Vat:03 Ball Lightning

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Starring: Joseph, Amiri, Sophia, Steve, and Koz
Guest Starring: Sinead Cusack, Jeremy Irons, Patty
Challenge: Goblins and Hobgoblins, Bank Robbery
Location: W&J College, Shadyside National Bank Squirrel Hill Branch
Date Played: 22 June 2012

Ballroom Blitz

The Ballroom had the following aspects—Dirty Disco Ball; Bagels & Bacchanalia; Thumping Bass (added by Joseph)

Joseph: Havin' found the critter in the mouse trap, Sophia is dead set on analyzing it in one of the university's labs. This is a fine idea. I consult the lexicon of information in my noggin' and in my Monstrous Compendium and come to the conclusion that this feller is a leprechaun. Just as I'm about to point this out I look up to find Sophia sprayed with the lil' fellers insides. Apparently all them there Pollock jokes I've been hearing has a ring o' da truth to 'em.

We head back to the production area and plain as day I see a three foot fella climbing a motion picture camera. I move to stop 'em and find another one o' em tying my laces together. If'n these creature feed on irritation, I reckon that I'm givin' 'em a good meal—I'm pissed. We try to fetch 'em but they lose us.

With no other leads, we head to Sinead's trailer. Inside is a mighty fine mess, but no actress. Amiri starts diggin' around in the dirt underneath and hears voices tellin' him that "They've taken her". At the same time there is a loud commotion and the janitor is hightailin' his way outta the ballroom. Like a bat out of hell we rush inside to find the place a right mess o' trash.

Hidden in the trash are a few of what we will come to know as goblins. An they have apparently drank all o' the Pepsi® under God's creation as an unending stream of piss spews forth. Unrevealed to our eyes until they attack are hobgoblins, which are larger with far less tinkle. The fight is a hard one, and our African friend falls early but is tended to at the end by Sophia's talents. The last hobgoblin and goblin yield to us, though the Hobgoblin escapes when we weren't paying him no mind. There is debate on a proper punishment for the runt and I don't recall the final result.

The fog of war plays havoc with the memories, but I know that spells were flung and magics were used. The baddies was supernatural and the firepower was much needed. At the end of the day we saved the set and folks on the production. We were replaced with another security firm the next day. No good deed goes unpunished.

Steve: Okay, so we found this dead little dude in my mouse trap. Odd that it has a price tag on it. I didn't quite get it, but I have a suspicion that it didn't just walk in there willingly. We all didn't really know what to make of this, so we returned to our duties of protecting the set. Some college punks were wrecking the place, but Koz somehow made it rain, which scared them away. That was good, because they were really starting to piss me off. Aftwords, we did find another little dude, this time trying to sabotage the camera. My powers failed me at that moment, but luckily, Amiri was able to dive in to save the camera just in time. At this point, we're looking like fools with lots of explaining to do, but then something came up: Sinead went missing.

Turns out, she was in the ball room, tied to a disco ball. The ball room itself was trashed, and there were tons of little dudes there(who would later be known as goblins), pissing all over the place. There were also two bigger guys with mohawks(who we would later know as hobgoblins). Eventually the confrontation came to blows, and we emerged bloodied but victorious. One of the goblins surrendered, and his punishment was to "stay clean until you can find a woman to rub sun tan lotion on you". Fitting. End of case. Or is it?

It's Okay, I'm the Bank Doctor (Short Case)

Joseph: After about a week's tending to by doctor's and our very own Ms Blender, we are all bonding over some dang device and dinner when we get a call from the VAT tellin' us that a mission is on. We all gather in the African's Jeep save that Koz fella and head to HQ fer directions. Once there we're told that a bank has been broken into and that we are to first and formost protect the interests of the VAT safety deposit boxes. Next in priority is stop the bank robbers. We are to not use any magics nor firearms, or at least as little as we reckon we can.

Hamstrung by the constraints, I make do as best as I'm able. The rest of the folks tend to the primary mission and keep it well under control. I on the other hand, can't just let things alone and I find myself drawn to reconnoiter the location and safety of the hostages. There are only three of 'em and they seem safe. I start makin' my way to 'em when I'm found out by an armed fella. I figure that it's doomsday and I'm gonna see Jesus but instead the whole affair is revealed as a ruse. It were a trainin' exercise to test our abilities. I'm much relieved.

Steve: This one was an odd mission. We were told that a bank had been robbed, and that we were to go there to protect the vault even before the police arrived. See, that was the part that made it suspicious from the beginning, but we went along anyways. We were also told not to use firearms or supernatural abilities, also somewhat suspicious. So, we go there, and I had no problem doing a little electronic re-arranging to get the gate open with the press of a button. Sophia volunteered to do the talking and distracting while the rest of us went up through the 2nd floor balcony. The plan worked, and we set up a little barricade so they couldn't get to the vault. They did hear us though, but it didn't matter. It was ALL A LIE- a complex training exercise. We're just lucky no one got hurt. Someone could have gotten killed!

Out of Band

Pauline: I can't say I'm happy about burning through sick time so early on the new job, but I just have to remember: there aren't a lot of people that can do what we do. It's not like they can fire any of us. So, Terrence brought home chicken-pox. Sammy's already had it, but that left me with three other kids that haven't ever had it. And we all know what that means: it's time to get it over with. It also meant going through a few bottles of calamine and plenty of oatmeal baths. Everybody's still itchy, but nobody's contagious.

I hope I didn't miss anything exciting at work.