new orleans ♔ now that you've found another key | what are you going to play

[shootfirst]

♬ Baby, You're a Rich Man - Beatles

WHO || Thomas, Gar, Kat, Dumage, Mark, Myri, Buffy, Finnick, Spike, Rafael, Des, Elena Gilbert, Burt, ??, ??, ?? [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights begin a three-prong recon mission to push forward their intelligence operations on NOVA Records
WHERE || NOVA Records HQ, New Orleans
WHEN || Monday, Oct 15th [Forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order!!

[[ Towering above our heroes is the fifteen-story NOVA Record Headquarters, an L-shaped structure tipped with a winged roof, covered in reflective window linings that paint a portrait of the New Orleans skyline across its panels. Foot traffic streams in and out, a parade of Bluetooth wearing suits, women in nine-inch heels, and extravagantly dressed stars surrounded by guards and entourage members.

But the lavish exterior hides a dark secret or two, and the Knights have sworn to shine a light on all of them.

Why is a record company funding a church that supports Shadowkind slavery? What are the 'experiments' for which they're buying up Shadowkind DNA, and how does it relate to the mysterious behavioral-control chip found in the displacer beast released in the museum? And, of course, what do they want with Jade, and what do they know about the Lazarus Talisman's current location?

Answers are rarely straightforward on their journey, and it looks like another complication or two are on the way.... ]

Comments

[nosdacariad]

He did. [ mark walks past spike, patting him on the shoulder with a little more vigor than could be counted as 'friendly'. he adjusts his straps with one final jerk and then positions himself in front of the hatch, grabbing hold of the overhead handle there. ]

[bigbad]

[Whatever, Mark, Spike isn't friendly at you either. He rolls his eyes because that sure wasn't what he meant and also Mark's presence anywhere doesn't really inspire confidence.]

Just have the thing open by the time I come down. Rather not drag this out more than I have to.

[bancroft]

Sir Sandazhard... that one's on you. [ the door depressurizes and opens, letting a rush of wind in. mark keeps a strong grip on the handle (str 18), glancing back and shooting a thumbs up... and then out he jumps in a perfect arc (nat 20! for a 25), probably doing some kind of awesome flip in the air and yelling 'yahooooooo!' as he goes.

thomas gives spike a large toothy smile and slaps him on the shoulder too. ]

You're up.

[bigbad]

[So many manly slaps. Spike does his best not go growl and heads towards the hatch.

He resists the sunlight well enough (fort 29) so he doesn't catch on fire, though even through the burlap and heavy tweed, he feels like he's about to at every moment. That feeling and the sack's awkward placement make it hard for him to see-- hard enough that he doesn't manage to catch the handle so much as fall face first into it and topple out of the plane (str check crit fail)... but he manages to recover (jump (?) 25) and slowly parachutes down while the last vestiges of his dignity float away in the wind. Boy is he glad Buffy can't see him now.]

[bancroft]

[ and thomas executes an excellent dive behind him as well, as they all plummet the short drop to the roof top of the NOVA building, where a lighted walkway surrounds a glassed in pool area, and two giant towers spire up on either side, like wings.

mark moves swiftly towards the door locate in one of those towers, aiming his wristwatch at the latch and holding down the button to erase a tiny red laser that engages the locking mechanism. it clicks open instantly.

the pool area is sunken down a bit, but there's movement visible below there, a flurry of cameras and flashing lights and people looking very busy with something or other. mark hisses at spike to draw him towards the door, since he can't see very well through the burlap sack. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike here's Mark's hiss (listen 25) and staggers into the door, ripping the sack off his head as he enters the amazing, wonderful darkness.]

Let's not do that again.

[nosdacariad]

I actually thought it was kind of fun. [ he whips out a little glowstick, breaking it in half and providing a nice white light around them that allows them to see the stairwell they're in clearly. ]

[bigbad]

Yeah? Well, try doing it on fire, next time. That's even more fun. [Spike glances around (spot 11) and starts to move, heading down the stairs.]

[bancroft]

Challenge accepted. [ thomas appears behind them with a grin. as they move down the steps, he gently taps his knuckles against the low ceiling, and then abruptly stops, pointing up at a grate. ] Our stop, gentlemen.

[bigbad]

[Spike turns and glances up at it, tilting his head as he considers it.] I think I could bust it open...

[bancroft]

If you can 'bust' quietly, have at.

[bigbad]

I can try. [He gets under the grate and slowly pushes up at it (move silently 17, str 14).]

