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

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!"

[worthallthis]

There's been a few sightings of the giant robot-man around Tiffany's house... but Soldat has been completely out of sight since their first night's recon, and Inara blends in well, so unless she's directly under their view, it's hard to pick her out from the variety of rotating human extras in town. Soldat, unlike Fuwa, knows all the normal sniper nests around Tycoon Depot, and actually makes new ones of his own by virtue of seventy years of practice at it.

Currently he's on top of the nearby shop, hidden safely behind the decorative sign, his rifle resting on the (safely gloved and sleeved, so there's no betraying glint in the sunlight) metal hand, waiting for the right shot. (Jesus, is that dog Ryo? Fuwa said he could shapeshift. So. Maybe. Fuck. Yeah, I know. No. Gotta do it, Asset. No. ... I know.)

If it wasn't Daylight and Inara's first time, they might well just throw the match. Let Fuwa's team win. This is the next best option for the two of them, and for Fuwa. (Maybe we'll... spot them some points or something. Hajime and Ryo. Maybe.)

As Hajime-as-Tiffany stamps out from behind a hanging pot that had been blocking him from Soldat's line of sight, Soldat aims, breathes out, and fires for the spot right below the rim of that bonnet: directly between his eyes. (I'm sorry, pal.)

[chalicejoker]

Hajime just barely has time for his Undead plot bullshit senses senses to spring to full alert for half a second before he goes down and learns that yes, Undead really can die here and the Tiger Undead wasn't just screwing with him.

This may be alarmingly green to anyone in the area.

None are more alarmed than Ryo. The puppy makes a noise that is something between a scream and a sad puppy yelp, and then he just starts absolutely howling at the top of his lungs as he sits there trying to process what just happened.

[ragingwolf]

There's nothing Fuwa can do but stare when Hajime suddenly drops, splattering-- green on the ground - but he's a trained fucking professional.

"Naki!"

With a bit of help.

Fuwa's body goes unnaturally still, and he stands loosely at attention. He can feel a splitting headache forming, as the Humagear looks around sharply, tapping into the nearby cameras they can detect - and then stares directly at Soldat's hiding spot.

"Sniper located." There's a strange edge to his voice, soft and flat.

Then he jerks, and Fuwa is ripping open his Progrise key before he starts running, slamming it into his ShotRiser as he shouts, "You bastard!"

[worthallthis]

Honestly, green blood isn't the weirdest thing Soldat has seen. They take it in stride, only wince a little at Ryo's howling, and pointedly do not aim the rifle for Fuwa. Or the puppy. They set it gently aside, tucked under a tarp, to retrieve later, and pull out a knife.

Time to let Fuwa find them and beat on them a while.

And then Fuwa's found him. That was faster than anticipated. And that voice was... very Asset-like. (Did we sound that creepy? Yes. ... yeah, I guess we did.)

Soldat jumps down to land heavily in the street. The bystanders are all fleeing, well aware of what is likely to go down now. Some duck into nearby shops to watch, like idiots. They'll have to keep a sliver of attention on them to make sure there aren't any casualties. Besides themselves and Hajime, anyway.

[ragingwolf]

Fuwa fires when the sniper leaps (cutting off the repeating rhythm of Kamen~ Rider~), and his shot glances off the man's metal arm to ricochet wildly back so Fuwa can throw a fist into it and transform. His armour is fully in place in moments, so he can rush in and try to punch the sniper in the fucking face as hard as he can. He's not even talking, just grunting in pure rage as he goes for the hits.

[worthallthis]

Moments, maybe, but that would still be plenty of time to get a shot off, if Soldat had bothered to get out another gun. They aren't going to make it easy for Fuwa-- because the guy will surely be able to tell, and it would probably only make him more angry-- but they're not aiming to kill anyone else today.

They block the punch with the metal arm, because they saw it coming a mile away, and angle the arm enough to let it glance aside rather than trying to take the full force of it. Just in case there's enhancements in that armor. The flesh hand has the knife in it, and they slash precisely at Fuwa's helmeted face. They've honestly got no idea what this armor is like, structure-wise, but the punch didn't feel like metal. Maybe it'll take a knife.

[ragingwolf]

Even the glancing punch has a solid impact to it - close to something Soldat might deliver himself. Fuwa sees the knife, but doesn't move in time to avoid it slashing across his helmet; a flash of sparks streaks across his visor with the hideous shriek of metal on ceramic.

He goes to grab the flesh wrist, though, shoving his arm up as he swings his gun in, pressing it against the sniper's chest and firing point-blank, as many times as he can before the man shakes him. He's not planning to back out of close combat range, he's too confident in his armour and he wants the sniper to fucking eat it.

[worthallthis]

Fuwa is not messing around. But Soldat can't let it be over too quickly, either. They need this distraction to last long enough for Daylight and Inara to get past Irene and get Tiffany. And also, for Fuwa to actually get out some of his anger.

So they're grabbed, but they can't take multiple bullets to the chest just yet. Not even the tactical vest under their flannel will completely protect him from that. Instead, they twist aside, turning fluidly outward so that Fuwa's grip on their arm is now over their shoulder, and use said grip on their arm to try and throw him, using their shoulder (and super-strength) as leverage.

