Log:Chrissie, Scene 1

Chrissie 2007/09/13 	 Dark Horse Variable Jennifer and Jessica Heavy Metal Princess Terat an alien android 1

Past Times Coffee Shop

It's late afternoon. Chrissie sits alone at a table. She looks like she's been crying. The brown smear around the plate in front of her also suggests she's had a generous helping of double-chocolate cake, in complete disregard for her figure.

Al steps into the coffee shop, and heads over toward the counter, a paperback book under his arm. He smiles to the person behind the counter. "Just a decaf."

Able to see the table with the crying blonde girl from a rooftop across the way, a great creature sits, unseen by all who have no means of viewing alternative spectrums of light. The creature watches, hunched forward while its thoughts play at superimposing itself in that girl's place.

The woman smiles as she pours the coffee. "Still muggy outside?"

Al nods. "A bit, yeah. The summers here a brutal."

Al says, "ARE brutal, I mean. Wow, it's been a long day already."

Channary walks in after class and walks to the counter orders a corn muffing and double mocha latte. Once she gets it she sits at a table.

The woman hurries to provide the double mocha latte and corn muffin, while nodding agreement. "Days like this I can't wait for winter to come. Of course, then I wish for summer!"

Chrissie scrapes a bit more chocolate off the plate, staring down at it.

Al chuckles, and doctors his coffee, "True enough. It's not that hot here...but the humidity is awful." He smiles, and makes his way over to a booth, and takes a seat.

Jennifer pops into the coffee shop on her way back to the Gym after an exercise run. She doesn't get as far as the counter though but goes to sit at the table with the weeping girl. "Hi. Chrissie isn't it? I won't ask how you're doing because I can see. You want to talk about it?"

Channary smiles and laughs some at the womans words, "Yah I know what you mean. Presonally I like spring not to hot not to cold and everything blooming" she takes her coffee and sits at the table. She sips the hot drink and looks over at the crying girl.

Chrissie's face does an odd thing: a look of recognition, then a flash of anger, then a look of resignation, or despair. "It all went wrong!" she says.

Al sips his coffee, and pretends to read his book, but glances up at Chrissie curiously.

Jennifer nods in sympathy, "I say that a lot when it comes to boys too. Actually when it comes to most things other than smacking someone's head up against a wall. What happened?"

The creature on the roof watches as the new person moves in and apparently causes the crying one to worsen in her condition. Momentarily a gentle growl emits, before it quiets and further observation is decided upon.

Chrissie sniffs. "I did like you said - I tried to show Hank how fit I am and everything - and now he thinks I'm some kind of freak! And all his friends laughed at me too and -"

Channary stands from her table and walks over to where Chrissie is cry and sits down across from here, "Chrissie whats wrong? Why Are you crying" She reaches over and takes the girls hand in her own.

Al sets his book down, knowing that he won't get much reading done. He just sips his coffee, and 'people watches', listening to the conversation as he does.

Jennifer notes the arrival of someone who seems to know Chrissie with relief. She remains at the table looking sympathetic. . o O(Yeah, well they laugh at me too. So who's the fool here. Me trying to give advice to the love-torn. Pot and kettle time.)

"Oh - Channary! I uh..." Chrissie suddenly seems to be trying to collect herself, as if embarrassed to be seen this way in front of her friend, trying to blink away the evidence of crying.

The growling halts once it's clear that the upset is not caused by people getting close. It's odd, not knowing a thing about the girl and yet wanting to do something to render her non-crying. For a brief moment, the terrifying form of Terat is visible on the roof across from the coffee shop before it looks once more like it's part of that roof. A slight alteration in how she's seated was necessary, it would seem.

Channary is not the type who would embrace someone for crying hell she cryed more then once in her life. The only look on her face is consurn for her friend, "Is this about Hank did he do something to you?"

Chrissie shakes her head. "I did something dumb and now he hates me!"

A large man enters the coffee shop. He walks toward the counter, but he seems to be looking for someone or something other than a coffee here, from the way he scans the room.

Channary frowns, "What happen maybe I can talk to him and clear things up for you. Hank is not her type but she not the one dating her him.

"I - I shouldn't say. I shouldn't even have done it!" says Chrissie.

Al keeps an eye on the man near the counter, continuing to listen to the conversation.

The woman behind the counter asks the man if she can help, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Channary reaches up and moves some hair out of her friends face, "did you do have sex with him?"

"No! I didn't - he's not even interested in me, how could I? I just tried to make him like me and -" Chrissie's voice gets louder as she gets worked up.

"Target acquired," says the man, and shimmers like a holo-projection being turned off.

Channary frowns, "Sorry sorry if not that then it can't be that bad. We are friends you can tell me anything"

Jennifer looks over at Channary. o O(That's pretty blunt.) Then her attention is attracted to the guy at the counter. "Oh no, not again! I'm retired!"

The android, if such it can be called, raises its gun in the direction of Channary, Chrissie and Jennifer. There's a lot of sudden yelling and running.

