>>21364241
Go find the other original. It's not like we can hide from them, and if worst comes to worst a known danger is better than an unknown danger.

>>21364367
Is nobody else around?

>>21364640

((Again, might turn in early if this is all we've got.))

>>21364367

You decide to head after it—if it's danger, at least you'll know what it is by the time this is over and done with. A bit of worry comes to you, but broad daylight, you think, affords a certain level of safety.

The indicator, you think, is outside, and you head for the back door at the cafeteria's north end; it leads out onto a patio with a host of unoccupied tables and chairs and empty napkin dispensers. You make your way out, following the indicator that staggers and begins heading away from you. There aren't many people out on the sidewalk to mistake him for; you catch him looking side to side before he turns the corner at the end of the sidewalk, heading to one of the campus's complices of academic buildings.

>>21364702
The academic buildings will be fairly empty on a saturday, and he looked side to side to make sure nobody else is around. There goes our 'broad daylight' protection.
I would say follow him in but I don't want to send us in if other people aren't comfortable with it so if there are no other posts weighing in I guess this thread was a bust.

I'm around, lemme read up.

>>21364702
Follow at a distance, take a route parallel to him but directly following him. Keep tabs on his position using the indicator and our Perception.

>>21364702
Follow that man!

>>21364962
I mean "but not directly following him". We don't want to been seen if he looks behind him. We have these handy indicators and our powers, it makes tailing someone much easier.

>>21365009
>We have these handy indicators and our powers, it makes tailing someone much easier.
It also means that he knows we're following him even if he can't see us. Works both ways.

>>21365021
We have no idea if that is the case or not.

>>21365028
We know that Dream guy said everyone with powers has that sense. He might have been lying or this guy might not know what the sense is indicating, but don't get your hopes up. I'd say the fact that he staggered and then shiftily went into an abandoned area as soon as we started going towards him means he knows we're there.

>>21365021
While other Originals might be able to sense others like them I would be surprised if they could do it with the level of precision that someone with Precision can do. Also he may have left a trap of some kind along his path.

>>21365073
True. Better safe than sorry I guess.

I've been following your Origins thread closely and I enjoy it immensely. Due to timezones and school I don't think I'll be able to participate often but I'll still love it.

>>21364977
>>21364962

You head down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, keeping tabs on the indicator but not directly following him. You don't think he saw you, though the fact that he's looking around means he at least knows something's off. You're sure, though, that no one packs your level of detection skill, even if you're still new to using your Origin; you look to your left at him and continue walking forward, now perpendicular to him.

He's heading further north, and continues down the sidewalk; as you continue “trailing” him, you note that he doesn't look at you, if he's aware of your existence. He passes one of the halls on his left, looking up at the empty building, then continues forward. There's cars in the lot nearby, but there aren't too many people out this morning.

>>21365241
Interesting. Carry on.

>>21365241
Keep on following, keep our distance. Try reading his body language to see his emotional state. If he is tense, apprehensive, excited, scared, what have you.

>>21365241
Time to use Perception on him, I guess. What does he look like? Cues in the body language about his potential hostility? Things like that.

>>21365241
Continue following him at a safe distance. Use Perception powers to see through walls as we turn any corners so we don't get jumped or anything. On that note, we should lookout for any other dangers behind us, non-Origins in particular, since they don't appear on our radar.

>>21365369
What part of "we get crazy-ass headaches when we look through stuff" didn't you get in the last two threads?

>>21365403
We'll get better afterwards. Better safe than sorry? I guess we could just peek around corners like any normal person :P

>>21365316
>>21365320
>>21365369

You turn left to follow him, now walking parallel a distance away, and invoke your Origin. The word echoes in your head—Perception—and you look closer, magnifying your vision and briefly analyzing his body language as well as you can without straining yourself. He's tense, and his head is hung low and at an angle, looking out of the corners of his eyes as well as he can without turning around. You feel something buzzing in your head as you try to “swing” your vision to catch a brief glimpse of his front; his brow is furrowed, and teeth grit behind slightly-parted lips.

He turns to the left again, heading into a courtyard between buildings.

>>21365528
Is it possible that we recognize him, seen him somewhere before?
Keep following, keep vigilant.

>>21365528
He knows we're there, and judging by his grit teeth, is probably using or preparing to use his origin.

I'd say we run up to have and try and make clear we're not a threat before he leads us into an alley and shrinks the walls around us or whatever he does.

>>21365528
We've come this far, might as well keep following. But I'm not sure I'll like where he's leading us.

