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 Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:30 pm
 |Intro|Rules|Profile Skeleton|Accepted|The Runners
The world is on the brink of a third World War, but the people in the small town of Puslinch try to live life as normally as possible. In this little town there is a group of teenage friends who spend all of their time together. They seem to be normal teenagers, and they are, mostly. Every free moment they have they spend free running, and thus have earned the nick name at school The Runners. Because of their skills at free running and avoiding trouble they are often giving jobs as couriers. Everyone knows that they won’t ask questions about what it is they’re carrying, and as long as you pay them, then everything goes smoothly.
Then on Friday February the 13th 2032 the first bomb landed on the border of Canada and the US. Russia had started the most dangerous war in history. As science progressed so did weapons and most of the world had what had been nicknamed an E-bomb. It was three times as potent as a normal nuclear bomb, but only to humans and buildings. When one of these bad boys landed in a city it flattened all the buildings and wiped out all humans on the surface, leaving all wild life intact. Canada and the US retaliated, but due to a miscalculation the bomb from the US landed in Finland. Alliances forced other countries to become involved and soon bombs and missiles were flying around the world.
Refugees fled underground, and hid in extremely remote areas. Some even tried to go back to places that had already been hit to avoid being hit, but the left over fumes made that impossible. So what was remaining of the human race took to the forests and tried to survive. Some managed to make small agricultural towns, others became nomadic, and lived off domesticated cattle. The human race had gone back a couple hundred years, the only things they still had from the technological era were radios and guns.
For the first decade most people were too scared to do anything other then survive, everyone feared that someone had one more E-bomb and was waiting for any sign of life to destroy. But after ten years of peace the survivors realized that they could live without fear. The people who had started their own villages wanted to live like that forever, they had no desire to go back to the technological ways that were destroying Earth, but there were others who didn’t think the same way. These people rode around on stolen horses and stole food, and weapons. They raided villages and kidnapped engineers. The bandits forced the engineers to build them new guns, better weapons, and even fix up some old vehicles.
Back to The Runners. They survived the attack by taking to the country side as soon as a bomb landed nearby. They waited out in the wilderness for two weeks before starting to look for other survivors. They soon found a village of refugees that had a few crude huts, a dozen horses, and a handful of livestock. The Runners offered their skills to this village, offering to protect it from bandits, wild animals, and help gather food.
This role play will start one week before the first bomb falls.
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:43 pm
|Intro|Rules|Profile Skeleton|Accepted|Rules
The rules for this role play are simple:
- Don't God mod, I am the only one allowed to kill other characters, and I will do so if the character hasn't done anything in a week without saying that they'd be away.
- That brings me to this rule, always post in the Common Room thread for telling me if you're going to be away.
- If you want to be one of The Runners you have to be 18.
- There will be up to 5 Runners, for now, if a lot of people want to be a Runner I might change the number, but you can be villagers, bandits, nomads, whatever.
- Only humans in this role play
- You can have more than one character, but if you can't seem to manage more then one I will kill them off.
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:47 pm
|Intro|Rules|Profile Skeleton|Accepted|Profile
This is the profile skeleton, if you want to be in this role play message me your profile with the info below, and the subject line I Run For Fun.[b]Gaian Name:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] ((Has to be 18 if a Runner))
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] ((Picture is preferred but not required))
[b]Biology:[/b] ((Include a personality in your bio.))
[b]Skills:[/b] ((Hunting, archery, fishing, masonry, etc.))
[b]Other:[/b]
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:23 pm
|Intro|Rules|Profile Skeleton|Accepted|The Accepted ProfilesGaian Name: IamSTRANGE
Name: Ami "The Cat" Putnam
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Biology: Ami is a carefree down to earth girl who wants to be a police officer when she grows up. She and her best friends saw the movie District 13 when they were in grade 9 and thought it would be awesome if they could free run like Leïto, so they started to practice. It took two summers of broken bones and bleeding limbs before they thought of themselves as free runners.
Ami comes from a wealthy family, but has never really been a typical 'rich kid'. She prefers running through the forests to playing with her game systems, and has never liked the society that rich people live in, where dirty torn clothing is frowned upon, and girls are supposed to look pretty and nothing else. She disappointed her parents in that sense, especially her mother who had come from a poor family and wanted to spoil her daughter, but when they realized that Ami was happiest when she was outdoors they got over it. Besides, Ami's school marks went up when she was allowed to do what she wanted, so they let her be.
