On the dancefloor

[Paradise] Alright! Welcome to tonight's scene. The rules are as follows:

1: Have fun.
2: Please try to limit your narrative posts to under 15 minutes, and your declares/rolls to under 3, unless you need something clarified. I will not be a time nazi, though. Just remember the longer the posting takes, the longer the scene will be.
3: I go first in each round, then you all post in alphabetical order. Please don't skip order unless I tell you to do so.
4: If you have a question, pm me on aim. I might not see it in the chat, but you're welcome to try that first if it's a question that pertains to everyone.
5: This scene will have the potential for characters to be emotionally influenced by outside sources. If that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know, and I will not be the slightest bit offended. There may also be violence and sexual situations occurring at various points, so if this doesn't sound like something you're cool with, again, you're welcome to bow out and no one will hold it against you. If at any point during the scene something happens that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know.
6: Everyone please PM me with any merits/flaws that you think might come up, as well as the answer to this question: which of the "Seven Deadly Sins" do you think best fits your character?

And now, on with the show!

[Emily Littleton] Emily's deadly sin: Pride
to Paradise

[Paradise] Paradise. Most people would be hard pressed to imagine any part of Chicago as paradise, even the wealthy and towering urban mecca that was the Magnificent Mile. Still, someone had given precisely this name to a very particular little piece of the Mile. That piece was a new nightclub that had opened on one of the flashier blocks in the downtown area. The owners had pulled out all the stops in their design, making Paradise one of the city's most anticipated new hot-spots, with multiple floors, plush seating, the best drinks that money can buy, and of course... some of the most sought after DJs. The line outside of the place was fairly sizable, despite the fact that the doors had only just opened and the sun was still peeking over the horizon. In a few hours, it would be nearly impossible to get in.

What many of these people didn't know, however, was that around this time last year, an entirely different club had been opened in precisely this spot. A hip little cocktail and blues bar called the Black Widow. It had been a rousing success... until reports of a sudden flux in violent crime, and then, the mysterious disappearance of the owner on the same night that the bar burned to the ground. Despite the fact that this was prime real estate, many developers had been hesitant to rent the space. Rumors, perhaps. Some people believed that it was cursed. But that... was just an urban legend. And money always flowed, in the end.

Out on the street, the muffled pulse of bass could be felt through the sidewalk, and men and women chatted to each other pleasantly as they waited for their turn to pass through the doors.

[Chuck Carmichael] Chuck is not a dancer. In fact, very few would consider him the club-going type at all, and yet here he is, quite possibly one of the tallest in line and close-ish to its head, drawn into the line originally because of the beat, the murmurs about some fantastic DJ spinning, about martinis to die for which are quite the step up from his usual beer . . . even the very good micro-brewed or imported beer he tends to keep in stock. By now, the girls in his cabal will know well that when he gets carryout (for almost every meal, given his inability to cool), it's some of the best carryout in the city. His clothes are simple, but they're the finest, richest sort of simple he can get.

Basically, Chuck has a thing for the good things in life. Not an obsession or anything, but he wants them, and so he gets them. he also shares them freely, generously.

Now, though, there he is - cleaned up for the occasion in a powder blue tuxedo shirt that has a higher thread-count than most sheets, and some nice, expensive jeans that fit him just so. On his feet? The standard Chucks, but not the black, or the red. Nothing plain tonight, but pulp comic strip characters emoting all over his feet. That Chuck, he's so quirky. Anyway, there he is. And there he waits.

[Emily Littleton] It's Summer, and the heat has stepped in to burn away the lingering threads of Spring. Winter was so distant, now, that Emily had to reach back in her memory for the sensation of snow on her eyelashes, the memory of a particular blue hue that anchored her early Awakened days. It's burned off the tension between her shoulderblades that spoke to early June, and its spider-webbed memories and aches.

The Cabal 3 girls owe one another a second chance at a night out. Whether it's Riley or Emily that decides to check out the new hotspot doesn't really matter. What matters is that Emily remembers to throw on ballet flats instead of heels, and that they're laughingly friendly once more. There's no worry, now, about who Emily might find lurking in the shadows to score something illicit from. She's not chasing bad dreams; she's got too much further to fall these days.

She's in a black skirt that falls to just above her knees, and a bright green halter top that leaves her shoulders bare to feel the brush of dark curls against them. Her eyes are laughingly bright again, and she's threaded her arm through Riley's and leans in to whisper something to the other girl about a truly hideous outfit that just ambled past them, draped over the pretty frame of another young twenty-something.

Emily hasn't been this happy since they met. Something has shifted; something has shifted for the better.