>>21365631
on that note, I think we'll need to have a concealable weapon to protect ourselves if push ever comes to shove

>>21365528
Is there an easy route to the roofs of the buildings atop the courtyard? If so we should probably get some height and observe him more rather than following him in.

>>21365631
Good point. We wouldn't react well if somebody with powers was sneaking around following us. Maybe we should just call out to him or something.

>>21365528

((What's our consensus?))

>>21365883
seems the consensus would be to engage him in conversation, peacefully and prevent any conflict

>>21365883
We don't really have one.

>>21365950
go with this

>>21365634

You've got a vague idea of the area he's heading towards, actually. You watch as he slips between two buildings; the sidewalk he's turning onto leads past the courtyard of the U-shaped Welles Hall, the building that houses the campus's law library.

>>21366206

If we're feeling daring, we can circle ahead and beat him there. Might scare him off though if he can at least tell what direction we're coming from, if he can really sense us that well

>>21366276
We're probably not athletic enough to go all the way around and beat him there. Let's just go with calling out and talking to him.

>>21366276
Agreed, circle ahead and cut him off, start out the conversation with a shrill "Hi!"

So... there's a whole lot of nothing happening in this thread.

>>21366688
nah, op is just a slow as balls writer, he clarified this in the first thread.

>>21366705
One line in the last hour and a half is pretty damn slow.

>>21366720

((I warned you, bro. Haven't been writing all this time, too. Just got back.))

>>21366276
>>21366333

The buildings are locked on Saturdays, so there's no way you could cut through; instead, you muster all the speed you can, darting across the street and around the building to the opposite side. Though you don't want to try using Perception amidst this, you keep an eye on his marker; it pauses in the approximate location of the courtyard, and your run slows to a jog as you clear the building and turn into the opposite side of the courtyard.

The sidewalk continues to a circular tree lawn in the center of the area, with flowers planted surrounding a plaque that commemorates the building, or some such. The campus's characteristic lanterns dot the path—obviously not on during the day—and there's a few benches leading up to the stairs at the back entrance to the law library. You've already seen the man you've been tailing, and he notes your approach, pausing, almost frozen, in the middle of the empty area.

“Hi!” You call out to him.

“Who are you, and what do you know?” He cocks an eyebrow, his position not softening; he doesn't seem to be taking this lightly. “Why can I... see you in my head, and what do you want from me?”

>>21366778
"I'm a friend, I would like to get along with you, and you can see me in your head for the same reason I can see you in my head.

Tell me, have you had any life changing experiences in the last week that involved a single concept or word?"

>>21366778
"I don't know jack, was hoping you did."

>>21366778
"No bloody idea really. Just figured that the glowing dots meant something and what with I'm assuming you have since I obtained something on gaining sight of these white dots, I'd investigate. So, I guess I don't really no much in a sense."

Glean everything we can about this guy while talking to him. Specifically what his ability might be. Also be aware of any threats to us.

>>21366851
>no
know*, even, goddamn, can't into typing today

>>21366778
"I'm Camille. You can see me in your head because we both have powers. I'm just curious because I keep sensing you around campus."

>>21366832
>>21366851
I would personally keep two things quiet. First, how inexperienced we are, he doesn't seem to know anything and I'd prefer him to be slightly wary around us, to think we actually know what we're doing and aren't to be fucked with. Second keep our Origin secret from him, knowing someone's Origin gives you a lot of information about them.

Break out into song!
http://images.4channel.org/f/src/yes.swf

>>21366869
well, saying don't know squat doesn't mean that we actually don't, but I don't see how either of these tells him what we have as an Origin power

>>21366911
The second one was just a general thing. And saying we don't know squat makes it more likely that he'll treat us as if we know squat. We don't know him well enough to know if he'll try to take us out if he thinks he can take us.

>>21366869
I can agree with that.

>>21366869

"I'm Camille." You stop close to the center of the courtyard. Still on your 'rapport' kick, you find yourself folding your arms, resting with your weight on your back leg. It dawns on you that you don't particularly know how to deal with his tense body language; matching his message might make this encounter worse than better. "I'm a friend, and I can see you in my head for the same reason you can see me in yours."

You notice a brief change in his face, like your last statement triggered something in him. He runs a hand across his head of short, black hair, and you continue speaking: "To be honest, I was hoping you knew something."

"How do I know you aren't bullshitting me?" He takes a few paces your way, then circles the tree lawn, standing with his back to the building stairs. He's taller than you, and -looks- reasonably athletic, if his arms are any indication; definitely not a bodybuilder, but you're certain there's significant muscle beneath that layer of fat. "What, you've got a cool trick too? You start seeing people in your head—not just everyone, either—and I'm supposed to just think you just want to be my friend?"

