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

[pbangarth]

The realities of an outdoor life penetrate Blue's sheltered world view, as they soak through his clothing. +++ Yeah, I'll have to do something about my means of travel. +++

Winters in Toronto since the climate changed are not much different from this. Nevertheless, it takes a resilient and strong-willed Blue to decide to forge on rather than turn back.

+++I will have to try to see if Fashion or Makeover can dry clothing as well as restyle it. It'd be nice. +++

He continues on to the facility.

[Koekepan]

By the looks of the exterior of the building, it's a three storey building with substantial bars on all the windows. It faces directly onto a thoroughfare, with a locked double door for customers to pass, during working hours. There are substantial warnings posted on the outside, which can be summarised as:

Guns will not help you. The goods for sale here will eat you.

These warnings are lent additional weight by a display window, through which can be seen something that looks like a pit viper three feet in diameter. On Blue's passing, its head slowly turns to stay facing him, and its tongue flickers in and out.

Somehow, the trickle of water oozing its way down the back of Blue's collar seems a very slight amount less annoying, with that reflection on his mind. Not that it came as any great surprise, of course.

[pbangarth]

Blue circumnavigates the facility, making note of landmarks both in the physical and the astral planes that would help him navigate here while projecting astrally. If any activity such as shipping or receiving goes on during this reconnaissance, he will surreptitiously watch the activity. Water down his back be damned.

Once the recce is complete, Blue will return to Betty's place to see if she has figured anything out about the contract.

[Koekepan]

There is no activity; things seem to be locked up tight.

Circumnavigation as such is difficult; it has a parking lot, capable of handling fair-sized cargo vehicles, but that is surrounded by two eighteen foot fences, sandwiching a thirty foot fence, all grown through with blackberries and packed with coil after coil of razor wire. The gate seems to swing up and in, hinged at the top, but it's elaborately padlocked at four points. By itself, Blue could have circumnavigated the parking lot and building together, except that these border on other delivery lots. The best that he can do without an active intrusion is to walk down the back alley, which showcases a variety of dumpsters, barred and blast-grilled windows, graffiti and ... actually, there don't seem to be any homeless in this alleyway. Not anywhere near Petsonal.

In fact, wait a moment. Blue hasn't seen any drifters, vagrants, homeless or other street occupants for at least the last half a kilometre.

But he's pretty sure that over the dripping of the rain and occasional noises from the urban environment, he hears something panting and snuffling and scratching behind the back door in the alleyway.

In the front, that pit viper turns its head toward him again, and its tongue flicks in and out.

That tongue is as thick as Blue's wrist.

[pbangarth]

Blue is considering the effectiveness of trying to get the mist spirit to try to determine astral barriers, without negating itself, when two thoughts intrude on Blue's mind. The first is, +++ I bet I know how the facility keeps food costs down. +++

The second is, +++ GET THE $&^$&^$ OUT OF HERE, NOW! +++

Blue proceeds to do just that, in the most direct fashion, with the continued aid of the spirit, which Blue keeps ready in the astral. If nothing comes to try to eat him, he heads back to Betty's place. As he heads out, and the serpent image seems to track him, the idea that this seems to be a neat way to survey the surroundings of the facility comes in third. +++ Surveillance that looks like advertisement. Huh. +++

[Koekepan]

Blue walks back to Betty's place unmolested by anything other than lurking suspicions that seem to drift right behind his occipital lobe, and a continued haze of atmospheric moisture compounded by the fact that the playful breeze is picking up a bit, and blowing right into his face on the way back.

He does get a last look at the serpent on his way, and ... it really doesn't look like a projection. It looks like a snake that could eat a devil rat and still feel hungry for more.

But by the time Blue reaches Betty's place and her security informs her that a short, wet, broad individual is at her door, things feel a little more normal.

And, you know? In the big scheme of things, it looked like a legitimate enterprise. What could possibly be wrong with a pet store specialising in lethal exotics for the high rollers, in sight of the Space Needle?

[pbangarth]

+++ Hmmm. No key to get in. That was well thought out. +++

Blue knocks ion the door. It sounds wet.

[Betty]

Betty answers the door. Depending on the hour, she might be in a bathrobe.

"""Welcome back. Let's get you out of those wet things. The bathroom is right this way."""

Betty will let Blue in, shut the door behind him and show him to the bathroom, stopping on the way to get more towels.

"""Your contract is a maze of twisty little clauses. I can't make sense out of it. A good contract lawyer might have better luck."""

[pbangarth]

""" Yes, I had little luck figuring it out myself. I have a sense of what I. no we are looking for, but I hoped that you could corroborate.