[James Blake] He's here already. After what happened the other night he doesn't want to be anywhere near a night club. You could say he was dragged...but the idea of a couple of women in 4 inch heels and skin tight skirts "dragging" a guy who's over six feet tall anywhere is ridiculous. All they had to say is they wanted to go out but didn't want to go alone and he was there. So that's how James came to sit in a booth across from Ada and one of her friends. He's got the black mark of the underage on the back of the hand that no longer sports a wedding band. He keeps trying to play with it but it's not there anymore. Ada is signing the conversation she's having with her friend in case James wants to follow along. He doesn't. He's drinking a Sprite and wishing he could smoke in here. Seeming by chance he's facing the door.

[Riley Poole] Emily isn't the only girl in their little geek club who shines a little brighter these days. If it can be believed, the tall Virtual Adept is happier these days than she has been in years. Her smile is brighter, wider, holds more charm and mirth. She laughs even more easily. It's harder for her to angry -- sometimes.

Emily may guess at what's changed in Riley's life to make the usually laid back and easygoing older woman so much happier. She was there, afterall, in the Toys R Us, when Riley grinned so freely, giddy with joy, and said someone was nice.

While her friend the Orphan and Chorister-to-be is in ballet flats, Riley is in something higher. The heels of her pumps, though, are thicker, less prone to stumbles and subsequent breaking of ankles. She's dressed in something short and cute-sexy, something that suits her tall but slender figure. Leaning over, she listens to Emily. Her dark eyes go to the ensemble, and she laughs.

[Paradise] The lower level of the club was where most of the action was currently going on. Above them, balconies from the second and third floors looked down onto the large, black marble dance floor, where a small group of people were already out dancing to the music. This particular song was a bit slower in tempo. Something smooth and cool - a little-known trip-hop band. Most of the patrons, though, were still busy chatting and sipping drinks at the bar or tucked away in a booth with friends (as James was.)

Outside, the three cabal-mates waited in line, moving ever-closer to the entrance. When they finally arrived there, a large blond man looked them over, checked their IDs, and waved them through. Just inside the door, a dark-haired girl behind a register took their cover fees, and from there they were free to roam where they chose.

[Alright, everyone please roll Per+Alertness.

Also, if anyone would have a Mind shield up, please roll that for me now so I can make a note of it.

Also! If anyone has any dots in Spirit, let me know.]

[Emily Littleton] [Alertness]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 3, 5, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Riley Poole] [alert!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[James Blake] (( Perc + Alertness. Difficulty +3, Deaf Flaw. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 10 (Success x 1 at target 9)

[Chuck Carmichael] [Alert!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 6, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Paradise] The dance floor in this club is beautiful. Shimmering black marble with quartz flaws that glitter when the light hits just right. And an elegant, white design spiraling ever inward.
to Chuck Carmichael, Emily Littleton, James Blake, Riley Poole

[Chuck Carmichael] Yep! Look at that. A pretty, pretty spiral. Awesome.

"I'm gonna sit right there," he says, pointing at a stool at the bar. "Gimme purses or something so I can save your seats. There are martinis and bleu cheese olives calling my name."

Which is to say, he'll be sitting and watching - he does this often. Meatspace kind of squicks him out a lot of the time - there's a reason he pretty much only comes out of his condo to pick up his carryout, go to work or rowing practice, or squirt someone with a squirt gun. He's cool with contact, but even in the air conditioned club, even this early, people are sweaty. And it's gross.

"You ladies want anything?"

[Emily Littleton] Happiness runs deep for Cabal 3 at the moment. Riley is all but glowing; Emily's new-found center emanates more quietly but not less strongly. It makes them a formiddable force for joy and good in the Universe, which is much needed after the rift between them had made a mess of early Summer. (Everything in its time; everything in its place.)

She, too, notices the spiral on the dance floor. Emily thinks it a pretty thing, if a curious one. She's more than happy to leave her small clutch with Chuck, and he gets a platonic (still friendly) kiss on the cheek for his troubles. It hasn't crossed her mind that it may be inappropriate, now, between them, because he's so affably easy-going.

"Rum and coke, with lime?" she says, steering away from her perinneal favorite (and capital bad idea) for the evening.

"Are you sure you don't want to dance?" she asks him, lilting the question upward with a quirk of her eyebrow and a horribly mischevious smile.

