Goings on in Washington, D.C.

[Mark Rand]

This is a sub-plot for my campaign.

 

On March 15, Dick Cheney suffered a fatal heart attack. Out of respect, one week passed before Senator James Collingsworth (PhD in economics) of New Hampshire was selected to replace him. Mr. Collingsworth smokes a pipe, walks with a cane because he suffers from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (since his illness was discovered six years ago, he has spent a total of one week in a wheelchair). He vacations on his family's farm near Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city. (The farm is 20 minutes, by car, from the state's largest medical center.)

 

His wife, Ann, is head nurse of the George Washington University Medical Center's eye clinic, a position which she has no plans to give up. She also picks her husband's prescriptions up at the hospital pharmacy. Their only daughter, Holly, is starting her sixth year as one of the Ross Brothers Circus's showgirls and third as wife of James Nelson, the circus ringmaster. Additionally, she drives the show's front end loader and the semi that carries it.

 

More to come.

[Edsel]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Sounds believable so far.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Sounds believable so far.

 

Thank you.

 

Secret Service agent Gina Toscano (Holly's agent) and Annie Davis (Holly's advance agent) arrived at the circus grounds the day before the show arrived and met with Mary "Cowgirl" West, the circus's 24-hour advance agent. Annie unpacked while Gina stowed her bags, and the ladies received show radios, needed papers, and a briefing from Mary on the show's logistics.

 

The next morning, the ladies awoke at 6:10, had breakfast, and waited. The first vehicles arrived at 7:10. Jim Nelson rolled in at 7:45. At 7:50, Holly rolled in as Gina finished unpacking. Mary and Annie left the lot at 11:30.

 

Two weeks later, while leaving an event in Florida, Dubya was assassinated by a sniper, who was dead within five seconds. One hour later, while his wife was putting drops into a patient's eyes and his daughter setting up her rigging, James Collingsworth was sworn in as President of the United States.

 

Still more to come.

[gojira]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

It's Mystique! She did it!

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

It's Mystique! She did it!

 

No.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

The story continues below. Warning: crossovers ahead.

 

President Collingsworth chose Senator John Martin of Pennsylvania as his Vice President. The senator is a lighthouse buff and likes to attend sporting events at a moments notice. His wife, June, is an eye surgeon and member of George Washington University Medical School faculty. She sees patients in the same clinic Ann Collingsworth is head nurse of.

 

John told the Secret Service that their teenage daughter, Ellen, lives with June's sister (an eye doctor) and brother-in-law (her school's principal) in Pittsburgh. He also explained that his daughter was a Slayer and spent an hour telling them about what it entailed and her friends and associates. He also gave them a sheet of paper with their names, addresses, and phone numbers.

 

Robert Giles, their Watcher, and the school librarian, is a cousin of Head Watcher Rupert Giles. Ronna, an African-American Slayer, is a Xena-style Amazon, as are a number of the other ladies on the team. Kimiko, a Japanese-American Slayer, was trained by her divorced mother, Fujiko, in ninjitsu. Recently she met a man who claims that he is Ambrosius Aurelianus (the real King Arthur) and Fujiko is Gwenhwyfar (Queen Guinevere) reincarnated. (The team works out in Fujiko's dojo.)

 

When one of the agents suggested mystical protection for the President and White House, John suggested that they contact Rupert Giles, whose contact information was on the sheet.

 

Edit: I should've said "campaign city" instead of "Pittsburgh" and "state campaign city is in" instead of "Pennsylvania".

[gojira]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

No.

 

Darn.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Among the non-fighting members of the group are Lynn Connors, R.N., and Mariko Yamashiro. Lynn, the nurse at the school most attend, treats the wounds they get in the field without noting them in the official record because they saved her from a vampire attack. Mariko, Kimiko's cousin and the technical manager for the local superhero team, helps by maintaining their electronic gear.

 

There is a vamp-hunting team at the White House. Sam, the White House Communications Director, is the Watcher. Cathy, his assistant, a ninja-trained Japanese-American woman, is the Slayer. Bonnie, an African-American woman from Indiana, is one of three Guardian Witches. The second is Ginger, a tall, husky-voiced redhead from New Jersey. The third is Nancy, a slender blonde. While Bonnie and Ginger work in Communications, Nancy is the assistant to the President's secretary. (Characters borrowed from The West Wing.)

[pinecone]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Looks very cool!

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Looks very cool!

 

Thank you.

 

More stuff.

 

Secret Service Agent Andrea Price O'Day heads President Collingsworth's detail. Although she knows she's not going to win every argument, she'll argue with him when she feels his safety is in danger.

 

Special Agent Patrick O'Day is a high-ranking FBI agent and Andrea's husband. When they work together, he lets her take the lead.

 

Secret Service Agent Roy Altman heads Ann's detail. He's 6'4", built like a football player, but manages to look inconspicuous when he has to.

 

Secret Service Agent Keven Cross heads Vice President Martin's detail. They served in the navy together.

 

Secret Service Agent Courtney Robinson heads June Martin's detail. She's cool under pressure and knows June's schedule well.

 

Secret Service Agent Kelsey Innes is one of the Vice President's advance agents. She may get her own thread on the Dark Champions board.

 

President Collingsworth wears reading glasses, which he sometimes misplaces. Both Nancy, and his personal assistant, Charlie, carry spare pairs.

 

Nancy has training in advanced first aid, CPR, and AED use.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Of the three witches, Bonnie can channel the most brute force, however, this usually leaves her short of breath. (Spell use costs END.)

 

Ginger is the most versatile of the spellcasters. She suffers from allergies and, occasionally, asthma. Fortunately, she carries an emergency inhaler. She also has to take daily medications and go to the doctor each week for injections. (Physical limitation.)