Chrissie says, "OHMYGOD NO!" and turns her head away, at the same time trying to duck under the table.

Al slides out of his seat, since he was looking right at the 'man', and moves to approach the android, from its flank.

Jennifer tries to sweep Chrissie and Channary under the table, knowing that Lisa's funrniture is meta-proofed and will stand up to blaster fire.

The growl comes again as Chrissie looks more distressed, a little louder now. Then the girl who made the crying girl worse off the first time seems to have her attention on trouble and Terat's protective instinct kicks in. She leaps down to street level, any semblance of being unseen gone while she moves toward the shop.

Channary looks at Jennifer as she speaks and then sees the gun and ducks under the table.

Al continues to slide out of his seat, crossing the intervening space quickly, even as he stays low. He then sweeps his right leg around in a wide arc, attempting to trip up the android.

The android is either heavier than Al was expecting or just more steady. Or just he didn't get leverage. In any case, Al fails even to budge it.

Al mutters something about dress shoes...

The android simply walks over to the table, lifts it up and tosses it aside. More screams!

Jennifer stares rather unbelievingly at the torn base of the table. She's seen a Brick slug-fest in the coffee house that did no damage to the furniture.

Terat crashes through into the window, surprised at suddenly stopping as she did. Mildly painful.

Al grumbles, and shifts to the side, and then lashes out with a leg, attempting to connect with a kick to the robot's head, trying to knock the robot away from the table it's apparently targeting.

Al is breathing hard already. "I can only delay it so long...best to flee...or get a meta in here."

The android, caught off guard, crashes to the ground where it was standing. A small part of it - looks a bit like an ear - snaps off, though it's largely intact.

Jennifer says, "There's a problem with the fleeing idea. Something big and ugly outside in the street that is almost certainly working with that alien cyborg."

Al continues looking at the robot, but acknowledges Jennifer's comment as he falls into what appears to be a Kung Fu fighting stance, "Great..."

Channary can't go into hero form with so many people around and decides to flee but also hears the comment about something outside. She grabs her friend hand, "come on" she runs into the ladies room hoping to find a window they might craw out of.

Jennifer moves into a clearer position. She's assuming the cyborg is after her and makes sure there's nobody behind her in line of fire. Spinning around she lashes out a side kick at the cyborg's chin.

Jessica enters from Wharf Street South.

The android has a chin. Still does, but it doesn't seem to move much now. It makes sort of electrical-spluttering sounds.

Jessica has run towards the coffee house from the Gym. Seeing the monster trying to break into the coffee shop she takes it on. "Hey, furball! You want a piece of the action. Well here I am." she calls out as she closes on it preparing to punch it out.

The android get to its feet, making the same funny sound - and turns from Jennifer to take aim at Chrissie.

A globe of energy comes from the gun and expands until it's Chrissie-size, then passes over here. And stops. It encases her now.

Chrissie looks about wildly in all directions, then tries hitting the globe. Not much happens.

Terat is on her way to the door when someone who looks a lot like the strange one inside decides that the entering plan is to be interrupted. "Get out of my way!" she roars, deciding that the robot thing needs to be stopped first. She simply moves forward, making use of her size and strength rather than trying to avoid the one in her way.

Through the doorway, thankfully not having to worry over tables due to positioning, Terat rams herself full toward the robot.

Terat goes just past the robot and Jennifer, looking very angry. She stops abruptly at a table, glaring down at it as it, just like the window, proves immovable. A sudden thought that she might be getting weaker occurs to her...

Channary Slips into hte bathroom usless in normal form and turns into her metal form and comes back out ready for attaction

The robot holsters its gun in its thigh Robocop-like and gestures at the bubble, which floats over to it. "Scriikkhxs *splutter screeeeeEEEE!" it expounds the plot as it begins to walk for the door, *now* watching the heroes warily.

Deciding that the bubble needs to be extracted, Terat moves to grab it and remove it from the girl.

Whatever the bubble is made of, Terat just tore it asunder. So now she's ready to eat the chewy center!

Chrissie says, "Thanks!" to Terat. Then, as if as an afterthought, screams.

Al furrows his brow...and steps toward the android, again trying to sweep its legs out from underneath it. "Gotta make it a little easier to hit, I think."

Al smiles as the android topples over. "THERE we go..."

The robot's paintwork isn't even damaged, however. Assuming it is paint.

Jennifer switches target to the monster. It's obviously out of the control of the cyborg, so violent that it's breaking the englobement to get to the girl. Pushing her strength Jenniger tries to take the creature down before it can bite the hapless cheerleader in twain.

The monster slams back from Jennifer's blow, looking very dazed. Vaguely awake. Surprised etched on her features.

Jessica follows the moster into the coffee shop but her sister has taken care of the monster so she moves to the cyborg.

Al pivots, and attempts to bring down a heel kick on the downed robot, gritting his teeth with the effort.

The robots seem unmoved by the assaults on it.

Al winces as his foot bounces off. "Oh...$#1633#$." He looks...winded.