[ragingwolf]

The twist gets an annoyed grunt, that turns into a yelp when he's hauled over Soldat's shoulder and flung at top speed down the street.

He hits the ground rolling, ignoring the screams of people scattering at his sudden proximity, and scrambles back to his feet, already yanking his second - and only other - key off the holster at his belt, ripping it open somewhat awkwardly with his gun still in hand, and jams it in to fire at the sniper. Another bullet whips around Soldat, and this time Fuwa backhands it, and the wolf armour gets changed out for gorilla-like body armour.

He lifts both hulking forearms over his head with a furious roar, and when he slams them both down into the ground the immediate area trembles violently, and he launched from the crater he just made to try and swing at Soldat's chest. The attack is slower, it's immediately apparent, but with a much more dangerous sense of momentum behind it.

[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.

[givemyrightarm]

Irene sticks close to Tiffany, looking decidedly unimpressed at Daylight's display. "I suppose you talk a good game, at least."

[pennycopper]

Tiffany, on the other hand, looks quite impressed. There's a split second where she looks excited-- she'd been afraid she wouldn't get anything fun out of this at all-- before she puts a hand to her heart and the other to Irene's shoulder. The one without the arm, so she's not in the way if her "bodyguard" wants to fight. "What a villain, Irene! He's so huge!"

She steps back, closer to where Inara is sneaking up, letting Irene stand between her and "danger".

[givemyrightarm]

"So I see."

She eyes Daylight speculatively. If the teams are equal in number, then it's possible that one of them is still skulking around here, with the third keeping an eye on Hajime (assuming they didn't see through the ruse immediately and decide not to bother, anyway). Which means at least some of this display is probably for show. "What do you plan to do if we refuse?"

[sunborne]

....

.....

......

........

This wasn't part of the script. At all. Is this how genuine bad guys felt when they met with Nightbreak or Emer's flat 'no' at them? Poor guys.

Pausing in his tracks, the glow coming from under Daylight's plating can be seen visibly getting dim as a look of confusion overcomes his expression. His winglets can be seen drooping down hard and fast behind him while he tries to take in the reply. "Wait- What?" The deep 'evil' voice he's using is dropped in his state of confusion. Daylight sounds a lot younger and, well, less evil. "What do you mean if you refuse? I... I don't know? I never thought we-"

No! Bad guy! You're playing the bad guy, Daylight! It means you have to roll with these sort of moments.

"I mean-! If you refuse-! We- I-" Trying to think of something on the spot, Daylight finally blurts out what he thinks is, obviously, the next best thing he can say when faced with this hiccup: "Ah yes, this is going according to the plans then! We'll take you as well, bodyguard!" Wait. What.

Daylight's processors are going full !!!! at his words, knowing that it was contradicting some of his earlier statements. He shushes them as he ramps back up his generation, bringing back the dancing electricity as he continues to talk: "I'm sure your teammates will be willing to play nice with us if we had you as well, my pre-" Euuuurgh. Even he wasn't going to go that far. He decides to skip that and go straight for:

"Muwahahaha! Two birds in one stone! Yes, this will work out for us perfectly. Muwahahahahaha!"

Oh yes, he's doing the evil laugh. Complete with generating 'evil' crackling lightning of his own making to make it look dramatic and eye-catching as possible for Inara.

[givemyrightarm]

Irene considers this. "Fine. We refuse."

[unofficial_ambassador]

You know what? This is fine. It could be better, obviously, but Irene and Tiffany seem to be playing along for now. If it comes to it, Inara has salvaged terrible acting before (the time she'd had to rescue Mal and Zoe from a failed train escape comes to mind).

She's really not sure how well the villain facade is going to handle a direct refusal like that, though - or whether Irene might lose patience with this whole thing and simply chop his head off - so she reaches out from her position behind the two women to grab Tiffany by the wrist.

[pennycopper]

Tiffany squeaks and jumps, much more convincingly than her display of "fear" a moment ago. Being suddenly touched from behind is a less charming surprise than giant robots pretending (badly) to be villains.

Of course, spinning around to confront the grabber finds a very lovely young lady, and Tiffany's startle turns into a dumbfounded blink. "Are you with the robot?"

[unofficial_ambassador]

"Yes. I realize he's..." She does her best. "... Terrifying. And he does love a good evil monologue, apparently, but the rest of your team of bodyguards is only going to be distracted for so long, so now that you've both refused to cooperate we’re going to have to take you away."

[givemyrightarm]

Irene turns just enough that she can see Inara, and inwardly sighs. Despite... everything about this... she's tried to take this assignment at seriously as she can, and it rankles that Inara could get so close.

Still, what's done is done, she supposes. "Tiffany. Do you want me to fight our way out, or would you rather we go with them? I know you have been less than happy with us as a whole."

(She probably should have asked Tiffany before she'd refused for her, but this assignment has been more like a weird form of play-acting, and Irene has never been all that good with play-acting.)