At first Cythi tries her powers of healing on Gagamba thinking it was something other than a genetic condition.  But that not working and Portia seeming to genuinely care about Gagamba's health Cythi against her better judgement grabs Portia's and Gagamba's hand and performs a site to site transport to the closest hospital. Her aim is the emergency room but realizing that sometimes that this is as much a guess as it is hope that it works.

"Sorry if that was unexpected.  Just in case yes I have powers but right now I hope it is not a major freak out as she is more important." At which point Cythi turns, "I need help.  My friend has something wrong with my friend."  Cythi calls while looking for someone that can help.

If she has time later after the emergency has passed Cythi plans on asking how either of them know each other.  Well after she tells the rest about her cell phone laid.  Actually that brings to next problem as Cythi slips and tries to find Gagamba's phone.  If asked about what she is doing she will respond, "I must have dropped it somewhere.  I want to makes sure everyone knows about Gagamba."

Cythi:
I need logistical clarification.

She ported herself, Gagamba and Portia to Harborview Medical Center.  What did she do then?  Did she stay with Gagamba or did she return to the Arctic Club Hotel?

Is she trying to track her phone via Gagamba's?  If so, then where is she at the time she is doing this?
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:25, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

Cythi teleported with Gagamba to the hospital with Portia in tow if she wishes.  She is still there and calling for a doctor but looking for Gagamba's cell phone so she can message Stitches and anyone else to let them know Gagamba's at the hospital and that she dropped her phone to be tracked.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:26, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

Perfect.

As this whole distraction was to get Gagamba out of the scene....

Thankfully, the emergency room wasn't particularly busy that night.   Though security was obviously disconcerted by the sudden appearance of the three women, the obvious presence of a medical situation prompted their training to take over...

Let's consider Gagamba taken off to intake.  Portia will go with her.  As it turns out.... they are, apparently, family.   Or, at least... so Portia said.

That being taken care of using Gagamba's phone (Assuming she found it and used either her fingerprint of face to unlock it.)  She texts Stitches and any one else she has number of like Ace.



Cythi sends the text before performing another site to site transport and appearing where she had left from if at all possible and then walking back to the van, through the club if possible otherwise long way around.

Ace:

"Oh no, honey!" Alysha whispered conspiratorily, "You're mine!"  Then she giggled again, and tried to pull Ace toward the back hallway.  "They're all fakes, anyway.  They don't have the real thing.  They'd all swarm you like you wouldn't believe and there'd be nothing left after.  Like watching Punching Bag being swarmed by a bunch of groupie-fans!  You'd never get out of there!  I'm all you need!"

Something about Ashley's words filtered through, though.   She'd mentioned Punching Bag with a level of familiarity that dumb-blonde Ashley... well, it wasn't likely that she actually knew Kevin, was it?

Cythi

Cythi teleported back to the hallway from whence she'd come.  Gaunt had moved on and the only people in direct view were a couple of hotel staff at the far end of the halway.

Getting out to the van was simple and straight-forward, and nobody prevented her from getting there.  Except the same blonde girl--three separate times--asking if she was Rachel.

"Well, darling," Stitches drawled, "It's been a fruitful evening already,.  Sorry bout the walk-out.  But I scored us the Wrecked VIP list.    What's the situation?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:50, Thu 25 Aug 2022.

Ace heard her phone beep with a message and was able to quickly check the blurb saying that Gagaambe was safe and at hospital, but she didn't have time to reply as "Ashley" was pulling her toward the side door.  She was going slowly as she looked around, not seeing Stitches to signal him as she bite her lip nervously.  She had a terrible idea.  And the mention of Punching Bag only made the idea worse.

To delay for time, she asked, "Who is Punching Bag?" She was hoping that playing dumb would get "Ashley" talking more as she internally shrugged and decided to go with her bad idea.

"IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR RACHEL!  I AM OVER HERE!"  She shouted out across the room as she waved her arm in the air, her tall body making it easier for her to be spotted as she shouted. She turned back to "Ashley", "Yes you are!  You are quite the handful!"

She wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't want any of these apparently drugged up blondes from finding the real Rachel, she was using herself as bait to draw them all over to her.

Speaking to Stitches, "I have found a chance to track the drug ring.  I planted my phone on this creepy guy I met in the bar through one of Gagamba's contacts.  I should mention she is in the hospital but due to something I think is beyond out control as while I tried to heal her it did not seem to work.  Anyway my phone should be trackable."  She says to him very hyper from the activity and a bit unfocused.

"Here is my contact info and if you can show me how to use that fine my phone app or however these things work."  Her skills with technology...or lack of showing through.  "At least that is what I saw on the tv shows."

"Oh right the guy's name is Gaunt if that is any help."

@Cythi:

Stitches went still.  "I'll check in on Angel.  Thanks for getting her to safety." 

He flicked a switch on the blue-tooth speaker attached to the laptop he had open.  "You get that Marcus?"

