"OK will do!"  Cythi says as she puts on her best...well her face on although this will take some acting as to make it look like she lost her phone.  But still as was said she has a cute look and maybe just maybe if she can get her eyes to cry someone will fall for it.

So she stops and takes a moment to let the situation with Gagambia sink in and starts to worry about her and then becomes sad at that letting some tears come out.  Then focusing at task at hand she walks in doe in eye look and walks up, "Has anyone seen my phone.  It is in a pink case with Hello Kitty on it!"  She says aloud and starts to walk aroudn randomly asking people.

Ace:

The Ashleys were almost a force of nature and there were just so many of them.  Maybe a dozen of them crowded into the service hallway, pushing Arctic Club catering staff out of the way and barreling ahead toward them.

But Ashley-one was faster and more... focused? Intent?  Together,. they'd made it into the service elevator and were on their way up to the tenth floor.

Ashley stared back at Ace for a moment, eyes blank and... vacant.  "He's dreamy."  she said slowly, almost as if reciting a line in a newspaper.  "I mean, we just met, but, like, he makes everything awesome!  He could do me forever and I'd still want more, you know?  When he sings, it's like hot metal and methedrine! Poppers and pyrotechnics!"

The elevator came to a sudden halt, jolting them with the sudden deceleration.  The lights flickered and went out, and the entire elevator was cast in a dull red emergency light.

Ashley grabbed Ace's wrist.  Eyes wide, teeth gritted in fear or excitement, AAshley-One she  pushed herself in close and whispered, "Don't let him touch you!"  The intensity of her expression was almost overwhelming.

The lights came back on almost immediately and the elevator started moving again.  Ashley stepped back and began to hum a little song...

"Everything is awesome!
Everything is cool when you're part of a team!
We're gonna win forever!
Let's party forever!
Everything thing is better when we stick together!"

Yeah, the theme to the LEGO movie.

The sudden change of state was distinctly different that Ace might be questioning whether the whole interlude of the elevator stopping had actually happened.  Ashley-One, for her part, showed no signs of anything amiss, as she happily sang her little song in a quiet voice.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:00, Wed 12 Oct 2022.

@Cythi
Clarification, please.  Where is she when she's doing this walking around asking about her phone?   In the Northern Lights Ballroom where the Wrecked Energy Drink event is happening, in the back hallway where she'd run into Gaunt and Ashley?  Or did she port up to the tenth floor?  I'm okay with any of it, I just need to know what to describe for you.

(OOC - I figure she just walked back in the entrance that she started, but you know what why not have some fun and yes ported to 10th floor.  :)  )

Okay. That would allow me to synch Cythi & Ace up together as soon as Ace gets there (after her next response, most likely).

Ace kicked an Ashley clone back as the door was closed and then collapsed in relief against the back wall as the elevator started rising up.  Well, she had gotten most of them coming after her and away from the real Rachel.  The clones left behind would either stand outside of the elevator and wait for it to come back down or go running for the staircases to run up to 10th floor, either way they should be out of action for awhile.

Straightening up as she talked with Ashley to get a feel for Gaunt, the blank look in her eyes and dreamy voice sent chills down Ace's spine.  Whatever this man did to Ashley was to be avoided at all cost.

Suddenly the elevator stopped, as she flexed her knees and braced herself with her flight powers to keep stable as she reached out to keep Ashley from falling, only to have the blonde as the lights went out and emergency red lights came on.  Ashely grabbed her elbow with a strange facial expression and gritted out a warning about being touched by Gaunt.

Before Ace could question Ashley or really process what was going on, the lights came back on and the elevator started back up.  Ashley started singing a silly song.  Ace thinks it was from a kids movie, but she wasn't really sure and it just added to the creepy feeling she was getting.  She wasn't sure what just happened, but she was going to take the blonde's advice and not let Gaunt touch her if at all possible.

