"Yes, we should be on our way," she agreed as she rose from her seat. Pushing her chair in, she tried to mentally prepare herself for the worst; things usually don't go according to plan.
"Yes, we should be on our way," she agreed as she rose from her seat. Pushing her chair in, she tried to mentally prepare herself for the worst; things usually don't go according to plan.
"Everyone stop."
Yuan stood up from the comfortable chair.
"I have been here once
similiar plans similiar
people with much greed
violent suprises
make for a street of dead men
everyone loses
i propose a game
deceptions within half truths
gaining so much more."
Yes, to the room a different man was now present. This Yuan shined with a polished gleam in evening lights. His staff in one hand now, his Ak-47 strapped over a shoulder, and a single hand held up and holding everyone's movement and gaze. A monk of profit. A philosopher of greed. A Buddha of the underground.
"The plan is the same, but quite different. The group goes in as individuals. We each meet the leperchan and act as those who wish to become his friends and retainers. The beautiful one will be the most likely to succeed. Then, as we reach friendship I will act as though i am a betrayer, here to slay the leprechaun or challenge him in combat. His guards will meet me and you will escape with him. Any remaining true guards will go with him which you shall easily dispatch or claim to be taking him to an alternate location for safe keeping. This will draw out any shadow power that is protecting him and allow you to further gain his trust. Then when he is safely in your grasp, the hug of a viper, you will strike. I will do my best to escape and reconvene with you. If I cannot meet with you at the warehouse then I will meet with you at the leprechauns safe. The current plan is good, but such young upstarts have powerful backers which will protect their interests and strike when we least expect. We must do the same.
our demise i saw
in a younger year myself
I won by shadows.
Yuan then coughed loudly several times, and stepped forward his demeanor returned to where it previously had been. putting his sunglasses back on and stepping forward as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry, I get like that sometimes. Let's go gamble."
Yuan was out of the room almost as suddenly as his outburst had started. Morgan stared for perhaps a moment longer than he should have. Yuan's plan was sensible, and he couldn't get over thinking that their friend's benefactor might have just made an appearance. Very well, it's always a good idea to listen to a dragon.
Everyone seemed to agree and in almost stunned silence they split up the vials of Leprechaun Bane between the three of them. Polly assured them that as long as they remained closed there would be no trace of it, although to be safe the vials were washed very well as were everyone's hands.
Although Yuan, or at least his friend the dragon, had wanted them to arrive separately, they amended the idea to arrive together and mingle separately. Partially because it would give them an excuse to leave together when things started. Mostly because only Polly of the three of them could open a Way.
They all took Morgan's car and drove to Horseshoe Hammond, one of the largest casinos in Chicago. If they wanted to open a Way, that would be the place to do it.
As he drove, Morgan told Adam, "I have a plan to get you in safely without placing you under the Accords. Just follow my lead when we get there."
Morgan gave his keys to the valet and paid for his car to be parked. Then they went inside. The casino was lavish and filled with people, but that wouldn't be a problem, especially with a pixie opening the portal. Pixies don't make quite as much noise as, say, a wizard with a machine gun...
The three of them snuck off towards a secluded corner. There was a good place in here without any cameras, the other reason Morgan had selected this location. Polly waved a hand at the wall, and a Way opened.
Instead of the wall, there was a sort of reception hall just inside the Casino. They stepped through and the portal closed behind them. Morgan waved off the porter who came to take his jacket and nodded towards Polly who was handing her coat off. Her dress was stunning, which Morgan was sure was the point, and had she changed since they left the mansion?
Morgan gestured for Adam to follow and headed towards the receptionist, a bored looking leprechaun in a tuxedo.
Without looking up, they receptionist droned, "Name and Accordance."
Morgan smiled, this was the moment of truth, "Morgan Lloyd, Freeholding Lord, and this is Adam McKnight, Captain of the Knights of the Cross, Holder of the Sword of the Redeemed, Slayer of Denarians and Survivor of the Red Court." Not a lie.
The little man looked up, eyes wide, "You're bringing a Knight of the Cross here!?"
"Captain of the Knights of the Cross," Morgan corrected with his brightest smile, "We have similar business interests at the moment." Not a lie.