Marcus's voice came through clearly.  "Yeah.   Sebastian Gaunt.    I've got a file on him.  Hold on...  So, tell me.  Aer there, like, a couple dozen bimbo blondes running around all wearing the same outfit?"

Ace:

"I saw you with Giovanni, earlier. I--" Ashley began, but was interrupted.

"IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR RACHEL!  I AM OVER HERE!" Ace shouted out across the room as she waved her arm in the air,

It was like an electrical current had zapped through the room.

There were blondes everywhere.  Like, more than a dozen of them--and they all wore the same shiny red dress that was cut just a little too high and a little too low.  Ace's shout drew them like flies to honey.  They cut out of whatever conversations they were in, whatever dancing they were doing and oriented on Ace.  They didn't run at her, but it was clear that each one of them was walking with a purpose.

Ashley let out a big sigh.  "Oh, well, now you've done it.  I didn't want to share!"

The canned music switched over to the opening strains of Robert Palmer's, "Addicted to Love".

The first wave of three Ashleys--and they really were perfect matches for Ashley--were about five feet away...

Ace:

There's no way I'm doing this as one-on-one.  So, this means team-checks from the Ashleys... who are all minions.   I might let them get a shot or two in, but really, this is totally an opportunity to grandstand your abilities/powers, if you want to.

So, your call if you want to go mechanics or purely story-time.  I'm easy either way.

Ace's eyes widen as she sees all the blondes in red dresses coming towards her, there were more than she had thought and now they were all coming her way.  Well, she wanted to get all of their attention, now to lead them away from the guests.

"Oh, you recognized Giovanni?  How do you know about him?" Ace asked as she took Ashley's arm and started to urge her to continue leading the way to Gaunt, looking over her shoulder to see the first wave of Ashley's approaching with purpose in their eyes and steps.  She had their attention, now she had to lead them away from the guests. "Sorry for ruining your fun, Ashley, but you can still take me to your friend and claim credit for finding me." She tried to soothe the busty blonde as she lead the way through the side door into the back area.

As soon as she was thorough the door, she looked around to see what possible exits there were and how many other people were back here.  The intensity of the other Rachel's eyes put her in a defensive mood as she kept herself ready to fly up into the air and dodge/parry any attacks that came at her.  She was going to have to move fast to keep ahead of the oncoming wave of Ashley's.

She was wishing she had an easy way to contact Cythi and Stitches, but they didn't have hands free radios on them.  She pulled her phone out of her clutch, letting the clutch drop to the ground and started to call Stitches, since he was the contact point, "Stitches, I got an army of blondes following me and one is leading me to Gaunt." Hopefully Ashley wouldn't try to stop her from calling.



This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Sun 04 Sept 2022.

Ashley grabbed Ace by the shoulders and fairly propelled her into the hallway she'd just emerged from.

The first three Ashley-clones were just pushing past one of the catering tables filled with an elegant water-cistern and a couple dozen water-glasses and a couple of plates of appetizer foods.

Ashley reached for the table and single-handedly lifted the edge of the table!  The glasses slid off, shattering and scattered all across the floor.  One of the hotel caterign staff shouted and leapt for her, but it was too late.  The glass cistern slid off and bounced once, twice, then shattered also, sending glass and water and ice everywhere.

It appeared to have the desired effect.  The first Ashley-clone slid across the water and landed on her rear.  The second went careening into the table itself, bounced her head off of the table and landed with  wreath of appetizer cocktails, little fake-crab meat thingies all draped around her.  She screamed.  The caterer screamed.

Then there was an flash of light and a bunch of pink and silver glitter literally exploded around the second Ashley-clone, blinding everyone.  Moments later, there was a seedy looking grey-haired fifty-something with a pot-belly and a goatee where Ashley-Clone-2 had been.  And boy did he look bewildered...

The third Ashley clone was quicker, though.    When the table was upended, she leapt--in four inch heels no less--over the table, as if she were an Olympic level gymnast.  And Ace would know.  She could recognize that kind of talent!

Ashley-Clone-3 followed them into the hallway, as Ashley pushed Ace further down the hallway, making for the freight elevator at the far end...  which, conveniently, had just come down to the mezzanine floor, where they were....

"Yes there are quite a few and I was warned to be careful although Gaunt said he had no intention on doing anything.  To be honest he said he transformed one person so I am not sure that is part of what they can do or not."   Cythi says.

"Did you want me to go back in to do more recon.  I can but I am also now without a phone."  She asks ready to walk back in.

"Intel on Gaunt is sparse at the moment.  Failed musical performer who got called out on a reality show for using Autotune.   But apparently, he is always surrounded by a gaggle of bimbo blondes.   I'll try to get into the STAR and UWMAD databases and see what I can find."  Marcus came back.

"Your call darling." Stitches offered a shrug.  "If you're not feeling out of your depth, keep going.  A "misplaced phone" can be explained away easily enough..."  Stitches grinned.  "Especially by an innocent star-struck young fan."