""" Thanks for the towels. Actually, this soaking gives me a chance to try something I had been wondering about. Let me see if I can dry out my clothes and myself with a little magic. """

Blue tries to change himself from wet to dry, keep the same colour, and with some luck make the style even sharper.

[ Spoiler ]

F3 Makeover spell, target 6, 5 Sorcery +7 dice pool + 2 totem bonus = 14 dice: 2 successes This spell seems to be Blue's nemesis.
Drain 2(M) 12 dice: 9 successes no drain.

Blue grimaces at what he sees in the mirror """ Well, that didn't work all that well. I'll try again """

[ Spoiler ]

14 dice, target 6: 2 successes Seriously?!
Drain 2(M) 12 dice: 11 successes no drain.

""" I think I need to take some tailoring lessons. Still no good. Is this entertaining, Betty? """

[ Spoiler ]

14 dice, target 6 :4 successes Finally!!!!
Drain 2(M) 12 dice: 8 successes no Drain.

""" Finally. That looks pretty good. """

[Koekepan]

To look at Blue's clothing is to suffer bewilderment. First he goes from a wet, but fairly dapper coated individual to one whose clothing appeared to have shrunk in the wash - no, the rain, to be a skin-tight embrace of cloth, moisture oozing from the tight cloth as if it were being wrung out. His next effort goes from one extreme to the other, with clothing baggier than a zoot suit for an ork ... no, wait, at last there's balance in the world, and Blue is nattily dressed and dry as a gentleman who'd just stepped from a limousine to attend a dinner party.

[Betty]

"""It's... interesting,""" Betty replies. She applauds when Blue finally gets the clothing right.

Betty goes to arrange something hot to drink. Her voice floats back from the kitchen. """Do you know the old Scott Adams cartoons? That contract is more evil than Catbert can manage."""

[pbangarth]

""" No, I'm not familiar with that story. I'm sad you're finding the contract difficult, too. I've been loath to bring in a lawyer as I figured even one stranger involved in our business is one too many. I had hoped you could figure out, at the least, where the animals are supposed to be delivered. And maybe some kind of expected schedule. That would really help.

""" I know we are off-shift from each other. Tonight, while you get some rest, I'd like to project astrally and get a different look at the facility. There's a ... guard of some sort, a honking big snake that at first I thought was a hologram or something, but it seemed to pay attention to me as I walked around the facility. I'd like to find out if it perceives astrally. That would affect how I approach the facility should I want to enter it.

""" In the morning, how about we contact Billy and see if we can sub-contract him to find a communication trail between the two parties? That might give us info we haven't found in the contract. """

[Betty]

"""Contacting Billy sounds like a good idea,""" Betty answers as she brings the hot drinks out of the kitchen. """I wonder if that business could use some clerical help? On the inside, I can find out all sorts of things."""

"""Just let me know how many pillows and blankets you want to settle down with. Again, I'm really sorry about that contract."""

[pbangarth]

""" Ooohhh. I like that inside spy idea. Betty, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

""" Maybe you or Billy could figure out if they use a temp agency or something. One pillow, one blanket should be enough. """ Blue switches to a gruff voice. """ Dwarfs are tough! """

He switches back to his own voice. """ I'll be out-of-body for at most a few hours. Longer is a bad idea. So I should be back in time to make breakfast. Am I allowed to make use of the kitchen? Some householders are particular that way. """

[Betty]

"""Help yourself to the kitchen, Blue. It's not much."""

"""What's the name of the target? This isn't really Billy's style. I'll have to call on a friend of mine, unless they're advertising for help."""

Betty fetches a pillow and blanket for Blue. """Good luck."""

[pbangarth]

""" Thanks. I'll probably be hungry when I return.

""" The target is Petsonal Petsonalities, a business that supplies paranormal animals to those who can pay. The best I can make of the contract is that a policlub by the name of PoliDemos has contracted Petsonal to provide a certain form of basilisk to them, and only them. Why a strongarm group of idealogues wants basilisks, I don't know. Whether they are a front for someone else? I don't know. What leads them to believe that Petsonal is not dealing with them fairly? I don't know. But in just under two weeks I have to give a report on the activities of at least Petsonal to my Mr. Johnson.

""" Ostensibly, Polidemos is the bankroll here for us.

""" I figure a stakeout of Petsonal is the minimum we can do to meet the requirements of our contract. If Petsonal appears to be selling these atavophid basilisks, whatever they are, to someone else, we may be required to convince them to go straight. Negotiation or more severe methods. That extra step is where we might earn another 5000.

