On the one hand, bummer; but on the other hand, I get how that goes. It happens!
No worries, tumbler. I'm glad you're making the decision to take care of yourself, and I hope things improve for you. I would love to game with any of you again.
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"Oh, sweet," Ernie responds when it's revealed that Sandra has a charger. As he's fiddling with the cord and charger, he explains that they shouldn't turn it on until they can find some place where the internet won't reach it before they turn it on, in case it has a tracker. As the news story is revealed, Ernie gives Angelyna a side-eye, waiting to see how she reacts.
Scoundrel level 2! HP 5 + 2 (Con) = 7 Quickness (Level 2). You can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action. In addition, during a foot chase, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made as part of a Gain Ground action. Feats: Defensive Driving (Minor Feat)
Gunfighter (Minor Feat)
After Sandra lets Rosa know if her phone is working, Ernie pipes up. "Well, let's head inside. Maybe we can find some place to charge this." He pulls out the tablet from its heavy-duty case that was originally found in the van that started this whole mess. "That kid who managed to slip away left this in the medical-camper-van-thing. It don't turn on, and the screen is cracked, but maybe it can tell us something."
Cold weather in my part of the world that isn't built for cold weather has kept me too busy to post much, sorry. I'll get Ernie levelled today or tomorrow. I'm thinking the team should explore the site and see what happens. We don't have our vehicles (and Ernie doesn't have his shotgun, since it's in his vehicle), so it makes sense that we'd look around and see what we have to work with.
When the secret compartment is revealed, Ernie gives the blue-haired woman a second look. "Ohhhh! All right, all right," he exclaims, nodding. He offers her a fist bump and climbs in.
Ernie nervously glances at the tailpipe stuffed with fake zombie flesh and quickly nods at the other two, even making a subtle pushing motion to urge them along. As they follow the location manager, Ernie does his best to walk looking like he belongs on the set, and not like some ex-street kid ready to duck behind the nearest thing that might stop a bullet.
Here's a lazy numbered list of responses in lieu of thoughtful writing! 1) I'm on board with trying to recruit a new player. Even if we don't need a new PC to help us move out of our current situation, a fourth perspective will help with future roleplay decisions, also. 2) I know of one person that I can ask. She's a great player, I've played with her in a modern-style game before, and she seems to be currently active. But if Rosa wants to ask any of the players she has in mind, I'm always up for gaming with new people. 3) Thanks GM for the ideas on how to escape if we want to do that. However, the decision to escape will have to come from Rosa or Angelyna. Without a destination in mind, Ernie is going to want to try and hide amongst the crowd, hoping the MiBs will decide to go and search somewhere else. I'm not being argumentative; I'll go along with what the group wants, but I can't think of any reason Ernie would want to run unless someone is actively shooting at him. 4) If we can't move the story forward right now, I'm also good with Rosa's idea of skipping ahead. I've done that before, and sometimes it's the right decision.
Hey team, does anyone feel like there's a clear direction we should take our PCs? I feel like we're in a "wait and see what happens" spot. I have toyed with the idea of trying to convince our PCs to get out of there, but that won't really advance the situation unless the GM throws something new at us. We'd still be on the run from an adversary we don't really understand, and we'd be susceptible to a road ambush. Staying put seems like the best way for us to get more information that doesn't result in a gunfight*, but I just want to see if the two of you are on the same page or not. I could be talked into a different perspective if it would advance the story. * Hope I'm not jinxing things with that statement
Yeah, I never even plan to take any time away. It just consistently happens! In related news, my in-laws are going home today. My stress levels are already dropping.
"Yeah, but they were going to pursue the other guys, and won't be pleased when they can't. So let's not be nearby." "Wanna tell people to all take a break or something?" Ernie suggests to Angelyna. To both, he mutters, "I wanna get out of here, but not if they'll follow us. Did they follow us here, and if so, how?"