Having some time, Ace pulled out her cell phone and called Stitches, "Hey, I don't have much time.  I am going up to 10th floor to meet someone called Gaunt.  I think he used some kind of fairy dust to create a lot of mind controlled clones, blonde and busty."  She kept her eye on Ashley, ready to dodge or parry any attempt by the blonde to grab the phone from her hand.  "They were looking for me, Rachel," she stressed the name Rachel in the hope that Stitch's would catch on that she was pretending to be Rachel.  "Whoever this dude is, he is special and dangerous. I hit one of the blondes and they went from blonde, busty and beautiful to a fat guy that needs to get out of his house more often."

Suddenly the elevator dinged as it arrived at the Tenth floor, "Gotta go, backup would be appreciated." She disconnected from the call and put her phone away as she smiled at Ashley, "Shall we go see Gaunt?" She asked pleasantly as she stepped behind Ashley to let the blonde lead the way.

Cythia & Ace -- both!

The elevator opened up into a very short hallway, with three doors accessible from teh small, very ornately decorated ante-chamber.

The carpet was blood red and the walls were a cream-white with subtle swirls in the texture.  A large replica of a John Waterhouse Painting--Borias--stood over a small delicate writing table and a red-cushioned chair--both apparently from the Victorian era as well.  There was a single white orchid in a long-stemmed crystal vase.  A pad of paper and a gold-colored pen sat on the table.  There didn't appear to be any writing on the pad.

The door immediately to the left appeared to be a closet for housekeeping supplies.   The door to the right had no label but did have a small peep-hole.  Unusual for hotel suites.  But then, this was the penthouse floor.

Immediately ahead, across the ten or twelve feet of the room they were in a frosted glass door said simply "Garden".

Ashley led Ace across the room, impatiently, and pushed on the Garden door as if she'd owned the place.

And it opened out into a green vista of verdant glory.

Wooden latticeworks provided a basic structure, but the entire rooftop was modeled after an Elizabethan hedge-maze, with over-sized shrubbery that had been carved into various animal forms--mostly bears.  There were all sorts of alcoves adorned with tables and chairs for lovers to make secret trysts or write epic poetry... subtlely lit by hanging lamps fashioned to resemble candlelight in hand-held lanterns.

The "maze" was a series of concentric circles leading to a meeting area at the center where an open space had been cleared and a dance-floor had been put down.  Several tables had been set-up, as if in preparation for an upcoming event.  The dishes and glassware, had not yet been put out.  Overhead, the night sky was clear and the despite being one of the shorter buildings in the area, the stars shone brightly.

Though Ashley had rushed into the scene, she stopped abruptly, her expression of anticipation changing to trepidation.

There were four men in the center of the dance-floor area.  One was a heavy-set balding white man with a thick goatee, wearing a blue Adidas track suit.  At hi feet, on his knees, a tall thin man in a long black coat.  The track-suit guy loomed over the black-coat man with his hands loosely around the black-coat's neck.  Words were being exchanged, but Ace couldn't hear them. The other two were men in non-descript dark suits that positively screamed "lackey!"  or perhaps "henchman!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:36, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Cythi!
I'll let you write Cythi's entrance here.

The black coat-man is Gaunt.  You've met him, so you'd recognize him.

Both of you!
The track-suit guy is Maurice Dupennier, the one Seattle PD believe is at the top of the local prostitution ring.  Both you and Ace could say that you've seen his photos during your consult with McConnel with the Seattle PD.

"Oh no... Nononono!"  Ashley quickly pulled Ace into one of the lover's alcoves.   "They can't kill Gaunt.   What if they kill him?  They can't do that. That would mean that I... I can't be like this forever.  Not Gaunt.  I love Gaunt,  But Everything is Awesome.  You have to help him!"

There is no immediate evidence of any weapons on-scene.   However, the posture of the two of them is very much master & servant.  If Dupennier were behind Gaunt--not facing him--it would look like a set-up for a gangland execution.  Gaunt's arms are behind him... unfettered, but out of view.  HIs long black coat is open revealing a bare chest.  There appears to be something dark on his chest.  Possibly blood.

Dupennier holds Gaunt's chin and is talking low and fast, his face within inches of Gaunt's.  His expression screams arrogant disdain.