[nosdacariad]

[ it grinds aside readily and mark lets out an exuberant: ] Alriiight! [ thomas shoots him a look, and he tenses his shoulders, grimacing a bit ] Oops. Right. Quietly. [ Rubbing his hands together he steps under the grate and bounces up and down on his toes a bit, and then springs upwards and... comes incredibly short of the hatch. :| (jump 7. it's very pathetic) ]

[bigbad]

[Spike glances down at him scornfully and steps under the grate himself, leaping up gracefully (jump 24). He's nice enough to then drop a hand down to help pull Mark up.]

[bancroft]

[ mark hoists himself up with spike's help (str check 17), and then they're forced to shuffle a little ways down the duct to make room for thomas to leap up... which he executes with an ease that speaks to having done something similar many, many times over...

as far as ducts go, while it's not so cramped that it will force them into awkward gratuitous-ass-shot-style crawling, they're definitely going to be limited to hands and knees, or serious squattage. thomas nods up towards spike. ]

You've got the lead, friend.

[bigbad]

You're the boss. [He's regretting his anti-pretending to be a stylist stance right about now. This is not the most comfortable mission he's ever had. He starts moving forward, quiet as a cat that's either been declawed or is moving over something that isn't metal (move silently nat 20).] Just let me know where I turn.

[bancroft]

You have the lead. I imagine exploration's the name of the game. [ the others move along behind him quietly, though not to his level of stealthy perfection. as they pass various vents, the sounds of finnick's music video filming below float up, and then slowly fade out as they move away from it.

spike's super vampire hearing would pick up the sound of a certain conversation echoing up into the ducts first, between someone with an arrogant upperclass draw that sounds as if it's accented somewhere between british and french, and a very nervous voice that rises in pitch occasionally.

the word 'chad' floats up to meet spike's ears, and it sounds like the first man is arguing something towards the second... maybe with a solid listen check, he could pick something up. attempting to glance down at them would warrant a spot and hide check. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike holds up a hand to indicate they should stop and shut up as he tries to eavesdrop. His vampire hearing is pretty excellent today (listen 29), but he doesn't want Mark yammering to interfere. He edges around the vent to try and look, while simultaneously trying to stay out of sight (spot 14, hide 14).]

1/2

[usurping]

[ ♬ By Your Command - Richard Gibbs

In order to stay hidden, he's only able to see a tiny sliver of the faces below: one a man with carefully arranged blonde hair and a pointed goatee, dressed all in a black outfit that seems to have an almost military cut. The other is a very short, balding man with large wild eyes.

The first is the one who seemed to be arguing... and still seems evidently frustrated. ]

What do you mean, postponed?

Re: 1/2

[snivelling]

[ behind spike, mark falls instantly and obediently quiet, as the other little man babbles a reply ] W-well, you see, apparently they've had a uh, a find, and wish to bring her on board before the meeting, you see, so that she can be accounted for in the ... in the plans, so Mr. Becksworth and Mr. Greenwall can't arrive until... for another few days. But Mr. Becksworth has arranged for somewhere for you to stay with your security detail that will be, uh, very safe and very discreet, Mister er, Prime Minister... sir.

[bigbad]

[Well, this is interesting. What's a Prime Minister doing here of all places? And who is this new find? And which Becksworth? Could they mean Chad? He glances over at his teammates and doesn't even breathe as he continues listening.]

1/2

[usurping]

[ mark and thomas have both gone rather stone faced, listening intently. the prime minister steps beyond the short man, one arm folded behind his back as he frowns at the wall. ]

I don't think you quite understand me, Dilbert. [ the shorter man mumbles "Gilbert" underneath his breath, but the politician doesn't seem to notice ] Unlike Mr. Becksworth and Mr. Greenwall, I have a country to run. And a number of projects to oversee that outstrip anything Chad has been running underneath this godforsaken hall of idolatry. [ he gestures at the room around him with contempt ]

[snivelling]

I understand that, sir, certainly [ he presses his hands together against his lips ] but er, I'm afraid the only other option would be for you to take a return flight when they-- when they have arrived.

[bigbad]

[So it is the elusive Chad Becksworth they're dealing with. How interesting. So are Mark and Thomas' reactions. Do they know more about this than he does? As much as he mocks Mark for his incompetence, he has been a Knight longer than Spike. He makes a mental note to ask them about it when they can talk again.]

1/-

[usurping]

And chance missing their next arrangement when something else turns up at the last moment due to their ill preparation? I think not. I'll take that room, but I want Asha on security detail. She's the best we've got.