[James Blake] Maybe he's nervous after what happened the other night. He's not thinking about what prompts him to put up a Mind shield. He's in a club, it's dimly lit and he isn't sure whoever - whatever - was pretending to be Sarah isn't stalking him. The thought makes his blood turn as cold as the liquid in his glass. Ada and her friend don't see him shiver despite the heat of the place and the weight of his clothes. He's wearing heavy jeans and a long sleeved dress shirt even though it was hot as Hell today. They don't notice when he brings his thumbnail up to his mouth as if to gnaw the nail. He pushes his cuticle into his tooth instead to give himself a flare of pain and he doesn't immediately notice Emily and Riley sitting at the bar together.

(( Mind Shield! Coincidental. Difficulty 4, -1 focus. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 10 (Success x 2 at target 3) [WP]

[James Blake] (( Extending. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 10 (Failure at target 3)

[James Blake] (( One more time! Difficulty +1. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 3 (Botch x 1 at target 4)

[Riley Poole] Riley doesn't have much issue with meatspace. She's a sociable kind of geek, able to make friends with the strangers she bumps into.

Unless one of them knocks into her and doesn't apologize. Or someone tries to "accidentally" touch her ass. Then it's time for a glare, or a hand snaking out to twist an ear. Not that that happens now, once Riley and Emily are inside. She's among friends, and she's in good spirits. And so far no one's tried to molest Chuck or Emily. Riley's at peace, nothing triggering that whiplash temper.

Yet. It's early still, the place isn't as crowded as it will be later. People aren't yet losing themselves to inebriation, their scruples aren't loosening.

She hands over her own small bag, too small for a certain weapon. That's at home, hiding in her bag, which in turn is hiding under her bed. Quite possibly next to a fluffy white and grey Balinese.

Grinning, she joins in the teasing of their affable yet still a little shy to the world of the dance floor friend. "Yeah, c'mon, it'll be fun. I need someone height appropriate, anyway." In heels, she stands a bit over six feet tall. Still not as tall as her cabalmate, but goodness. That's tall for a woman.

"Jack and Coke for me."

[Paradise] There was nothing out of the ordinary about this place, aside from possibly the extravagance of it all, and that interesting design on the dance floor. People were behaving as one might expect.

At least... at first.

It was early, and no one was likely to be drunk enough or high enough to really let loose. And yet, as the music played, if one watched the dancers, they'd notice that things were starting to get overtly erotic. Couples danced close, hands on each other as fingers searched for skin and dipped beneath the hems of clothing. They kissed. And kissed. And kissed...

And soon enough people started to watch. And then they started to join in, as more and more of the gathered patrons seemed to decide that dancing was, indeed, precisely what they wanted to do right now.

[Everyone please roll Per+Aware, diff 8]

[Emily Littleton] [Aware, dif 8]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 (Failure at target 8)

[James Blake] (( Perc + Aware ))
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 8)

[Riley Poole] [aware]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 (Failure at target 8)

[Chuck Carmichael] [Aware!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7 (Failure at target 8)

[Chuck Carmichael] [No, really.]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 4, 4, 5, 7, 10 (Failure at target 9)

[Riley Poole] [botches don't scare me!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 9)

[Emily Littleton] [Aware, dif 9 for re-roll]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 9)

[Paradise] [There's something going on here. Riley and Em can't quite tell what it is, but they can feel something. Ever-so-faint. Like a hum in the air. Something seductive and tantalizing that's pooling around the dancers.]
to Emily Littleton, Riley Poole

[Chuck Carmichael] Chuck . . . actually doesn't want to dance. And as he watches, as people get closer and touchier and what not, he's somewhat less inclined to do so . . . but then, he came with his buddies. His bros. So . . .

"Alright, for a couple of songs. But only because the two hottest girls in the club asked me to," he says with that same friendly smile (and only a hint of smirk) he usually wears. First, there are drinks ordered, and handed out, and then he's following his cabalmates to the dance floor, where he . . .

Dances like a white guy. Which is to say, with very little feeling for rhythm, despite his ability to hold it while playing guitar. Controlling his hand and producing the sound he wants is a lot different than dancing - and now the girls know at least part of why he didn't want to. Still, all three have drinks, Chuck has bags under his arm rather than leaving them unattended on the aforementioned chairs, and they're dancing. If what Chuck's doing can be called that.

[Emily Littleton] "I knew you'd come around!"

When Chuck recants on his not-dancing stance, there's an expression nearly akin to glee on Emily's face. And the drinking has yet to properly begin! They have to toast this, Chuck's dancefloor debut. And if the geek boy looks a little awkward, it's clearly because those bitches he's with have made him carry their bags so they can dance with one another and torment the poor boy.

It's the only possible explanation. No one can be that white. (Not that Emily can talk, Ms. Fell On My Ass And Got Caught By Lady Gaga, no no.)