>>21367050

"Would I have stopped to talk to you if I had wanted to be your enemy?"

>>21367050
"Yeah. You're the only other person on campus with a cool trick so I'm curious about you."

>>21367050
"If I didn't want to be your friend I wouldn't have gone out of my way to meet you in a friendly place of your choosing. If I was your enemy I wouldn't let you see my face and know my name.

So, what's your cool trick?"

>>21367157

"Would I have stopped to talk to you if I had wanted to be your enemy?"

He shakes his head. "What, is this a television show? People don't tell the truth; I don't have any reason to believe you're not just looking for information, or someone sent you here. Why should you give about who I am, or--"

"If I was your enemy, I wouldn't let you see my face or know my name." Again, he looks like your words are having effect. "So, what's your cool trick?"

"Oh." He grins, shuffling in place a bit. "You really want to see it? 'Cause now, I basically have to show you."

>>21367341
"Sure."

>>21367341
"I'd love to see it.

Is this something I should take a few steps beck when you do it?

By the way, I never caught your name."

>>21367341

"Whoa there cowboy. Is this something appropriate to do out in public?"

>>21367341
"But. But we haven't even gone for a first date yet"
blushing everywhere

>>21367361

"Sure. I'd love to. Is this something I should, like, take a few steps back, or..." He laughs, shaking his head, and you continue. "Uh, is this something appropriate to do out in public?"

"Look, 'friend'. If you really are like me, then you've got something in your head." He ignores your inquiry, adjusts his jacket, then looks up to meet your eyes, still standing a few feet away. "It didn't make sense to me until I thought about it. I grew up in a house with three other brothers, and I didn't live in a real good neighborhood, either. But I learned how to throw a punch, and how to take one real early. Never got a lot of help with anything, even my studies."

"Don't take any of that the wrong way, though. I ain't some kind of sob story—hell, I guess you could say I... forced my way through it all." Immediately, something doesn't seem right, and you catch him moving his arm, beginning a sort of swinging motion towards you.

>>21367553
Welp, it's Force.
That could certainly produce pulpy bodies.
I think attempting to dodge that might be a good idea.

>>21367553
Perception powers activate, predict his targetting area, move accordingly.

A GUN WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE RIGHT NOW, WOULDN'T IT?
OR AT LEAST SOME KIND OF A KNIFE OR A BAR

BUT NOOOOO, LETS GO FULL RETARD AND MEET ANOTHER SUPER WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROTECTION. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

>>21367553

Dodge Mothafucka!

>>21367553
Perception powers on, don't be where he's swinging.

>>21367601
Don't even know if we're old enough to purchase a pistol, besides I think the goal was to attain a powered friend for buddy system type safety.

>>21367553
But yeah, dodge, if he gets close enough give him a swift kick to the nuts and run away.

>>21367662
Yeah, figured if he was murdering Origin women and we were right there next to him incapacitated for a whole week he would have gone for us by now. And if he did 3 murders without a single trace of evidence he would be smart enough not attack us in public in broad daylight with no provocation. But there you go.

>>21367662
We're in college, so I assume we're older than 18y. Or do you have to be older than 21 to get a license in America?

I just came here and couldn't influence the decisions from before but this shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. People don't just trust each other, especially when you have super powers.

God damn, this was incredibly retarded. We're not in a hurry to anywhere. Get better at our powers and get some protection before we run of to search other supers.

>>21367703
So you went to meet him with the assumption that HE is the murderer?
.... Okay, now it is even more stupid.

>>21367703
Maybe he's just some dude that really over reacts to other powered folks trying to talk to him.

>>21367710
His Origin seems to be Force. The dead girls were found to be pulped. It fits.

>>21367708
No license necessary, 18 for rifles and shotguns, 21 for handguns.

>>21367708
>So you went to meet him with the assumption that HE is the murderer?
That's the opposite of what I said, you moron. We went to meet him assuming it would be pretty damn safe.

>>21367721
I doesn't actually.
Their bones were turned into ash. If he had killed them, they would be just mangled corpses.

Also, don't assume his power yet.

>>21367723
Also not really sure where the story takes place, but in the great state of Washington, you have to wait a week to pick up your handgun if you dont have a concealed carry permit.

>>21367738

A gun may take a week, but a folding four inch knife is easy to procure and adequately legal in many places. Not sure about Washington though

>>21367733
Not ash, dust. The remains were described as pulpy and had to be identified through DNA, that sounds like there was an awful lot of kinetic force involved.