 

Nancy is skilled with shield spells. (Bonuses on shield spells, paramedic 12- from previously-mentioned stuff.)

 

Josh, the Deputy Chief of Staff, is sarcastic and suffers from ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). (Physical and psychological limitations.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

About two weeks after becoming President, Jim Collingsworth will start running for a full term.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

News from Washington.

 

Citing that the war in Iraq was George Bush's idea, the Pentagon announced that it was recalling all troops from that nation.

 

Declaring that it causes more problems than it solves, the United States Department of Transportation stated that states must now prohibit right turn on red in order to receive federal highway funds.

[Captain Liberty]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

 

Declaring that it causes more problems than it solves, the United States Department of Transportation stated that states must now prohibit right turn on red in order to receive federal highway funds.

 

Personal agenda, much?

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Personal agenda' date=' much? [/quote']

 

Right turn on red was implemented as part of the national energy strategy. Everyone assumed that drivers would follow the law and stop at the backup line, then go only if the way is clear. They don't.

 

Many go through the intersection without stopping. Others either partially or completely block the crosswalk.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Just a couple of questions here:

 

1.) Do any of the fictional agencies/organizations from TV/movies that you've

used in previous threads exist in this version of D.C., and if so, which ones?

 

2.) What about characters from TV shows set in D.C. (like The District)?

Are there any of them here?

 

 

Major Tom

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Just a couple of questions here:

 

1.) Do any of the fictional agencies/organizations from TV/movies that you've

used in previous threads exist in this version of D.C., and if so, which ones?

 

2.) What about characters from TV shows set in D.C. (like The District)?

Are there any of them here?

 

 

Major Tom

 

Answering 1.), the only agencies I recall using are the NID and the FIRM. The NID would make a good "bad guy" group.

 

Answering 2.), I don't watch much TV anymore.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Have you ever used fictional agencies from books (for example, NUMA from

Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt stories) in any of your campaigns?

 

 

Major Tom

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

Have you ever used fictional agencies from books (for example, NUMA from

Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt stories) in any of your campaigns?

 

 

Major Tom

 

An interesting idea. Of course, as far as the campaign goes, the goings on in Washington aren't as important as what goes on in the campaign city.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

As an added thought to the above post, NUMA could easily work with the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, which is near the campaign city.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

More fun stuff from Washington, D,C.

 

Two years ago, game time, Congress voted to require federal licenses instead of state ones for professions in which a national organization conducts the licensing examinations. State boards would still be able to suspend licenses.

 

At the same time, they made things harder for traveling shows. They now had to employ one nurse for every one hundred employees or part thereof. If there were wild animals, they had to also employ a veterinarian. If the show didn't play the big cities, they had to also employ a physician, a dentist, and either a dental assistant or a dental hygienist. The shows had one year to comply with the law. (Under this law, a nurse practitioner is considered a nurse.)

 

Before the law was passed, the Ross Brothers Circus employed a nurse practitioner and a veterinarian. Within one week after the legislation became law, the nurse practitioner's mother, a physician, and younger sister, a nurse, joined the circus.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

A senator held a press conference on the Capitol steps. After reading a document about things that the DMV didn't want people to know, he announced plans to give the federal government instead of the state governments the authority to issue driver's licenses and vehicle registrations. The law would also prohibit bicycles from being ridden on sidewalks and driver's licenses from being used for anything other showing that the holder had a license to drive.

 

The White House Press Secretary stated that the President didn't think the bill was constitutional.

 

Later that same day, a congressman stated that he had proof that one in three people working in the White House were taking illegal drugs.

 

A high-ranking White House source stated that, while they condemned the use of illegal drugs, they considered the congressman to be a stuffed shirt. An hour later, the Press Secretary stated that the White House Counsel's Office would be investigating the charges.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

The press then decided to interview Holly at the circus. She thanked the reporter for telling her about the incidents, then stated that getting her rigging up was what was important to her, not what was going on in Washington.

 

Ann Collingsworth was their next target. Aside from discovering that she wore ceil-blue scrubs, the only thing they uncovered was that her patients were more important than politics.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

More fun stuff from Washington, D,C.

 

Two years ago, game time, Congress voted to require federal licenses instead of state ones for professions in which a national organization conducts the licensing examinations. State boards would still be able to suspend licenses.

 

At the same time, they made things harder for traveling shows. They now had to employ one nurse for every one hundred employees or part thereof. If there were wild animals, they had to also employ a veterinarian. If the show didn't play the big cities, they had to also employ a physician, a dentist, and either a dental assistant or a dental hygienist. The shows had one year to comply with the law. (Under this law, a nurse practitioner is considered a nurse.)

 

Before the law was passed, the Ross Brothers Circus employed a nurse practitioner and a veterinarian. Within one week after the legislation became law, the nurse practitioner's mother, a physician, and younger sister, a nurse, joined the circus.

 

In truth, I came up with this as a way to justify the circus employing an actual medical team instead of someone who just knows first aid.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Goings on in Washington, D.C.

 

More fun stuff from Washington, D,C.

 

Two years ago, game time, Congress voted to require federal licenses instead of state ones for professions in which a national organization conducts the licensing examinations. State boards would still be able to suspend licenses.

 

At the same time, they made things harder for traveling shows. They now had to employ one nurse for every one hundred employees or part thereof. If there were wild animals, they had to also employ a veterinarian. If the show didn't play the big cities, they had to also employ a physician, a dentist, and either a dental assistant or a dental hygienist. The shows had one year to comply with the law. (Under this law, a nurse practitioner is considered a nurse.)

 

This stuff probably wouldn't have been passed. The states get too much money from professional licenses to let the federal government take over that job and circuses aren't considered an important business by the federal government.