When school got back in after Christmas holidays in Ami's grade eleven year she was approached by her first customer. A grade twelve boy approached her and asked if she could deliver something for him. At first she was hesitant, why didn't he use the mail service, or deliver it himself, but then he told her where he needed it delivered. Carlisle, since the riots of 2030 Carlisle had been ruled by thugs and drug dealers, no one who wanted to live went there. Ami thought about it and decided to try it, she asked for a hefty sum because of the dangers and set out for Carlisle the next Friday. She ran to the outskirts of Carlisle in the dead of night and waited for sunrise before heading to the address she was given. She scaled a nearby building and ran along the roofs to get to her target. Climbing in through a window on the top floor of the apartment building she headed to the room, delivered the package and took off before anyone could catch her.
After the exhilaration of that mission she took it upon herself to map out Carlisle, the safe places, the sketchy places and the areas she called dead zones because no one ever came out of them.
She is now four weeks away from graduating from high school, and so excited to be going to police college next fall.
Skills: Archery, and hand to hand combat
Other: Ami had "Claws" made for her. They are a leather glove with metal claws that come out of her fingers which make climbing trees easier.Gaian Name: Si_Valael
Name: Gregory "The Wolf" Putnam
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Appearance: 
Biology: Greg is is the twin brother of Ami, and dispite only being born a few minutes before Ami he soon settled into the role of the 'older brother' between the two. This combined with the pressuring of their parents Greg became more serious and reserved. He became more involved in 'civilized' sports such as soccer and hunting while his sister played around outside.
A year after Ami started to self teach herself free running she finally was able to convince him to try it out. It wasn't long before he was as hooked as she was. His physique from playing soccer and his experience from moving in the forest when hunting combined with his sisters's tutoring allowed him to close the gap quickly. By the time of Ami's first delivery Greg was almost her equal. He even quit the winter session of indoor soccer to help her map out Carlisle.
Skills: Hunting, Wood work, staff fighting.
Other: Greg carries around a bo-staff that he made himself as both an aid in free running and as a tool for self defence. The staff is actually two pieces that connect together quickly to form a normal sized staff. When not in use the staff is held in a leather pouch on his back.Gaian Name:IntrospectiveLoserName:James (Jimmy) RichardsonAge: Eighteen Years OldGender: Male Appearance: Biology: My name is James, but don't worry about that stuffy old name. All my friends call me Jimmy, and its certainly nice to meet you.
You want to know more about me? Hmm, okay sure!
I was born into a bit of an alternative family. Unlike the majority of our neighbors, we are pagan. No, we don't go around wearing blue paint on our faces and slaughtering cows for strange gods.
It simply means that we have a high regard for nature, and believe that all life is holy, from animals to flowers, and humans.
Sure, we are crazy hippies as a lot of people like to call us.
I wear my hair longer then the other boys at school, I like to sit out under trees instead of going to the movies. But I see nothing wrong with it, do you?
In the end, I'm just a laid back, very friendly guy who doesn't take the world too seriously. Skills: I've got a green thumb, if that counts for anything. I can grown anything, any where. I know all about different types of trees and herbs, I can mix herbal medicines, and tell you whats poisonous and edible. Not really all that great, I know.
Oh, and I can run too. Other: Enjoys star gazing. Gaian Name: Anila Of Pellinor
Name: Naomi Tara Carroway
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Biology: Naomi grew up in Colorado, spending more time outdoors than out with friends. Her favorite passtimes were hiking, riding horseback and kayaking, and she knew most trails by heart. However, a scant year or so ago her family moved to Puslinch. Naomi, already less than outgoing, never really bonded with anyone in the town. She was like a ghost in school- an intelligent, studious ghost, but a ghost nonetheless. And outside of school? Well, it's easy not to be noticed if you hardly leave the house. And really, that was what she wanted.
However, after about a month she began to notice the Runners. She'd see them on errands, loping through the streets, or walking through the halls at school like a pride of graceful lions, sometimes laughing at some private joke. They became rather a fixation for Naomi- this was what she wanted to be. Back in Colorado, she had friends with whom she would hike or ride or raft- their motto was 'a new adventure every day'. But not here, not in Puslinch. Seeing these people living the life she wanted hurt, but in a good way. And, naturally, she began to try and imitate them.
She could hardly have become a true free runner in such a short time, but the practice (at odd hours and in odd places, where no one can discover her) has improved her endurance. And it's reawwakened her enthusiasm for the outdoors, temporarily dampened by the move.