Before cythi ports she looks at her clothing and rips parts of it thinking she is super happy this is not something super duper nice.  Then the next thing she does is smack herself in the face to get the 'sparkle eyes'  Or at least eyes that are teary.  And she teleports somewhere in the room and plays this up the best she can.

Look of panic on her face looking mildly assualted or accosted and letting the waterworks go if she can.  Seeing Gaunt she actually runs up to him, "Mr Gaunt.  I am so happy to see you here as after taking Gagambia to the hospital and leaving that....that person there I came back to the party as I seemed to have lost my phone.  Some totally nice guy said he would help me find it but I think he was ore interested in making out or worse."  She plays up the naivety she has but plays it with reality.

Deception - 16 (21)
Persuasion just in case she needs it and deception fails - 6 (11)



Rolled out of order
21:53, Today: Cythi rolled 6 using 1d20+4.  Persuasion (+5 for attractive *2).
21:56, Today: Cythi rolled 16 using 1d20+2.  Deception (+5 for attractive 2 if applicable).

Ace was disappointed that Ashley lead her to the roof, she was hoping that she would be led to a penthouse that DuPennier or his gang used for bugging. She was really impressed by the maze garden on the top floor though as she let Ashley pull her forward.  Suddenly they came around a corner to see Gaunt being threatened by DuPennier, she quickly placed a hand over Ashley's mouth and pulled her out of sight, gesturing for her to be quiet.  She gestured for Ashley to stay in place as she moved to the corner so she could watch what was going on between Gaunt and DuPennier, just in time to see Cythi appear and acting in a panic about losing her phone.

It was a good act, but the worse time for it.  And there was a time limit, the rest of the Ashley clones were on their way as well, hopefully, but unfortunately they would just create chaos.  Cursing under her breath, they were supposed to observe and maybe get a bug planted, approaching DuPennier was not part of the mission.  Although if he tried to kill Gaunt in front of them, that might be enough to get DuPennier arrested. She looked behind her to make sure Ashley was still behind her and signaling her to keep quiet.

Whispering quietly, "Lets walk out, we are going to be pretending to be up there to see the garden.  With so many witnesses around, they aren't going to want to do anything illegal," Ace explained to Ashley quickly.  "Act surprised when we come around the corner and see them." The red head hoped her own acting skills were up to the task of acting surprised.

Taking Ashley's hand, she boldly walked out of the alcove, "These gardens are fantastic!  Thank you so much for showing them to me," she giggled at Ashley as she swayed smoothly in her stiletto heels around a corner and coming into sight. She immediately stopped walking and widened her eyes in surprise at was going on in front of her.  Although she was ready to dodge any attack by flying upwards. "Oh!! Umm....??" She blinked her eyes nervously as she moved between Ashley and the mobsters protectively.


OOC: 01:17, Today: Ace rolled 16 using 1d20+4.  Stealth: being quiet.

01:34, Today: Ace rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Persuasion/Deception. Acting surprised to see the men threatening Gaunt.  +2 circumstance bonus from Attractive if they find Ace attractive; total: 11

Your acting is, apparently, convincing enough.  But Ashley is still an Ashley...

As Cythi stepped forward, the heavy-set track-suit guy held his position--holding Gaunt's chin in his hand with enough pressure that Gaunt's face was all jowly.  But he turned his face to face the uninvited guests.  "Otvali!" he snarled, harshly.

Gaunt lifted both his hands in a "what-can-you-do?" expression that seemed entirely out of context with the supposed intensity of the situation.  He seemed more amused than intimidated.  But his expression changed in a moment, as he registered who was with Ace.   One of his Ashleys!

Both of the guards stepped forward, one moving to Cythi, putting an arm out to direct her back towards the entrance she hadn't emerged from.  The other to block their view of whatever was going down between Dupennier and Gaunt.

"Wait!"  Dupennier said.  "She's one of your Betties."  He nodded at Ashley.

"Ashley, actually."  Gaunt said.

Dupennier shook Gaunt's head back and forth making Gaunt go fish-lipped.

"What?" Gaunt said, eyes wide his voice a higher-pitched whine.  "She is!"

"Why every time you're on your knees, women come running?"

