06. It's a workshop, except for people, not dolls.

[Corwin]

<--->

[17:32] <Erin> It's cold, waiting in the car. Phi and Charlie managed to make it back to the old man's vehicle without interruptions, or anything more than suspicious glances. Ivy doesn't show up for five minutes.. then thirty... then an hour.. then Phi's phone begins to shake, alerting him to a message!
[17:33] <Phi> "Just a sec, lemme get this."
[17:34] * Phi pulls out his phone to read.
[17:34] <Phi> "If I really DID miss a raid, then I'm gonna laugh my ass off."
[17:36] <Erin> It's not from one of Phi's online commando buddies, but from his real-life florist colleague- 'At Valiance City State Hospital with Kyle. The waiting periods must be why I never visit hospitals.'
[17:37] <Phi> "Wow, she got there pretty damn fast."
[17:37] * Phi lets the sarcasm slip out, bored out of his skull.
[17:38] <Erin> Charlie grunts in agreement, but otherwise seems focused on sharpening a small file.
[17:39] <Phi> "Yeah, they're at VC State. Get driving - if I sit in this car much longer my ass is gonna fuse to the seat."
[17:44] <Erin> Charlie's sharpening draws to a slow halt, with one long, lingering scrape. He seems displeased, but nonetheless cranks up the car and begins to take it out of the lot. As always, the streets seem abandoned- though when the two reach the hospital they find some kind of hubbub going on just outside the entrance to the ER- several police cars are present, as well as what appears to be a press van.
[17:45] <Phi> "Oh, jesus. What the hell is going on here?"
[17:46] <Erin> "It's a hospital. It's like a workshop, except for people, not dolls," replies Charlie.
[17:46] <Phi> "Not that, grandpa. Why the hell are there cops here? Gimme a minute."
[17:47] <Ivy> roll 4d10
[17:47] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 4d10 and gets 22." [4d10=2, 9, 6, 5]
[17:47] * Phi hauls himself out of the car, emphasising his limp as he gets out. "Watch it, outta the way, guy bleeding out over here!" He pushes through the crowd to try and see what all the fuss is about.
[17:48] <Erin> Phi sees a man being lead out of the ER, shielding his face from the waiting cameras- he seems quite healthy, and is soon lead into one of the police cars. There isn't that much of a crowd- it's rather late- but an improptu interview seems to be taking place; a reporter seems to be chatting away with Ivy, pausing every now and then to shove a microphone in her face.
[17:50] <Phi> "Oh, shit. Girl just can't stay outta the spotlight, can she?" Phi comes closer to try and overhear the interview.
[17:50] <Erin> "...were you scared?" the reporter is saying. Burly-looking cameramen loom behind her...
[17:52] <Ivy> roll 1d10
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 1d10 and gets 4." [1d10=4]
[17:53] <Ivy> "It would be very foolish not to fear a man with a gun," Ivy responds pleasantly to the reporter. "But to let that fear paralyze you in that situation would have been the wrong thing to do."
[17:54] <Phi> "...Uh. What the hell did I miss?"
[18:00] <Erin> The reporter, at least, seems to not hear Phi, and nods at Ivy, before turning back to the camera. "The police have declined to comment at this stage," she says, straightforwardly. "However, this attack is only the latest in a string of violence all across Valiance City. Whether or not is related to factional infighting between various gangs remains to be seen. This will be a grim reminder-"
[18:00] * Phi tries to get Ivy's attention, staring at her head on and calling her away from the camera.
[18:00] <Erin> "-that it can strike anywhere, at any time. Jennifer Bronson, 31 News." The cameraman lowers his camera for a moment, and wipes his brow.
[18:02] <Ivy> "Then, it really was as it seemed?" Ivy asks, with the camera turned off now. "Just a random attack with no reason behind it?"
[18:05] <Erin> "Well, I don't think that," admits the report, rubbing her head. "It's probably related. Done right in the operating room, right after a fight..." She shrugs. "The hospital hasn't given us names yet. Thanks for the interview, by the way. Most people in a crisis like this don't feel like talking so soon! You've got some heart."
[18:06] <Ivy> "Perhaps it can show people who don't think there's anything they can do about the situation that it is entirely up to them after all," Ivy responds, smiling politely at her.
[18:07] * Phi gives up on getting Ivy's attention and decides to cut the middleman, walking right up to her. "OK, can you fill me in on what the hell just happened?"
[18:07] <Erin> "I'll give you my card," she adds, producing a business card and handing it over to Ivy, before frowning as she is interrupted. "Uh.. whatever. Let's go, Bill."
[18:08] * Ivy accepts the card with that same smile still on her lips, and then turns towards Phi. "Yes? How may I be of service?"
[18:09] <Phi> "By getting in the car."
[18:10] * Phi is not in the mood for more of this shit. He's already had a long night, and he's not going to make it any longer by wasting graces on the press.
[18:11] * Ivy frowns ever so slightly. "Are you certain you don't want to step inside for a little bit, instead? The hospital is where you should be, really."
[18:13] <Phi> "It's a flesh wound. After that trainwreck you called first-aid I'll just about make it."
[18:15] * Ivy peers at Phi's face thoughtfully. "Is the same mouth that cried so bitterly when I used antiseptic telling these lies now?"