Skills: Navigation with map and compass, horseback riding, surefootedness
Other: Even though she hasn't had an opportunity in Puslinch, Naomi still keeps and maintains an array of backpacking gear- she's hopefull. Among the various helpful items are a pocket knife and pepper spray, her only two means of self-defense.Gaian Name: Orok
Name: Hugues Baptiste
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Biology: Hugues was born in northern Quebec to a francophone father and anglophone mother. He has always preferred his name being said Hugo. Or, he preferred people to call him Baptiste. Most of his time outside of school was spent hunting with his two cousins. He grew to be a pretty good shot, and could track most animals as far as they could run. He occasionally tracked his cousins if they were all sleeping out and they left without him. As they grew older, Hugo and his cousins decided to start up a game where they would "hunt" each other. Of course, they'd use paintball guns for this. They eventually put out their tracking services for people who's pets got lost. They didn't get much business, until the police came by one day. They were having a hard time with animal control services. They were on strike for some ridiculous reason. The police hired the trio of trackers to trap and/or kill some kodak bears. They did their job very well, and decided to find a better way to profit off of it. Two of Hugo's cousins went off to join a private military corporation. One declined greatly and doesn't associate with them anymore. Hugo wasn't sure what to do, but eventually joined another PMC. He got promoted rather quickly because he already had a large amount of skill with firearms and tracking.
Hugues is usually serious when he's saying anything, even though he does have a very good sense of humour. When he's not in a "work" mood, Hugo will crack jokes often, but once it comes down to business, he is dead serious. He grows attached to any group of people he works with for an extended period of time; as such, he tries not to work on teams often. Some people would compare him to Jeremiah Johnson.
Skills: Firearms, Tracking
Other: Hugo uses an AR-16 assault rifle primarily, but as a secondary he has a UMP .45 sub-machine gun. He also carries a Colt .45 pistol.
Gaian Name: MacTavishW3
Name: Sergeant Tom Duffy
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Appearance: Duffy is tall and lanky, but with a fairly muscular build. He has short brown hair and a pair of short sideburns. He is most often seen wearing the standard Canadian Army uniform with a CADPAT digital camouflage pattern. The colour of his fatigues is normally dictated by the combat setting (ie desert, forest, urban). When not in combat he wears a maroon paratrooper's beret. When in combat he wears a kevlar helmet with a CADPAT cover as well as a CF Mk. 5 kevlar body armour vest.
Biology: Tom Duffy was born into a middle class family in the GTA suburb of Oakville. As a teenager he took a keen interest in military history and devoted much of his time to researching the evolution of weapons and tactics. When tensions started mounting between the governments of the world, fearing Canada would be caught up in a third Global conflict, Duffy joined the Canadian military. Wanting to be part of an elite unit, Duffy enlisted in the newly formed Ontario Airborne regiment. The drill sergeants told him he'd never make it, he was too skinny, to weak to handle the rigorous training and conditions demanded of paratroopers. By the end of basic training Tom Duffy had gained some muscle, attained the rank of Sergeant, and earned the respect of all of his comrades. He currently leads Section 3 of Bravo Company's 2nd Platoon.
Duffy is an intelligent young man with a very active and sarcastic sense of humour. He is likable and prefers that his soldiers address him as "Tom" or "Duffy" rather than "Sergeant". He feels a huge responsibility for the 10 soldiers under his command. He has proved his hand-to-hand prowess in the bull-ring and is renowned for his occasionally underhanded fighting style.
Skills: Firearms, hand to hand combat, parachuting, tactical ability and impressions.
Other: Duffy carries a C11 Carbine with a special optic scope attachment. He also carries a bayonet for the carbine, as well as a combat knife which he keeps strapped to his right boot. His sidearm is a Sig-Saur 9mm.Gaian Name: Sleepless Saint
Name: Sabrina Cheznovik
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Biology: Fiery, Kind, Compassionate, World-weary, nomadic in nature;
Young Sabrina Cheznovik grew up in a middle class family in Russia who spoke out against the Government. They were against the changes in weakening powers of parliament. The Prime Minister had become corrupt and the return to communism seemed imminent. For Sabrina, it meant nothing to her as she pursued her dreams of becoming a doctor. Soon, life twisted into something else. Her parents were charged with treason with the intent of terrorist action against the government. The day of Sabrina's graduation from medical school was also the day of their execution. Her disinterest in politics vanished in 2027.