It could be something else, but given how he said he "forced" his way through it all, it is a decent working assumption especially considering he's swinging at us.

>>21367749
perfectly legal here as well, although I personally think a taser or pepper spray would be a better choice than a knife.

>>21367730
You're the fucking moron.

You went to meet a potentially dangerous individual thinking that the power of friendship is going to solve everything. This is not a fucking cartoon. People are paranoid as fuck. If I had gotten some super powers and some retarded bimbo stalks me for a while and then confronts me in more or less abandoned place up with "Hiiiii~, IMMA SUPER TOO, LETS BE FRIENDS xD. Show me your trick and I'll show you mine, lol.", I'd be incredibly cautious and would want to get away from her as soon as possible.

What the hell did you expect? Are you really that naive?

>>21367586

Perception.

The leaves and flower petals in the tree lawn begin to sway towards him, then immediately away, forced in your direction by the wake of an invisible, expanding wave of energy. Eyes indicate he's looking right at you.

You drop low and move to the side as quickly as your legs permit, and feel the attack push across your back, tugging sharply at your hair; a bench across the way behind you groans, pushed a distance across the concrete. You stop, standing low and feeling a bit fatigued; your hands shake, and you're having trouble stopping them.

He exhales, staying in position. "You're pretty quick. Haven't gotten this kind of practice, yet, though I imagine it hurts pretty bad. This guy elbowed me at a rave last weekend. Gave him a bloody nose from like, ten feet. Gets further every time I tell the story."

You think for a moment about the nature of this guy's abilities; chances are, he's subject to the same headaches as you, but other than that he doesn't seem to show any weak spots. He looks a bit nervous, but he's certainly in better shape than you; luckily, your physical state doesn't appear to hinder your perceptive ability.

“I'll do one more, in case you missed it!” You detect a similar motion, and a similar strange force in the air; this time, though, both arms shift as he begins to bring them forward simultaneously.

>First d20 roll determines efficacy of next action.

Rolled 19

>>21367778

Rollan

Rolled 4

>>21367785

>>21367785
Awesome.
>>21367778
Quickly check around on the ground for something to use as a weapon, a large rock would be nice. Dodge his attack and bash his brains in

>>21367764
No. There's a fucking super serial killer out there, and it was very unlikely to be him, and if we band up we stand more chance of not turning pulpy.
We already talked about getting a gun, and OP didn't go with it for some reason, so we needed to do something.

Rolled 19

>>21367778
Dodge, "You wouldn't happen to know about those bodies that were recently found completely pulverized would you?"
watch body language for lies.

>>21367806
Don't be so quick to kill, we don't even know if this is him yet, hell we don't know if his attack was even that strong.

>>21367810

OP didn't not go with it. He said we need to research the local gun policy laws.

We just woke up a decided the best thing to do is to meet a random super while knowing that there is a murderer out there.

Also, why the hell are people assuming the murderer only kills women who are super? Why do people keep pulling shit out of their asses? I noticed this behavior A LOT in quests.

>>21367830
He's only killed women so far. That's it. Nobody ever said he's never going to kill a guy, just that there was a trend. Why do people sperg out about shit for no reason? I've noticed this behaviour A LOT on the internet.

>>21367806
>>21367827

He is attacking with intent on killing us.

I support the suggestion to finish him off. Anyone who attacks people without actually making sure if they are friendly or not must be disposed of.

>>21367849
His attack pushed a bench, not exactly body pulverizing power there. We asked him to show us his ability, thats what he's doing.

>>21367847
Why do people have shitty reading comprehension?

I said that people assume he kills SUPERS, who happen to be women. Apparently that was enough reason to go around searching for other super to befriend with in case the murderer comes for us.

At least I think this was the initial reasoning for meeting potential walking weapon.

>>21367830
The assumption that he killed the women makes sense given that we're pretty sure they were killed by an Original and his power fits the bill given that he just used raw force to blow a bench away. He said he got his powers a week ago and all the bodies were found this week.

Him only killing other Originals is a bit far fetched but matches with him saying that now he has to show us his power once we revealed ourself and then trying to kill us.

Now it could be someone else, but his first reaction was to try to sucker punch us point blank with a force blast. If he really wanted to just show us he could have hit a tree.

>>21367867
He aimed it straight at us and said he imagined it hurts pretty bad. He's not exactly being nice.

>>21367867
He didn't aim for the bench, he aimed for us.

