Round 84: The Kidnapping of Tiffany Jamesson

[midpointmods]

PLAYERS: Isamu Fuwa, Quicksword Irene, Hajime Aikawa VS. Bucky Barnes, Daylight vis Lornlit, Inara Serra
LOCATION: Tycoons' Depot
GOAL: Assume and maintain custody of Tiffany Jamesson
WARNINGS: Kidnapping, attempted murder, sex work mentions
OTHER: OOC post for plotting and questions!

After traveling most of the day, the sun is starting to set when the two teams reach Tycoons' Depot. Who arrives first depends on how quickly the teams get up and organized that morning, and how hard they want to push their horses.

The active portion of the round doesn’t start until the next morning, anyway. After scouting around and making plans, everyone can enjoy a room at the Bullion Inn under the watchful eye of the Madame (for a crisp points price, of course), camp rough just outside town, or bully or bribe one of the locals into letting them borrow their home for the night. Looking around proves there are, in fact, a number of possibly empty houses around the town’s outskirts, if the players would like to brave one of those.

In the morning, it’s time to go. Tiffany Jamesson, a sixteen year old girl with a brilliant smile and auburn hair done up in ringlets, has horseback riding at nine in full-on cowgirl attire, lunch at noon and piano lessons at one in a yellow dress of frothy lace, a nap from three to four when the day is at its hottest, and then dinner with her father at six in a pretty pink affair before retiring for the night afterwards. When will the kidnappers strike? When will the protectors show their hand? The teams have three days in which to accomplish their goal. The clock is ticking.

Comments

[chalicejoker]

[I - Arrival]
Ryo's a bit tired when they get into town, but that's fine, he's done a good job being a pony, and now it's Hajime's turn to carry the mantis on his shoulder. The Undead vibe he's been getting has been getting stronger and stronger as they've traveled, and he's tried very hard to behave. Wait for it...wait for it...

And as soon as he thinks he can get away with it, he's going to try to make an absolute beeline for the Bullion Inn without realizing exactly what sorts of services it offers. That. That place is where the Undead energy he's been sensing is coming from. FINALLY.

"Whee!" He's moving fast enough that Ryo, clinging to his shoulder, thinks it's fast enough and fun enough to comment on.

[II - Evening]
After Hajime emerges from the brothel looking far more settled down and completely failing to fully grasp the implications of this, he'll...go seek out the rest of the team. Why not.

"Hi!" Ryo says once they encounter one of his teammates. "We were scouting the area! Definitely just scouting the area!" They did not discuss this beforehand, but honestly, it's going about as well as if they had.

[III - Morning Of]
Hajime's dressed as inconspicuously as possible and is trying very hard not to attract much attention. There's even no sign of Ryo...because Ryo is currently a ball python hidden in Hajime's shirt. Time to keep an eye on this kid without anyone getting shot, he supposes.

I - Arrival

[midpointmods]

The Bullion Inn may not openly advertise its services, but everyone knows. So when Hajime walks in, he'll see a number of attractive women (and not a small number of equally attractive men) milling around, talking to locals and reclining in very suggestive manners on the lounges available in the open entrance-cum-bar.

A man who looks to be in his very handsome forties approaches him, wearing a suit that frames his well-toned body a little too well. "Welcome to the Bullion Inn, sir. Might I be able to help you with something?"

[chalicejoker]

There may very well be an audible whooshing noise with as badly as the atmosphere is going over Hajime's head. (Ryo waves cheerfully at a few people. They seem nice.) "I'm looking for someone." He frowns slightly, feeling out the other Undead's presence. "In there somewhere."

[midpointmods]

The waiter smiles altogether too pleasantly. "If you have someone in mind whose company you'd like to keep, I'd be more than happy to see if they're currently available."

At the other end of the spacious area there's an imperial staircase, a wide set of stairs that branches into two leading to the next floor; that's definitely where the Undead Vibes are coming from.

[chalicejoker]

Hajime's brain still has not quite latched onto what is going on here, and he just keeps walking towards that staircase. "They're in there."

"Sorry," Ryo says, a note of apology in his voice, "is very focused."

III

[givemyrightarm]

Fortunately or unfortunately for Hajime, Irene finds him almost immediately. "Gotten it out of your system?"

[chalicejoker]

Hajime shrugs. "I suppose so."


"Ready for action now!" Ryo says. "Can focus!"

[givemyrightarm]

Irene nods at Ryo. "Good. You'll need to." She turns her attention back to Hajime. "We have a plan."

[chalicejoker]

Ryo is at this point a ball python draped around Hajime's neck, and he picks up his head. "Oooooh! A plan!"

"I could've helped come up with one," Hajime says. The irritation in his voice probably isn't warranted given how quickly he ran off, but it's there nonetheless.

[ragingwolf]

[I. Arrival]

Fuwa had told his team last night, that they're going to be leaving early - he wants the greatest chance possible to scope out their target, actively protect her, and be prepared for whoever might be trying to steal her from them.