Sabrina was a doctor working with the poor and rebel military forces. She was arrested for being apart of various protests, and finally had her license revoked after aiding and bedding rebels. Social unrest shuffled her trial, giving her the oppurtunity to escape. Forced underground, she decided it was best to leave. She had no family, and most of her friends had been killed as traitors.
Rebels who had been close to her parents smuggled her from Komi into Kamchatka. It was a long, rigorous journey, taking a little over three years(2029-2031). They taught her to defend herself, how to survive in the desolate land and gave her weaponry to take with her. They explained there would be people working out of Alaska to help her further.
She paid a fishing boat to take her from Cape Lopatka to a port in Naknek, Alaska. A group of exiled rebels helped her sneak into Canada. They wished her well from the border, where she travelled through Canada on her own, until she settled into a small town, known as Puslinch. She had hoped to return to Russia when things settled. While she waited, she spent her time working in a clinic, and sending supplies to other exiled people.
Skills: Medical knowledge, foraging, piano, speaks Russian, French, and English, markmenship,
Other: She a lot of vintage weaponry, one of which is a Kalishnikov from WWII.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:50 pm
"We are each our own devil, Ami awoke to the most annoying noise in the world, the sound of an alarm clock going off. Rolling over she smacked the snooze button, and tried to get a few more moments of sleep, but was interrupted by her mother yelling up the stairs for Ami and her brother to get up. Groaning Ami dragged herself out of her bed and into the shower.
After a warm shower Ami stepped out of the bathroom and heard the familiar noise of her alarm clock. "s**t, I always forget." She rushed into her room and turned the alarm off, then opened her closet and looked for some clothes. She donned a pair of torn jeans, and a beat up t-shirt, then made her way downstairs to the aroma of peculating coffee beans.
"Mum, must you drink that disgusting stuff?" Ami asked as she poured cereal into her bowl. Unlike most teenage girls her age Ami had avoided coffee like it was the plague, she was short enough already. Her mother simply laughed at Ami's complaints and sat down to read the paper.
Ami too sat at the table and ate her breakfast in silence, she thought of the errand she was to run today after school. I can make it from school to the train station in fifteen minutes if I hurry, and with this last payment I'll be able to buy my tattoo. Her eyes traveled up to her mothers calm face. If only she knew what her children were doing after school and late at night. Where we really are when we say we're spending the night at a friends.
Glancing at the clock Ami notices that she's late..again. She gulps down her breakfast, slings her bag over her shoulders and bolts out the door to the faint sound of "Have a good day honey." And we make this world our hell."
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:17 pm
Greg had already gotten up and showered before Ami's alarm went off. He always woke up earlier than his twin, having to get things organized before he left being unable to concentrate when his things were out of order. Getting dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a longer button up over top he moves downstairs into the kitchen to get some food.
Smiling at his mother as she takes her eyes off the black grinds she is putting into the coffee maker they exchange good mornings. Moving straight to the toaster he sticks a few pieces, grabbing a plate and some peanut butter and is ready just in time to catch the toast as it pops out. Spreading the PB over the toast he takes it back up stairs, eating as he climbs the stairs n passes his sister.
Finishing his food in his room he finishes packing his backpack and slings it over his shoulder just as he hears Ami run out the door. "Always in a rush aren't ya sis."
Opening his window Greg climbs out and jumps into the branches of the large tree outside his window. Grabbing the leather pouch with the two wood staff pieces he quickly scales down, leaping the last six feet to the ground. Running around the side of the house he pulls up beside Ami. "Hey there pipsqueak. Sleep well?" Despite Greg only being four inches taller than his sister he still poked fun at her for it. "So you have the train station delivery today after school don't you? Fairly easy run... Bet you can't do it in under twelve minutes..." Smiling as he can feel the defiant glare from his sister he laughs playfully. "How about the money from the our next delivery goes to the winner."
A few minutes later the pair can see the school growing before them. Waving to his sister he pours on a little more speed to pull ahead of her and move towards the entrance closest to his first class. "Cya sis, good luck on the drop!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:36 pm
Hugo didn't like the current situation. His squad was in the fray, while he was basically on shore leave. He was back home. The north. He wondered how long it would be before urban development really hit here. Sure there was a little area of housing, but nothing like Toronto, or New York. He was however, happy enough to be on leave. Hugo strolled through town, there really wasn't much to see. He just felt like a walk. He started pondering the intel he had heard on his radio just as he had left the facility. Something about a bomb, but he didn't know what. Was it a nuke? He thought some more, and came to the conclusion that they wouldn't care so much about a nuclear bomb. That was standard. This was something new. Something that had never been dealt with.
