Because  it's been a while...

There are (now) four of you at the Promo Party to celebrate the release of the Wrecked Energy Drink's new flavor ("Papa Cherry").

You're looking to see if there's anything related to Exalt (the drug that is able to trigger super-powers in some people--albeit temporarily) going on in the Arctic Club.  This isn't a take 'em down mission, it's an observe-and-report mission.

The promo party just happens to be at the Arctic Club where a known low-level courier with the Russian Mob has been seen, recently, possibly consorting with the Hell's Angels who are believed to be running a prostition ring out of the penthouse suites.   There is a surveillance operation underway, and the hotel is aware of it.  So, basically, this party should be like a magnet for the Hells Angels.

You have a side-objective, which is--if possible--to get a couple of surveillance mics into the Penthouse suites where the Hells Angels are alleged to do their thing.   Key figures to watch for are Andrei Semenov, the Russian Mafiya courier.

Portia, another stunning Filipino woman, with ties to Gagamba has just showed up, and is apparently with the Wrecked Energy Drink marketing team.

Oh... and there are a lot of bubble-butted bimbo blondes at this event....  Not sure if that's related or not.

Cameron entered the club with the others, walking at the back.  As soon as she entered the ball room, she put on her game face and focused on what needed to be done. When she put on her game face, the usual look of being lost disappeared to be replaced with one of confidence and focus. She was wearing a split thigh backless halter dress with wearing 7 inch stiletto heeled platform sandals pushing her over 6 feet of height.  She let her long, straight auburn hair hang down her back and over her shoulders. Her dress clung to her toned body like a second skin and if it wasn't for all the practicing in leotards, she might have been self-conscious but because of her gymnast training, she knew how to pull off confident and ignore whatever discomfiture she might be feeling.

Despite her 7 inch stiletto heels, she glided across the floor with perfect balance as she separated from the others to spread out and search more of the room.  She was a professional level gymnast, she was trained to balance and walk on her the balls of her feet. Of course she was also cheating a little bit and using her flight powers to hover herself just enough to essentially reduce her weight in half so there wasn't as much pressure on her feet as she walked around on the balls of her feet. She was pulling on all her lessons on how to present herself to the judges as she walked through the crowd, appearing utterly confident in what she was doing.

She was moving toward the sexy blondes with the idea that Dupennier and Semenov would be close to them.  She momentarily paused when the woman got on stage and started speaking.  She was surprised that the woman was obviously appearing as less sophisticated as the rest of the attendees.  She was obviously someone important to Wrecked Energy Drinks and probably high up as most people started to pay attention to what she was saying.  Cameron had stopped right next to the Wrecked Girls as she looked around for their targets.

(OOC: 20:55, Today: Ace rolled 10 using 1d20+7.  Ace looking for Dupennier and Semenov.)

Ace:
Neither Dupennier nor Semenov seemed immediately visible, but her placement allows Ace to hear a part of the "discussion" Stitches was having with  a short, powerfully-built man with a shaved head and a clipped brown moustache.

"No, the bottom line is that you owe me." Stitches said, his voice a low, menacing drawl. "And just because you left the company doesn't free you from personal debts.  So, you get me the god-damned list, or I will make your current employment very very uncomfortable."

The shorter man didn't seem particularly cowed by Stitches threats.  He glanced momentarily at the door to the back-of-house and took a deeper breath.  "You know it didn't work, right?   You left, and I didn't get the spot."

"That's on you Lenny." Stitches said.  "I moved mountains to get you an interview.  It's not on me if you couldn't make it happen.  I got you your chance.  You blew it--not me."

Lenny shook his head, but held up his hand. "Okay, fine.  Jesus.  I do this, will you shut up about it? I coulda done anything if I'da meta on my roster."


And back where Cythi was, it occurred to Ace that the woman she was talking to was scanning the room like a predator of some sort.  And Gagamba--Angel--just stood there, slack-jawed and disengaged.  Like utterly disengaged.  Sightlessly staring off into space, even.

Cythi:

While Portia prattled on, she reached out and stroked Angel's shoulder, an almost loving gesture that spoke of way too much familiarity.   But Angel didn't say anything.

