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

[Koekepan]

Jaxx raises a foot into the back of the Zzzap, and plants it firmly on the bundle in the back thereby eliciting a pained grunt. Holding the bundle in place thus, he leans forward and applies restraints. Hands, feet. Click, click.

"""Thanks, Karmapunch, but no need for the mean stuff. Once you've flittered into the darkness like the beautiful creature of the night you are, I'll get some lovely friends to help him to his new stage in life."""

Jaxx turns back to Blue and Karmakaze, dusting off his hands and shooting his cuffs like a stage magician who's just amazed an audience. """What say I get you a credstick and we give the Tacoma sumo contender some personal space?"""

[Bastard]

Karmakaze nods.

"""Sounds good, Jaxx."""

She follows him to gather the credstick(s).

[Koekepan]

Jaxx leads them through to a room off the garage; it looks mostly like a humdrum storefront office, suitable for the front of a nanotat salon. In this space are two really beefy orks, lounging in synthleather chairs, who look up when he gets in.

"""Boys, the Zzzap there has a package in the back, all tied up. It's big and it makes rude grunts, but just carry it nice and sweetly to the guest space."""

At this, they half-smile in a tusky sort of way, and amble their way back through the door to the garage, cracking their knuckles and rolling their shoulders.

Jaxx then adds: """Right as a regulator, back to business as usual.""" He slaps the front house computer into wakefulness, and sets about the mundane business of charging up a credstick.

[Bastard]

"""Gentlemen,""" Karmakaze greets the two orks. """Don't feel you have to be too sweet."""

She stands on the other side of Jaxx's desk, not too close. She does, but doesn't want to take a seat in one of those nicely broken in and comfortable chairs. She has too many things still to do, and with the adrenaline, excitement and wired reflexes winding down, she knows she would sleep for about 12 hours.

Too many things to do still. Hit the 24-hour BulkMax for a secure home for a few snakes, then find a safe house for the night. The sun should be coming up too soon.

[Koekepan]

It doesn't take Jaxx long to crank out a couple of credsticks for NY30,000 each, and hand them over. Whatever other criticisms might be made of him, he's an honest broker.

The orks are practical in approach. When Jaxx and Blue get back to Jaxx's car and get ready to pull out, they have a wrapped, squirming bundle in a big box, on a pallet jack, rolling into a freight elevator. They seem to be pretty cheerful about it. The pay must be good.

[Bastard]

Karma hands one of the two credsticks to Blue, then follows Jaxx who is escorting them to her car.

"""While I am here, Jaxx, can I get a few items? I could use some new handcuffs with the belt holster, and some flex cuffs. I am completely out."""

She watches the orks load up the problematic Jeremy, which appears to be less problematic now.

[pbangarth]

Blue accepts the credstick with a smile. """ Thanks. This should go a long way towards making me more survivable. """ He considers making a comment to Jeremy, something about irony and turning tables. But no. The Superior Man doesn't gloat. It's been less than two days since he himself was nearly in a similar predicament.

He gets in Karmakaze's car.

""" Now if we can unload the little snakes, maybe just back to Petsonal for whatever paltry sum they offer, we will be free to get a well deserved rest. You have a place to stay? You can crash at mine if you want, and there will be a hearth spirit to do overwatch as we sleep. """

[Koekepan]

Jaxx is only too happy to serve Karmakaze's needs at a street price; a quick delivery before they drive off.

[Bastard]

"""We still have that talismonger to talk to about the snakes. If you have a plastic storage container at your place we can transfer them to that as well. I wouldn't mind crashing at your place. Having a spirit watch over me a little while longer sounds pretty damn comforting."""

[pbangarth]

Blue nods. """ Good, it's settled then.

""" In terms of the snakes, the more I think about my talismonger, Mary Margaret's response when I told her about them, the more I just want to get rid of them. She thinks there's dragons involved in that damn deal between Petsonal and PoliDemos. On top of that, I don't have anything at my place to contain them, and it would need air holes, and we would need to keep them relatively fed, and cleaned-up-after.

""" I'm way newer at all this 'shadow' work than you are, but it seems to me we really scored with the contract on Jeremy. Maybe we would be pushing our luck to try to get every last penny for the snakes. I could try contacting Petsonal to see if anyone is present to receive the things. You OK with that? """

It's clear that something about the snakes has rattled Blue. In the time they have been together, he has not shown such hesitation and worry. He faced down a fire elemental. But this? There's something off about this affair.

[Bastard]

"""It's up to you, I guess. It never hurts to have a backup plan, though. Do you think we can dump them off on PetPersonal tonight?"""