He got distracted, bought a newspaper, and went back to his apartment for now. He looked through it and read more about the conflicts. Hugues had grown ever so tired of the news; grabbing a newspaper was just habit for him now. It always said the same thing. There was more fighting, and more talking. Alliances were forged and broken like the coming of the tide. All it meant to him was more work to do. Being deployed for the United States was a joke, their soldiers were an eighth as trained as Hugo, and were generally weaker. Not only weak minded, but physically too.
He turned on his television set. Again, the same old things. He started to flip through the channels.
"You know something's wrong when you get more channels on base." He settled with Wheel of Fortune, but ended up falling asleep rather quickly. Damn jet lag... He thought as he drifted off.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:54 pm
"Unh." Naomi opened her eyes a crack, squinting at the squawking alarm clock. "Itty bitty little pieces..." she mumbed to herself, rolling out of bed and stumbling across her room to turn the damned thing off. Someday...I will take it out to the garage and smash it. Yeah, someday. Only after she'd graduated college- an alarm loud enough to get her out of bed was expensive, and she needed the thing. But that didn't make her happier about it.
She turned on the CD player in the same trip, humming along quietly with the song as she dressed. Naomi's clothes were like a uniform, at least in their amount of variation: dark-washed flared jeans, sturdy belt, and a comfortably fitting t-shirt. Sometimes she'd go out of her way and don a sweater or maybe a turtleneck, if it was really cold, but not usually.
In a series of quick, practiced movements she hefted her backpack, gathered up her mp3 player and attendant cords from her desk, and turned off the CD before leaving her room. Outside, the smell of baking met her nose and she inhaled appreciatively. "Mmmm..." Down the stairs, she followed her nose to the source. "You made muffins! Thanks, mom!"
Her mom laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Banana nut. Enjoy." Then she padded back upstairs, back to work. Allie Carroway was an author, though not particularly well-known. She worked from home, which meant that she had time in the mornings to do things like make muffins- something for which Naomi was very appreciative. She plucked a still-hot muffin from the tray, holding it with three fingers, and dropped her backpack next to the back door. Then she settled at the table, picking at the paper wrapping of the muffin as she scanned the papers.
"More political tension...lovely. Exactly what we need." With a sigh, she took a bite of muffin and chewed contemplatively. The world situation seemed darker every day, especially if you read the articles closely. Of course, it was a good deal over dramatized in the news- 'if it bleeds, it leads' was the motto, after all- but it was easy enough to find the truth in the mess, and the truth was that things were bad.
Naomi folded up the muffin wrapper and dropped it in the trash with another sigh, then hefted her backpack again and snagged her bike helmet from a shelf. With luck, leaving this early would get her to school in time to finish her Chem homework before first period.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:52 pm
It was before sunrise when James opened his eyes. As much as he would have liked to sleep in like most other teenagers, he never could seem to sleep past five am. Not even on the weekends. There was something in his mind that made him stir, out of the best dreams, the worst nightmares, and awaken prematurely. He liked to compare it to a sort of internal rooster, and giggle about The Rooster being his astrological symbol.
And right on schedule, his rooster crowed. Just like every other perfectly peaceful, perfectly normal morning. He blinked as his eyes fluttered open on cue, the vision of the dream he'd been having disappearing instantly, as a movie would when exposed to bright light.
He hesitated there, letting himself taste the movement of time. The feeling of not being in any sort of hurry. Perhaps it wasn't that much of a burden to wake up early. At least this way, he could do this. Savor a few silent seconds in a dark, warm room.
The young man breathed a deep, relaxed sigh, and carefully sat up in his bed, pushing away leaf patterned covers. Today was going to be a good day, he could feel it in his bones. It felt soft, gentle, smooth.
With that happy thought in mind, he stood up, bear feet making a thumping noise against a heavily carpeted floor.
He stretched then, as was his daily habit. Touching his hands to his heels, putting his arms to the sky, leaning this way and that. It was good for the body, to stretch out, and nice for the soul, to feel so healthy and in tune.
A well oiled car was likely to last longer with less problems then one that was not. Such was the way with human bodies.
After he sated his need to warm up his muscles and pull out any knots left over from yesterday's running, he padded off into the kitchen.