Seeing that there's no other SUVs around that he can see to investigate and/or sabotage, Ernie shrugs at Rosa and Angelyna. "Can't get in. But if we want to bolt, these guys can't follow us."
Ernie releases the handle and puts his hands up to show he's not touching the door handle. "My car is, like, eight years old, so I don't know if this is something that new cars do, or if I've just alerted their security spy satellite or something. "Um..." Ernie looks uncomfortably around at the crowd of actors and film crew, uncertain how to proceed. With a shrug, he pulls out his kit and sees if any of his lockpicking techniques will work on this SUV with the flashing door handle.
When that fails, Ernie pulls off a chunk of his prosthetics and stuffs it into the SUV's tailpipe and walks to the other side of the crowd.
When close enough, Ernie tries the door handle to open the driver's side door of the SUV. If successful, he'll slip in and gently close the door.
"If we can distract more of them, I could see what's inside of their SUV," Ernie mumbles to Rosa and Angelyna. He turns to the guy standing next to him, a middle-aged guy in jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His spectacles are propped up just over his eyebrows, and he's still carrying a beat up coffee mug containing only water that he brought with him from wherever he was working before he was summoned to this gathering. Probably a technician of some sort, but one who's been around the industry for a long time, given his weary attitude as he waits to get back to his work. "What's their deal?" he asks, indicating the duo on the UTV.
Ernie has plenty of experience pretending he belongs somewhere he shouldn't be. He also has plenty of experience of that strategy not working out for him, so he tells himself he's ready for action should that become necessary.
Ernie pulls his shirt back down in a huff, but after a moment he shifts his gun so it's not pointing at his balls. "We have to get to that crowd, first."
After having peaked out the door with Angelyna, Ernie pulls her back inside and puts a hand up to stop Rosa from going out. He tells her what they've seen. "Is there another way out?" he asks Sir Ka.
Ernie proposes that the three newly risen undead shamble out the back way, imploring the makeup artist try and buy them some time by providing unhelpful answers.
Ernie proposes that the makeup artist leave to join the group with the director. He's to try to avoid the agents on the way, but if anyone stops him to ask him questions, just shrug like he doesn't know anything. When Sir Ka isn't looking, Ernie flashes the pistol tucked into his belt to Rosa and Angelyna. His intentions are clear: if they are cornered in here with the agents, he's proposing violence.
Ernie feels ridiculous, but also kind of awesome. He has to be told to stop poking at his prosthetics while looking at himself in the mirror. "Check me out. This is crazy." He makes sure he gives Sir Ka a fistbump before he leaves. "Okay, where do we shuffle off to?" Thinking aloud, Angelyna answers "Maybe we can slip out with some other extras during lunch?" "If they're letting people out, absolutely. But we've been in here a while; let's find out what's going on and see if they're still here before we try and leave."
So, I was not expecting this adventure to divert into us getting dressed up as ridiculous, campy extras, but now I'm really hoping it does.
Ernie sticks his head out the window and is about to tell Angelyna what he's seen, but he can tell that she already knows. When he sees Rosa approaching from behind, he gets out in the middle of the road so that the three of them can confer. "Is there a place we can hide? Is there a way out on the other side of the lot?"
I'll ditto that likewise! Heal well, GM!
She fumbles with the walkie a bit before replying. "What, really? Why? Never mind." She's looking around to see what she can see, catching the view of the dust from up ahead. "Is that multiple vehicles? Jesus. Okay. We need to hide. Have you told Angelyna?" The wheels in her brain are turning as she is speaking aloud. "Tell Angelyna. I'm changing clothes." Ernie gives the shotgun in his passenger seat a good, hard look before he sighs (in relief?) and covers it with a towel. "Yeah. Okay." Ernie puts his dead brother's car into gear and starts driving in the direction he thinks Angelyna might be, looking for her.