They dance. The people around them get a little less inhibited, and it probably stretches the comfortable boundaries between cabalmates just a bit. Maybe it's that fuzziness that makes Emily still a bit, pause mid-smile to hide that flicker of concern behind taking a sip from her drink (ice cubes clink, everythign smells faintly of lime). She glances around the floor, then leans in.

"Hey, love, can I get my purse?" she asks the tallest member of their group. Emily will pantomime and point if necessary. She needs something in it (damned physical foci).

[James Blake] Paradox doesn't hit him right away. He takes his thumb away from his mouth and looks out over the dance floor. He doesn't like what he sees. When he looks back, Ada's friend is touching Ada. Ada has stopped signing. The Chorister sighs and reaches across the table to tap Ada on the shoulder harder than he needs to. She looks over at him, her kohl lined eyes sleepy with longing, and James signs insistently. Ada looks over at her friend, looks back at him, and signs OK. And like that the women get up and strut out of the club...or at least out of sight. James slumps back with one less person to worry about now. He scrubs his face, and then something catches his attention. He grabs the alcoholic drink that Ada's friend left behind and examines its contents. He wants to drink pretty badly but doesn't trust it.

[Riley Poole] Chuck did come with his bros tonight. His bros who happen to be two tall attractive females who are very prettily dressed up tonight. Nevermind the fact that one's his ex and the other thinks of him as the brother she never had. Who can deny such beauties their request.

Riley actually claps her hands together once, grinning ear to ear when Chuck relents. She accepts her drink and threads her arm through Chuck's, the one not currently protecting their bags, and heads with him to the dance floor.

There's something there, sort of, she can feel it, a little. It vibrates through her body, as low and indistinguishable as the bassline. She can't define the feeling, can't put her finger on what it brings to mind. All she knows is something is off. When the trio makes their way to the floor, Riley subtly holds them back from completely joining the throng. Which is to say, really, that she stops abruptly just outside it, and she makes sure her friends are close by. Away from those who are kissing and kissing, dancing so close together it's obscene.

Emily asks for her purse. Riley looks at her, then at Chuck. "Yeah, I need mine, too." Physical foci indeed.

[Emily Littleton] [Prime 1: Watching the weaving, base dif 4, unique focus -1]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 7 (Failure at target 3)

[Riley Poole] [What's wrong wit'chu peeps? Mind scan: diff 4, -1 (foci)]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10 (Success x 1 at target 3)

[Emily Littleton] [Prime 1: Watching the weaving, base dif 4, unique focus -1, re-rolling +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 9 (Success x 1 at target 4)

[James Blake] (( Prime 1 - Same as Em! Difficulty 4, -1 focus. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 9 (Success x 2 at target 3)

[Riley Poole] [extending!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6 (Success x 1 at target 4)

[Chuck Carmichael] [Cabal-mates think alike (even if one is slow on the upchuck)! And, there's totally an app for that. Prime 1, diff 4, -1 focus.]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 7, 10 (Success x 3 at target 3) [WP]

[Paradise] [There is magic going on here, but it's not of a kind that Emily recognizes. Still, she can see the tendrils of prime as they flow from the floor and caress the people around her.]
to Emily Littleton

[Riley Poole] [WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 8)

[Emily Littleton] [WP: Dif 8]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 8)

[Chuck Carmichael] [WP!]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 8)

[Paradise] Each of the Awakened begins to notice that something is off, and each of them, in their own way, begins the process of opening up their senses and attempting to figure out precisely what is going on. Some are more successful than others, but by now, all of them know that those on the dance floor are being affected in some way.

And it's getting stronger.

James, alone in his booth, is more careful than most, and so far he is free of the subtle influence that seems to be intoxicating the other club-goers. The three cabal-mates, though, are right in the thick of it, and they will all begin to feel as if something is attempting to slip past their inhibitions. They'll feel just a little more loose than usual, rather like the effect of a nice buzz. Their wills keep them from going any further, though Chuck is going to feel just a little less energetic than he had been a few moments ago.

Those with weaker wills are not so lucky. Whatever it is that's causing all this, the effect on the crowd is getting more and more noticeable, and it isn't all as benign as a little amped-up physical attraction. One of the couples is starting to tear into each other's clothes, as if their intention is to have sex right then and there. Soon, others start to follow. Not all, though. Some seem to be reacting differently. One woman starts to shriek in anger as another knocks her to the ground and begins trying to steal her shoes. A couple of men start fighting, and one of them punches the other one hard enough to knock him out cold.

