Now that it no longer contains any spoilers I thought I'd post a transcript of the PMs me and Coffee Demon exchanged as Andrei battled on the streets of Harlem, while the others browsed Ju-Ju House.
I meant to do this a while ago, but problems re-filing PMs, and general laziness on my part have delayed me.
The action begins straight after this post by Coffee Demon in the "IC: Maksim, Thomas, Andrei & Caroline Drive to Harlem" thread.
I have included extra links to show how where this thread interacted with the other one.
Coffee Demon wrote: Andrei will wait 3-4 more minutes before entering the courtyard (not the JuJu house.)
The young couple left Ju-Ju House in this post.Raiko wrote: Another minute has passed, the others have not returned yet.
A young well dressed black couple are making their way out of the alleyway from the courtyard towards Andrei, they are holding hands and smiling.
Also, three stocky African American gentlemen have emerged from the tenement building across 137th street from Andrei's position. Two of them appear to be watching Andrei closely, they make no attempt at all to conceal their interest in him, while the third is dashing away towards Lenox Avenue.
[OOC: Do I think the car could fit down that alley?]Coffee Demon wrote: Andrei's heart starts thumping hard.
Something has happened. God damn it.
He puts away his paper, glances at the two black men, and starts walking quickly towards Lenox Avenue. His hands are in his pockets - one hand grips his pistol, and the other hand fingers Maks' car keys.
Andrei will note which direction the dashing man heads, once he gets to Lenox Avenue. He'll also keep a close watch on the two black men.
[OOC: The alleyway is narrow, but there is definitely enough room for the car. Turning in the courtyard might be tight though.]Raiko wrote: The running man turns south on Lenox Avenue. He runs straight past Maksim's parked car without slowing down.
The other two men are following Andrei, they don't run or cross the street, but they are still obviously watching him. Andrei will have to cross 137th Street himself onto their side in order to follow the running man, or reach Maksim's car; but they are some distance back along the street so he should be safe for now.
Coffee Demon wrote: Andrei keeps walking quickly towards Lenox Avenue. He makes no effort to conceal his glances back at the other two men.
As he crosses the street to their side, he takes a few half-jogging steps to maintain his distance from them. He keeps walking quickly, his ears buzzing with the effort of trying to hear if they start running up behind him. He'll glance back again, once or twice.
...
If Andrei makes it to Lenox Avenue, he'll try to see where the other man has gone. Then he'll walk to Maks' car, open the driver's side door, and confront the two men, asking, "Is there some sort of problem?"
OOC Chat:
Raiko:
Please make three d100 rolls on invisible castle for Andrei and let me know the results.
I'm at work so I can't access invisible castle myself.
Coffee Demon:
Here are my rolls:
36, 44, 79
[OOC: The Dice rolls -Raiko wrote: When Andrei reaches the parked car the running man is still heading south along Lenox Avenue, he has crossed 136th Street by then - still running.
Turning back to his own pursuers Andrei sees that they pause for a few seconds when they are still twenty yards away. Then, making up their minds they set off cautiously towards him.
Looking into their eyes Andrei knows that they mean him harm, they don't care about the other pedestrians on the sidewalk or about all the cars driving along the busy Lenox Avenue, the witnesses do not concern them.
As they begin to move forward both men reach under their overcoats, Andrei spots the crooked machetes that they are reaching for, the same type of blade used by Jackson Elias' murderers...
Andrei - Spot Hidden(25) <opposed> = 36% - Notice the cultists' concealed weapons
Andrei - Psychology(65) x2 = 79% - Assess the cultists' intentions]
[OOC: I have no idea if/how car doors locked back then... assuming they do...]Coffee Demon wrote: Andrei starts to panic.
He jumps in the car and starts the engine, locking the door behind him.* Shifting the car into first gear, he accelerates quickly, driving back towards the alley. If the two men get in his way, he will try to hit them. In fact, he'll swerve to hit them if he can, as long as it doesn't mean driving on the sidewalk and possibly blowing the tires.
He's planning on stopping the car at the head of the alley.
[OOC: You had a head start, so you had a free action and just started the car. It's now your real action and the engine is going. You can drive, go for your gun, bail out, or anything else you fancy before they act again. But both cultists have smashed the glass and can attack Andrei next round. The cultist on the hood/bonnet may be able to hang on even if the car is moving (I would penalise any attacks he makes though)]Raiko wrote: As Andrei moves to jump Timour's Studebaker, the two voodoo cultists break into a run, drawing their evil looking machetes as they move.
They are shockingly fast, by the time Andrei has slammed the car's door shut and locked it, the two men have covered the last fifteen yards and are upon him. The faster man leaps athletically onto the touring car's hood as his companion charges up to Andrei's door.
Harlem shoppers stare at the scene in horror as the two men swing their weapons at the glass. Inside the car Andrei fumbles the keys into the ignition and desperately pumps the gas as the cultists smash through both the windscreen and side window. He is showered with glass and almost stalls the car, but the big-six engine catches at the last possible moment and roars into life.
[OOC: Hopefully the force of the shot will throw him off the hood and Andrei can start driving - fast!]Coffee Demon wrote: With the car idling, Andrei draws his massive pistol, releases the safety, and fires at the man on the hood, aiming for the chest.
[OOC: Where to now, the alleyway?]Raiko wrote: The cultist raises his machete to strike at Andrei, but too late, the Russian's gunshot tears a bloody hole straight though the centre of the cultist's chest. The big gun's report is deafening and gunpowder and gore splatter Andrei's hand and face.
Without pausing for a second Andrei, covered in his attackers blood and fragments of glass from the shatter windscreen, slams down the accelerator to get away. The second cultist roars a ferocious battle cry and swings his own machete, but his attack misses and Andrei is gone.
The gunshot was heard inside Ju-Ju House in this post.
[OOC: If I made good distance from him, I'll drive straight down the alley quickly, still honking and cursing loudly. If he's catching up fast, I'll slam on the brakes at the head of the alley, grab the bloody pistol, unroll the window, and take a shot at him.]Coffee Demon wrote: Screaming with fear and adrenaline, Andrei throws the pistol on the passenger seat, wipes the gore off his face, and drives to the head of the alleyway.
Every chance he has to take his hand off the shifter, he lays into the horn.
Once he gets to the alleyway, he decelerates, still honking the horn, and turns to see how close the remaining cultist is.
[OOC: You can post again now, in the "....drive to Harlem" thread.Raiko wrote: You leave behind the cultist, he is chasing, but he's still on Lenox Avenue as you drive along 137th Street towards the alleyway.
The others are in the alleyway running towards you as you stop the car at the end of the alleyway.
The cultist just rounds the corner from Lenox Avenue as Andrei pulls up by the alleyway, so he's quite a way off, but it looks like he may have friends in the tenements.
If you want to avoid spoilers till the others talk to you, then just read from my last IC post, avoiding their earlier ones.
]The action continues in the in the "IC: Maksim, Thomas, Andrei & Caroline Drive to Harlem" thread, starting with this post.