We are a frail, nonathletic girl. This guy hits like a truck.
You realize that a normal human can kill with a single punch, right? And I mean man attacking another man.
Combine with the fact that he is strong even mundanely along with his super power, we will most likely die in one hit.

This guy is intent on killing us.

>>21367778
How far away was the bench, was it bolted down, how heavy does it look?

>>21367871
That was a theory. Nobody's assuming it's true.
If you think we should have done something differently, go back in time and vote for something different. Oh wait, you'd still be outvoted even if you did that. Well I'm sure your ranting makes you feel like you're somehow achieving something other than being an asshole and shitting up the thread.

>>21367778
>>21367899
or hell, how much force would he have to use to push it like he did, use perception if neccesarry.

>>21367785

((The dice gods play no tricks tonight. The bench was between ten and fifteen feet behind you, and he pushed it two to three feet forward. His first attack wasn't exactly “point blank” either.))

Last Sunday comes to mind, and the colors of the world suddenly seem to have a lot more contrast as you brace yourself, lifting a leg in preparation for where you estimate his attack to be. He seems to be throwing—in a quite heavy handed manner—waves of force that ripple outward as they travel, growing weaker the further they go. This time, you can sort of see them as they move; the air blurs a bit like on a hot day, and though you cannot actually visualize the force, your mind alerts you to where it is greatest. You take a brief glance to the edge of the tree lawn for something to hit him with; no bricks or rocks, just a plastic barrier.

(Cont)

>>21367962

He throws his hands forward, and this time, they come at you like columns. You begin a sprint towards him, not bothering to doubt whether or not you'll make it, and twist your body to the side, leaping between them. You feel friction against your back, and the front wave hurts your neck, tossing your head against your shoulder, but you suffer through and continue towards him.

You can tell he's not ready.

With soccer practice coming up, the first thing that occurs to you is the most powerful kick you can muster with the momentum you've already got, aimed wherever you can place it; as you come within proximity, you swing your leg towards his, and feel it make contact before your Origin-fueled burst of fighting spirit is thrown out of line by a sudden thunder clap of force that throws both of you in opposite directions.

You land in the tree lawn, then struggle to your feet, pressing a hand against your neck and breathing heavily. Seems he got the worst of it; he's bleeding from his shin, lying on the stairs, staring upwards with an expression somewhere between smiling and shock. He groans, then places a hand on his forehead. “God... damn... plus respect. That's all I've got... Guess it doesn't really matter whether you're out to get me or not."

Rolled 14

>>21367974

Guess not. Seems like we'd have a hard time staying standing up, let along trying to off each other. Got any aspirin?

>>21367974
>Origin-fueled burst of fighting spirit is thrown out of line by a sudden thunder clap of force that throws both of you in opposite directions.

where did that came from?
Is there another original nearby or something?

>>21367987
Maybe, maybe not.
Only way to know is to by standing up.

Rolled 19

>>21367992

It might have been our boy here throwing something at us on instinct

>>21367974
"You're an asshole. Did you not consider that pulling the kind of stunt you just pulled might not end well? Asshole.

I also have a very simple question for you. Do you know anything about the unusual murder of three women recently?"

On that question use Perception to see if he's lying.

>>21368004

((Bingo.))

>>21368012

"You're an asshole. Did you not consider that pulling the kind of stunt you just pulled might not end well? Asshole." You speak curtly, taking a couple steps his way.

"Oh... come with it, now." He groans. "First of all, I didn't think you had it in you, and I will not be making that mistake again anytime soon. Second of all, if you want to do all this thinking, my brothers always tried to intimidate me whenever they didn't want me around. So that's what I do when I want someone out of my hair--when I don't know what else to do. You can't expect me to be so receptive of some magic dot walking into my life when fucked up shit has been happening to me for a whole week. alright?" Another pained sound, and he brings his other hand to his forehead. "I'm fucking sorry, okay?"

"Hmph. I have a very simple question for you. Do you know about the unusual murder of three women recently?"

"What the... yeah? Heard about it in the news a few days ago." You focus on his answer, but he doesn't seem to be giving any hints of lying away; more than anything, he seems exasperated. "Why that all of a sudden?"

>>21368132
"When you started throwing around force, I thought of the condition those bodies were in and whether I had made a big mistake trying to contact you."

>>21368132
"Curiosity, what else could it be?

So what we're going to do now is you're going to give me your phone number and name so I can contact you if I hear anything interesting and then I'm going to get some ice cream.

Try to learn some manners by the next time we talk. Just because you're having a strange week doesn't mean that you should take it out on a nice person like me."

