Ravyn: So, it's time for Nia to get off work...she clocks out and makes her way home.

Eugenia Phelps: She's walking toward the bus station, oddly enough. The weather's nice and she's hoping to be in time to catch the earliest bus home instead of waiting.

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((Should I be describing anything here? Probably not, eh? Being hidden and all.))

Ravyn -> Eugenia Phelps: ((Is this a variation from her normal path? I was under the impression she typically walked home.))

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((Naah, Mary's good and hidden. *S*))

Eugenia Phelps -> Ravyn: [She takes a cab to the bus station and takes the bus home. She lives upstate, remember? Outside of the city.]

Eugenia Phelps -> Ravyn: [Same path, just walking instead of using a cab.]

Ravyn -> Ravyn: ((Cool. Just checking to make sure we had accurate info. *Hugs*))

Ravyn: The walk to the bus station is nice and pleasant, for the most part...most of the way, at least. Nothing really out of the ordinary...for a while. ((Per+Alert, Nia))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: per+alert: 4,10,9,9,

Ravyn: ((Actually, Per+Alert Mary, too.))

Ravyn: As Nia makes her way toward the bus station, she passes by a group of four tough-looking thugs, leaning against the wall just outside of a Korean grocery store. All guys...a couple of them are smoking. They look her way as she approaches, watching her walk by, then go back to talking to each other...but for one of them, the biggest-looking, who keeps leering with a nasty grin. Quite the objectifying look.

Mary Margaret St. Michael: d10: Per + Alertness: 1,9,5,8,

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: She sees, from her hidden spot, the target walk on by the first group.

Eugenia Phelps: Oddly enough, she's not unused to nasty leers. She gets them often enough from Gunther. She picks up her pace a little to get past the thugs.

Ravyn: Nia makes it probably about twenty feet past, within sight of the bus station, when she notes a group of four more thugs just making their way past the stop. Just as vicious, just as nasty...one of them's got a beer bottle in-hand, having just finished it. They seem to be talking with each other...until one of them looks up and points. Past Nia...to the other thugs, who seem to have taken notice. Scowls get exchanged, and the four behind Nia push off the wall and start heading to intercept the other group. With Nia right in-between.

Eugenia Phelps: Nia's just going to try and move out from between the two groups of thugs, however she'll be able to manage that.

Ravyn: "Hey, motherfuckers!" shouts the guy who gave Nia the leering glance...apparently, the leader of that group. "Been lookin' for you..." There's a few shouts of rather vicious and vocal support from his three comrades, and the other group responds with comments of "Bring it on, bitches!" and "Let's DO this!" Weapons start to get pulled...brass knuckles, chains, and the like. Unfortunately, they seem to be blocking off access via the sidewalk...Nia can try and dodge through the traffic on the street, or take off into the nearby alleyway.

Eugenia Phelps: It takes her a moment to ponder and she looks around. The alleyway could be a good choice, but she'd be blocked off in there until goodness knows when. So, it seems she's going to try her luck with the streets.

Ravyn: ((Dex+Athletics to cross the street without getting hit. *S*))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: dex (no ath) (wp): 4,8,9,

Ravyn: Nia manages a mad dash across the street...and amazingly, manages to avoid getting hit by a car. She is, sadly, cut off from the bus station now. The two groups of thugs, perhaps surprised by the sight of the woman running across the street, stop for a moment to watch her.

Eugenia Phelps: Well, she'll just call a cab to take her all of the way home. Expensive? Yes, but better than trying to not get killed by going across the street and through the thugs. She starts off down the street again to a more likely place to catch a cab.

Ravyn: ((Gimme another Per+Alert as she heads off))

Ravyn: d10: Dex+Athletics: 8,3,8,2,4,

Ravyn: d10: Dex+Stealth: 6,3,10,3,

Ravyn: ((The Per+Aler request is for Nia, sorry. Didn't make that clear.))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: per+alert: 9,8,7,6,

Ravyn: Nia notes, as she makes her way down the street, one of the thugs make his own dash across traffic. He takes up position behind her and starts following.

