popping off a few rubber bullets into the crowd. The response are screams and a sudden compliance within that area, as the rioters, as well as those officers caught in the fray, drop to the ground.
Alvira sighs as she watches the limousine go, but she can most manifestly be in one place at one time, and the first step to stopping any would is to cause the hemorraging to cease rather than curse at the weapon. There's time to examine those faint twanging notes in the Symphony from Lyman later. And things seem to be going well... then shots are fired.
Sandra turns on her heels as the shots go off, narrowing the cause to the scared cop. With a frown, she slides against the wall of the building, and attempts to sneak around behind the cop.
Roll by Sandra: (6) (3) (1)
Roll by Bronwen: (6) (1) (3)
Bronwen murmurs something under her breath for a few seconds before slowly moving towards the rookie. A scowl crosses over her features as she notices her beat is off and nothing really changes for herself. "Drop your weapon, officer," she calls out to him. She doesn't look very pleased at his actions if the glint in her eyes is any indication.
Looking wildly about, the young officer swings his weapon around to find even the outer portions of the mob have dispersed. Instantly, the rookie sees his mistake, that the riot was just moments from being put down completely. Also, that those hit by the rubber bullets are in considerable pain. He, a tall and athletic red head that borders on slender, drops the rifle to his side, "Oh, no." Oh no, is right. After that whimper escapes his mouth, Bronwen is on him and he whips around wide eyed. "I'm sorry," he stammers before completely dropping the rifle. It falls prematurely from his hands before he can carefully place it on the cement.
Alvira moves frantically forward, pushing people aside, if needed, after the first round of shots. No follow-up is good, but that doesn't necessarily mean those first shots will be the last shots fired. Also a concern is that, based on generally accepted 'averages' she can't expect her Song to hold much longer..
Roll by Sandra: (2) (6) (5)
Meanwhile, riding away in his limousine, Lyman leans back into its leather upholstery. He is able to take that much more comfort in his luxury, knowing everything is going to plan. Oh, how the story will spin tomorrow.
Sandra almost relaxes when the cop stands down, but as the rifle falls, she dives forward and catches it gracefully, an inch above the ground. With a sigh, she stands, and steps around and away from the cop, to offer the weapon to Bronwen, silently.
Bronwen quietly accepts the rifle before taking a single deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I did not mean that literally, rookie," she says in a low voice. "Now. You will kindly explain to me why you loaded the rifle when the crowd was pretty well dispursed and calm. Maybe not as calm as a windless lake, but pretty close to it. And then you will explain to me how your fingers managed to loose all sensation and muscle control that you dropped a weapon."
Alvira sighs as it seems the weapon is in capable, or at least, more reasonable hands, and goes back to work for the time being at breaking up the last rioting bits...
The rookie practices the same deep breathing as Bronwen, though he makes an extra effort to conceal his deep exhales. He tries to conceal his fear of his superior, but quickly falters under her questioning, his head angling toward the ground. "We were still getting pounded," he says, his voice losing itself partway through his explanation. After clearing his throat, the rookie continues, "We were still getting pounded when I loaded the rifle. The crowd...it dispersed behind me...my back was turned." At this, he shakes his head, hearing the holes in his own excuses. He should have known better.
After being relieved of the gun, Sandra steps back into the shadows. She doesn't leave yet, though, instead hovering uncertainly nearby, her attention sweeping the fleeing remnants of the mob.
After the shots fired, Alvira will find that snaking through the crowd in the ethereal form yields even more positive results. The mob has given up its violent ends, leaving the Lyman's foyer in ruin. The fights that are ongoing are simply on a one on one basis and even then, most have reduced themselves to yelling matches. Also, the police officers that are not under the close scrutiny of Bronwen are clearing these up, finding them a pleasant change from the earlier resistance. As well, medical crews arrive on the scene. Their numbers do not wear as thin as the police department's and they quickly sweep through the streets, handing out medical supplies, tending wounds, and carting off those more seriously injured.
"Return to your stationhouse. You're going to be off of field work for the next few rotations while I retrain you in the proper use and handling of weapons," Bronwen says, neatly removing the remaining ammunition and setting the safety on the rifle. The excess rubber bullets go into a jacket pocket. "Report to my desk at Central at the end of your shift. Your free time is now mine until I feel that you meet my personal standards." Rumors around the stations just might indicate that these will be gruesome hours in Bronwen's tutelage.
Sandra breathes a sigh of relief as the emergency crews arrive, and people start doing things to attend to the wounded and clean up the mess. She turns, and walks away towards her car, suddenly eager to leave the scene.
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