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

[pbangarth]

Blue thinks for a moment whether he should share their earlier experience. But a cop who has survived undercover is likely one who can keep secrets and see things others can't.

""" We had an encounter with PoliDemos a few days ago. They were trying to frame a company that deals in paranormal animals with a fake charge that probably would have brought the city down on it. After who knows how many citizens would have paid with their lives. """ He chuckles. """ We brought that plan to a fiery end and now I think we are, well maybe just I am because they can trace my astral signature, on their special hate list.

""" It could have been something they could use to show them swooping in to save the day. But there looks to me to be something bigger behind them. There was visible wealth and an attitude of .... inevitability projected by their agent. """ He chuckles again. """ She really was slotted off. Until she got scared. """

""" Anyway, you think you will still be able to be 'Daisy', or is that gig over and done with now? """

[Bastard]

After exchanging information with Torquey, Karma starts heading for the most direct way out of the Barrens.

"""Daisy, where is the safest place to take you? Is there a safe house or a handler besides Lt. Booker, or do you want me to set up a meet with him?"""

[Koekepan]

Daisy thinks for a moment before she says: """My cover is intact for now, but I do need to check back with them. Can you get me to a Stuffer Shack and drop me off? I'll take it from there."""

She rummages a bit in her bag, and then zips it up with a nod. """I'm ready to go any time."""

[Bastard]

"""I could, but part of getting paid is dropping you off to Booker, and we are running low of funds right now. We will wait with you at a Shack, or we can go to my safe house."""

[Koekepan]

"""Soka. A Shack is fine - you can make it nearer the city centre if you like, I just need to buy some things quickly before I head back out. Did I say thank you for getting me out of there? It was a whole mess."""

[pbangarth]

Coming back into the city, Blue's mind returns to his own issue. He wonders whether whoever in Mitsuhama is hunting him has given up on the chase. He can only hope that the hint he inferred from the week long contract to keep him safe is true. Otherwise he might have to generate a whole new identity.

Or get out of Dodge. Hmmm. South America is moving into winter now. Longer nights. Might be worth investigating.

[Koekepan]

The ride back into Seattle proper is relatively uneventful; the checkpoints don't alert on Karmakaze's little car and gangsters don't seem to think that it's worth tackling. It's a smooth ride over to the West Side, and stopping at a Stuffer Shack on the lakeshore near the University District.

[pbangarth]

While Karmakaze alerts Booker, Blue speaks to Daisy. """ Did you get a sense from the crowd you were detained with up in Concrete that they had all been flushed out of the city by PoliDemos, or were there other reasons? """

[Koekepan]

"""Oh no, it was all the same. They pretty much just showed up with guns and told everybody to get on the buses or die. It was an easy choice, really, but the way that they did it showed that they'd clearly planned it in advance and simply swooped in with coordination to get everybody on their list. It was a coordinated effort, no question."""

[pbangarth]

"""Do you have an idea of how many people were involved in the dragnet? A couple of dozen? A hundred? I'm trying to get a sense of the scale of their manpower. Or, were they cooperating with local law enforcement?"""

[Koekepan]

"""This was all them, and it must have been a few dozen at least. They moved quick, but I'm not sure how many of them were professionals."""

[Bastard]

"""Local law enforcement was involved? Is your cover blown?"""

[Koekepan]

"""No, they were not involved. It was all PoliDemos, through and through. But no, I don't think that my cover was blown. I was just caught up with the others."""

[pbangarth]

Blue adds, """Yeah, the fact that Daisy was swept up with the others supports the idea that her cover is still good. With whomever she has been working, this might actually improve her position. """

After that comment, while waiting for Booker to show up, Blue indulges in a whim he has entertained for a while. What would a hearth spirit in a Stuffer Shack be like? So, he spaces out momentarily and summons one. """Forgive, me. I'm going to blank out for a moment and see what a Heart Spirit in such a place looks like."""

[ Spoiler ]

Rerolling to take into account background count. Assuming a BGC of 1.

Still daytime, dammit.

Summon F2 Hearth Spirit: target 2+2=4 +1 for background count, 6 dice: 2 successes

Drain resistance : target 4+1=5(L), 4 dice: 1 success Leaves L Drain

Heal Drain (I don't think BGC affects this) 12 dice, target 2+1=3: 6 successes
Heal L damage needs 60/6=10 minutes

Blue will keep the spirit on the Astral Plane. No need to frighten the customers.

Blue has a bit of a headache, and notices only after the fact that in this Stuffer Shack there is a bad aura in the astral. He will have to remember to look for that.

(OOC: Edit: Need to apply background count. Will try to remember to ask from now on. See the spoiler.)

[pbangarth]

There is some small talk as they wait for Booker, and Blue gets some soykaf for the group.

[Koekepan]

Blue doesn't even really notice the hearth spirit, at first, because it seems to be really well-concealed - and that headache and fuzziness of drain in the daytime. Then he realises that there is one more PowRSlushSlam dispenser in view. It just seems to sit there, in his astral vision, purring softly with its refrigeration motor going.

[Bastard]

Booker enters the Stuffer Shack main entrance and scans the stores aisles from the doorway. He is easy to spot for the tall PI standing in the back corner with all the PowRSlushSlam machines. She gives a two-tone whistle to catch his attention, which he returns as he approaches.

He turns the corner of the last aisle and his resting smile turns into a full grin as he finally spots Daisy. Daisy instead responds to the nukawave's ding as the convenient store "super" burrito has finished cooking.

"""Kris, I didn't think it was possible. But if anyone could find her, I knew it was you!

"""Are you okay, Daisy?"""

"""I am famished,""" she replied, then bit into her hot on the outside, still cold in the middle burrito.

"""Daisy says PoliDemos are the ones that scooped her up and dropped her off outside the barrens,""" Karma says, straight to business. """This is the same group I was asking you about earlier this week. They are up to something, but we still don't know what."""

"""I remember..."""

Karma cuts him off, if her were going to say more.

"""I think you know more than you're telling me. Withholding the information is not protecting us; It's endangering us."""

[pbangarth]

Blue pipes in, before the two friends get too deeply into whatever issue is there between them. """Um, before we get into the long term issues, there is is one small matter left to take care of to tie off the finding and returning of Daisy."""

He looks expectantly at Booker.

[Koekepan]

Booker nods firmly to Blue. It's all biz, isn't it? He pulls out a credstick, and after a moment's fiddling, offers it to Blue to slot. """There you go. In full and on time."""

[Bastard]

"""So what can you tell us about PoliD? I don't think our faces showing up multiple times in their affairs is going to go unnoticed."""

[pbangarth]

As Karmkaze continues the discussion, Blue splits the 50,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) evenly between himself and Karmakaze.

[Koekepan]

Booker sighs heavily, and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He looks around, and says: """They're a Policlub, y'know? Like most of 'em, they got two sides.""" He looks up at the ceiling, and then offers Karmakaze a link.

<<<Knock knock, Chummer.>>>

[Bastard]

She takes the link from Booker, sees the message, but doesn't reply... yet.

"""Who's the contact? Are they reliable?"""

[Koekepan]

"""Need to know basis, all the way. But we have verification. This is real."""

[Bastard]

"""Who is lead on the case? Maybe we can do some off the books work, since we are already involved anyways."""