Eugenia Phelps: She picks up the pace again, trying to keep an eye on the thug following her. This doesn't bode at all well.

Ravyn: The guy behind her, a mousey, wiry sort of guy with shifty eyes and a vicious look about him, keeps within about 10 feet of her as she walks...which, unfortunately, is making it difficult for her to stop and hail a cab, unless she wants him to catch up.

Eugenia Phelps: She chews on her bottom lip thoughtfully and weighs her options before pausing to lift a hand and hail a cab, just to see how fast he's moving and how quickly he may catch up.

Ravyn: A cab starts to approach...but as the guy is only about 10 feet away, he'll be easily on top of her by the time it gets up close enough to get in.

Eugenia Phelps: She takes a few steps backward, trying to keep some space between her and the guy while trying to get the cab's attention.

Eugenia Phelps: She looks between the cab and the guy, still walking backwards. She can't keep running away, after all.

Ravyn: The few steps back gets her a few more feet...which draws a frown from the guy. His hand goes into his pocket, pulling out something and slipping into his sleeve. There's a glint of metal...it's a knife. He seems to have made it a show for her on purpose. "You don't wanna get in there, bitch," he says, growling out the words. "Now, come with me, let's see what you've got...and we won't have to get rough. I'll kill the cabbie, too...I don't give a shit." The words are low, but audible.

Eugenia Phelps: Her spine stiffens and she clenches her jaw. "I'm afraid I can't do that. My boyfriend would be really upset." There's a flash of fear in her eyes. "Just..walk away, please."

Eugenia Phelps -> Ravyn: [Can I roll manip+expression?]

Ravyn -> Eugenia Phelps: ((Not with something that short. This guy's not going to really respond to fear anyway. He's expecting that, and it would probably just entice him. Mary picked ultra-violent people on purpose.))

Ravyn: "Yeah. Right." He snorts, and the knife shows again. "Let's move, 'less you wanna get that pretty little outfit all bloody." He gestures toward an alleyway.

Eugenia Phelps: She gives a plaintative look to the cab and then started scooting over toward the alley. "You are going to regret doing this." She speaks slowly and evenly. "It's not just my boyfriend you'll have to worry about, but my friends as well. You have no idea what sort of Hell you'll be in store for if you go through with this." She doesn't want to start a fight with him, just explain the way things are. "Walk away, and I won't tell anyone what happened."

Ravyn -> Eugenia Phelps: ((Yes, that one, you can. *S*))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: manip+exp diff four: 5,6,2,5,6,7,7,

Eugenia Phelps -> Ravyn: [I love Enchanting Voice]

Ravyn: d10: Willpower : 8,9,8,2,7,

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: Numbers. Mary is going to send in the others as soon as she sees the two are actually talking about something.

Ravyn: He seems to have lost a good portion of his nerve, the women's words having stricken a chord with him. He looks around, particularly across the street, where the rest of the thugs are trying to make their way across, and looks back to Nia. "Shit..." He sighs. "Just...c'mon," he mumbles, gesturing to the alley. Caught between a rock and a hard place...he's obviously not nearly as into it as he was, but he's on view now...he can't just let her leave.

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((Should I roll Manip plus Leadership to see how strong his loyalty is?))

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((*points up* Assumed loyalty. :) ))

Eugenia Phelps: She's gotten to him, if only just a little bit. "Just..make it look like I kicked you in the nuts and I'll make a run for it and snag a taxi. No one has to be the wiser. I don't want you to make this fatal mistake. You could go on and do some great things. Just let me go."

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((Cool. *g* I jump at any opportunity to use her one merit.))

Ravyn: He snorts, albeit sullenly. "Yeah, like getting my ass kicked by some skinny bitch is so much better. Start moving. Now."