Gaunt tried to shrug.  "Healthy living?"  he held a shit-eating grin.

Dupennier rolled his eyes and pushed Gaunt back, releasing his grip.  Gaunt sprawled back to lay on his back. "Go." He said. "Take your whores inside.  Get their rake, then get them back to work.  Longer she's up here, longer she's not down there."

Ashley waved, her hands pressed together in front of her.  She was clearly excited; Ace could fairly feel the suppressed glee from where she was standing.

Gaunt stood and shook himself out , straightened his jacket and heaved a heavy sigh.    He offered a foppish half-bow and walked carefully over to Cythi.

But he stopped in front of Cythi.  He laid a hand on her shoulder, but his eyes didn't leave Ashley's.   "You... you lost your phone?"  He asked as if it had just occurred to him what she had said.   He was astute enough to tell that this entire situation was contrived, but he couldn't see the angle on it.

"Ladies..." he put his arm around Cythi, like a long-lost lover or a drunken ex-boyfriend.  "let's head inside for a moment.  I've got some pinks and some blues and a line of snow before we move on to what's next..."

From her vantage point, Cythi heard one of the bodyguards mutter to the heavy-set track-suit guy. "I'd trade the Ashley in for that one." 

Gaunt walks Cythi over to Ashley & Ace.  "You've brought me veritable peach!" he said loudly enough for Dupennier to hear, his arms flamboyantly all over the place.

"Now.  Turn around and walk with me.  Like you know me and like me."

"But I do like you!" Ashley whispered conspiratorily.

"I know."  Gaunt said dismissively.  "Lets just get into the suite, then get out.  The faster we do this, the better.  Doo-Penny's not bright but he's not exactly stupid, either."

So, are you going to let Gaunt guide you?

Cythi happy that her ruse was accepted for now should Gaunt find the phone.  If worst came to it and he found the phone she figures she would lie and say was trying to find a way to chat with him again.  Still no need for that for now.

"Yes I think after I lost it before I took Gagambia to the hospital  I had to borrow hers to tell people what happened.  And then came back to look for mine."  She says in response to the phone.

Then she hears



Figuring it probably reference to Ace but for now but just in case they were meaning her  she thinks it is best that she let Gaunt guide and as such does not hesitate in doing so.  Al while she does not think Gaunt is a good person she for some reason feels she can trust him enough.  Might be the interaction with Portia as well.  Still she was not sure if Ace was going to follow suit but she was not a mind reader and sadly only a porter.  And the advantage of being a porter was if danger got too intense she could get out of there! "I will follow you easily wherever you want to go right now!"

She even thinks to herself, Is this way of being chivalrous?

Ace frowned as she retreated from the garden area, "umm..yes, we will just...go with Gaunt." She nodded her head as she walked out of the area with Cythi, Gaunt and Ashley.  Her fingers twitched as she wanted to remove Gaunt's hand from Cythi's waist as they walked toward the elevator. But Gaunt was taking them to the elevator and hopefully down to Dupennier's apartment.  This might be the best chance of them seeing if there was Exalt drugs and maybe they could plant a bug.

The biggest worry she had, was that Ashley was going to introduce her as Rachel, at which point Gaunt might get suspicious of her, since she will not be the Rachel he sent the Ashley's to bring to him.

For the moment, she was pretending she wasn't with Cythi, maybe that would give them an advantage if things started going down.

Gaunt led them out of the gardern and back into the foyer antechamber.  He crossed the small space and rapped on the unmarked door.

A moment later, it opened and a young man, dressed in a very expensive French-collared business shirt and dress slacks that cost more than most people's rent, gave a briefly quizzical expression.  He had precisely-coiffed lustrous brown hair and the five-o'clock shadow that screamed intense care.   He gave Gaunt a once-over, sniffed, then opened the door further.

The insides of the penthouse suite was decorated in golds and tans with accents in black and white.  It was a modern feel, a distinct difference from the Victorian throwback of the rest of the hotel.

Gaunt pushed beyond the man who answered the door and led them into the main room.  It was an open concept design with an enormous front room with a sunken seating area and a fireplace, glass walls on two of the sides, providing a view of the city, the Smith Tower in particular.  Once, it would have been a magnificent vista, but it had been curtailed bit-by-bit by the expansion of more and more high-rises which blocked the view.