Another man taps Chuck on the shoulder. "Nice shirt, fucker."

And then another man dashes up to Emily and Riley, reaching out to grab at their purses.

It's amazing how quickly chaos can take hold.

[Init time!]

[Emily Littleton] [Init! +6]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2

[Riley Poole] [+7]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10

[James Blake] (( +6 ))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2

[Chuck Carmichael] [+6]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8

[Paradise] [Dancers - for sanity's sake, they all get the same init - +4]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2

[Emily Littleton] [There are no ties in Initiative!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4

[James Blake]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4

[James Blake] (( Come on, Blake! ))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6

[Emily Littleton] [Ahem...]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4

[Paradise] And the order is:

Riley - 17 (god damn, woman)
Chuck - 14
James - 8
Emily - 8
Dancers - 6

Declare in reverse order]

[Paradise] [Angry Man - punch chuck

Greedy man - split grab Em's purse/grab Riley's purse

Angry woman - close distance

Everyone else - chaos]

[Emily Littleton] [Declare: Dodge purse-grabbings!]

[James Blake] He's being pretty much left alone for right now. Not like the cabal out on the floor. James scrambles to his feet, getting up on the bench of the booth so he can see what's going on. He doesn't leap into the fray right away. He takes stock of what's going on, then bites his knuckle and starts casting.

(( Declare: Mental Impulse, target Greedy Man! ))

[Chuck Carmichael] "Thanks," Chuck says to the guy complimenting his shirt, slow and easy and with that same smile as always - he still has his 'Berry in hand, and now even more than before, he wants to be sitting on his ass in that bar stool with a martini. And look at that - there's a fist coming his way, and Chuck not being the angry sort, simply . . . moves. It's easy, really, given projected blows and all. He doesn't even have to do it fast, can just sort of dreamy-dance (so much smoother and easier than his actual 'moves') to where he wants to be instead. This, though, the unaccustomed meatspace aggression? It gets a frown, a scowl even, but it's lazy.

"Dude. What the hell?"

[Declare: Split
1) dodge
2) Corr, Entropy, Mind: Who's most likely to go where?]

[Riley Poole] [1a/b: Hit greedy man with purse]

[Chuck Carmichael] ((Oops! Pretend I didn't say the dodge part.))

[Riley Poole] [1a: Smack!: dex + melee -2]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 6 (Failure at target 6)

[Riley Poole] [1b: -3]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 3, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Riley Poole] [dam: +0]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 5 (Failure at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael] [People move in patterns, who's going where, that'll give clear path. Corr + Entropy + Mind, +WP! -1 focus, -1 practiced.]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 4, 5 (Success x 3 at target 3) [WP]

[James Blake] (( Mind 2 - Mental Impulse, Back Off! Coincidental (I think?) Difficulty 5, -1 focus. ))
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 4 (Success x 2 at target 4) [WP]

[Emily Littleton] [Dodge!]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 10 (Failure at target 6)

[Paradise] [Angry man - punching Chuck - Dex+Brawl]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 6, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Str+3]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 4, 5 (Failure at target 6)

[Paradise] [Greedy man goes grabby at Em - Dex+Ath -2]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 7, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Greedy man grabby at Riley - Dex+Ath -3]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 6, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Angry woman - runs up to Riley]

[Paradise] [Angry man - punch Chuck again!

Greedy man - Takes off to go bother someone else, with the purses in hand

Angry woman - punch riley!

Lustful woman - close distance to Em]

[Emily Littleton] "Oi!" Her voice is sharp and rises loudly above the small cluster. "HE TOOK MY PURSE." If Chivalry is anyone's sin-of-choice, perhaps the Singer girl could get some help with the theft. She is the least physical of her cabalmates, but in times of extreme frustration she'd been known to channel her will into less enlightened things.

Life firearms. But not here, no. Here it's good old-fashion brawling. Emily swings, and quietly prays that she connects.

[Brawl! + WP!]

[James Blake] He can't hear Emily yelling but he can see what's going on. James jumps down from the bench and gets over there as fast as he can. The bloke with them is large enough that he looks like he can take care of himself. He knows damn well Riley can take care of herself. Emily though...he isn't best buds with her mentor but still. He gets over there.

(( 1a: Move!
1b: Get between Lustful Woman and Em. ))

[James Blake] (( WP -2 ))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 8)

[Emily Littleton] [WP: Dif 8]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 7, 10 (Failure at target 8)

[Riley Poole] [WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 (Failure at target 8)

[Chuck Carmichael] Chuck can hear Em yelling. He can see guy punching. He can see some angry woman running up to Riley, and from the corner of his eye, can see some kid heading their way (Is he even old enough to be here?), and there are choices to make. He doesn't think long, just moves - squarely between Riley and an angry woman, which has the dual benefit of getting him out of the angry man's way. Riley can hold her own, he knows, if she can see what's coming.