Eugenia Phelps: She did give him a chance. That will assuage her conscience later. For now, she decides to give him a punch, just like Gunther taught her.

Eugenia Phelps: d10: dex+brawl (wp): 6,8,4,7,

Ravyn: ((Init))

Ravyn: d10: Initiative: 5,

Eugenia Phelps: d10: initiative: 1,

Eugenia Phelps: [6]

Ravyn: ((Declare order is Nia, then Thug, and resolved in reverse)) The thug takes the hit, not seeming concerned about how much damage the little woman is able to deal. He responds by trying to punch her. In the stomach.

Ravyn: ((Declare order is Nia, then Thug, and resolved in reverse)) The thug takes the hit, not seeming concerned about how much damage the little woman is able to deal. He responds by trying to punch her. In the stomach.

Eugenia Phelps: She's not very good at hitting. So, she decides to try and flee.

Ravyn: d10: Dex+Brawl: 9,1,8,6,7,2,

Eugenia Phelps: d10: dex+dodge: 3,4,7,9,

Ravyn: d10: Damage: 6,3,5,

Ravyn: ((Soak 1 Bash, Nia.))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: soak: 2,6,7,

Ravyn: RECAP: The thug gets his shot off, but Nia decides running is better then hitting he does, and the blow has no real impact. Meanwhile, the other thugs are making their way across the street, trying to cut off her means of escape.

Ravyn: ((New Round. Declare, Nia.))

Eugenia Phelps: She's used to getting hit, actually, considering her boyfriend. She's had some practice. Her arms curl protectively around her middle and a slow smile curves her lips as realization dawns. She's backing up into the alley now.

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: She ninjas along far, far behind them, sticking to the shadows and trying not to take any chances. She wants to see how this goes down.

Ravyn: The thug smirks as Nia backs into the alleyway, and follows, stalking along. Easier to beat a bitch when there's no one to call the cops. The other seven come up behind, and follow into the alleyway.

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((Gimme a Dex+Stealth, just for grins.))

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: d10: Dex + Stealth: BP: 8,4,9,1,7,6,6,2,5,

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((Please state all rolls publicly in the future. I know we've been over that one.))

Ravyn: ((Per+Alert, Nia.))

Eugenia Phelps: d10: per+alert: 9,2,4,9,

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((Oh, sure. Just saw the request in a PM so I replied in like kind. Will be public in the future.))

Ravyn: RECAP: Nia backs up, and the thugs close in, blocking her escape. She notices nothing else. ((New Round))

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((Danke. :) You're right, I sent a mixed message on that one. My apologies.))

Eugenia Phelps: [Spending a point of Faith] Once the thugs are in the alley, she closes her eyes and lets the mortal form of her melt away to reveal the divine one beneath.

Eugenia Phelps: There is nothing about her that is not beautiful, from her diaphanous robes to her immaculate features. As if an icon has come to life, she looks just as a classical angel of myth is supposed to look. Her golden hair blows around her face from some unidentifiable breeze that also causes her robes to flow around her. Her eyes are water, reflective. Whoever looks at her sees themselves reflected, in her, and that's almost too much for most men to bear. She often smiles with bemusement, hands outstretched in welcoming as if beckoning those who view her to come closer and share their desires with her.

Ravyn: The thugs move in to attack...then pause, as Nia's form starts to shimmer away. ((Gimme a moment here, guys, gotta roll a LOT of WP rolls. *G*))

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((BP to Strength; so far Mary has therefore spent one BP on Dex and one BP on Strength.))

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 8,1,3,2,9,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower : 3,7,9,3,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 8,1,4,4,5,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 3,1,3,2,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 10,5,10,10,2,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 8,8,6,5,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 7,2,9,6,5,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 10,7,3,4,

Ravyn: All the thugs pause and take a couple steps back as Nia's angelic form takes hold, gasping and staring, wide-eyed. One of them just...faints, dead away.