[18:19] <Phi> "Dammit, there was something in my eye, okay? I'm not going to-"
[18:20] * Phi stops complaining for just long enough to be violently ill on the ground in front of him. That water still hasn't finished screwing him over, apparently.
[18:20] <Phi> "...guh. Just need to...lie down for a while. Yeah."
[18:21] * Ivy grabs Phi by the ear once he's done throwing up far too closely to her presence and starts walking back into the hospital, leaving him the choice of following quietly or while crying out in pain.
[18:23] <Phi> "Ah! Dammit, not in front of the cameras at least! This is gonna end up on some shitty clip show! They'll think you're my mom or something!"
[18:23] * Phi gets dragged along, following willingly but making his disapproval known.
[18:24] <Ivy> "I'm nowhere near that old!" Ivy exclaims.
[18:25] <Erin> As Ivy drags Phi into the (rather crowded, with the cops still around questioning witnesses) ER lobby, they stumble into Kyle and another student, who nods at Ivy as she enters. "We're gonna head off," he says, glancing curiously at Phi. "You want another ride?"
[18:28] <Ivy> "Thanks. I'll just call for a cab if I need one. Seems like my work isn't quite done, yet," Ivy responds, glancing at the miserable-seeming Phi. "Get Kyle back safely, alright?"
[18:28] <Erin> "These stitches sting," complains Kyle, prompting a whap over the head from Cragi. "Quit whining. See you around," he replies, nodding at Ivy once more before departing.
[18:30] * Ivy returns the nod, before observing the ER she had spent so much time in already that night for anyone she could turn to and get some treatment for Phi.
[18:31] * Phi catches up and mutters in Ivy's ear. 'I don't have insurance, remember? They're not gonna let me in.'
[18:31] <Erin> The receptionist seems a likely starting point for health-related escapades; the place still seems quite busy.
[18:33] <Erin> OOC: LEt's save us some time, make a manipulation+persuasion roll?
[18:33] <Ivy> Then the receptionist is the right place to start! "Excuse me," she says to her. "He doesn't look too well. He was talking nonsense before, and then just threw up. You can treat walk ins even on a busy night like this, can't you?"
[18:34] <Ivy> roll 6d10
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 6d10 and gets 28." [6d10=2, 10, 3, 1, 3, 9]
[18:34] <Ivy> roll 2d10
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 2d10 and gets 11." [2d10=9, 2]
[18:34] <Ivy> roll 1d10
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 1d10 and gets 10." [1d10=10]
[18:34] <Ivy> roll 1d10
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 1d10 and gets 6." [1d10=6]
[18:39] <Erin> roll 3d10
[18:39] * Hatbot --> "Erin rolls 3d10 and gets 17." [3d10=1, 7, 9]
[18:40] <Erin> "Oh, sure. There'll still be a wait, I'm afraid, but I'll try and get him set up," she replies, beaming at Ivy. An interminable period of time passes, but eventually Phi is able to his his leg looked at and all stitched up- it hurts like a bitch, though. The hospital decides to let him stay the night- not that there's much left of it.
[18:41] <Phi> "Yay, a night alone in a crummy hospital bed with no internet and a leg that feels like it's on fire. Thanks so much."
[18:41] <Ivy> "Your gratitude warms my heart."
[18:45] <Ivy> As time passes with her ignoring Phi, Ivy suddenly has a thought that makes her return her attention to her bed-ridden colleague. "You looked up the fruit on the internet, didn't you?" she asks him out of the blue.
[18:46] <Phi> "Huh? Yeah, but they didn't have any around."
[18:47] <Ivy> "Obviously. Still, they knew where to look up this sort of thing?"
[18:48] <Phi> "Well, it was a bunch of court contacts. Think they know the general layout of the local hedge. Why're you asking?"
[18:51] <Ivy> "I'd like to look into Valiance Escorts. What they're into, whether they're involved in games like the one Kyle and his friends were playing. Aren't you tired of being a passive watcher while the city goes to hell in a handbasket?"
[18:54] <Phi> "Valiance Escorts? Name doesn't ring a bell...but I guess I could try talking to people tomorrow."
[18:55] <Phi> "Eh, the way I see it, as long as I'm confortable enough the world can burn for all I care. We both went through shit worse than anyone here, so sorry if I'm running low on pity."
[18:56] <Ivy> "Great. Want my company for the rest of the night--" Ivy pauses and looks over to Phi. "I suppose not. Is Charlie here, somewhere, to give me a lift home?"
[18:59] <Erin> Charlie seems to have dozed off in his car whilst waiting for the return of the wanton youths. When properly startled, however, he unlocks the doors and lets Ivy in.
[19:00] * Ivy decides to satisfy her curiousity, her mind having come up with many strange scenarios over just what may have been in the bag with the black blood.
[19:02] <Erin> The plastic bag is already filled with ichor; opening the bag reveals, amongst a soup of skin and blood, what was probably once a human head. Bullets and forceful throws have done more damage to the back of the cranium than it could withstand, leaving most of it a split apart mess.
[19:04] <Ivy> "Huh." Ivy's eloquence leaves her briefly as she stares at it with detachment, before closing the bag once more. "So my first guess was right after all."

<--->

[Corwin]

And Phi escapes from the hospital and rejoins the team in the car right after! To hell with that overnight observation thing.