[declare: Shield Riley!]

[Chuck Carmichael] [poor chuck and his current wp]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 6 (Failure at target 8)

[Paradise] [And that's when it hits. Whatever it is that's seeping out of the dance floor, making everyone go crazy, it's finally starting to effect the Awakened. Emily can feel a sudden surge of pride. Riley, one of anger. Chuck, apathy. These feelings are not so much mind-control as they are, like James' effect on the purse-snatcher, an emotional impulse. When inhibitions are down, we revert to our most basic nature.

(Any of you may spend a WP to fight against the urges for one round and succeed)]
to Chuck Carmichael, Emily Littleton, Riley Poole

[Riley Poole] Riley tries to smack the man reaching for her purse, and she manages to give him a bruise. It doesn't slow him down, though, nor does it deter him. He grabs her purse, and he grabs Emily's. Riley has other things on her mind now, though. She doesn't think about replacing her wallet, her credit cards, her identification. No. She thinks: That man just punched my friend. Ah hell naw!

[Kick Angry Man in his motherfuckin' nuts +WP]

[Riley Poole] [This isn't your usual game of footsie: +1 (aimed)]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 7) [WP]

[Riley Poole] [dam: str +1 +2 (called shot) +3]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Paradise] [+%%^%*(^^$%^$!!!!!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 6, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael] [droppin WP like its hawwwwwwwwwwt, gettin in angry woman's way, bein Riley's meatshield.]

[Emily Littleton] [Brawl!: Oh wait, I have no dots in this! Straight Dex! Plus WP!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 6, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]

[Emily Littleton] [Damage! Str 1 + 2 suxx]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Owie]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 6, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Angry man - punching chuck again - Dex+Brawl -1(wound penalty) -1(fucking pain penalty)]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Str]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 6, 7, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 3 (Botch x 1 at target 6)

[Paradise] [greedy man says ow! then runs away!]

[Paradise] [Angry woman punches Riley, but Chuck's in the way so he takes it instead - Dex+Brawl]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 3, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Str]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 8 (Failure at target 6)

[Paradise] [lustful woman closes distance to Em/James]

[James Blake] (( WP -2 ))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 10 (Success x 1 at target 8)

[Paradise] Everything seemed to be happening at once. All around them, people were going mad and acting out their impulses. By now, the dance floor looked like some kind of wild orgy gone way out of hand. People were in various stages of undress, and touching and caressing anyone they could get their hands on. Some were fucking right there on the floor. And now the sounds of their moans could be heard audibly, because the music had stopped.

The music had stopped because the DJ was looking on in horror, and contemplating bolting. In fact, everyone on not on the dance floor was reacting to this scene exactly how any normal person would - by freaking the fuck out. Bouncers were running toward the center of the room to pull people apart... only when they got there, they suddenly joined the fray instead. The bartender was on the phone, probably calling the police. And people were shrieking and taking off in handfuls for the exit.

The people on the dance floor were getting rowdier though. Blood was being spilled. A couple of men fell to the floor not far away from Emily and James, and one of them set about attempting to beat the other until his face was no longer recognizable. Screams and angry snarls echoed over the moans.

One had to hope that the police were indeed on their way.

[Paradise] [everyone not on the dance floor - damn typo]

[Riley Poole] [-1WP stop bein' so ANGREH!
percept + alert: what the what?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[James Blake] (( Int + Enigmas ))
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Emily Littleton] [Int (Analytical) + Enigmas]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael] (Sure! Thinking isn't doing much, and I get to stay right here in this comfy spot. With the . . . eww, blood. Where's my martini? [Int + Enigmas.])
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 5, 6, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [They don't know what the spiral is, or what it symbolizes, but they know that it's wrong. It means something occult. Something bad. And whatever it is, it's a mark that was placed their by someone, probably in a ritual. Someone altered this floor in some way, and now the lasting effects of whatever's been done are spilling out onto those who touch it.]
to Emily Littleton, James Blake

[Paradise] [Angry man - punch chuck

Greedy man - grabbing someone else's purse now

Angry woman - punch chuck - get out the way!

Lustful woman - OHAI James]

[Emily Littleton] Reflexive: "WHY ARE YOU SITTING DOWN?" At Chuck, impatiently. "We have to get off the dance floor. GET UP!"