""" Thanks for the bedding. I likely won't use it to sleep till after we check in with reach other in the morning. I will have to let my safehouse host know what I am doing, just so she doesn't go off the deep end hunting for me to see if I have been scooped by ... """ He ponders a moment. """ ... well, you might as well know. Mitsuhama wants me. My knowledge of the workings of the tech company they just absorbed makes me valuable to them. """

Blue fetches one of the Heal spell one-offs from inside his coat. """ Here. """ He instructs Betty on its use. """ I get the sense you also have something after you. This good and strong Heal spell you can use might come in handy. I can make more once I can get a hold of supplies and set up a Lodge. """ Blue makes up the couch-bed, grabs something light to eat, visits the bathroom, and settles down on the couch, his coat and pistol handy.

Astral projection always feels to Blue like going naked into the cafeteria. Can't summon spirits. Can't have a spirit guard his body, because as soon as he flies out the window, the spirit disappears. Even the minimal service of a watcher doesn't do much here. By the time it finds him to warn him that Mitsuhama is knocking down the door, they have his body and therefore him secured. Ideally a teammate does overwatch. A lot to ask of Betty so soon in their first assignment together. And she is off-schedule from him. Fallen asleep Betty is not a protector.

""" Betty, I know you need to sleep, but if there is any trouble that wakes you, please try to get my body to safety. I will be out an hour or two on a first reconnaissance. """

""" Off to the land of fey I go. """ He breaths a few deep breaths, settles his mind, and brings on the familiar feeling of floating as his astral self leaves his body behind. Zip! Off through the sleetless astral he goes, back to Petsonal Petsonalities' facility. Part A of the plan is to approach slowly and circle from a distance. In particular, will that damn snake watch him?

[Koekepan]

Betty's apartment is about as mundane as could have been expected. The immediate environment offers little of interest, so Blue's quick zip over to Petsonal's offices is a mere flit of consciousness.

On arrival, he gets to take stock of the situation. The blackberries in the fence are naturally a barrier, but of little immediate import, given that the building itself abuts the street.

It looks different.

It's still recognisable as the building in that place, but instead of a rather quaint modern revamp of an old building with a few modern add-ons, the building gives the distinct impression of the rough-knuckled, blue collar days of seventy or eighty years ago. What might it have been - a chandlery? Marine engineering? Whatever it was smells of solvents and seawater. But it is also humming with spirit activity. This is clearly a vital corner of the spiritual aspect of southern Ballard, although whether that is due to some inherent virtue of the spot, or the activities of the current owners isn't apparent.

The whole place might have been expected to be warded, but in point of fact it clearly is not. Blue can glimpse things moving inside. And yes, through a large set of gratings in the front a pit viper large enough to engulf a mastiff lies coiled. As Blue moves by, its tongue flicks in and out, and it turns it head to face him.

[Betty]

""" Thanks. I'll probably be hungry when I return.

""" The target is Petsonal Petsonalities, a business that supplies paranormal animals to those who can pay. The best I can make of the contract is that a policlub by the name of PoliDemos has contracted Petsonal to provide a certain form of basilisk to them, and only them. Why a strongarm group of idealogues wants basilisks, I don't know. Whether they are a front for someone else? I don't know. What leads them to believe that Petsonal is not dealing with them fairly? I don't know. But in just under two weeks I have to give a report on the activities of at least Petsonal to my Mr. Johnson.

Betty takes a few notes. """I don't know why a policlub would want basilisks, but it's probably for nothing good."""


""" Thanks for the bedding. I likely won't use it to sleep till after we check in with reach other in the morning. I will have to let my safehouse host know what I am doing, just so she doesn't go off the deep end hunting for me to see if I have been scooped by ... """ He ponders a moment. """ ... well, you might as well know. Mitsuhama wants me. My knowledge of the workings of the tech company they just absorbed makes me valuable to them. """

Betty explains, """I have no idea what going astral entails. I thought you might get cold. Mitsuhama is bad news. If they find you here, we're going to have to run."""

Blue fetches one of the Heal spell one-offs from inside his coat. """ Here. """ He instructs Betty on its use. """ I get the sense you also have something after you. This good and strong Heal spell you can use might come in handy. I can make more once I can get a hold of supplies and set up a Lodge. """ Blue makes up the couch-bed, grabs something light to eat, visits the bathroom, and settles down on the couch, his coat and pistol handy.

Betty is visibly touched by the gift. """Thank you, Blue. That's the nicest thing anyone's done for me in ages."""