There were a half-dozen people on the balcony beyond the glass-walls, and two men sitting in the sunken seating area.  They paid no attention to you.

Gaunt led you immediately to the right, and through a set of gold-colored double-doors, into a bedroom.  It was conservative for all the gold in the area.  Still a hotel room.  A king-sized bed, a framed oil painting of some sort of marshy landscape.  A n antique style writing desk and lamp, a wide-screen television.

And on the bed, dressed in, of all things, a giant fluffy panda onesie, was a blonde woman.  She was reclined on the pillows, with one hand over her head and the other across the covers in front of her, as if pretending to be a twenties' style starlet in grief.  And she snored quietly, contentedly.  The resemblance to Ashley-One was perfect.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Wed 09 Nov 2022.

"So..." Gaunt turned to Cythi. "I'm sorry, my little dove.  Your phone.  I hadn't seen it.  I mean, after you left, I suppose the hotel staff should have a lost and found.   But, you've kind of slipped into a very dangerous space and you really need to leave before the really bad men out there take a special interest in you."

"And you." Gaunt turned to Ashley-One.  "You are special beyond words.  Beyond hope.  I don't know what I would have done without you! You are the light of my life.  To bring me this... this wonderful woman!"

Ashley-One fairly gushed with unabashed pleasure, cooing her delight at the praise.

But then he turned to Ace.  "I didn't think Rebecca would actually bring you here.  You know she's using you, right?  I know, I know!"  he waved his hands around airily, "She's your mother! She'd never do you wrong!  But wake up, girl!  She's Ursula to your Ariel.  And your secret's out.  The guy in the garden.  He wants you for himself.  I... I don't want you for what you can do.  I don't want to make you do anything.  Nothing's worthwhile if it isn't offered freely." He flicked a glance at Ashley-One.

"I just..." He sighed heavily.  Over-dramatically.  "You aren't alone, Okay?  You don't have to do this alone.  I can help get you out.  But you have to trust me.  Do you want my help?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:46, Wed 09 Nov 2022.

Ace followed Gaunt down into the apartment a little nervously, especially as she saw that there were other mobsters in the main room hanging around.  But Cythi could get them out at any moment and she could always leap out a window.

Noticing that no one was paying particular attention to them, Cameron let herself stumble in her 7 inch platform stiletto heeled sandals and dropped her clutch on the floor next to an end table.  Kneeling down on one knee, she quickly gathered up her clutch, pulling a bug out of it and sneaking onto the bottom of the end trouble, out of sight unless someone went looking directly there.  She flushed as she got up and kept walking with Gaunt, Ashley and Cythi into a back bedroom.

She looked around the bedroom, as widening as she saw what was probably the original Ashley laying out on the bed as Gaunt was talking with Cythi and congratulated Ashley-one for bringing her to him.  She crossed her arms and cocked a hip as he started trying to con her into accepting his help.  "I don't know who you are or how you think my mother is using me." She stated disbelievingly.  Of course Rebecca wasn't her mother and was clueless about what her supposed relationship was with Rebecca. "And I am certainly not trusting a stranger just because they ask me to." She really wanted to punch this guy out, but she was worried that would blow their cover. "This is not what I was expecting," she stated, letting her nervousness leak out, "I should just leave with her." She pointed at Cythi,  The redhead was wondering when the army of Ashley's were going to arrive, they might make a great distraction, although she also wondered if she should grab Ashley-prime to bring with them as well.

Cythi tries to keep knowing exactly where her phone is still she can't help but in a way like this Gaunt person.  He seemed troubled and she has a soft spot to help troubled beings.  But in this case.

"If worst comes to it it is a phone.  All my stuffed was stored on the cloud so I just need a new phone."  Cythi says smiling.  "If you want we can all get out of here easily."  She knows that Gaunt has likely seen her teleport but not one hundred percent sure.  Still she makes the offer!