[Declare: Get between Chuck and Angry Man!]

[James Blake] (( Uh... Clinch Angry Man! ))

[Chuck Carmichael] Reflexive: "It's nice down here, except don't look that way. I might hurl."

[Declare: roll away from fists and avoid fluids that aren't where they belong!]

[Riley Poole] [Reflexive: "Emily, don't be stupid, get James off the floor!"

1. Drag Chuck, by a leg if need be]

[Riley Poole] [draggin'!: str + ath]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]

[Paradise] [Angry man and woman change declare to punching riley at +1diff]

[James Blake] (( Str + Brawl ))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 5, 5, 6, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]

[James Blake] (( Str + 2 - Bashing ))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Soooak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 4, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Angry man - stuck, swings at riley and misses

Angry woman - punches riley, but oh, Em's in the way! Dex+brawl]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 5, 6, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Str+1]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 5, 5 (Failure at target 6)

[Paradise] [lustful woman - grabs onto james and starts licking his ear]

[Paradise] The cops indeed had been called.

And now the distant sound of sirens could be registered. Lots of them. And coming closer. Everyone but James would be able to hear it.

[Paradise] Angry man - break clinch

Angry woman - punch Emily

Lustful woman - hang on James and feel the nice muscles in his arms]

[Emily Littleton] She can't yell for his attention, James wouldn't hear her. Just like he hadn't heard the sirens in the distance. Just like he hadn't heard the shouts to vacate the dance floor. The Singer-to-be moves directly into his line of sight. She gestures sharp at his chest, then back to her own. (You and Me [We]). The hand position is vaguely correct, even for the signifer in sign. When that doesn't catch his attention, she's just another hand on his shoulder, tapping. Tapping insistently. It's different that being grabbed. It's purposeful, directed, impatient.

You and Me, that gesture again. "COPS. GET OUT" the words are mouthed and she points over his shoulder toward the exit. There's eye contact, it's directed if not calm. At least there's no worry about her accent muddling things up here.

[James Blake] James can't hear a damn thing. He doesn't know if the music is blaring or if the police are getting closer or if the lustful woman is panting in his ear. He can feel her tongue and it makes him want to shrug her off but he's afraid that if he lets go of the angry man that Emily is going to get hurt. The Chorister sighs, the look on his face seeming to say Really? before he tightens his hold on the struggling man. He does his best to ignore the woman feeling him up and he doesn't even look at Emily until she taps his shoulder. Scowling, he looks away from the angry man and gives her his attention. Cops. James frowns, looks back at the angry man. Chuck is out of the way now. James nods his understanding, then gives himself to a count of three to let go of the struggling man. He doesn't just book out of there though...he reaches for Emily's hand first.

[Chuck Carmichael] Off the floor, Chuck shakes his head, trying to clear it - of a few things, really. "It's the floor." He doesn't know if anyone's talking to him, doesn't care. What he does is very firmly put his foot down as soon as he's able, just off the floor. Then, rolls to his belly and lays just there, at the edge, and sets his 'Berry on it.

(Yeah, there's an app for that, too.)

[Declare: Entropy 1, everything has flaws. +WP, -focus]

[Riley Poole] That's one friend off the dance floor, two to go. Emily, at least, doesn't appear to be trying to protect herself and Chuck anymore. She also doesn't appear to be moving to safety. She's gesturing to James, communicating the need for escape, the need to get off the damn dance floor. When he lets go of his target, he reaches for Emily's hand. That's good enough for her.

Still, she goes to them, anyway. Not to take hits, but to make their passage at least a little easier. Specifically, James'. When she gets to where they are, she doesn't just grab hold of the woman and try to forcibly draw her off. Doesn't matter what she looks like. Doesn't even matter that Riley's not all that into girls. Some people are acting out of anger, others greed, and doesn't know WHAT is up with Emily. And then there's the matter of the people outright fucking on the floor. If this woman is acting out of sexual desire, well. Maybe that's what will distract her enough to let the others go.

She snakes her arm around the woman's shoulders and pulls her head to look at her.

And she kisses the hell out of that woman. It's worth a shot.

[-1WP fight the wrath
1a: get to them
1b: Pull Lusty off: Special girl/girl action]

[Chuck Carmichael] [Entropy 1, diff 4, -1 focus, +WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 5, 9 (Success x 3 at target 3) [WP]

[Paradise] Point in fact, the woman wasn't all that bad-looking, and luckily for everyone, she was probably a nice person outside of this whole mess, because her attentions had so far proved fairly benign, if insistent. When Riley grabbed her, she fell happily into the kiss, and preceded to try and memorize the Virtual Adept's body with her hands.