Ernie squints at the approaching cars until he is sure he sees what he's worried he'll see. He picks up one of the radios the group acquired. "Hey Rosa? You there? More d+&+!%&s. They're coming in from the same entrance we came in." He ducks down low so it looks like his car is empty, but he stays high enough to be able to peek out.
"Bodily fluids? What do you think I'm gonna be doing? "...oh, you mean blood and stuff like that." But he agrees to keeping in touch via walkie talkies, and he takes the PPE she gives him back with him to his car while he waits for something to happen.
Ernie blinks and takes a moment to collect his thoughts. He's glad that someone is taking the situation seriously and imposing some sort of organization, but he wasn't entirely prepared for being put on the spot to decide on an action, even if the action is only for himself. "My name's Ernie. I don't want to get in your way, but I think I'm better off hanging around this movie set than getting caught on the road alone. For now. So I'm going to go wait by my car." With my guns loaded, he thinks to himself. "Maybe there's some plague spreading around town, maybe we have it because it came from that monkey, or maybe it's all b!!%*$~* to keep us from moving around so that the 'd&&@~%%s' can find us easier. Holler at me if you learn anything, and I'll do the same." He turns to Rex. "I can give you a ride back to your car once this dies down if you need it." Ernie leaves the mobile clinic and goes to his car. Rex is welcome to come with him. He starts the car and tries to find a local news station. While he listens, he moves his shotgun (wrapped in a towel) to his passenger seat and makes sure it and his pistol are loaded. He turns the car around so that it's facing the exit they came in. He checks his rearview mirror regularly.
After the quarantine notice, Angeylyna takes charge breaking the film crew into two separate groups: crew that she's interacted with since she arrived, and everyone else. Hollering directions at the other group from at least 30 feet away, she tells them where to go hang out until they can figure things out. Meanwhile, Rosa, Rosa's colleagues, Rex, and Ernie hang out in and around the mobile clinic in an effort to stay away from the rest of the film crew. There's talk of driving back to the scene of the car to pick up Rex' and/or Angelyna's cars, but the consensus is to at least see if Angelyna wants to come along for that. Ernie screenshots the quarantine alert to send to f$*+ing Derek, and complains that his text and picture won't go through. It's not long before someone questions why they all got the alert, but they can't send anything from their own phones. The crowd is suddenly nervous and on alert, but for now the film site seems to be a better place to be than caught on the road surrounded by black SUVs.
Hey sorry, I do ghost tours Are you a ghost tour guide or a regular attendee?!
"It's, um... it's probably fine. "We should stay away from the film crew, I guess."
Thanks for letting us know! Take care of yourself and your family.
Ernie looks curiously at Rosa. "Wait, so he was supposed to ask the mysterious science company with its own Men In Black guys to hold off killing his monkey buddy so he can call the feds? Or whoever that committee is? I don't see that working out well for him, honestly." Turning back to Garrett, Ernie says, "Look, man, I think you did the right thing. F&&~ those guys. Sometimes you just got to do what you need to do, and you can't rely on anybody to help you. "But, you know... it was risky. The mysterious science company may be trying to kill you now."
Nodding at Rex's comment, Ernie presses Garrett for more information. "Okay, but why were they willing to shoot people to make sure the monkey didn't get out? What sort of research were they shutting down?" Ernie suddenly takes a step away from Garrett in the cramped space of the clinic. "That monkey didn't have, like, a virus or something contagious, did it?"
Ernie has walked up to Rosa, Garrett, and any others as she berates him. "There's no way those guys were actual law enforcement. I mean, if they were beat cops I can see them acting that way, but those guys? No way." Addressing Garrett, while indicating Rosa, "But aside from that, most of what she says is right. I wouldn't worry about anyone offing you if you died from internal bleeding or something. So maybe calm down. "But also... what was so important about the monkey?"
As the mobile clinic pulls into the set, Ernie's little blue car is right behind it. Part of him is screaming that he should get as far away from the site of the crash as possible in case any of those not-really-agents show up, but the more rational part of his brain is thinking that he'd rather be caught up with with these other people who have already encountered the agents than by himself. "Probably not a cop," he casually interjects as he passes by Angelyna to go see what the inside of the clinic looks like.
