Behind the Crown [IC], Behind the crown are shadows Options

[pbangarth]

Blue considers Karmakaze's proposal.

""" I can only make you invisible once, until I can set up to fabricate more of the one-shot items. No camera appears to be looking this way at the moment, I would be visible anyway, and as long as I am not sustaining that spell, I can fire off other magic with no penalty. So let's just sneak in the window, you first and then me with your help, and then I will use my magic to help locate Jeremy. """

[Bastard]

Karma searches the window for any alarms. If the window is clear she slides it open nice and easy, then attempts to make entry.

[Koekepan]

The window is in fact quite clear of any overt signs of alarms, so Karmakaze can slide it open and slip inside. One long leg can slip over the windowsill and plant a foot on the floor on the other side, then the other join it. The floor inside appears to be an easily cleaned, rubberised tile sort of thing, similar to linoleum but less squeaky to the shoes.
Inside, Karmakaze's ears pick up a rasping sound which, in a moment, she realises is the sound of snoring. Well, that's better than some other options.

[pbangarth]

Blue reaches an arm up to Karmakaze at the window, waiting for her to help him climb up and in. A number of 'short' jokes come to his mind as he does so.

[Bastard]

Karma scans the room for any hostiles and after seeing none too quickly, she grasps Blue's outstretched hand and helps him through the window.

[Koekepan]

The only response to their entry is a light that blinks on the autocooker, and says, in a quiet but cheery voice: """Work, fun or sleep? Coffee, cocktails or warm milk?"""

Besides that, nothing stirs. The lower part of the house is unexciting; living room, kitchen, half bath, utility room. The snoring comes from upstairs.

[pbangarth]

Once inside, Blue straightens his clothes and gives a thumb up to Karmakaze. Then, still without speaking, he holds up an index finger in the sign for "1" and points to himself. Then he puts both hands to the sides of his head, fingers to temples, and then does a calling/waving motion to the house, hoping all this suggests to Karmakaze that he is about to summon a spirit.

Hopefully that doesn't get the fire elemental outside excited.

[ Spoiler ]

F3 Hearth spirit: target 3, 8 dice: 7 successes

Resist Drain target 3(L), 6 dice: 4 successes No Drain.

When the spirit arrives, Blue welcomes it mentally, and in similar fashion calls for it to Conceal all three of them.

Having done all that, he holds his hands out for Karmakaze, forwards towards the sound of snoring, as if to say "Lead on, MacDuff". He remarks to himself the location in his clothing of each of the remaining one-shot spells, particularly Detect Individual and Influence.

[ Spoiler ]

One point of Spellcasting and one of Spell Pool are reserved for spell defense for the three of them.

[Koekepan]

There is a sort of moment - the span of a long, slow breath - during which Blue requests concealment.

And then, there is an awareness that the spirit which he has just summoned is being torn apart like a young chicken in the maw of a cougar.

Oh, well. Easy come, easy go.

[pbangarth]

Blue cringes as he feels the destruction of his spirit. Quietly, he whispers, """This guy has major magical protection. My spirit just got shredded. Proceed with caution."""

[pbangarth]

Blue muses to himself. +++ Maybe I should go astral and deal with this thing now, before we get tied up with the physical world's issues. +++

He fingers the astral armor one-shot he has in his pocket.

+++ Hmm. Maybe the combat with the spirit I summoned damaged the other spirit a bit. Small mercies. +++

Then Blue's pupils open wide as he realizes something that had drifted out of his consciousness over the weeks and months of work at Biozu.

In the Astral, he is a troll.

Whispering again, he says to Karmakaze, """ Wait. I can deal with this thing on the astral. Let me go fully astral and fight it off. You OK with that? I'll have to sit down and be out of body while I do it. """

[Bastard]

"""Do what must be done. Do you want me to wait here until you return, or should we make a coordinated attack?"""

[pbangarth]

""" Yes, please stay and guard my defenseless body. I plan to take out the spirit in astral space so we don't have to split our force later. The spirit may be charged with warning him if we advance towards our target. Once it is neutralized, whoever summoned it will be instantly aware, no matter where they are, so when I return to my flesh, we will have to hurry. """


Blue sits down into a kitchen chair and composes himself, sending a quick thought to Owl. ::: I hunt. The prey is powerful. May I honour your choice of me. :::

He opens himself to the astral and flies from his body. It slumps.

[Koekepan]

As Blue's form takes shape in the Astral, Karmakaze sees his body not merely slump, but start to slip sideways.