The robot gets once more to its feet. "FfzzzzzZZZZZtp!" it says as it raises an arm toward Chrissie.

Jennifer dives over a table and tries to push Chrissie to the floor out of the line of fire. Of course that leaves her in Chrissie's place...

Jennifer winces a little. Not too bad.

The robot's forearm explodes impresssvely in energy. Though it doesn't seem to do *that* much.

Terat wakes up. "rrrr...." she murmurs, not moving yet. She needs to plan.

Jessica is already standing beside the cyborg. That's good. She roots around in her carry bad and pulls out a device rather like a small handtorch. "Let me introduce you to my tinopener!" she say and jabs the end of the device against the cyborg's chest.

The robot makes a new whiney noise from the chest area as some of its "muscles" are damaged.

Jennifer rolls over on the table taking a quick check glance to make sure Chrissie is unharmed.

Chrissie seems to be ok; she's crawled under another table.

HMP pulls out her sword and chargest the robot thing. She swings her sword as hard as she can as she lets out a war cry

HMP knocks the robot clean of its feet again, and back a couple of yards to boot. When it tries to pick itself up again it seems a bit clumsier.

"Keep it down," growls Terat.

HMP she don't allow the robot to do anything as she charges in and strikes the robot in the head again.

Jessica looks at HMP. "Nice hit. Nice sword. Now would you mind knocking it back to my feet?"

Bad news: the robot didn't budge that time. Good news: you took its eyes out.

The robot gets to its feet, evidently disoriented. It seems to be blind, but turns purposefully toward the table Chrissie is under and, quickly drawing its gun, fires at the table. The table (though not Chrissie) is encased in a force bubble.

Terat scampers to Chrissie's location, "Come with me if you want to live," she growls, almost visibly wincing at the reference she's almost certain no one else in the room will understand.

Chrissie nods to Terat, evidently happier to go with her than stay with the robot!

Terat looks forward with a menacing growl. "Stay out of my way," she states simply. "Bar me from getting this girl out safely and I will break you." This to those before her.

Jennifer frowns. It got up. Monsters don't normally get up after she hits them. But that didn't sound like a ravaging monster speaking either. She'll hold judgement for now. But the monster is not taking the girl out of sight. "Protect her is good. Try to leave and you'll eat floorwax again." Jennifer warns Terat.

Terat considers this, "Fine.. that thing isn't trying to harm her. It wants her to be somewhere, and..." she glances at Chrissie. "You know where it wants to bring you. Or to who. Stay behind cover. Stay in my sight."

HMP frowns as this robot don't seem to want to stay down. She makes sure to stay clear of it fire and charges in again this This time aiming for the legs.

This time, unfortunately, the sword seems to do little.

Jennifer suddenly screams, "OH HECK! WHAT'S THAT!!!" pointing towards the rear of the coffee house away from the direction Jessica and the robot are in.

Pretty well everyone turns to look, just for an instant.

Jessica hopes that everyone turns, at least momentarily, to look in the direction Jennifer is pointing. Her energy whip comes out and the extra reach allows her to press the sonic disruptor to the side of the cyborg's head. She can get another disruptor if needed while Chrissie cannot get another life so she pushes the power up to critical overload.

Jennifer shrugs after the energy whip is retracted, "Uh, just a shadow. Sorry everyone."

The whining noise from the robot gets lower in pitch, as the thing seems to be powering down.

People hiding under tables poke their heads out, saying things like "What the hell happened?"

The woman behind the counter stands up again and is offering people more coffee within seconds. You get used to this sort of thing round here.

Jennifer brushes her hands. She's panting a little. "I'm so out of condition."

Chrissie says, "No, you did great! You stopped the - whatever it was. Big robot!"

Jennifer looks at Chrissie, "I jumped in the way when that fired at you. You could at least tell me what it was."

HMP Look around, "Okay can someone tell me whats going on and why there was a robot after this girl?"

Anastrophe looks a little pained. "How should I know?"

Chrissie looks a little pained. "How should I know?"

Jennifer smiles, "Because you do. You started to react before I did. Your friend too. And I'm kind of special when it comes to reacting in combat situations. Not to mention you nearly slipped and gave it a name just now."

"Shhh! I can't say - mustn't say - not here....." Chrissie's obviously wavering on whether to say anything, but certainly doesn't want to talk about it in public.

Jennifer nods, "Are you going to be safe for a while? How long until whoever it is sends the next robot?"

HMP steps away from the group and slips bak into the bathroom and changest back to normal and came running out, "Chrissie are you alright!"

She looks nervous. "I don't know - I don't know at all! Maybe years. Maybe minutes!"

Jennifer nods, "Let's go to Steel's. The workout room is black and tempested. That will be a secure place to talk.

Chrissie nods. She obviously doesn't want to stay here!

Jessica says, "Ltells the server behind the counter, "Jenny, can you call Starguard after I've gone and tell them there's an alien combat droid in bits here. Thanks.""

Jenny waves. "No problem."