As the leprechaun began stammering, Morgan led Adam into the main room before he had to answer any more questions. His plan seemed to work, the leprechaun was too shocked to remember to ask if Morgan had claimed him under the Accords. He nodded to Adam that they should split up and hoped Adam was conscious enough to realize what had just happened.
Beyond the double doors which they needed to pass through to enter the Casino, lay the main hall of the cash casino. To say it was lavish would be an insult to its glamour. The room was extravagant even by fey tastes, and these are creatures able to conjure beauty out of the very air.
The enormous room in which they stood gave Morgan the impression that it was endless, or perhaps as large as it needed to be. The room was bathed in a golden glow that added a sense of value top everything it touched, and although a thousand crystal chandeliers hung suspended below a ceiling too high to see, the light didn't seem to have a source.
A well dressed man in a uniform came up to him. His eyes were sunk into his head in the distinctive manner of a Sluagh, "Excuse me sir, will you be needing to make a chip exchange?"
Morgan lifted his hand in dismissal and sent the underling away. He had brought money in case he needed to gamble, but he was aware of how voracious a habit it could be and didn't like taking chances with vice.
Instead, Morgan began to put out feelers for their quarry, Niall Mac an t-Saoir. He was subtle in his questions and was confident he hadn't alerted anyone to his intentions when, only a few minutes later, he found his way to the leprechaun's table.
He noticed quite a retinue surrounding the leprechaun, even if many of them seemed to be engrossed in other activities. Morgan grabbed a passing worker and handed him a stack of bills. He got back a box with some chips in it that the Sluagh seemed to pull out of nowhere.
Morgan decided that a direct approach was his best option. He walked straight up to the leprechaun's table.
Bowing deeply, Morgan started up his charm, "Mr t-Saoir, I am Morgan Lloyd, and it is an honor to meet such an illustrious name as yours. Might I have the honor of joining your table?"
After some meaningless pleasantries, the leprechaun acquiesced, and Morgan joined the other fey already playing. He played carefully, more interested in the conversation than the game, meaning he kept losing, but his losses were a minimum.
Before long, he began to notice a pattern. Niall was playing mostly with lesser fey, and doing things to gain their affections. He would buy them drinks, offer them some money when they'd lost everything so they could keep playing, cancel debts. All they while, buying favors, earning respect...building an army. Here was a man who knew how to gain popular support. It was like watching Napoleon work.
Morgan knew their employer, Rónán Mac Murchú, had warned them that* Niall was garnering support, but seeing it in person was chilling. This kind of ambition was dangerous.
Morgan was fairly sure he had colored himself at the service of his mark when one of his colleges arrived. Finally, I don't know when Yuan will make his move, but if we wait too long, we'll miss our chance to be in place.
Adam watched Morgan as he expertly maneuvered through the complicated dance that was fae policy., Adam also decided that separating with Morgan would probably not be very prudent as he had basically made the impression that Adam and he had similar business. While the paor wive through the crowd, Adam tride to construct a story for his presence.
Once Morgan had located the mark, Adam held back and waited for the right moment, after a few hands, Adam approched the table with a glass of whiskey on ice and brought it to the man.
"Sorry it took so long Morgan, i had wait for the bartender to notice me." Setting the glass on a coster, Adam turned to the leprechaun.
"You must be Mr t-Saoir, I am Adam, Captain of the Knight of the Cross. My your luck never run out, your gold gold be plentiful, andyour cup never be empty." He ended his greting with a slight bow of the head.
Once they were all through the Way and she'd closed it, Polly dropped her glamour. The pixie knew that the higher Fae would see through her glamour if she kept it up and she definitely didn't need that attention.
Polly's hair was suddenly moss green, longer, and mostly pulled into a messy bun. She now wore a black satin tea dress with a glittery tulle tutu and transparent heels that matched her hair. She'd picked up her outfit at a Toys R Us. Barbie has good fashion sense. Polly usually didn't even need to make alterations anymore now that Barbies came in different sizes.
The "Petite Barbie" sized pixie flitted her purple and green wings and flew over to exchange for a small amount of chips. After that, she started gliding around looking for their mark.
"Asteraceae?!"
Polly frowned, recognizing the voice, and then masked her displeasure before turning to the roulette table behind her. "Vidia! and Ambrosia too! Hello!" The two pixies feigned friendship with her so they could make jokes at her expense.