Betty tries to sit up and watch Blue, but eventually has to sleep. In the morning she will call her headhunter and see if Petsonal Petsonalities is looking for help.

[pbangarth]

Blue wonders about the lack of a ward.

+++ Well, it would be a pain to move dual beings in and out of a warded building, and one errant wander by one of the Pets and the ward gets zapped. +++

There is the other possibility, and that is that there is a ward inside the building, or several partial ones in there. Caution is called for. Blue circles the building getting the lay of it in astral before he tries to poke through somewhere.

[Koekepan]

Petsonal Petsonalities looks, at a distance, largely like what he might have expected from his mundane inspection. However, there does seem to be quite a bit of spirit traffic in and out. The serpent in front only really has a view toward the front from within, so there are ample approaches for Blue that in no way reveal him to it. Spirits around the building drift in and around - many of them seem to be aquatic in some degree, but it's by no means uniform. This reinforces the initial impression of Petsonal being something of a spiritual hotspot for the area. The one slightly unusual thing is something that looks like a smouldering cock roosting on a corner of the building, with its head tucked under its wing.

A quick poke at the wall doesn't offer Blue any notable resistance at all. Apparently Blue's analysis that they didn't put up a large-scale ward to make transport of dual-natured creatures easier is holding up. However, he feels certain that something inside ... touched him.

Just a snuffle.

There is a loading dock, but it's completely shut - although there is activity. There are glowing things. Maggots? No, they look like more like worms. Leeches? Maybe not. Some kind of arthropod nymph? They don't seem entirely anchored to the ground, but drift around.

Oh well, it was a decorative, interesting sight-seeing experience. Blue has no trouble getting back to his body.

[Koekepan]

Blue returns to the docking area with the speed of familiarity, and leans in for a nice, close look at those wriggly things around the corner of the dock.

It's a strangely misplaced marine environment. He's looking at a cluster of sea anemones, with a couple of lurking starfish among them. This corner does seem rather stronger on the smell of seawater, but why - Blue could only speculate.

While he watches, a few small scurrying arthropods shuffle around.

[pbangarth]

The facility doesn't seem to be in any way close to the sea, and certainly the dock is not a marine environment. So Blue gets the sense that some kind of elemental, hermetic thing is going on here, rather than a shamanic presence. He has a long way to go before he can determine whether there is some kind of metaplanar aspect to what is happening here. But, this is just weird.

What on Earth, or elsewhere, is going on here? And does this hint of the sea have anything to do with the task at hand? There are too many questions. More importantly, Blue is not ready to poke himself fully into this facility, especially since something in there 'snuffled' at him already. He quickly suppresses the thought that on occasion rises from the depths of his subconscious that the hermetic path has its advantages, at least in summoning support. Coming with a spirit to support him is going to take some help from Betty. Be outside, summon a spirit, go astral, and have her take his meat body safely inside.

Blue returns to Betty's place and assumes his physical form. He uses the burner to send a message to Hopalong to let her know he is safe and not in the clutches of 'Big Brother'.

Then he grabs something to eat and starts to plan how he and Betty can approach the more mundane aspects of legwork.

[Koekepan]

Actual proximity to the roar of the open ocean is certainly not the case, but salt water isn't that far away. The Ballard locks are a few minutes' walk away at most, and the bridge that Blue crossed to reach the place stands over salt water. Even a poor shot with a pistol would have no trouble, from the roof of Petsonal, hitting a boat in the old fishing harbour.

Wait a minute. When Mount Rainier blew its top and there were all those quakes and everything, didn't seawater slosh up quite a way all along the coast of Puget Sound? It's quite possible that there's some element of the spiritual side of the waters clinging to the area as some sort of long run intertidal zone?

[pbangarth]

Blue pondered these questions and more, over a mug of soycaf, and started making plans when Betty came into the kitchen, dressed to go outside. """Whoa. Kind of early for you, isn't it, Betty?"""

"""Yeah, well, I got some bad news just now. Family. I'm afraid I can't continue this job. I have to leave town and deal with something right away. I don't know when I'll be back. Sorry, Blue. """

Blue mulls this over, then responds. """ You have to do what you have to do. Family is important, to most of us anyway. It wouldn't do for me to be here while you are away. It looks like you are set to go. On the way, can you give me a ride back to my other place. """

"""I think I can swing that. grab your things and let's go. """

Blue packs his bag quickly and follows Betty out to the car. He looks around to see if there are any 'for rent' signs up.

[pbangarth]

Yet one more thought strikes Blue as he heads out. +++ Is it just my perception, or are women starting to not want to work with me? +++