It was his job to make breakfast, rather then his mother's. Simply because he enjoyed cooking. It gave him something productive and full filling to do while he was waiting for time to tick away the space between when he woke up, and when he was due to be in his seat at school.
James yawned as he shuffled about the kitchen, aimlessly pull at drawers, and opening cabinets. He had no clue what to do for today's morning meal. Bacon, eggs? No, they had had that yesterday. Monotony was not favored in his family.
Omelets? Too eggy.
AHA! Pancakes!~
Now with a smile on his face, he flipped on the stove and began to stir the batter like mixture. Pancakes were fun and easy. He loved to make them into different shapes. Stars, Mickey mouse, hearts. It was like eating giant animal crackers.
James began to whistle merrily as he cooked, not shamed in the least to be so openly happy. Who cares if it was flippant? Who cares if boys are supposed to be serious? He loved acting like a little kid. Free and carefree, expressive and joyous. How "Normal" teenagers could handle holding their faces so straight and solemn, he'd never know.
Besides, being happy made time whoosh by. Just as taking deep breaths and concentrating could make time seem to creep to a halt.
Before he knew it, he was holding hands with his family members, and speaking a poem to the earth in way of thanks, perhaps even prayer, for the food provided.
James chewed his food thoughtfully, his mind wandering over all the things he wanted to do that day, all the people he'd wave to, all the teacher's he'd listen to, what the weather might be like?
Oh, how he hoped it would rain!
Time ticked mercilessly away, as cutely shaped animal pancakes disapeared into his methodically chewing mouth.
Time for school!
He placed his plate in the general direction of the overflowing family sink, gave his parents a bear hug each, and started out the door.
...
And started right back inside the door.
When his dad gave him a strange look he replied sheepishly
" Forgot my back pack again!"
James hurried back into his still pitch black room, and quickly located his backpack through sheer memory.
Grinning, he skipped out the door.
"See you after school!" He cried over his shoulder as he started to set himself into a nice pace.
The morning run was something he always looked forward too. The distance from his house to the school was just enough to get the blood flowing through his veins, with out making him sweat and stink.
James tossed back his shaggy head and laughed, longs tensing at the cool morning air.
It was so nice, to be alive.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:26 am
Sergeant Tom Duffy sighed as students walked past him and into their classes. Two weeks the 1st Battalion of the Ontario Ariborne Regiment had been stationed in this little town caled Puslinch and life was boring as hell. Guarding street corners, shopping malls, high schools and getting dirty looks from the local populace who were none too pleased to have hevaily armed soldiers stomping around their precious little town. Duffy couldn't say he blamed them to be quite honest. The people of Puslinch wanted to stay as far away from the impending war as they possibly could and a military garrison was a very unsettling sight.
Unfortunately, if war's declared I doubt this place will be able to escape it. he thought.
Dispite the boredom of this posting, Duffy and the others could not deny it's validity. CSIS had discovered that the nearby town of Carlisle had been deeply infiltrated by agents of the reformed KGB, masquarading as the Russian Mob. Intel had indicated that they were intending to use Carlisle as a staging point for their invasion of Southern Ontario. They were too strong in Hamilton for a military force to be of any use, so the Airborne was stationed to Puslinch to provide the next line of defense after Hamilton fell. If, or rather when war was declared the entire 7th Canadian Brigade group would be posted to the Puslinch sector, securing the 401 highway and the town of Guelph. Stiff resistance would stop the Russians in their tracks and deny them the 401. If they took that highway they had the keys to Southern Ontario.
"Anything to report on the south side, Duffy" the voice of Corporal Colleen Sellars, Duffy's 2nd in command, sounded in his ear comm.
"Quiet as usual, Sellars," the Sergeant answered "MacDonald and I are just cooling our heels over here. You?"
"Shoved off a couple of stoners earlier, nothing else after that."
"Lucky," Duffy chuckled, "The pit gets all the action."
"It's not that exciting," Sellars answered, "They're not that energetic. Strangely insightful though. Sellars out."
"Roger." Duffy clicked off his mic and sighed again.
"You've got that right," nodded Private Don MacDonald, one of Section 3's machine gunners. The tall, husky soldier lightly drummed his fingers on the barrel of his C12 LMG. "When do those guys from Charlie Company get in to relieve us?"
"19:00" Duffy answered, "So it's hurry up and wait."
"Great." MacDonald sighed.