"Come! Join us," Ambrosia returned.
"Oh, I really shouldn't. I don't think this is my lucky table," Polly responded, trying to end the encounter.
"But it called to you," Vidia retorted, jesting about them spotting her.
"And it has been so long!" Ambrosia chimed in.
"Alright," she'd join them long enough to get them off her back and then use losing a round or two as an excuse to leave them.
Last edited by Lynnosa; 05-05-2017 at 07:29 PM. Reason: spacing for readability
Everyone placed their bets and then the other two pixies immediately started in on her. "So 'Polly', how's life with the mortals?" Vidia began snidely.
"I quite like it, actually."
"Did you hear that, Ambrosia? She 'quite likes it'. How amusing!"
Ambrosia responded with a giggle fit.
Polly won the round. Damn.
After Ambrosia's giggles had subsided and they had replaced their bets, Vidia continued. "But Aster, deary, why-ever do you enjoy it? Mortals are so dull and stupid."
"Well, they often are dull and stupid, but they have to work so hard at everything. I find it very interesting! Blending into their society is easier said than done, you know."
And she won again. Damn it! They replaced their bets and then Polly fell for their trap as she became engrossed in her fascination with mortals.
"You have to keep up with their "Pop Culture" but hardly find anyone that knows much about mortal history. But it's no wonder because their "Pop Culture" is so entertaining! Movies, music, the internet - they basically live on the internet - and don't get me started on "reality T.V.!"
She'd lost them both to giggles at about the second mention of "Pop Culture" and they just increased in volume until she finally realized and frowned. Thankfully, she finally lost.
"Well, ladies, looks like my little streak is over. On I go." They didn't even notice her leave, they were giggling so much.
Polly stopped to get a pixie-sized Midori Sour to cheer herself up and sipped at it while she looked for the Leprechaun. She didn't look suspicious because anyone would have thought she was looking for "the right" table or slot machine. She eventually found the table. Morgan and Adam were with the target. She positioned herself at a slot machine in Morgan's line of sight so that he could casually beckon her over when he was ready for her to join them. She lost a few chips while she passed the time and a waiter also refilled her drink.
Niall blanched at the sight of Adam's sword, "Your retainer is a Knight of the Cross."
Morgan dismissed the comment, "If you can afford one, a Captain of the Knights makes an excellent bodyguard."
Niall frowned and turned to Adam, "So what does a Knight of the Cross go for these days?"
Last edited by Sirtain; 05-06-2017 at 12:45 AM.
Adam stiffened at the phrasing the leprechaun used but didnt let it thrownoff his smile. Time with the Red Court tends to give a person one hell of a poker face.
"Morgan helped me find an extreamly rare book for a patron ofbthe book store i work for. Im here now to repay a debt." Adam's had restled lightly on his sword. A soft, high pitched hum emanating from it briefly in reaction to his touch.
Spoiler: OOC Social Conflict
Niall glances carefully at Adam's sword; Morgan's not quite sure his friend got entirely the right point across, but it seems to be working.
"I see," said Niall, "so you deal in rare books when you aren't slicing through Denarians? I can't help but feel there must be more to it than that. Especially when a mere collection of pages can earn your favor.
Morgan decided to let Adam handle things himself and began casually looking around for Polly. He was about to give up looking when he saw a rather tall pixie working a slot machine nearby. He had glanced past her a couple times, but he couldn't help but notice she kept looking their way.
At that moment, Morgan made a realization; he had never seen Polly's "natural" form. He assumed she must've changed when they got to the Casino, but he hadn't thought to look for a pixie before this. He wasn't 100% sure that she was the right pixie, so he tried to casually meet her gaze to attempt to let her know it was safe to come over. Honestly, Adam might even need the added distraction...
Last edited by Sirtain; 05-10-2017 at 10:39 PM.
Spoiler: OOC Social Conflict pt 2
Adam nodded at Neil
"The Lord's work doesn't pay the bills unfortunately, and us mortals do require food and shelter. My shop sells a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Books, potions, potion ingredients, information, we have an on call wizard who specializes in tracking and detection magic, she even helps out the SI division of for the Chicago PD. The book in question was extremely rare, and my friend here agreed to part with it. I was very grateful to him for it."
Last edited by Orick4111; 05-14-2017 at 12:04 PM.
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