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

[pbangarth]

"""Just as a matter of interest, what did you tell them? I'd like to know how they were tracking me."""

[Koekepan]

Billy freezes with the new question that clearly postpones his release back to his haven. His lips quiver for a second before he blurts out a response.

"""I ... how do I know? Maybe they tagged you? I mean, they're dead now, right? I told them where to find you once, maybe they dropped ... some ... thing on you?"""

[pbangarth]

"""Do you have a way to search or scan for such a thing?"""

[Koekepan]

"""Yeah, yeah, of course. I got scanners.""" He glances at the house, and at the spirit still blocking his progress. """I got all kinds of scanners inside."""

[pbangarth]

"""Then let's do that now. I'll let the spirit release you. """ ::: Your service has ended. Go with my thanks. :::

[Bastard]

Karma approaches cautiously. Billy is obviously full of drek, and there are probably booby traps inside his residence.

"""Billy. We rushed over here to protect you because we were worried. Now we found out you're a little bitch rat. You better start telling the truth and quickly.

"""Blue, we may need one of your spirits back. We may have to toss this bitch in the trunk."""

[Koekepan]

Billy is not a fan of this new development. His eyes open wide as he takes in Karmakaze - and not in the hello-sexy-how-you-doin' kind of way, either.

Billy licks his fat lips and starts to gently raise his hands, saying: """So ka, let's all just take this real easy, 'kay? No trouble here, I'm doing what you want, 'kay? Just, just let's talk, 'kay?"""

Karmakaze sees a sort of vacant look in Billy's eyes even while he talks to her, as if he's looking past her - or through her - or at something else entirely. A crawling sensation over her skin tells her that he's up to something and whatever it is, isn't a bunch of cut flowers and a box of croissants.

[pbangarth]

Blue is learning to trust Karmakaze's greater experience in matters of the street. If she sees something wrong, then maybe there is. He takes another look at Billy as Karmakaze keeps him talking.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception test: INT 4 = 4 dice: 4, 1, 1, 4

Hmmm. Maybe something, maybe not.

How about his aura?
Aura Reading complementary test : 3 dice, target 4:3 successes
Assensing :INT 4 = 4 dice: 4, 2, 3, 2

Maybe something, and if so, one more from the complementary skill test.

[Koekepan]

--- mispost---

[Koekepan]

All that Blue sees in Billy's aura at the moment is the fear - there is a lot of it. However, it's not stark bowel-clearing terror, just very well-directed fear.

[pbangarth]

Blue looks around to see if Billy is looking at something behind Karmakaze.

[Koekepan]

Behind Karmakaze, Blue sees nothing apparently alarming. There's the road. It's a bit cracked from where they did a bit of a sloppy job installing city grid work a couple of decades ago, and the climate expanded and contracted the water that inevitably seeps into the cracks and freezes. There is the occasional vehicle driving around, but nobody showing any particular interest in the discussion, let alone weaponry or violent inclinations. There are buildings, but there's not anybody obviously staring at the interaction either.

Seems to be clear.

[Bastard]

Karma grabs Billy by the front of his shirt, twisting it to get a good grip. She uses this to reposition herself on the other side of Billy so she can see what got his attention.

"""Talk, before I pistol whip you into shape."""

+++Maybe he's calling someone from a cyberphone - Better make this quick.+++

She raises her pistol to emphasize the directive.

[pbangarth]

OK, Blue is getting really freaked out, now. """What? Where? """

He has no idea what or whether something is going on, but he figures a spirit on his side can't hurt.

[ Spoiler ]

Summon F2 city spirit: target 2 + 2 (daytime)= 4, 6 dice: 4 successes

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

[Koekepan]

"""Hey, hey! No need for rough stuff! I'll do what you want, no problem. Let's just ... y'know, inside, where I got my gear.""" Billy's expression is a bit more spluttering than usual, as the shirt twists around his ample neck. He wriggles a bit, this way and that, and Karmakaze is uncomfortably aware that, while he is certainly no fighter he surely weighs three times what she does.

Then again, aside from wriggles and tiny droplets of saliva, he's offered her no substantial resistance.