"You've got that right." Duffy answered.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:37 pm
"We are each our own devil,Ami glares at her brother as he pulls up beside her, He wakes up way before me, but leaves at the same time...I don't understand that. As the word pipsqueak leaves his mouth Ami punches him in the arm. "I hate it when you call me that." She growls at him as she launches herself over a fence to take a short cut to school.
"I can make the run in 10 minutes if I want." She replies to Greg's challenge. s**t! I can barely make it in 13 if I push myself to dropping. I'll have to try and skip out of chem early and get there around 10 min after school ends.
A couple more minutes later the school is in view and Greg heads towards the South door and Ami heads to the East door by the pit. As she races past the stoners she notes a couple of people in army outfits standing by the perimeter of the school. Wonder what they're doing here? Ami thinks as she runs through the doors and to her locker.
The next thing Ami knows she's sitting in Chemistry class anxiously watching the clock. If I leave now I'll get there by 3:08 if I rush, that'll give me some lee way. Raising her hand Ami is glad that her teacher doesn't really mind if students stay or not. "Ami?" Mr. Smiley says.
"I have a doctors appointment, can I leave now?" She asks, packing up her books. Mr. Smiley merely nods and continues with his lesson. Ami quickly packs up the rest of her books and rushes out of the room.
Ami drops her books in her locker and takes off running towards the train station. The roads to the train station have mostly fallen into disrepair due to it's proximity to Carlisle, most people won't even use the train station any more, and only Runners dare to go there alone. Ami had run this route so many times she knew every pot hole and crack of the road, and the run took her only 8 minutes.
Sweet! If I call Greg right now he'll think that I made it in 5 minutes...that's lying..but I need the money. Placing the package in the only working safe box at the train station Ami pulls out her cell phone and dials her twins number. After a couple rings he picks up and Ami yells into the reciever; "I made it here by 3:05, I win!!!! You owe me!" Before waiting for a response she hangs up. She glances around slightly nervously, it was a bad idea to linger in any place near Carlisle. And we make this world our hell."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:28 pm
While Ami was still in chemistry class Greg was already leaving the school, having a spare in the last slot of the day for taking an extra class in grade nine. Like his sister as soon as he was out of class he dropped his school stuff in his locker and retrieved both the package and his staff harness, putting them both in his backpack before taking off.
Once he was a few blocks from the school Greg stops to secure the leather strap of his staff harness around his right shoulder and left side. A quick adjustment made sure that the two staff pieces were pointed just to the right of his head. In that position they wouldn't be in danger of hitting his head yet wouldn't interfere with his free running.
Taking off down the streets once more Greg spots a small group of soldiers heading the opposite direction. The one in front, a tall man with sideburns and a sergeant insignia on the arm of his uniform, eyed Greg's staff pieces curiously as he ran by. Greg gives the man a quick salute as he passes before cutting a sharp right turn into a alley way.
The familiar alley was well known for its ease of access to the roof provided by seldom used fire escapes flanked by large dumpsters. Taking a deep breath Greg pours on the speed, running at an angle to the wall allowing him to do a kick jump off its surface onto a closed garbage dumpster. From there he jumps again and grabs onto the ladder up to the first level of fire escape stairs. Ascending the stairs to the top floor Greg climbs onto the guard rail and uses it to climb up onto the roof itself.
Once on the roof tops it was a straight shot towards the edge of the city and Greg soon found himself scaling down the side of a building to get back to ground level. After that it was a five kilometer run to the warehouse that was his drop site.
Fifteen minutes later he was in the one of the gnarled trees spaced around the dying warehouse. Greg always made it a point to scope out a drop site before he went in even if it made him a minute or two late, his life was worth more than a payment. After he felt confident about how the place looked he leaps down and moves to enter the building, mentally pulling up the drop information. "Seventh crate on the left from the door..." Finding the large wooden crate he whispers the next part of the instructions. "Put the package in the third box up." Jumping onto the pile of old boxes he moves to the drop box and opens it slowly. Placing the package in he closes the box as quietly as he can, knowing places like this were often used for drug buys. Just as he's making his way down his phone goes off, its ring tone echoing through the cavernous building. Somewhere in the darkness a deep, aggressive voice calls out. "Hey, what was that?" Greg winces as he tries to get his phone out as quickly as possible "Shhhhit... " Greg fumbles for the answer button, putting it to his ear even as he leaps off the boxes. "I made it here by 3:05, I win!!!! You owe me!" "Ami now's not a-" The line suddenly goes dead as Ami hangs up as a crowd of voices can be heard moving towards him. "Probably for the best, time to run!" Dashing out of the warehouse he makes a b-line for the nearest group of buildings, hoping to shake his pursuers.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:43 pm
"Honestly," Sellars shook her head "What the hell have they got us guarding this school for?" School was out for the day and the soldiers of 2nd Platoon were regrouping. Duffy, Sellars and MacDonald were headed to the front of the school.