As for the man who James had been holding, well... he was still angry. But when James let him go, the force of the man's own struggling caused him to fall, surprised, onto the floor.

There was still another woman to contend with, though, and she was still aiming for Emily.

[Dex+Brawl]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 6, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Paradise] [Str+3]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 10 (Failure at target 6)

[Chuck Carmichael] Chuck knows what to do. He's tempted to do it now, really, but he hears the sirens and knows he'll have to come back to do it later. Still, the data's captured and saved, kept for a time he can come back and do what needs to be done - with backup, of course, to make sure he doesn't fall to it.

"Let's go," he says to Em and Riley, who can hear him; with everything else, though, he hasn't picked up that James can't. Still, they're all on their way out anyway - it's a good thing.

[Emily Littleton] "Seconded."

James has her hand still, and Emily uses it to transmit the same message Chuck's sharing with the group. A little tug, a gesture with her head toward the exit: Let's go. It's not much, but it's unmuddled and perfectly clear.

Now that they're clear of the floor, Emily's headspace is a little calmer. She has no need to stick things out, nothing to prove enough to make her wait out the cops. She makes sure Chuck and Riley are heading out too, but has no qualms with making a beeline for the door and tugging James along with her.

[James Blake] He doesn't hold onto her hand for any reason other than to make sure he doesn't lose sight of her. If Riley doesn't manage to get out he'll be going back in after her...but not until he gets Emily outside and out of the way of the inevitable crush of bodies. Maybe it's not so inevitable. People are caught up in whatever it is they're feeling, anger or desire or whatever. Not a lot of people who weren't off the dance floor are fighting to get out. He doesn't hear Chuck speak, doesn't see Emily's lips move to answer him. James bodily shoves more than a few copulating couples out of the way on the way to the door, and once outside he takes a few breaths of fresh air. Releases Emily's hand. Looks around. He could speak to get her attention but he moves his hand in her line of sight instead. When she looks at him he speaks what he signs. "Where's Riley?"

[Riley Poole] She thinks about how she can possibly describe this to someone later.

So there we were, in the club, fists flying everywhere, and this chick she like. She just latches onto James, right? And I don't want to hit a girl, really. I mean, she didn't do anything to hurt anyone, y'know? But you don't grab on a guy when he's in the middle of a fight. That's like the rules of fight club, right? Except for the first one. So what was I supposed to do?

She thinks about this on a crazy mind-altering dance floor, lips locked with this woman. Riley's hardly lost to the moment. She doesn't have her eyes closed, isn't moaning or trying to hike this woman's skirt up. Not like she's trying to do with the Virtual Adept. Emily and James make it safely off the strange black floor with its odd design.

It takes effort to fight against the rage she carries with her. On good days it stays deep deep below the surface, untapped and thus unnoticed by those around her. Few have actually seen Riley Poole lose her temper. Except for Chuck, who's seen it directed at other people often. And James, who had it snarling in his face. Riley doesn't like her temper, but most days she's in control of it. Right now, as difficult as it is, she keeps it back.

Until that woman's hands move to her body, start sliding over the fabric of her dress. Riley stops fighting. She shoves the woman off her. For a second she looks at the woman. The sound of sirens wails over the pounding of blood in her ears. There's the guy who took their purses, still there, stealing bits from other people. Instead of going after him, or fighting the angry man and woman who are now attacking each other, Riley turns on her heel, and she gets the hell off the dance floor.

Breathless and red-faced, she catches up to the others easily. "What're you guys waiting for? Vamoose!" Not just for James' benefit, Riley makes a sweeping gesture with both arms toward the exit.

[Paradise] The sirens were right on top of them now. When the gathered mages managed to get outside, they'd find a throng of confused spectators and a line of police cars, ambulances, and a fire truck just pulling in. Within moments, the cops would go busting in to try and break up the mess. One could only hope that they had the good sense not to dive into the fray as the bouncers had. Regardless, eventually the situation would be cleaned up - at least for now. Arrests would be made, and the club temporarily closed.

But whatever it was that had caused all this was still there, awake and alive. It would need to be dealt with, and hopefully in a more permanent manner than the last group of Chicago mages to encounter it had done.

[Chuck Carmichael] There's a greedy guy, with Em and Riley's purses - right about the time Riley's gesturing, asking what they're waiting for, Chuck remembers that . . . and watches. As soon as the guy's close to the edge, he tugs out Riley's and Em's bags - that's all he cares about. Everyone else can get their own stuff.