Ernie indicates that he'll follow.
Ernie, also (sometimes) knowing when to pick his battles, maintains a neutral expression on his face and stays silent.
Maybe a minute after it seems they are clear, the actress finally takes the time to perform an awkward K-turn, perhaps blocking the road for Ernest, who she shouts at out the window. Angelyna doesn't need to block the road for Ernie. He pulls up alongside the bus when it stops. "Yo! What the f!*# was that?" "That was a sick shot, that's what!" Ernie makes a motion with his hand like he's drawing his gun and reliving the moment he shot the agent clinging onto the side of the bus. "Hey, you guys should worry about the cars you left back there. I think yours and the one stopped behind you weren't shot up like those SUVs."
Hesitant to get closer to the remaining agents, Ernie still moves his car to allow the bus to turn around. If he sees the agent clinging to the side of the bus, he'll take a potshot at them.
Ernie sees an agent run at the bus, and thinks that they could be only the first. He rolls down his window and gets ready to take a potshot at any further agents who start working their way towards his car or the van.
Ernie hops in the car and turns over the engine. He's about to execute a sloppy three-point-turn to turn around and head the other way, when suddenly the medical bus designed for saving lives suddenly lurches forward into the sheriff's car. Ernie stares in surprise, waiting to see what's going to happen next.
Fair point, but we're talking about saving Rex, who is even further beyond where Fabian is, so there's a good chance we'll achieve line of sight before too long.
Awkward question: Are the agents over there interacting with Fabian in any way, or is he just fading from our perception as if he doesn't exist (unless he suddenly starts posting again)? Because if Fabian is over there fighting for his life, that will affect our actions, I think.
Gun in hand, Ernie cranes his neck around Angelyna to see what the remaining agents are doing. He glances back when she thanks him and does a double take as he just now registers he might have seen her face on TV somewhere. "Uh... sure. Good job saving that guy in the van. Wasn't there another guy helping you?" He nods his head in Rex's direction where the agents are spraying bullets at a police cruiser.
Ernie's first thought is that he needs to get himself and his car out of here. If the police investigate this scene and finds his car (and the shotgun in the trunk registered in his brother's name instead of his), they would tie him to what's happened here, and he doesn't want that sort of attention. Ernie's second thought is of being alone in his small car being chased by the multiple black SUVs the agents showed up in. He's about to hop on the bus when hears Angelyna's plan to follow in her own car, and thinks he'll be safest as part of the convoy. "Here," he says as he thrusts Chichi into Angelyna's arms. He quickly searches the downed agent for a wallet, gun, and anything else interesting, and hustles over to his car.
Ernie squeezes off another shot at the same person...
...and then swings back around the corner of the bus. He uses his sleeve to quickly wipe the sweat that's formed on his forehead despite the cooler altitude. "What is going on?" he asks Chichi.
From his vantage point, Ernie can see the agent confronting the deputy, who is most likely armed. He also knows that there's another agent around the corner of the bus who first fired at the owner of the cat he's still carrying around for some reason. This agent seems like the bigger threat, so he leans around the corner of the bus, raises his pistol, and fires.
GM, I have a favor to ask: Can you put a link to the SRD on the Campaign Info tab? Thanks. Good luck with your crazy work week!
The whole reason Ernie has taken this f#!@ing job and puts up with Derek's stupid f&+&ing face is to be able to get off the streets before he ends up dead like his brother. But where he's from, when someone fires a gun, you have to react fast or your dead. There's no time to think; you have to rely on reflexes and instinct. So before he even realizes what he's doing, Ernie is running. He darts towards the mountain, running past his car and squeezing behind the medical van. He stops behind the front wheel well, pulls out his 9mm, and tries his best to control his breathing so he doesn't give his position away.
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