In fact, Angel didn't even react.  Not a shiver nor a sharp rebuke.  Even her hair was quiescent, unmoving.

Angel was breathing, but she seemed to be focused off in the distance.  At first it looked like she was watching Stitches with his "discussion" with the short man with the moustache, but then they moved a little, and Angel's eyes didn't track.

Portia seemed to notice at about the same time.

"She's having a seizure."  Portia said, as if she knew what she was talking about.  "Move up to her side."

Portia moved to one side of Angel and laid a hand on Angel's opposite hip.  "Let's see if we can lead her somewhere a little quieter."   she nodded towards the back-of-house door the hotel staff used to bring food and decorations from...

"Putangina mo."  Portia muttered, but loud enough that Cythi heard it. Then, in a soft voice, "Come with me, darling. Let's sneak a smoke where they won't find us."

If you've been around Angel enough, you've heard her mutter those words "Putangina mo" herself several times.

Cythi having not a clue if the Portia person was telling the truth or not decides that it might be worth it to find out if she is correct.  Moving to the other side she follows the instruction given and works in conjunction with the person she is still not sure what to make of.

"I hope you are ok Gagamba." she says but doubting that it was heard at all.  She makes note of the phrase again so she can look it up later.  She also notes wondering what these two were to each other.  "Miss Portia if needed I can get her out of here."

Ace frowned as she watched the state Gagamba was in and how the woman with her and Cythi was looking around.  She looked around, trying to see if anyone was noticing that Gagamba was completely out of it and see if anyone else was as well.  She was worried that someone had slipped her teammate a drug of some kind.  She slowly started to move to intercept Cythi and Gagamba while she was looking to see if the woman with them had some kind of accomplice in the background.


[OOC: 19:29, Today: Ace rolled 13 using 1d20+7.  Ace perception.  Looking to see if other women were in a similar state as Gagamba and to see where the strange woman with Gagamba and Cythi was looking. ]

THere are definitely some people pushing the boundary of intoxication, and more than a few with hyperactivity issues, which was probably not surprising given the almost criminal amounts of caffeine and sugar the drinks themselves provided...

But there didn't seem to be anybody else in a particularly soporific state.

There were a lot of little blonde things though.  Like Wrecked, itself had sought them out to populate the area.  Was that their chosen demographgic?

--
OOC:  Bottom line, a seizure was a narratively acceptable excuse for Gagamba's lack of interaction...  After two months without posting, I've group-Z'd her in preparation of dropping her soon.  Now, whether it's a natural thing or the result of someone's actions... still unknown.

(OOC - Actually figured as much on the reason for seizure)

Cythi continues to help Gagamba outside although does not intend on taking part in the smoke.

Speaking at an increased volume, "I probably will not have one but if this leads to fresh air please lead the way to where you want to smoke."

One thing Cythi is looking for is a chance to teleport Gagamba out of there and get her somewhere safe.  Or at least try a teleport heal.

Ace frowned as she listened to Stitches calling in his favor for a list.  She shook her head, as she kept an eye on Angel and Cythi as she moved forward, ready to back up Cythi as she and the strange woman exited through the back door.  Ace was delayed by running into all the bimbo like blondes who was circulating through the party.  There were more busty, bimbo-like blondes than the tall brunette would have expected as she smoothly stepped around another blonde as she got closer to the back door that Cythi and Angel went through with the strange woman.

It looked like Cythi had things under control, although she was going to try to stick close to provide back up in case.  But they were here on a mission, they needed to keep that going as much as possible.  So she kept scanning the room for Dupennier or Semenov, they had to be somewhere, but she was a bit distracted with her concern with Angel.

[OOC:
00:26, Today: Ace rolled 9 using 1d20+7.  Ace perception.
Ace trying to watch the room for anything odd and to find Dupennier and Semenov, but very distracted by her concern for Angel.
And yup, good way to take out Angel, but that doesn't mean you haven't folded in her incapacitation into your plot! ;) ]

Portia took Angel's arm, guided Cythi to do the same on the other side, and together they walked to the back-of-house doorway.   Portia told a story, her voice strangely mellifluous, apparently about her and Angel sneaking away from a party when they were children, to try to steal a bottle of wine from her father's wine-cellar.  They tried cigarettes for the first time and Angel nearly hacked up her lung.  It had been a secret in-joke for them for years...

