chicago mission ♔ the people under your feet are shooting stars in the night

[rationalizes]

♬ Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley

WHO || Gar, Kat, Mark, Dumage, Martha, Myri, Buffy, Sven, Spike, Desmond Descant, ??, ?? [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights infiltrate Nightscape to intercept a deal for the Eternal Jade. And... so does Des. At the same time. Hilarity ensues???
WHERE || Chicago. Nightscape.
WHEN || Friday, March 9th, various tiemes.
HOW || Actionspam; Don't sweat tagging order.

It's been a busy day. Following Gar's discovery of a message that seems to imply a trade for the artifact known as the Eternal Jade will take place at a location called "Nightscape" the next evening, several of the Knights headed out to the area outlined in Hoffman Institute files, only to discover the place was an office building that sold pharmaceuticals. However, as Myrilandel stared at a strange canopied fruit stand attached to the front of the building, she began to notice something, well, quite odd about it. A long line of people waited against the edifice to enter the stand, but none of them looked as if they fit into the commercial sector whatsoever, with their leather, vinyl, spiked hair, glitter, colored hair, etc. In fact, only by staring at the image presented and concentrating could the others recognize there was something wrong with the whole picture - something that caused theirs eyes to rebound off from it and find the entire scene innocuous otherwise. The line of people disappeared into the canopy - but none of the crowd ever came out again, defying any logic about how many people could humanly fit inside the tiny stand at a time.

It was clear that it wasn't just any fruit stand.

It was an entrance. They quickly surmised just what it had to be an entrance to. Myrilandel managed to note a number of guards emerging from the club after hours, dressed in some kind of futuristic looking armor that... looks a lot like Halo armor. She spotted the symbol on the side of the van they climbed into, and the surveillance team took note of it before heading back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, the research team back home (Kat, Buffy, and Sven mostly, since Gar passed out asleep in her chair) threw themselves into finding out what they could about Nightscape: and found rumors about an invite-only underground club, whose location was protected by magic, which seemed to mesh with what the other Knights had seen. The most interesting aspect of the club, however, wasn't just the fact that invitations to it come in the form of pills that implant directions into the subject's unconscious mind, but that supposedly it played havoc with the memories of those who frequent it. Every visit fades from the patron's mind when they leave, in the same way a dream does - they could remember a vague feeling of what it was like, but not any details about what actually occurred - and the more they attempted to remember, the more the memories would elude them.

Today, they've managed to look up that symbol Myri noticed on the side of the van and identify it as belonging to a private security firm that hires out to wealthy patrons in often underhanded deals. Which has allowed a plan of action to be hatched. :O

The Knights will coordinate efforts to plant a fake detour between the security firm and the club, derailing a van full of guards to lead to a stop light that will be controlled by Kat. And allow them to come up through a conveniently placed manhole to plant a device on the underbelly of the truck that will cripple its battery temporarily. At this point, the Knights will assume control of the vehicle, and Kat, Gar, Buffy, and Spike will don the armor of the guards and take their weapons, proceeding to the club as security personnel. Mark and Myrilandel will transport the captured guards to somewhere safe to keep them out of the way and possibly interrogate them. Dumage and Martha will drop off Sven at the club - he'll be attempting to bluff his way through the front door as a patron so that they can have an eye in the crowd as well, and then the ladies will park on the street to sit and wait as a getaway car / backup if necessary.

Obviously, nothing could possibly go wrong. :)

[ooc; subthreads to come!]

Comments

[borrowedheaven]

[Jade eases into the back, pursing her lips together. Liam looks back over his shoulder, eyebrows hitting his hairlin-- theoretical hairline.]

I hope you've got someone who can take a look at that.

[driveangry]

He'll live. [He hits the car into drive, throwing Des a 'WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR LIFE' look.] Pleasure.

[nothingsodivine]

I'm looking at it right now. It sure used to be bleeding. [He rolls his eyes. He shifts so he can look back at Jade.] So Jade. Is life always this exciting for you? [He... Thinks. He's already starting to forget.]

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

There's usually a lot fewer people trying to kill me, if that's what you mean.

They said you aren't with the same group as the rest of them. What were you doing here?

[driveangry]

Rest of them? [He glances at Des] ... He's with me. We're taking you to a place called the Hoffman Institute. You'll be safe there. Just got a couple questions for you.

[nothingsodivine]

Knights of the Silver Dragon. [Des says it like he still can't believe it.] The thing is, Jade. The last time I dealt with... Well, the last time the words "eternal jade" left someone's mouth, let's just put it like that- they weren't talking about a girl.

[borrowedheaven]

[w a t] Whose mouth? The Brotherhood?

[nothingsodivine]

Not unless they work in New Orleans.

[borrowedheaven]

... I really think starting at the beginning would be a wise life choice here.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des gives Liam a look and then slumps against his chair.] I used to do a lot of work in New Orleans. I got wind of all these rumors and, at the time, rumors were pretty much my stock and trade. Somebody got their hands on The Lazarus Talisman- or so I thought. When about five show up in five different locations, you freakin' realize somebody's bullshitting you, but the Shadowkind don't like humans fucking with their shit. So I busted up the operation, got kicked out of New Orleans for my troubles.

[He exhales] But the rumors stuck around. People talked about something called the Eternal Jade that was supposed to be connected to that damn Talisman. I've been invested in both ever since. And then Liam puts me on your trail. It was just about the club, at first, until I heard about the deal going down.

[borrowedheaven]

The Lazarus Talisman?

I've never even heard of it.

[nothingsodivine]

Supposed to give people powers- or make them immortal. Either way, it was all just talk. And nothing said anything about the Jade being a person, so that goes to show what rumor mills'll do.

[borrowedheaven]

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but a little less sorry about your timing.

