Tag: escape artist

#Lore24 – Entry #245 – Fantasy Month III #2 – Leaving Home, Chasing a Dream

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Oh, and here I’d thought you’d forgotten all about me!  Hmm?  Oh, the shackles?  They were chaffing so I took them off.  I can put them back on if you want, but it really won’t matter, will it?  You DO know who I am, right?  Haven’t seen my posters around town, then?  A shame, here I thought I was finally starting to get my name out there…

What?  Oh, the Caerlon incident?  That was a real tragedy, that.  I really do feel so bad about the Bronze Unicorn; it was a great place, my first big venue, actually.  I’d never had crowds like that before, and it was the first place anyone had managed to beat my challenge!  It’ll always have a place in my heart because of that!

Hmmm?  Oh, the fire?  That wasn’t our fault.  Not at all!  How did it all start?  Well…I don’t usually like to talk about things like that, you see.  Oh, okay, since you really want to know, I guess I can say something about it… So, I’m from Shey’Inasrith originally, you see, and until you’ve lived there, maybe even just visited, you really wouldn’t understand just how HORRIBLE a place it is.  You know about the whole game the elvish great houses play, I’m sure, being an astute representative of the city and all that, so just imagine that, but even more cutthroat and moving at breakneck speeds.  It wasn’t uncommon to see blood spilled in the street daily over a squabble between noble houses or some perceived slight that may or may not have been true.  It’s a nightmare, really, even for one born there.

The fire?  I’m getting there.  Anyway, I’d had enough of the politics, always dreamed of better things that didn’t involve killing in the name of the Mantis Queen, trying to curry favor, you know.  I just don’t have the personality for it, I guess; I’m too softhearted for that kind of thing when you get right down to it.  So, I left, didn’t even say a word to anyone back home because that kind of thing could get you killed in a place like that.  I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d manage, but at least I’d started chasing my dreams, you know?  To put smiles on people’s faces, to give them something to ease their burdens through entertainment, satisfy my ego a little, that sort of thing. 

It just so happens that I’m really, really good at what I do.  So you’ve really never heard about my show?  I thought you’d have heard something about it…I mean, I’ve been making a name for myself for over a year now, slowly making my way to Arcavarlon, drawing in hundreds over the course of the week I spend in town.  It’s really something to have so many try for a private date with yours truly.  And when you have looks like I do, even being a dark elf from Shey’Inasrith doesn’t matter.  That’s what I love about the lands beyond my homeland!  People are just so open-minded!  Well, most of them…there’s been some that I could tell you about that haven’t been so welcoming to me, certainly.  Oh, you know, I’d put money on it being one of those who started the fire, trying to sabotage me and steal the pot that I’d built up!  You should really be looking at them, not little old me! 

Names?  Well…I don’t really know any?  I mean, I’ve got this one noble who was a bit obsessed with me, I think, Xenia, but she certainly wouldn’t try something that brazen!  She’s in it for the challenge, something to spend her coin on, you know?  I got the impression she’s not got a lot going on in her life, so this really piqued her interests.  I suppose it could be some of those who don’t care for dark elves; I’ve noticed they’re not especially common around here, and I do get some odd looks sometimes.

Oh, right, the fire!  Well, you did want me to start from the beginning, so don’t go getting yourself all worked up over me doing just that!  Be glad you didn’t ask for specifics, or we could be here all night!  Do you realize how many things I’ve gone through since I left home?  It wasn’t just a knack for escape artistry that prompted me to start this show, certainly not!  It’s a survival skill, too!  I figure if I can wiggle out of a bad situation, then maybe I can learn to avoid getting into them altogether, you know?  My charms don’t always work on people, so I have to be quick, and I have to be slippery!  Though sometimes it’s better to be slow and methodical, you see, especially when it comes to expertly done ropework.  It’s all a question of just how much time you have.  That’s what makes my challenges so much fun, you see!  Finding that proper balance is key!  If I’m too slow, they win, but if I’m too fast, it takes away from the spectacle!

Hey, no need to get upset!  I’m getting there!  Wait, what’s that muzzle for?  Hey, is that from my collection?!”

LORE24 ENTRY #49 – Supers Month #18 – Momo-Chan

 

From the Personal Journal of Jennifer Tempest…

 

I don’t believe that in my entire history as a medical doctor have I felt so absolutely vexed as I have than with the woman known only as Momo-Chan.  She is a most unique case, with a most unique and troublesome ability given the nature of my facility.  She is a mystery as well, no background information to speak of; even Bobbi has been unable to locate any of her records within government databases after days spent diving into cyberspace.  She may as well not exist at all as far as a digital presence outside of the records held within Edgewater’s secure servers. 

During her stay at Edgewater, I personally handled her therapy sessions and she managed to avoid giving me any details about her past, and worryingly, resisted my natural charms, even when I impressed them so strongly upon her that I was certain she would notice my supernatural influence upon her.  Perhaps she did and simply said nothing about it?  A troubling thought in its own right.  All I managed to glean from her is that she once worked for the United States government as something of a spy and assassin, and was subjected to one of their many super-soldier programs, though in her case, it failed quite dramatically.  Following the procedure, though she came out of it possessing an amazing accelerated healing ability and resistance to both poisons and diseases, she was left completely dead to any sensation of pain not unlike a CIPA patient, though without the other medical issues most commonly associated with the condition.  Several very thorough procedures by Dr. Bayne and Dr. del Vecchio tested this condition in depth, and in some cases most gruesomely, though Momo-chan consented to all of it without apparent worry.

Perhaps this condition would have been beneficial for a spy to resist torture, but the procedure also left her with a crippling mental condition, namely a psychological need to feel latex upon her body.  Momo-chan cannot function without a full-body latex catsuit and a gas-mask to cover her face (though she is fine with having some area around her neck as well as her hair exposed, as long as the mask is in place).  Tests within Edgewater, when the latex was removed, provoked a response as though her very skin had been peeled off; removing the mask, she cries out for her face to be returned.  Given more than a few minutes in such a state, she becomes nearly catatonic until she is able to recover her ‘skin’ and her ‘face’.

Her mental state would be an absolutely fascinating study, and I have no doubt, that with enough time, I could have a breakthrough with her, but Momo-chan’s most troublesome ability is too much of a security risk for her to remain on an indefinite stay here.  Momo-chan, despite all attempts to the contrary, cannot be contained.  None of the restraints, secure cells, air-tight isolation rooms we have devised thus far have been able to keep her in place.  We’ve had multiple cameras trained on her, and I have sat within a few feet of her and watched her escape the most stringent restraints, and neither myself nor any of my staff, even Specialist Leopard or Bobbi, can figure out exactly how she does it.  She simple wiggles a bit, then the gear falls off, or if she’s in a secure cell, walks up to the door and slips through it, somehow.  It’s maddening!  How can she possibly do it?!  She doesn’t take an attitude about it, and hasn’t done anything to threaten the security of the facility or patients, only to “stretch her legs” or to get something to eat from the cafeteria before she returns to her cell, but the threat remains. 

I promised the girl that I would continue to treat her if she felt the need, and I stand by that, though she has, for now, vanished into the streets of Sentinel City.  I simply must discover a way to counter her ability to escape, and that will require many more trials, as I must delve into her psyche and find what it is that has led to her debilitating need for the feel of latex.  I have no qualms against latex attire in and of itself, of course; it is the main component of the standard uniform in Edgewater after all, but if I can simply give relief to her debilitation upon its removal, then I will have done my job to my satisfaction.