Gaunt looked at Cythi with a curious expression, as if he hadn't expected the offer.  "That.s... oh, doll.  thank-you..  But let me just do this first."

He stepped back and put his hand around Ashley-One's hip.  "Thank-you, lovely lady."  He said as he nuzzled at her neck, whispering in her ear--loud enough that everybody in the room heard it.  Ashley-One fairly coo'd with the attention she was getting from him.

Gautn continued, his voice strangely mesmerizing, even vaguely menacing, "Remember... when you wake up, it was all a dream.  None of it was real.  But you will remember what it's like the next time you ignore a girl's protests.  No-one likes to be powerless.."

Gaunt touched his other hand to Ashley-One's forehead and she shivered.  And as she shivered, a shower of pink and silver glitter fell from her like a bad glitter-bomb, leaving a circle of pink and silver all around... well, him.

He was a short man, a weight-lifted obviously.  Powerfully-built with shoulders almost as wide as he was tall.  He had a shaved head and a clipped brown moustache.   He wore a tailored grey pinstriped suit but his eyes were sunken and vaguely haunted, glassy, even.

Cythi had seen Stitches towering over him, clenching and unclenching his fists before he'd gone back out to the van...  Some sort of bad history between the two men.

"Okay.  Now would be a good time to go."  Gaunt said.  "It'll be a couple of minutes before the chain-reaction hits the others..."  He reached over to try to take Ace's hand.  "Now that you're safe, there's no point in them hounding you, right?"


--
OOC: I find it incredibly amusing this set-up.  So, I'm going to continue to run with it that Gaunt thinks Ashley-One brought him Rachel.  He thinks Ace is Rachel.  I'm sure he'll be disappointed when he learns otherwise.  But I'd much rather we draw this out than that you disavow him of that opinion right now!

Ace/Rachel pretended to be confused by Cythi offering to get them out of there easily, since as far as Gaunt knows, they don't know each other.

Then Gaunt went over and whispered to Ashley, releasing whatever power he had on her as she changed into a he.  A man that she had seen Stitches talking to. "What the hell??"  Ace/Rachel jumped back from Gaunt and the guy as she tried to appear shocked as Ashley turned into a man. "What did you do to her... errr...him!  And You think I am going anywhere with you now?"  She asked as she backed away from him, remembering Ashley's warning about being touched by Gaunt. "And what did you do to the blonde on the bed?" She asked as she did her best to sound nervous, which she was as being subtle was not her strong suit.

She turned to look at Cythi, "I don't know what is going on here?  It looked like they were doing drugs out there and somehow he changed that guy into a copy of the blonde."  She spoke to Cythi as she moved to be closer to her teammate as she nodded at the blonde unconscious on the bed, who was probably a innocent bystander or a witness of what goes on up here.  She was trying to indicate to Cythi they should leave without Gaunt but maybe grab the unconscious blonde.


OOC: Yes, this is a fun situation.  And once he learns she isn't Rachel, then she can punch him in the face! ;)

Unfortunately for Ace any indication kinda flew over Cythi's head who was not the master of subtle or hints at all.  "Don't worry as it is a power he used much like the one I am about to use to get us out of here."

This is also because of the confusion she has for Gaunt and almost feeling like he may have been some form of anti hero.  And that made her partially respect him.  Still though this was not the time nor place for this and as such she focuses on teleporting them all to the same hospital that she took Gagambia too.  But to make sure they are willing offers a hand for them to grab to make the decision.

She closes her eyes and visualizes the location and in a blink of the eye she transports them all.  "I figured this would be best place that way we can check on Gagambia and we can all go to where we need to next." She smiles actually proud of herself for thinking of this.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:39, Sat 26 Nov 2022.

Two considerations:

From your text, I'm assuming you teleported to the hospital Gagamba's at.  Correct?

Also... how does the teleportation, look and feel?  What would Ace experience?  Would she have any say in the matter?  A portal she's got to set through is gonna be vastly different from a touch and "pop!" you're gone...

Correct.



I visualize it like a transporter from Startrek.  Although probably a bit faster considering although good point is if she would willingly go or not.

I will edit post to offer a hand that way it is Ace's decision.