[Koekepan]

As they plot the ins and outs of their next move, they pull out of Jaxx's place and the garage door rolls politely down behind them. Two cars in, one car out. A tall elf and a stubby dwarf rolling out again.

[pbangarth]

""" I'll give them a call. Given the excitement in their parking lot, the police might have rousted their manager by now. """

Blue uses the current burner to try the Petsonal number again. """ Yet another burner to retire soon. +++ Where do they all go? +++ he wonders.

[Koekepan]

There's no response to Blue's call, other than a polite request from an automated voice wanting to know what his call is about, and where he can be best reached.

Of course, burners have a way of not being recognised by those who might care, which might easily explain the lack of response.

[pbangarth]

Blue shoots an exasperated look over at Karmakaze. """ It seems the filtering AI wasn't able to interpret my earlier attempt to keep their business private. Let's see if a more direct approach gets a response. """

He speaks into the burner. <<< This is Blue. Earlier I tried to phrase things so that your private business would not be broadcast, but it seems I didn't get through. Let me be more direct.

<<< I have a boxload of young atavophid basilisks. Your business partner, PoliDemos, tried to sabotage your facility and reputation. My associate and I stopped the attempt. The mess in your parking lot and what remains of an intruder in your facility are results thereof. The little creatures came into our possession as a result as well. Contacts tell me a dragon is behind these things, and we want nothing to do with them. I would be happy to offload the little things to you for a fair price, but am not in the position to wait. This communication device will become inactive in short order, and if you do not contact me forthwith, I will find some other buyer for your intellectual property.

<<< I await your response. >>>

He hangs up. """ Well, if that doesn't get a call-back, they need a better answering service. """

[Koekepan]

After a while, which perhaps seems longer than it really is, Blue's burner receives a call.

<<<Your inventory is not ours and has nothing to do with us. Please return it to the proper owners; presumably PoliDemos. Also, PoliDemos is not our business partner, and never has been.>>>

It's not a person responding live, but a recorded message so while Blue might feel the urge to unleash a stream of invective the ears that should have heard it would be deaf to his creativity.

[pbangarth]

Blue conveys the message to Karmakaze. """ It beats me why these people don't seem to care about their snakes. Anyway, you think that potential buyer of yours is reachable at this time of day... night.?

""" As I say, I'd like to get rid of these things as soon as possible. """ As they pass by a trash receptacle, Blue asks Karmakaze to stop for a moment, and dumps the burner into the receptacle. """

[Koekepan]

While Karmakaze ponders this turn of events, Blue sees more news items pop into his feed.

<<<VCE INVESTMENTS - ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOU?>>>

<<<PUEBLO MINERAL EXTRACTIONS SKYROCKET>>>

<<<MEDICAL JOB SATISFACTION ASSURANCE RISING>>>

[Bastard]

"""It's Jaxx's contact, so I don't know. If we wait until normal business hours we may get a better response, and have someone not hate us."""

After Blue explains what PetPs recorded call back was, Karma isn't very happy.

"""Was that the person that hired us? Sounds like they may have been double-crossing us somehow, but I don't know what they gain. Maybe these little bastards were stolen in the first place... or they are just trying to distance themselves from a bad breeding idea? I hate corporations."""

"""Maybe we should contact the talismonger now. Unless you know someone with a Shadowlands contact."""

[pbangarth]

""" Well, my talismonger doesn't want to touch these things. She's scared of who ... or what is behind them. So I guess we crate them well and wait till the morning. I have no clue what to do with them otherwise. """

[Bastard]

"""Can you do something to keep them from being tracked astrally?"""

[pbangarth]

Blue smiles ruefully. """ If I had the better part of a week, I could set up my lodge and that would make an excellent barrier to astral searches. I could put up a temporary ward, but a strong one would take several hours and be difficult to succeed in building. I could put up a weaker ward, which would be better than nothing. I'll do that when we get back to our place. It would be easier if I could do that before sunrise. """

[Koekepan]

As quiet as the roads are at this time of night, it wouldn't be hard to get back in plenty of time for a minor ward.

The original contractor being PoliDemos would suggest that perhaps they would be grateful recipients except of course that they (or their representative) were responsible for attempting to bring them back.

These thoughts drift through the minds of the pair while streetlights pass by overhead, and damp tarmac beneath. The comparative darkness helps bring the various roadside advertisements, both billboard and projected, into clarity. Everything from soydogs to janitorial supplies, and the images of a couple of fugitives from justice, named Connor and Carlos.

[pbangarth]

Blue takes note of any details provided about Connor. """ Look at that. They're still spending money to find me, it seems. """

[Bastard]

Karma glances at the billboard to see if either of the two look like Blue.

"""Let's text that talismonger then."""

Karma hands Blue her comm.