[nothingsodivine]

Either way, we're gonna keep you from being hounded by those Brotherhood goons. So here's your cue to answer something- why?

[borrowedheaven]

The man's name is Raoul Jacobson, and that's not the first time I've dealt with him. He's connected to a church here in Chicago, called the Brotherhood of the Enlightenment.

He's not aware that I've got that much figured out, and he presented himself as a talent scout for a record company looking to sign me. I am, however, not interested. I know what his church is all about. [Her tone is that of absolute disgust.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des turns to Liam, arching his eyebrows, then it's back to Jade.] I'm not that enlightened- which is weird for me, because I've been around long enough to know what's what about a lot of things. Are we talking Scientology creepy, Heaven's Gate creepy, or Lovecraftian horror cult creepy?

[borrowedheaven]

[Liam just glances over at him, shrugging his head the tiniest bit.]

They're an extremist religious group that's flagrantly anti-Shadowkind. They've backed some really outrageous attempts to shut things down for all manner of Shadow in the area. Whatever they want with me, it's not to any ends I want to be a part of. I won't help them in whatever twisted plan they have to expose Shadowkind as 'demonic'. It's ridiculous is what it is. [Jade sounds more and more agitated as she explains, but then she stops and sighs, collecting herself.]

[nothingsodivine]

Sounds like it. [Des grits his teeth. He does not need another crusade. He really doesn't, even if that's the kind of bullshit he always ends up getting involved in.] Say it's all true- you, the Talisman, all of it. They'd have power like you wouldn't dream of- enough to take out the Shadowkind. Think they'd buy into that kind of crazy?

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

[Bitterly:] I wouldn't doubt it for an instant.

I suppose we're lucky, then, that I've no clue what or where it is. [She trains her gaze out the window at that, lapsing into thought.]

[driveangry]

[And Liam steers into port to the Hoffman Institute, a picturesque campus composed of various classy looking buildings. He pulls up right in front of the main edifice, parking the car and getting out, opening the back door in one smooth motion, and gesturing for the girl to get out. She glances up at Des, but then complies.]

[nothingsodivine]

I'll walk you in. [Des doesn't even wait for Liam to protest or WTF in his general direction- he just gets out and starts walking with her.] If this don't pan out for whatever reason... [He makes a tch sound.] Look, I trust Liam as much as I trust anyone. He's not gonna put you in danger, but if for some reason it doesn't feel safe. [He pulls a card out of his jacket pocket and hands it to her.] Just give me a call. And that goes double if those Brotherhood assholes track you down somehow.

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

[She turns to him with a grateful expression and nods, grabbing the card and ... sliding it in her bra I guess, because that dress sure as fuck didn't have any pockets.

There's no one in the main foyer, the secretarial desk abandoned for the moment, and Liam walks past them both, rapping on the wooden double doors on the far wall. A male voice inside extends an invitation to enter, and he pushes the doors open without preamble.]

[accumulation]

♬ Compliante de la Butte - Rufus Wainwright

[The voice inside was boisterous in an unassuming, highly educated and trained manner - a sort of civilized intensity behind it, layered with years of age and experience.

The office inside is similar: impressively arranged, books lining the walls from floor to ceiling both to the left and the right of them, stretching across the hardwood floor to the desk which dwarfs the one outside it. Tables line the sides of the room as well, some of which seem to have glassed-in settings. Glancing in reveals strange artifacts in them all, some distinctly recognizable - an arrowhead, a jeweled scarab, pieces of what looks like an old camera, and some that defy explanation or description really - in strange colors, or shades, or perhaps broken into shapes that make whatever recognizable form they once had far from memory.

On the desk in the center of the room, there are stacks of papers that reach almost to Des' head. Also prominent is the source of the crackling music - an old Victrola machine. Strange words in what sound like French came out, alternating with English, and the whitened head behind the desk bobs along thoughtfully to the rich baritone that issues forth.]

La lune, trop bleme,
Pose un diademe
Sur tes cheveux roux.
La lune, trop rousse,
De gloire eclabousse
Ton jupon plein de trous.
La lune, trop pale,
Caresse l’opale
De tes yeux blases.
Princesse de la rue,
Sois la bienvenue
Dans mon coeur brise.

[The old man smiles up from behind his spectacles and launches into a seemingly practiced translation, reaching over and turning the knob that lowers the volume as he intones it.]

“The moon, too white… puts a tiara on your red hair. The moon, too red with glory, splashes your ragged underskirt. The moon, too pale, caresses the opal of your indifferent eyes. Princess of the streets, be welcome in my broken heart…”

[He begins chuckling and gestures for them to come in, making broad sweeps with one hand, and using the other to press the chain against his waist coat tighter to him as he sits down. He digs a pocket watch out of his breast slip and flips it open, examining it carefully, drawing the spectacles down to the end of his nose, and the watch first close to his face, and then at the greatest possible length from it. His whiskers bounce pleasantly as he laughs - his white beard somewhat pointed, although the mustache is a bit long. He's not exactly what one would call a jolly girth: there's just some sort of strange twinkling behind his eyes, as if he were the keeper of a great many secrets. His eyes bounce between the three of them, though he settles on addressing Liam, the tiniest hint of confusion in his eyes.]

You've brought a guest... I see?

[nothingsodivine]

Descant. [He makes a vague gesture with his hand that's something like a salute.] The lady is Miss Eterna Jade. We figured you'd like to talk to her. [He's standing as close to her as possible without actually looking like he's rubbing against her. He knows how creepy old guys get with their "artifacts," whether they're human or not.]

1/2

[accumulation]

I'm terribly sorry, however, I don't quite understand what you are getting at. [He pulls off his bifocals and frowns slightly between the both of them]