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: Mary suddenly pauses, frowning and listening carefully to something. Her eyes are fixated on the symbol of God from her hiding place near the mouth of the alley.

Eugenia Phelps: "I would recommend turning around and walking away. Go off and lead productive lives. Just leave me alone and remember that you were spared by divine will."

Ravyn: The seven remaining standing people all look at each other, hesitantly. This isn't what they signed on for. They start to back away, leaving the one unconscious guy on the ground, and start to move out of the alleyway. A few of them, whether they're Christian or not, cross themselves as they make their way toward the entrance.

Eugenia Phelps: "Thank you. Please, remember what I said about leading productive lives. I don't want any harm to come to you. Divine will only saves you once."

Mary Margaret St. Michael: Mary steps out from behind a jut in the brick wall near the month of the alley, peering strangely at the angel-like thing. She glances at the thugs, then at the angel again in intense thought.

Ravyn: The little gang glances at Mary, and some of their heads duck. Still...they turn and haul ass, out the alleyway. This was all just too much for them. WAY over their heads.

Eugenia Phelps: Once the thugs are out of the way, she turns her gaze to Mary, delicate eyebrows raising. "And you are?"

Mary Margaret St. Michael: She largely ignores them as they pass by, as she stands there with her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. "I'm... Hey, um... " Usually she had her game better together than this. She rubs the bad of her neck as she takes a few steps forward. "So, like, do you work for the Man?"

Eugenia Phelps: She eyes Mary for a moment before gracefully crouching beside the knocked out man, head cocked to the side. [reaping coming up]

Eugenia Phelps: d10: willpower: 9,2,7,9,7,8,6,

Ravyn: d10: Willpower: 7,6,10,7,

Eugenia Phelps: She pats the boy's back before standing again. "I'm on..paid vacation, if you will."

Mary Margaret St. Michael: "Oh. Well..." She glances at the guy on the ground, and then settles against the wall. She leans back and hooks a thumb into the back pocket of her jeans. "I guess, carry on then. Will he be okay?" She gestures toward the man on the ground.

Eugenia Phelps: "Yeah, he'll be fine. Did you have anything to do with them?" She lifts her head and looks squarely at the woman.

Mary Margaret St. Michael: "Yeah. I didn't know, though, that you were..." She doesn't want to say the word, setting for simply gesturing toward the other standing person in the alley. "I should take him back and get him somewhere warm." She's waiting for the creature to move.

Eugenia Phelps: "It's not a good idea to do this sort of thing. In fact, I'd recommend not doing it again. The next target might not be as forgiving as I am." She does smile warmly before letting herself go back into being her mortal self. "Will you need any help with him?"

Mary Margaret St. Michael: "No, it's fine. Don't lecture me, please. I'm just doing my job." She slowly walks over to the guy on the ground, looking down at him with a sigh.

Eugenia Phelps: She nods understandingly. "All right. Well, take care, okay?" A pause. "You aren't going to tell me who you work for, are you?"

Mary Margaret St. Michael: "Same guy as you." Her pale skin is visible and bright for a moment as the headlights of a car pass nearby. She has purple highlights in her bangs, and her leather jacket has little rips in it from Lord knows what. Her eyes are glazed over and still as she looks down at the man on the ground.

Eugenia Phelps: "Oh." She smiles and nods before heading out of the alley and finally hailing a cab to go home.

Ravyn: The guy on the ground is still unconscious...breathing easy, but motionless. Quite the mental strain on him.

Mary Margaret St. Michael: She brings out her cellphone, calling up someone to bring a car around to pick up her and the guy on the ground. Afterwards, she calls up Gunther.

Mary Margaret St. Michael -> Ravyn: ((That went really well! Thank you!))

Ravyn -> Mary Margaret St. Michael: ((You bet. *S*))

Ravyn: The car comes to pick up Mary, of course. And Nia gets her cab to go home. ((And killing Nick here, guys. See ya!))