"Anything like this presents a valid terrorist target," Duffy answered the short, red-haired Corproal, "Granted most of them probably wouldn't know Puslinch was even on the map if Carlisle wasn't so close."
"When does the rest of 7th Brigade arrive?" Sellars inquired.
"The Princess Pat's and the Van Doos should be in by the end of the week. The RCR's been recalled from peacekeeping in Uganda and won't be here for another week after that." the Sergeant answered. As they continued to walk, a boy with an odd sachel on his back ran towards them. Duffy eyed the sack and found that it was in fact a scabbard of some sort for a long staff. Duffy eyed the staff quizzically. The boy saluted and Duffy returned the gesture. The three soldiers watched as the young man ran off in the direction of Carlisle.
"Odd." said Duffy.
"Yeah," MacDonald agreed, "Wouldn't that kid know that sergeants work for a living?"
"Not that, Don," Duffy continued, "He's heading for Carlisle." Barely a minute later, a second student ran past them in the same direction. Both of the runners seemed very athletic.
"Coincidence?" Sellars offered.
"Not likely." Duffy shook his head, "You guys heard of the Runners?"
"Yeah, I think I heard something about them." Sellars nodded, "They're freerunners, aren't they?"
"Yeah." said the Sergeant, "They're used to make drops all over the place, giving Canada Post a run for their money. They usually make drops into Carlisle."
"Drops?" inquired MacDonald, "Like drugs?"
"Not sure." Duffy shrugged, "I don't think so. That's not what I'm concerned with."
"There's a plan brewing in that half-Newfie head of yours, isn't there?" grinned Sellars.
"Your Irish instincts serve you well." the Sergeant smiled back, "We'd need the Colonel's approval, but I think I've got something here."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:23 pm
Hugo woke to the distinctive cell phone ring that signified the caller as his boss, or at least his "dispatcher". He answered the phone reluctantly. I'm on break. That's what me not being there means dammit.
"Hello? Hugo said into the phone as he stretched out his back and neck.
"Aww... Did I catch you at a bad time?" It was Carli, she had been his dispatcher for a few years now. "In any case, you're going to Carlisle."
"Where the hell's that?"
"Ontario. The plane will be there to get you in three hours."
"Okay. What's the situation?" Just then, his laptop flickered to life. "Nevermind, I just got it. See you later."
He read the screen; Canadian forces were posted nearby, and there are supposed reformed KGB agents inside Carlisle. It was said to be a threat level of 2, which is low enough. He was to pick up a package with more information and cash inside of a diner on the outskirts of the city. There was also a list of equipment that would be on the plane. All of the usual stuff, and his rifle. Would I need that? The last few lines confused Hugo. "If possible, find a group known as 'The Runners' and attain more information. Their services may prove useful when more agents are deployed.
He spoke out loud. "Well, I have no clue what's going on here. At least I'll be dealing with the Canadian military instead of the Americans." He laughed a little and went back to sleep after setting an alarm.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:56 pm
Naomi had perfected the technique of getting out of the school parking lot as fast as possible: Speed-walk from her last class to her locker, toss necessary textbooks into her backpack, grab bike helmet from the hook and slam the door. However, it still took her a good five minutes to leave the school grounds, and by the time she turned onto the road, she knew she had missed the Runners. Again. Somehow, those seniors were better at this routine than she was- which, actually, wasn't so hard to believe. She sighed and pedaled home at top speed. Even if they were gone and she couldn't tail them, that didn't mean that there was nothing she could do.
The house was silent when she arrived. Upstairs, she detected the hum of machinery and tapping of computer keys from her mom's office, but nothing else. Naomi dropped her backpack on her bed, scribbled out a quick note- Going for a ride, back in a few hours, have cell- and slid it under her mom's door on her way back down. Then she was outside again, bike helmet on, and set off down her quiet residential street on the route that would take her to Carlisle. That was, after all, where the action was to be found. If the Runners weren't meeting up after school, they might well be in Carlisle. Besides, if she ever wanted to be one of them- even an honorary member- she needed to know the dangerous city as well as she knew Puslinch. Though, at the moment, that was hardly a worthy measurement.
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