>>21368132

It's a bit technical and I don't think I have time to explain right now, but I'll do my best.

Murders happened.
Victims remains described as "pulpy"
You punch bench from range.
Just making sure you aren't a murderer.

You'd be Force, wouldn't you?

>>21368171

"Call it curiosity. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dealing with a murderer." You say, then lower your hand, ignoring the pain in your neck. Best to play this one cool. "So what we're going to do now is this: you're gonna give me your name and phone number so I can contact you if I hear anything interesting, and then I'm gonna go get some ice cream."

"Are you f--" He pauses, then rolls onto one side, then reluctantly rattles off the digits of his phone number, which you quickly add to your contacts. He drags himself to his feet, clearly favoring his not-bleeding leg. "Name's Anders, and I'll buy if you go later. I think I owe you one, or something like that."

"Try to learn some manners by the next time we talk. Just because you're having a strange week doesn't mean you should take it out on a nice person like me."

"A nice person that knows more than she's letting on--and that's a hell of a strange week, thanks much. Now you've got me curious. Long as I can still see you in my head, we are most certainly not done talking about this." He rolls his eyes, then produces his wallet, pulls out an ID card, and limps up the stairs toward the law library doors, mumbling something about 'extra hours'. You breathe a sigh of relief, looking back at the disheveled bench and the Camille-sized imprint in the flowerbed soil.

It isn't even noon.

((Out for tonight.))

>>21368264

((And back. I'd make a part 2 thread, but continuing here seems more appropriate.))

You lean back in your dorm room chair, now simply letting time pass. Elissa and Brittany haven't texted you since this morning, and you're feeling a bit better after your encounter with Anders now that you've got a few hundred milligrams of acetaminophen in your system.

You're convinced you made an ally today; though he might be reluctant to give you aid in the future, he did mention he was in your debt, however serious he was. Now that you think about it, Anders's life history makes it seem reasonable that he wouldn't respect anyone who couldn't stand up to him if it came to blows. He doesn't seem like much more than just an asshole; you don't believe he's the one responsible for the murders, though there's always the possibility.

Noon is coming soon, and you sigh, gazing up at the ceiling and magnifying your vision in and out. You've come to the conclusion that it works like a muscle; you've been doing this for a while, stretching the lower-end potential of your Origin until your certain it won't hurt you anymore, and it's beginning to feel like you're getting better.

>>21372640
>Go to bed while quest is still running
>Catch up the next day and it's running again
Huh, you're pretty tireless. So how long do we have until practice? Should probably just rest, do some research on the internet about the murders, gun licences, origins, that sort of thing.

>>21373136

((I'd sleep during the day if I could but by the time I'd like to, I'm already wide awake.))

Practice is supposedly in half an hour. You could head down to the field whenever you wanted, really; you're already dressing the part.

A little more research seems like a good idea, and you re-open all of the news sites you investigated yesterday.

Another body, reported found in the early hours of this morning, apparently in the same condition as the others. Unidentified. The possibility of an Original serial murderer is looking more and more likely, and you can't help but wonder who he's targeting.

Self-defense in mind, you take a quick look at the concealed carry laws in your state, though you still haven't a clue where you'd get a gun. Looks like you'd have to go through a couple of background checks and attend a safety class. Doesn't sound all that rough.

Still no supernatural sounding reports in the news, either, though again, you're not entirely sure how you'd be able to tell by looking.

>>21373303
>Looks like you'd have to go through a couple of background checks and attend a safety class.
Can we sign up for that now? I don't know what it's like in America but from my experience of government bureaucracy it will take weeks for anything to happen so the sooner we start the better. Then wander down to practice I suppose.

>>21373303
Sign up for that, buy a taser/pepper spray to last the time frame that its going to take.

capta: oiciesv revolves
snub nose revolver, captcha commands it.

>>21373446

A quick look at a government website suggests that there'll be some relatively significant fees associated with the registration process, starting with a $60 class a reasonable distance away from campus. Even after all that's handled, it could take up to three months to actually get your hands on the permit.

...Yeah, you'll get right on that. How about after practice? A taser or pepper spray does seem relatively reasonable after the events of the last week; you're pretty sure there's an army surplus store somewhere nearby.

You set out for the soccer field, mentally snapping back to the indicators as you head out; seems like Anders is still in the approximate location of the library. You doubt he's anything to worry about. In any case, he'll be able to find you.

The walk across campus is mostly uneventful; eventually, you stand at the top of a small hill overlooking the north grass field. You can see some of the girls down there kicking around; you're pretty sure that practice will consist of playing a few games.