They leave as the sun starts coming up over the horizon, and arrive as the worst of the heat starts baking into their clothes, before the sun quite sets.

And Fuwa's first task, once he gets his horse situated in the local stables, is lead his team and approach their mark with all of his usual brusque politeness. "Miss Jamesson? You're the kidnapping mark for this round - we're your bodyguards."

[II. Evening]

Funnily enough, being someone's bodyguard was exactly what Fuwa was doing before he got trapped in all this mess. It's not exactly fresh in his mind anymore, but the point is he has formal experience, which he sorely feels like Hajime is missing. Which means he's taking the time, late in the evening, to explore the young woman's schedule in advance.

Every now and then on his patrol he stops, holds a hand to the Bluetooth-style earpiece he's constantly wearing, and seems to be... talking to someone. Which is markedly unusual, since no one else has a second earpiece like that.

"How about around here? ...really, not even that one? ...got it." And then he moves on.

[III. On Guard]]]

Fuwa has claimed an abandoned house as his base of operations. He can't afford the Bullion Inn for an entire round. He's stashed his usual coat in there, trading up for a dark brown leather vest and long coat, black shirt and dark chaps over his slacks, and a hat to hide the worst of his wavy hair. He still has his earpiece on, his ShotRiser and its belt tucked under his vest, and is trying to keep a subtle distance from his mark while still keeping a clear line of action if he needs to access her quickly. It's going to be a tricky two weeks, but he thinks they've got this.

Honestly, he's more worried about the other team trying something on them rather than them going for Tiffany, so he's keeping an eye out where he can. He's only human, though - he can't keep an eye on every direction at once.

I. Tiffany

[pennycopper]

It's impossible to find Tiffany Jamesson until the morning after they arrive. She's locked up safely in her house all night, and not accepting visitors.

However, if Fuwa and the other come by first thing in the morning, before her riding lesson, they can catch her at breakfast. She looks, if anything, kind of annoyed at the interruption, rolling her eyes and everything. (Also, she is definitely not sixteen, despite the careful curls and the girlish gown.) "Wow. Polite, aren't you. I can't believe the butler even let you in. I have things to do today, mister bodyguard."

[ragingwolf]

Oh good, he dislikes her already. He wonders if she'll be more or less infuriating than Delmo.

"We have higher authority than your butler," he says, shifting to put his hands in his pockets. "And we don't plan on stopping you from leaving. The three of us will be taking turns guarding you during your daily routine."

[pennycopper]

"Three? I don't see three of you." She looks past him pointedly. They appear to have lost Hajime at some point. "And you don't look like you have a higher authority than Daddy's butler."

[ragingwolf]

"--what?"

He turns sharply to look back. Irene is unmistakeable, but Hajime...

...is nowhere to be fucking seen.

Fuwa's fists curl automatically. That bastard...

Bucky/Soldat - Kidnappers Team, Part I

[worthallthis]

I. Tycoon Depot

The town is nicer than Midpoint, for all it's quieter, and not as spread out. All the buildings are clustered around the train station, and it's clear which ones are the homes of the wealthy. Also clear, which one is the Bullion Inn, as it looks almost as nice as the manor houses.

"We can stay at the inn," Soldat says as they ride into town (or walk and lead his horse, in Daylight's case, if he hasn't tried out riding yet). "Or find the servant houses on the map and see if we can stay there. Or find an empty house. There are some. Won't be able to do anything important until tomorrow besides scouting."


II. Bait and Switch

Soldat is in their preferred position at first, staked out on the roof of Booker's General Store, with their rifle and scope. The plan is to catch Tiffany on her way out of her residence and on her way to her riding lessons, Inara acting as the diplomat to win her over with their story and Daylight to make it more believable and Soldat keeping watch for her protection detail, but right away it's clear... something's not right. That's no sixteen year old girl (or even a female type person at all, for that matter).

They whistle the "call it off" signal immediately, before anyone can get close enough for a fight, and swing down from the roof to convene between the buildings. "Decoy," they say, disgusted. "Fuwa's team got to her first." How do they know it's Fuwa's team? Because that was Hajime, under that bonnet and frilly skirt. "We have to find where they've put her."

I.

[unofficial_ambassador]

"It might not be bad to be seen staying in a few different places." The crime part of her recent lifestyle has never exactly been Inara’s wheelhouse but you pick some things up from proximity. "Make it harder for them to track us back to a specific base of operations once things get going."

She still can't really let herself think of it as a kidnapping, which probably doesn't bode well.

alright if we did a thread chain? if not, i can reply directly to the toplevel!

[sunborne]

Day raises his servo, nodding in agreement to Inara's idea. The more time they confuse the other team, the more time they have in getting this, er, objective of theirs done without hopefully no hitches. "I can go running around doing just that if you want. It's not going to be difficult to spot me." He turns to his hose he's been leading on foot, grinning at the animal. "Or this big fella if I bring them along. Isn't that right, buddy?"