Portia laughed, but it was forced, contrived.  And once beyond the doorway, she  regarded Cythi.  "Appearances are everything.   You're her friend, so don't let anyone see her like this.  Not her, not here."

Portia and Cythi guided Angel to a nearby chair.  The hotel staff were less of a concern, though one of the banquets staff did hover nearby, ostensibly keeping an eye on them being in an area of the hotel usually off-limits to the public.

That's when Cythi noticed a tall, gaunt man in a long black coat.  His back was turned and he had his hand extended to one of the little blonde things, his palm against her forehead as if he were pushing her away or exorcising demons.

The girl gasped and stood back, a little "o" of surprise on her face.  She pursed her lips and looked around at the blank white walls, the stacks of chairs and serving carts, of dirty dishes and other hotel supplies that lined the hall.

"Go. Mingle. Socialize. Be the life of the party. " The tall man in the black coat, speaking sonorous and sure. "Do whatever it takes. Find Rachel Wrecht and bring her to me."

The blonde cocked her head to one side, then she smiled and her entire face lit up.  She moved beyond him, toward the door Cythi and Angel and Portia had just come through, and pushed beyond them as if they simply weren't there.

He turned to watch as she sashayed beyond him and he turned out to be a fairly lean young man, with shoulder-length black hair and a small, neatly-trimmed goatee beard.   He wore a leather vest underneath the long-coat, but no shirt.  black very well-worn jeans that left little to the imagination.  They could have been painted on.   He wore no adornment, but his eyes seemed almost to glow with a subtle intensity.

"You..." He said carefully, "weren't supposed to hear that."

For all that Angel made the Portia to be she is actually confused why this woman seems to be so helpful.  Still that is a question for another day.  Today is about the task at hand.

Cythi wanted to get Angel out.  But this was too close to anything as it was potentially the source so she does something she knows she is going to regret as she pulls an award winning smile but also is at the ready to open a portal under Angel to get her out of there and to safety.

"I was not but I did. If you want I can help you find this person as it might work better if someone is not under effects.  But why are you looking for them?"  Cythi asks curious of the answer.

Ace was walking toward the door into the back areas as she kept looking around the party, looking for their targets.  Her eyes opened wider in surprise as one of the blondes came out of the door with the spaced out look on her face.  She stepped in front of the blonde with a smile on her face, "Hello miss.  did you see.." She was surprised as the blonde didn't have any reaction to her question and was just brushing past her.  She moved to step bacl in front of the busty blonde, "Excuse me miss?" She tried again as she did a two step dance of interposing herself in front of the blonde, trying to get a reaction out of her.

[OOC: She uses Agile Feint to stay in front of the blonde, blocking her progress forward as she tried to get a reaction out of her.  Skill Mastery Acrobatics:  taking 10+10= 20.]

Ace:
Oh, she succeeds, all right.  It's like a light-bulb went off in the girl's expression...

The blonde turned to face Ace, then her expression turned into the widest shit-eating grin ever, and she reached out with a tiny squeal of... well, it might have been delight or excitement if there'd actually been context for it.  Instead, it just rang hollow and tinny.

But the girl flung herself at Ace, trying to drape her arms around Ace in an endearing sorority-like hug of congeniality.

"Isn't this just the greatest?" the blonde asked breathlessly.  Her blue eyes were wide and her pupils were tiny pinpricks.  There was a light sheen pf perspiration on her upper lip and forehead and a small sheen of glitter that reminded Ace of... something.  something she couldn't quite remember.

OOC: That something would be Virginia's "fairy-dust" <I>if Ace had ever seen it action.  But the similarity and the memory-tug is probably just coincidental.   I have no plans for it at the moment.

Cythi:
Cythi, if you want, you can roll Awareness, DC13 to see if you can intuit Portia's motivation here.  From everything Angel has said, yeah... Portia is a total bitch and they've a long history of antagonism...