>>21373841
Are the girls who invited us there? We should find them.

>>21373841
What state are we in anyways?

Go to practice, run around, yadada, think about purchasing a 12 gauge from walmart for $300

>>21373995
A 12-guage isn't exactly something we can carry around all the time, and doesn't really make use of our supernatural precision.

>>21374044
Yeah, but it's something to keep in the apartment in case someone comes after us there.

but yeah, taser/pepper spray first.

>>21374079

Residence hall. You were lucky enough to get a single, but the apartments were since full up when you registered for housing, mostly with upperclassmen.

Which brings you to the "weapons aren't allowed on campus anyway" issue. You imagine you could slip something under the radar pretty easily, but it'd be a hassle, and there'd be hell to pay if someone found it.

>>21373995

You're a little sore, but alright. The first force wave you ducked scraped your lower back pretty nicely, a little bit like a rug burn; likewise, your neck hurts a bit and you're generally bruised from getting thrown into a flowerbed. The injuries aren't enjoyable, but are mostly superficial. Tylenol helps, but you'll certainly be better a day or so from now.

You look down into the groups of soccer players. There's a significant disparity between the skill of each player on the team, and while you look for Elissa and Brittany, you watch as the ball glides back and forth across the grass, with some intercepting it and others allowing it to bounce awkwardly towards and away from them. Eventually, you spot both of the girls down on the field.

>>21374079
It's $300 and we're a poor student. Plus firing it would fuck up our apartment and lose us the deposit. One gun is probably enough for most problems.

>>21374171
Let's go down and say hi then.

>>21374171
>dorms
eww, at least they're be people around to watch us get murdered.

Time for soccer.

>>21374389

Conditions aren't that bad, actually. The place is relatively secure, though you imagine if someone really wanted to get to you, especially someone with superpowers, there really wouldn't be too much stopping them. Security patrols are usually relatively competent, though.

>>21374275

You make your way down the hill, and the game seems to pause as you approach; Brittany breaks rank, and waves to you. "Hey, Camille!" She smiles, dribbling a ball at her feet. "We're just going to shoot around today, because a few people can't be here. You can be on my team."

"Alright." You nod.

"You've played soccer before, right?" She asks.

"Not really." You shrug. "I played a little when I was younger, I guess."

"Oh, uh, alright. Just stick with me, then. We've got good defense for right now, so you and I can play the middle third. I think it'll help you get used to the whole thing again. Ready?" She turns, and kicks the ball back toward the other players with the side of her foot, following shortly behind. "Play it!"

You follow her, heading for the center of the field. The members of the other team wear colored cloth vests to differentiate themselves, and by the time you reach the field, one of them moves the ball toward your goal along the right side of the field, with surprising precision. Brittany heads her way, but is promptly outmaneuvered; the other girl spins around her and continues forward. No doubt she's played before, but let's see what you can do.

You don't even need your Origin to make a few assumptions. Looks like you'd be alone if you went in now, but defense is ready to pick up the slack. She looks pretty confident, too, and probably wouldn't expect much of too many people; you're pretty sure slide tackling is a thing you can do, right?

>>21374554
Legit tactic, but not necessarily in friendly games, use feets to steal the ball.

>>21374554
Go for the tackle, why not. Do our best, it's only a friendly game and it doesn't matter if we fail.
Also try and use our origin to read the flow of the game and different people's tactics and all that stuff, so we can train mentally as well as physically.

>>21374872

"Got it!" You head for her, aiming to cut her off; might as well try your hardest, and invoke Perception while you're at it, in order to train on two different fronts. Here, you'll make an effort to read the game, and keep tabs on things that you aren't looking directly at.

You put a little more speed into your run, almost at the field's edge a little ways into your third. Your goalie looks prepared, and the girl you're pursuing glances at you, still bearing her confident expression.

>First d20 roll determines effectiveness of action.

Rolled 15

>>21375014
Rollan

>>21375024

She looks surprised, but experience allows her to maintain composure as you move in low and dive forward with your foot extended, to kick or hook the ball away from her; the girl makes a haphazard leap and stumbles to avoid tripping, and you make a clumsy, rolling recovery of your own, reversing direction and heading to the other end of the field with the ball in tow.

You bring it up, with another of the girls on your team running parallel to you a distance away to offer support. Looks like Elissa's playing midfield for their team, and she heads quickly towards you, evidently willing to give it her all as you were. She appears resolute, and is likely more experienced, but your Origin gives you a leg up, and headache hasn't yet begun to set in; the practice seems to be doing you well.

>Roll d20, suggest action.