:::In the astral, Blue manifests as a massive shape, a contrast not in robustness so much as in sheer impressive presence. He can see himself marked with the prebuilt spells glittering about himself.:::

:::He can also see the fire elemental, in the same space. Why is it not already attacking? It seems to be observing him. It flickers and roars, but does not approach.:::

---OOC: astral initiative, please---

[Bastard]

Karma waits, ready for Blue to awaken and give her the go. She keeps her SMG trained at the top of the stairs, using the handrail as support for her aim.

[pbangarth]

Poor Blue. He is coming to have a healthy respect, almost a liking for creatures of the spirit worlds. This thing is not attacking, and so he has a niggling desire to talk with the flaming horror.

But ... he invoked his Mentor, a hunter extraordinaire. And he said he was on the hunt. And Owl blessed him with the opportunity to strike first. To hesitate now is to disrespect his Mentor.

Blue says, ::: I respect you, and I'm sorry. ::: and blows the fire elemental's brains out.

[ Spoiler ]

Drop spell defence. F5 Stunbolt at Deadly Level at the fire elemental.

Target unknown (WIL = Force of the spirit), Spellcasting 6 + Spell Pool 6 + Owl 2 = 14 dice: 4, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 2, 1, 5, 4, 4, 2, 2, 3

Drain resistance WIL 12 + Owl 2 = 14 dice, target 2(D): 12 successes No Drain.

[Koekepan]

:::Blue's spell flickers out like a thought - a thought shaped like a pair of wings that snuffs out a candle, only so much bigger, and so much darker.:::

:::It's just as the flame flickers and dies like a drifting spark that it perhaps occurs to Blue that in this moment - this very instant - the summoner of this elemental must now be aware that the drek is real, and present. Oh, well, that was always the case.:::

Back in the material plane, Karmakaze is not aware of any of this. All she knows is that she's twice had to nudge Blue's form up straighter to prevent him from loudly slumping onto the floor.

[pbangarth]

Blue returns to his body. Mixed emotions swirl in his head. Satisfaction for a successful hunt. Sadness that yet again what he considers a sentient being was used and destroyed. Worry that the worst is yet to come.

When his senses settle, he whispers to Karmakaze, """ It's done. The mage will know, and reinforcements will come soon. Let's go get Jeremy. If the mage shows up, you're fast, so do like they say in the movies. 'Geek the mage first.' """

[Bastard]

"""Nice work. Stay behind me,""" she whispers, as she ascends the stairs, both weapons at the ready.

[Koekepan]

As the two get ready for an ascent of the stairs, there's a loud voice.

It's from upstairs, and it sings the opening lines of a popular song called "Troll Daddy gonna get me" about a guy whose main squeeze's father is a jealous, angry troll.

"""Gotta get up! Gotta get out! Gotta run run run before I see what it was about!"""

It repeats, and then gets cut off while a voice says: """Whu, what, whaddafraggin' ..."""

[pbangarth]

Blue follows, happy to let the bounty hunter take charge in a situation right up her alley.

[Bastard]

Karmakaze moves quickly and quietly up the stairs, when reaching the top she turns toward the voices and music, firearms ready.

[Koekepan]

While Karmakaze mounts the stairs, the one-sided conversation continues: """Whaddya wan' me to do aboudit? Dat's your job! Dat's why I gotchu coverin' me! Everyting's quiet up here anyway!"""

That last utterance comes just as Karmakaze's elven feet swiftly shuffle her to what is clearly the master bedroom door. There's a faint scent of nutmeg in the air here, perhaps from the air management system, but perhaps already seeped into the lush carpet.

[pbangarth]

Blue follows Karmakaze up the stairs, and has the Influence spell-on-a-stick to hand.

[Bastard]

Karmakaze enters and immediately unloads on Big Jeremy. If his woman is a threat, that will be Blue to take care of. Her plan is to keep Jeremy between the two women, and allow the wired reflexes to keep her moving faster than unsuspecting brains can register what tired eyes are witnessing.

[Koekepan]

It's over for Jeremy before Blue even fully enters the bedroom. Karmakaze can spot Jeremy, sitting up in bed, barking sullenly into a 'link while a figure lying next to him has a pillow clutched over head - doubtless against the light and truculence of the late call. Jeremy starts to look up when the door flies open, and Karmakaze's Savalette pours its rounds right into his unprotected, fleshy torso driving the breath out of him. Karmakaze's accelerated senses show her how the last round centre-punches his solar plexus, and the fat ripples outward from there.

The Ingram adds its voice, first just splattering the wall next to his head, but then the next load rocking his head back against the bed's headboard like a gym's speedball smacking against its mount.

Jeremy slumps back, blood trickling from his face, clearly out of the fight. The woman next to him pauses, and starts to lift the pillow away. The 'link drops, and from its throne on rumpled covers squawks: """Fine, fine, if I'm wrong it's your hoop."""