So, your call Cythi, what do you wanna do? And how do you wanna do it?  I can run with it no matter what you do.

Ace yelped as she was pushed by Ashley toward the hallway, she stumbled a single step from the push, giving Ashley time to grab the table and tip it over, sending water and glass splashing across the room.  Then the screaming started, the caterer for all the lost work as the cistern shattered and then Ashley clones were screaming in pain and shock.

The redheaded heroine flinched away as light burst from the Ashley clone that hit her head.  Blinking quickly to try to clear her vision.  Only to see the Ashley clone replaced by a beer belly old man, she was totally not expecting that!

"What the, fairy dust??  but..." She stopped midsentence as the third Ashley was leaping over the table like a professional athlete, which Ace gave the woman full props for!  As the first Ashley was grabbing at her wrist to pull her down the hallway toward the freight elevator, she spun around and kicked the athletic Ashley in the chest, sending her flying backwards as more Ashleys were charging into the caterer's room.

"Where are we going?"  She called out to the Ashley pulling her down the hallway toward the opening freight elevator door as she looked over her shoulder to see more Ashley's charging after them.

(OOC - I am open either way to whatev's  :) )


"If you need me to go back in I would do my best as there may be more in there to meet although if you really want there is the fact I can play up how I lost my phone.  Is there a device that lets us copy phones or anything I should be looking for?"  She asks actually seeming to relax a bit more with the role.

"Actually this person who know Gagambia suggested I become a cornstar or something like that as well."

Ace
"Gotta get to Gaunt!"  Ashley One said almost breathlessly. "They wont' stop.  We've got to keep moving.   Gaunt can turn them off.  He's a really big fan and he so wants to meet you!"

SO, bottom line... do you let Ashley One pull you into the freight elevator?

I'll post more once I know where things are going.

Cythi
"It's not as quick as in the movies." Marcus said through the speaker.  Then, after a moment,  "But all we're on the hook for is planting one of the SPD'd bugs somewhere in the penthouse.  All we want to do is see if there's any obvious signs of Exalt.  If we can plant the bug, we can run off of McConnel's intel."

Cythi:
"Yeah.  Okay.  Play the phone angle."  Stitches said, nodding.
 "Get inside, act all nervous or... well, you do you.  Plant the thing and get out.  I mean, obviously, you've got no problem getting out.  But you don't necessarily want to out yourself as a meta.  Not going in anyway."

--
OOC: Reminder, because it's been a while.
Mike McConnel is the Seattle PD stakeout lead who's bee surveilling the Hells Angels prostitution ring in the penthouse of the Arctic Club (and other hotels around pioneer square).

Maurice Dupennier is the guy they're after.  He's a Hells Angels pledge--not a patch, meaning he's looking to prove himself, make a name for himself.

Andrei Semenov is a Russian Mob guy who was recently released on bail after Exalt charges were laid.  It's unclear what he's doing with Dupennier.  Russian Mob and Hells Angels don't normally mingle.

If the wiretap or a bug you plant catches any discussion of Exalt, or there's any direct evidence of Exalt, then you've done your job and can walk away from the mission and count it a success.

Ace quick stepped after Ashley, moving toward the elevator with the blonde as she went down the corridor.  She was in a quandary, she didn't want to attack innocent people being forced to do things against their will, but maybe having all the Ashley's with her when she encountered Gaunt was a bad idea as well.  Since it sounded like he had complete control of them.

She was also trying to remember anything that Virginia had ever said about how her fairy dust worked.  One thing she figured was that she was better off making sure that it didn't touch her.

They didn't quite make it to the freight elevator before a couple of more Ashley's caught up to them, Ace using their momentum to redirect them into crashing into walls on either side of her as she spun out of the way of their arms grabbing at her.  Stunning them as she bounced, gently-ish, against walls before she let Ashley-one drag her into the elevator as it opened up.  She had to stand just inside of the doorway and push Ashley's back and way, using one Ashley to trip up the next couple of Ashley's while waiting for the door to close.  This sorta felt like a zombie movie.

Turning toward Ashley after the door had closed and the elevator started rising up, she noticed what button the blonde had pressed, "Excellent, I like meeting fans?  Can you tell me anything about Gaunt?" She fished for information. "Did you come to the party with him or some friends and meet him here?"

Yes, letting Ashley pull Ace into elevator with a little bit of combat on way. :) Although she is more focused on delaying the other Ashley's since it appears they are being controlled against their will.
Trying to question Ashley-one about Gaunt to get info about him.  Or see if Ashley-one remembers how she got to the party:
22:12, Today: Ace rolled 16 using 1d20+4.  Ace Investigation roll .
Trying to remember what Virginia has said about Fairy Dust:
22:15, Today: Ace rolled 21 using 1d20+2.  Ace intelligence roll for memory on Fairy Dust.

Sorry Ace & Cythi, I'm up against a deadline and I really need to get my ass in gear on finishing up a bunch of photo-edits.  I'll try ot get this update posted tomorrow...