[Bastard]

"""Stop what ever chiphead drek you're doing, give me your link, and we will be out of here. Or I will have Blue put you under, and I will take you to the chop shop."""

[Koekepan]

Billy freezes up for a moment, before saying: """Look, my stuff's in my place. You want my bag? It's right here, take it all."""

It's quite possible that the big bag contains a cyberdeck - but he's not punching deck right now. If he's doing anything cute, it's probably through a headware radio or similar device.

[pbangarth]

Blue has worked with Billy before, at least tangentially. He tries to figure out if Billy is lying, or just scared shitless.

[ Spoiler ]

Judge Intentions? INT + CHA = 8. I'm assuming this is a GM roll.

[Koekepan]

Billy is sneaky, but he's no poker shark. Blue sizes him up for a moment, and feels sure that Billy is playing for time. He's stalling. He's up to something - exactly what that is, is open to question right now. Does he have a nasty surprise in his house? Maybe. Nasty surprises incoming? Maybe. Nothing up his sleeve? Probably not.

[pbangarth]

"""I'm disappointed, Billy. You're stalling. Whatever you are waiting for, it's not likely it will be something we like. We used to have a good working relationship, but this puts a spike in that. Good night, Billy. ""

Blue turns out Billy's lights.

[ Spoiler ]

Stunbolt(D damage), target Billy's WIL +2 (damn daytime!), sorcery 6 + Spell Pool 6 = 12 dice: 3, 2, 1, 1, 3, 6, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2
Holy shit! I'm rolling like this in EVERY campaign.

I'll assume only the 6 is a hit, so I will use that precious 1 Karma Pool to get us out of here quickly.

11 dice: 5, 1, 5, 2, 6, 1, 6, 3, 4, 5, 4 There. That should do it.

Drain resistance, target 2+2=4 (D), WIL 12 + 1 spell pool = 13 dice: 5 hits leaves a M stun. Jeeeeeeeze.

When he gets a chance to heal the drain:
target 2, dice = WIL 12: 11 hits
time to heal per box = 60/11 ==> 6 minutes per box * 3 boxes = 18 minutes

Blue reels a bit from the drain of the spell. To Karmakaze he says, """That hurt in more ways than one. I hope I don't lose any more of my contacts this way. Let's get out of here before whoever Billy called gets here."""

[Koekepan]

Karmakaze gets a front row seating view of Blue shimmering with an image of a vast pair of wings spreading and talons reaching ... but she feels nothing, except that Billy turns into a slack dead weight. There's no way that she could hold him up, so he slumps to the ground while she staggers back to keep her feet. Billy lies back on the ground, eyes half-open, but rolled entirely back so that only the whites show. Blood trickles from his mouth and his nose, and the whites of his eyes look brutally bloodshot.

Perhaps she'd want to roll him into the recovery position, if she doesn't want him to choke to death.

[pbangarth]

"""Well, that's that. Do we take him with us or leave him here for whatever he called? My spirit can help us lift him if we want to."""

[Bastard]

Karmakaze rolls him on his side so he can breathe. She searches his pockets and takes any electronics, including his cyberdeck.

"""He can probably trace this, but if we yank the battery we should be good. Maybe Jaxx can find someone to search it.

"""If you can move the car to a safe spot and protect me astrally, I can go do a quick search of the property. Or you can do it from here."""

[pbangarth]

"""That all sounds good, """ Blue says, """but I took a real hit from the drain of the magic. On top of what daytime does to me, I won't be all that good a protector. I worry that the only people left for Billy to sic on me is Mitsuhama. If a team of theirs is on the way, we're in deep. I can drive off and be safe, but if a swat team comes I won't be able to hold out against them.

"""Twenty restful minutes or so from now, I'll be in better shape. Hmmm. I have a spell on a stick that would make you invisible to men and machines. I could cast that on you, and the only way anybody could see you is if they had astral eyes. You want me to do that, keep the spell going, and get the car off somewhere safe?"""

[Koekepan]

Billy didn't have much in his pockets - just a single holder for a stack of chips. His messenger bag on the other hand, almost certainly contains a deck, as well as other stuff.

He's in no position to object, with blood and saliva trickling from his face into the mud.