"It's just easier."  the gaunt man shrugged.  He kind of wavered in place for a moment, then offered a cheeky smile of self-amusement,, as if he was used to people discounting him and rolling their eyes at his antics.

"I lost my date."  He said, fixing Cythi with an over-the-top wide-eyed innocent expression.   "and that sweet little thing is going to help me find her--whether he wants to or not.  I think it's suitable justice after spiking his own date's joy-juice."

He leaned forward, half tipped-over, half bowed as he spread his hands in an elaborate gesture of not-so-modest reconciliation.  "Oh, he'll be fine.  A few minutes like that and he'll never treat a  girl like the dumpster behind the high-school bleachers.  Not in those heels, anyway. Call it... I don't know, call it karmic justice."   He actually giggled after that, a high-pitched--and probably drug-fueled--explosion of mirth.

Cythi of course if blissfully unaware what Portia's motivation here is.  Still it is a whatev's as she focuses at the task of hand.  Her brain stops and thinks for a moment on how to play this out.  At first she debates play it like a bimbo...there are enough of them here.  But then she realizes the initial approach would contradict that.

At this point she is not sure if he is doing wrong but yes he is....he has to be.  Still she almost wishes he was around with her family.  Still, "So what is it exactly you do to them?"  She asks kind of worried and not really wanting to let this person out of her sight as the action is too suspicious.  Although this might take her away from the mission or maybe will lead her to the information she needs.  That is the unknown.

Still keeping an eye on Angel just in case.

Awareness roll - 5

20:09, Today: Cythi rolled 5 using 1d20-1.  Go awareness.

Cythi:
He appears to have no real interest in Angel.  Portia, however, stood with her arms crossed in front of her, a disgusted look on her face.  "Do to them?"  he asked, lifting a hand to his chest in a "who? me?" experssion.

"Gaunt." She said.  And though she didn't actually do it, the eye-roll was almost palpable from her words alone.

The gaunt man snapped back, his own eyes going wide.  "What?" he lifted a hand, looked around as if seeking the source of something.  "What was that?  I thought for a moment that someone called my name.  Almost like Portia, but no no no no, she would never do that!  After what she said and did, She wouldn't even acknowledge poor little Bastian.  I'm hearing things.  it's all that speed."  He giggled again.  "I musta got Wrecked!"

Portia sighed, loudly. "Aren't you late for dinner or something?  Where's your dealer?"

Bastian stood and regarded Portia with a long face, widening his eyes in mock sadness.  "Dealer is such an... ugly word.  They're simply purveyors of elevated forms of entertainment.  And I so want to be entertained..."

"Fucking junkie."  Portia muttered.  "Okay, Gaunt.  This is a private party.  Go back to Dupennier and the safety of your little coke-den.  It's not safe outside of the doghouse."

Gaunt mocked being shocked.  "It's not coke."  he said after a moment, apparently unable to come up with a scathing quick-witted response.  "It's blood and sweat... crystallized from the tears of angels."

Gaunt took a stumbling step forward and Portia--very quickly--stepped back out of the way.  "Don't let him touch you."  she said quickly., then glancing at Gaunt she offered, "He'll never let go."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:04, Thu 21 July 2022.

Ace was shocked as the blonde's eyes sorta lit up as she threw herself at Ace, dropping her arms around the tall heroine's neck and greeting her like a long lost friend and only Ace's quick reflexes saved her from stumbling as she caught the blonde.  Of course having a busty blonde draping herself across the auburn haired heroine caused Ace to blush furiously. It was a dream of hers to have a sexy, busty blonde throwing herself at Ace, but this didn't feel right.  There was something wrong with the woman as her hands reached out to steady the blonde and push her away gently. "Wooah, what's your name?" she asked as she tried to fight her blush and focus on the situation in front of her.

She was thinking that she needed to get to Cythi quickly, if whatever was affecting the blonde happened behind the door, then Cythi was walking into a much more dangerous situation than Ace was expecting.  As she was examining the woman's face, it looked like she was drugged up on something.  That was when she caught sight of the dust scattered across the blonde's face.  It vaguely looked like the fairy dust that Virginia scattered around at times.  As far as she knew, Virginia wasn't on this mission, did that mean another fairy was in the city?