His horse tries to reply with an attempt to bite down on Day's servo when he tries to pet them. He's quick to pull it back before anything unfortunate happens and quicker to lean his lesson. "Okay! Okay! No petting without permission. Gotcha."

absolutely cool with me

[worthallthis]

"We have gotta do something about that horse," Soldat says, mostly to themselves, because what are they gonna do about a biting horse that seems to like the taste of metal, anyway?

"We can stable the horses without having to pay," they add, more for their benefit this time. "And. Even if we split up, we shouldn't stay out of touch for long." The thought of having them both out from under Soldat's protection makes them a little nervous.

Late Week 1

[ragingwolf]

It's Fuwa's turn to look after "Tiffany". He and Irene had swapped just a few hours ago, and now the real Tiffany was off with Irene on the other side of the town at horse riding practice, while Fuwa was taking his stubborn charge for a walk through the local boutiques.

(At least the Tiffanys had that in common.)

He's not staying immediately close to his mark, instead staying a few metres back; until he decides to walk up beside Hajime in his pretty wig and dress, so he can ask quietly, "You seen any of them yet?"

[chalicejoker]

Hajime might have a wig, bonnet, and dress, but his body language suggests anything but a peppy young girl. There's only so much that can be done, after all. And he still really hates this plan. "No. Not yet." There is something in his voice that suggests he's very willing to attack and break cover when he does.

At least the adorable puppy in "Tiffany's" arms looks the part. "Me neither!" Ryo's very proud of his role here, okay. He's helping! And indeed, that Hajime's holding the puppy is probably the reason some sort of altercation hasn't broken out at a boutique.

[ragingwolf]

He's not particularly happy with that. Not knowing where they are means not knowing if the damn sniper was hiding nearby. Fuwa isn't familiar enough with Tycoons' Depot to know all the sniper nests yet.

"Well, keep watching out. Hopefully they'll target me for guarding you first," he grumbles, falling back into step a few paces behind.

He taps his earpiece thoughtfully, but holds off for now. Maybe later.

[chalicejoker]

"I'll be ready for that," Hajime says grimly as he continues on in a way that would probably be more convincing if he bothered to even come close to attempting to prance or do anything that wasn't an irritable close-to-stomping-but-not-quite. "Ryo's ready too." In that Ryo knew that he'd have to get the hell out of there once things got bad.

"Keeping an eye out!" Ryo says. "Looking real close! Smelling too!"

[pennycopper]

"Safely" on the other side of town from the "action", Tiffany is swinging down off her horse-- a spirfire bay mare who stamps in place and chews on her bit-- feeling relatively at ease. Of the three "bodyguards", Irene is the only one she feels even remotely positive towards. Stuck alone with her isn't so bad.

But with only Irene around, that does make it easier for one large metal boy and one small unarmored woman to sneak around the back of the barn as Tiffany hands her horse off to a groom and steps back outside.

[sunborne]

Day peers from behind the barn now and then, trying to make sure it's only Tiffany and one person. He dimly remembers there was a distinguishing feature for her - something about her... her leg? was it her leg? - but it's hard to recall right now when their target is right there in front of him and Inara. Besides, he's gotta keep his focus on his job here:

Distract the bodyguard, let Inara shoo Tiffany Jamesson to their agreed spot, and get out of the scuffle in one piece. Sounds easy enough because come on- How hard can it be?

After giving Inara a sufficient warning to stand at a very healthy distance - he seriously warns her to start jogging so she doesn't get hit, arc energy exposure to humans is never fun. - Daylight begins to generate an excessive amount of arc energy from his core. Daylight has gotten a lot better at controlling this stuff over the decades and it shows with how quick he draws it out, allowing it coil beneath his plating. The gathered energy hums with power underneath his plating, a visible purple-white glow visible from within him now.

He then wills it to crackle out through his seams in bursts of sparks and little explosions, making loud and obvious zap! and pop! sounds all the while. When he's sure he's got enough covering his form, he walks out into view and cackles evilly as possible while approaching them.

"Well, well, well- What do we have here? Tiffany Jamesson, the ticket to the big time, and only one bodyguard at her side?" Daylight can't keep a straight face at all for this, wondering how genuine bad guys can do stuff like this. He allows himself to smile as he (tries to) evilly laugh again, allowing the arc energy to dance and jump on his frame in an erratic, menacing matter. "You're making this way too easy on me."

He takes a dramatic step forward, stomping one foot down as hard as possible, trying his damndest to make the ground shake and to give emphasis to his larger build than either of them. "I'll only say this once: Give me the girl and no one gets hurt."

[unofficial_ambassador]

Inara isn't exactly certain what she’d been expecting when Daylight had offered to distract Irene (especially after he had warned her to keep her distance for safety reasons) but the panto villain dialogue definitely wasn't it. It seems that he hadn't really needed much pushing to be the showman after all.

They've likely only got a few minutes before all hell breaks loose on the other side of town. Inara is grateful once again that Soldat had talked her into more practical clothing for this as she sneaks up from the side. Hopefully, all that sparking (it reminds her of Anders a bit even if the source probably isn't a ghost) marks him as a threat to Irene, or she might not even get a chance to talk to Tiffany.