Rolled 19

>>21375162
Continue luring Elissa in until she almost reaches us and then pass the ball to our team-mate?
I don't really have a clue how to play.

>>21375270
Dese rolls.

>>21375270

Improved perception and heightened kinesthetic senses clearly leave you a cut above the rest, though you don't have the endurance to back it up quite yet. You wait as long as you can, then send the ball your teammate's way before Elissa realizes what's even happened, smoothly moving out of her path and allowing her to stumble past. Leaning forward, you plant your hands on your thighs and give a few deep breaths, letting Brittany and the rest of your team take it up to their third.

You don't match the speed of your first sprint again for the rest of practice, but you continue to give it your all; when you grow tired, you give pause to rest, and when headache begins to set in, you cease using your Origin. The next hour goes by quickly, and by the end, you find yourself physically and mentally taxed.

"We're calling it early, Camille!" Elissa makes her way up to you and pats you on the back. "You did great today. Sure you're new?"

"Uh, yeah. I didn't score a goal, either, and..."

"Well, you're a natural." She smiles. "You look like you could use a rest, but were you planning on doing anything later tonight?"

>>21375645
"Not that I can think of, want to go do something?"

>>21375764

((Back, sorry about the wait.))

"Not that I can think of." You say, walking alongside her. "Why? Did you want to go do something?"

"Anne, some of the girls, and I are going to a party at... uh, I don't remember which house." She frowns. "Interested in coming? It's at like, nine or ten tonight... maybe? Ugh... I'll text you about it later." She jogs up to meet the other girls, some of whom are halfway up the hill. Even now, your hands jitter a bit, and you feel lactic acid building up in your joints; today's been a pretty good day for you, but you've certainly got work to do.

>>21376230
The obvious thing to do is go back home, have a shower and change into some normal, non-sweaty clothes. I can't think of a reason not to do that.

>>21376338

By about 2 PM, you've showered and changed into fresh clothes; you return to your dorm room and sprawl out on your bed, taking a moment to relax. You've done a pretty damn good job getting a handle on this whole thing, exhausted as you are; soreness is beginning to set in all over.

Taking the time to relax, you notice that your eyesight has improved; things seem more detailed even when you're not actively trying to make them. Your Origin is becoming familiar to you, and bringing it to mind, you can visualize more dots than before, most of them much farther away than nearer. Improvement, you think, is a good feeling, and your confrontation with Anders today certainly afforded you a level of confidence you haven't felt in a while; that said, if the news is any indicator, there are things much smarter and more dangerous than him out there.

Your phone buzzes: Elissa. "Party's @ K-A. 9:30.” Kappa Alpha, or something? You're not really sure; you haven't really spent much time at fraternity houses—other than the times you've gone to bail out a drunken acquaintance—so you doubt you'd be able to make an accurate guess as to the identity of the place. Not sure if you'll go; might be a learning experience, and beyond resting and practicing your Origin, you aren't sure what else you had in mind for today.

>>21377995
This calls for an experiment. Focus really hard on K-A and see if we can Perceive where it is. We might even get something other than a headache.

>>21377995
go to the party, it will be fun

>>21378127
if this fails, text to confirm venue

Don't have the juice to do much. Still no power, got the phone recharged for the moment. I just feel the need to post the reply I tried so hard to post monday that the phone died before I could get it through, at least I saved it to memo before it couldn't go on.
Sure, the moment has passed, but there's a stubborn priciple to seeing it through.

>>21347759
"Dream? Hm. When.. something.. happened to me, I saw 'Perception'. I always thought of myself as a perceptive person.. But in that moment I became so much moreso..
Perhaps that is what this.. it needs a word.. this thing is, taking.something deep inside and making it so much more, you and Dreaming, myself and perceiving.. Wow.."

>Shit, I want to stick with this but my phone's power isn't going to hold out.
>And fucking phone network ip is banned (update: more than) half the time. Argh

As it turns out the phone internet was also going down from being overloaded. Hopefully I'll have power and can follow this properly. Just doing a glance around to see if a new thread haf popped, since the old died before I could get through.

>>21377995

Mayhaps we should call up our new buddy Anders and see if he wants us to wing for him. Maybe getting him laid will make him friendlier to us.

>>21381332
I think we'd better leave him alone for a while. We've freaked him out enough today without suddenly calling up asking if he wants to get laid. Hell, we don't even know if he has a girlfriend or something.

Wonder what happened to OP. 5 hours with no posts is not just being slow.

>>21381399
people have lives, real-life does get in the way of stuff. Have faith in the great Johnny!