"ummm...can you tell me what you took?" The tall heroine asked the busty blonde as she tried to get information from the woman



[OOC: Left it up to the dice roller on whether Ace noticed the fairy dust and it says yes!
23:36, Today: Ace rolled 23 using 1d20+7.  Ace perception. ]

Cythi realized that this is likely what they are looking for and that she had to do something or likely would lose the den.  It is at that point she makes a decision she hopes she regrets as she pulls her cellphone out and makes it look like she is going to get out of the way but have a trip and using slight of hand drop her phone in a pocket of his long coat.

She looks to Portia "Yes ma...."  And then follows through with the trip and drop of phone.  "I am sorry I tripped on something."

Her plan is and hopes he does not find it right away especially if messed up but use the phone to track to the den.  She realizes this means risking whatever he did to the others.


If no victory/hero points then roll is
Slight of hand - 9
If allowed then roll is
Slight of hand - 24




16:23, Today: Cythi rolled 24 using 1d20+5.  If available using hero point.

16:21, Today: Cythi rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  Slight of Hand.

"Nothing, I'm okay." She said breathlessly, leaning in close as if she was sharing the most juicy piece of gossip. "I just rode the Gauntlet."  she giggled, then caught herself.

The girl took a stumbling step back and regarded Ace, her eyes roaming up and down the young gymnasts body in a decidedly far-too-intimate way.   "I'm... wait a minute.  I know this one...  Oh yeah, I'm... Alysha!  I'm a freshman in my fourth year at UW, but my goal is to become a veterinarian, because I really love children!"

Alysha made a small grunting sound, as she pulled back from Ace, then shook her head.  "But... wait, wait, are you Rachel?  I need to find Rachel. do you know Rachel.   She's pretty, like you, but there's something... I really need to find Rachel!"


There's a similarity, but it's a visual thing only, not necessarily indicative of anything...  unless I decide to sue it later.

As Cythi "stumbles" to her knees, Gaunt goes down on his knees too, and helps her up.  He puts his hand on her shoulder and arm.

"Woah, woah, woah.   Hey doll.  It's okay.  They put all sorts of corrugation and striations in the cement here so that the staff have better traction.  Are you okay?"  He helps Cythi stand, then steps back.

"Get you hands off her." Portia sners. "Creep....  ugh!" She actually shivers.

"Oh, don't mind her.  Portia's just upset because things didn't work out the way she hoped.  Now her b-b-boyfriend is hoping to be her g-g-girlfriend.  At least for the night.  But when the clock strikes twelve, you know what happens to the pretty little princesses..."

Gaunt steps back and glances at Angel.  His face takes a serious expression for a moment.  "Your friend." he said, all trace of flighty idiocy gone, "please don't ask me things I can't answer.  But you need to get here to a hospital.  Like now..  She's running way hotter than she should be.  She's generating static all over the place."

"Ah, shit."  Portia said.  She pulled a small clutch from over her shoulder and fished out a cel-phone, then snarled. "Gah!  Give me a second.  I've got to get better reception out there."  She indicated the ballroom, from whence they'd just come. "Fuck with her, Bastian, and I'll make you forget.  Everything."  Then she whirled through the door into the ballroom...


--
Hero Point expenditure Accepted: Sleight-of-Hand threshold 24.  Gaunt failed to detect it.  The cell-phone is in his pocket unnoticed.

Absolutely nothing happens when Gaunt touches Cythi.  There was no power at play.  He was, really, just helping her up.

If it helps any, I'm totally modelling Gaunt on Klaus from The TV adaptation of the Umbrella Academy.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:09, Fri 29 July 2022.

She reacts to what is going on first, "Thank you for helping me up.  And while I am confused by what you say and not sure what it is you are speaking of I think I will just nod and agree.  "  And then the obvious niceness of Angel and not doing well.  "I will get her out of here."  She says to Gaunt and Portia hopefully before Portia leaves. If not she follows through with her idea.  "Just let me take her out the back door."  She says as she goes and helps Angel up.  And moves towards the closest exit.

She half debates telling the man what she did with the phone but the fact it was the mission.  She did swear to herself if he got taken in then she would go speak on his behalf.  But now it not the time.  Now is time to save Angel.

With or without help she moves to the closest exit and keeps moving until she gets privacy.  Although if Gaunt is there or Portia she does not care and teleports Angel to the closest hospital.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:20, Fri 29 July 2022.

Ace steadied Alysha, "The Gauntlet?  What are you talking about?"  The young heroine frowned in confusion at that response as she looked down the woman's busty body to look for signs of sex, but not seeing anything obvious. "Wait, veterinarians work on animals, not children," she flushed at how frankly the blonde was checking out her body as she balanced on her 7 inch heels and towered over the other woman.

"You are looking for Rachel?"  She was thrown by the sudden shift in the busty blonde's demeanor, "Why are you looking for Rachel?"  This was probably a very bad idea, but she wanted to keep the woman's attention on her, "I am Rachel."  She didn't feel threatened by Alysha, well the blonde was in shape, she didn't move like she had much training.

She glanced over at the door, as she heard a shout and saw the strange woman with Cythi and Angel come storming through the door holding her phone and caught a brief glimpse of Cythi helping Angel and a thin man standing close to them, but not making any threatening moves toward her two friends.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:45, Sun 31 July 2022.

Ace:

As soon as Ace admitted that she was Rachel, Alysha literally flung herself at Ace.  "Oh my god!  You're Rachel!  I'm, like, sooo jealous.  Gaunt wants you.  I don't know why, but I think he wants you to bake cookies for him, because he really likes ice-cream and you've got something he says brings all the boys to the yard."

"Come with me."  Alysha wrapped her arms around Ace's arm as if they were old friends and leaned in, giggling breathlessly.  "He's got this a real honest to Betsy unicorn.  But it's really small, and he's trying to find Rachel so that she can give it what it really needs.   You're, like, literal sunshine!"

She started pulling on Ace in the direction of the doorway where she'd just seen Cythi with Gagamba.

The quote (I wanna be a vetrinarian... etc) is classic Dr. Demento fare: Julie Brown "'Cause I'm a Blonde" - ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ol4oWChjzk )  It wasn't an easy one.  But I'll be adding in all sorts of similar pop references throughout the game with similar why not hero-point offerings.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Sat 13 Aug 2022.

Cythi

Although if Gaunt is there or Portia she does not care and teleports Angel to the closest hospital.

Gaunt doesn't help.  He's concerned but acts sort of squeamish and flutteringly distracted.  HE starts to walk away, down the hall, towards the service elvator.

Portia helps.  She's not abandoning Gagamba, even if there is animosity between them.   There's something there, like, like this might be a family thing, even if they're not technically family.  Mind you, they might be.  But it's definitely that level of personal.

Ace was shocked at how exuberantly Alysha threw herself at the tall heroine. She had to take a bracing step back as her hands automatically went to the blonde's hips to brace her as she clung to Ace like a limpet. And started chattering about Gaunt and his tiny unicorn.  She wasn't sure who Gaunt was, he wasn't on the brief, but it sounded like he was responsible for Alysha's state which made him someone of interest.

The busty blonde's talk about baking cookies and liking ice cream was confusing Cameron, so she was focusing on the basics, that Gaunt was responsible for her current state and he wanted Rachel for something, probably something nefarious since he was working behind the scenes to get the woman's attention.

"One moment and I will go with you," Ace exclaimed as Alysha started pulling on her arm as she glanced around the room to see what the other busty blondes were up too.  "Are your sorority sisters also looking for me?" Her plan to keep Alysha's attention on her seemed to be working, but she didn't want the rest of the blondes to find the real Rachel, so maybe she could gather them all on her and lead them all out.  "Maybe we should call them over so they can shine in the sunshine and see the unicorn and Gaunt again?"

She suggested as she braced herself from the busty blonde's pulling on her arm.  She wasn't trying to disengage from Alysha's pulling, just stay in place.  She could get away from Alysha any time she wanted and she didn't foresee escaping from more busty blondes was going to be any more difficult since she could just fly up into the air.

OOC: Kewl, I look forward to trying to figure out more references. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:22, Sun 14 Aug 2022.