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!"

[midpointmods]

"I'm terribly sorry, sir--" The waiter moves to follow him, but stops - the entire room does, in fact - when the sound of high heels tacking down the stairs, cutting through the air like claws.

"That's alright, Adrian," a familiar voice calls out, authority underlining every word. She's still wearing the leopard-print turtleneck, but now it's over a long-sleeved blouse, wrapped in a vest that really enhances her cleavage even under the layers. Instead of leather pants, she has a dark, billowing skirt, and the click of heels beneath it stops as she stands at the dead centre of the imperial stairs. "He's here to see me."

[givemyrightarm]

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

[chalicejoker]

"I was wondering when you'd show yourself." So that's who he'd been sensing. Just knowing helped a lot.

Any sort of air of menace Hajime might have tried to cultivate is probably going to be blown out of the water by Ryo's cheery "Hello!" and wave at her.

[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.

[midpointmods]

She doesn't look impressed by his posturing at all. Nothing's changed there, at least. She was a Queen for a reason. The giant mantis gets a curious look, an arched brow, but she summarily ignores it.

"I show myself at my leisure," she says flatly. The entire room seems to hang on her every word. "But if you want to do something about it, then you'll come with me."

She doesn't wait for him; she turns sharply and strides, with that usual unshakeable confidence, back up the stairs.

[givemyrightarm]

"If you'd been here, yes." The It's your own damned fault you weren't remains mercifully unstated. "We met with Tiffany Jamesson this morning, as scheduled."

[chalicejoker]

"Fine." The whole interpersonal thing with staff or whatever? Hajime's never seen the need. Stupid royals. He doesn't have the patience for that, or much of anything else about this world and this scenario. He follows her, resisting the urge to grumble aloud.

"Bye!" Ryo gives a cheerful wave to all the nice people in the foyer.

[chalicejoker]

"How'd that go?" Probably important, really.

[givemyrightarm]

Yes, it was. "It was decided to employ a decoy."

[midpointmods]

Everyone is still staring at him, even with the Madame gone, but as he climbs up the stairs conversation slowly bubbles up indistinctly behind him.

The Tiger Undead doesn't stray too far; she's waiting for him at the next floor, before she pushes open a door marked with 'Madame's Office - Do Not Enter'. Inside is much less of an office than... a bedroom.

Yes, there's a desk pushed to one side, with a fancy leather-backed chair, but there's also a large queen-sized bed, with bookshelves on either side - and a very exciting variety of sex toys decorate all of the shelves. She doesn't sit down, though; instead she stands in the middle of her den, arms folded, standing tall and proud and entirely unimpressed.

"Close the door."

[chalicejoker]

"I guess that could work." Even if Hajime's not a fan of any plan Fuwa had a hand in making. "We can't make it too obvious."

[givemyrightarm]

"No, we can't... which is why it won't be me."

[chalicejoker]

Hajime sort of kicks it shut behind him, not turning his back to her. There's a hint of confusion at the whole bedroom layout--now that he's identified the other Undead, some portion of his brain's processing power has returned to work at identifying other things.

"Hi!" Ryo says. "I'm Ryo!"

"Not now, Ryo." Hajime is trying very hard to be serious here and Ryo is not exactly helping.

"What's that?" Ryo's pointing at something on one of the shelves. If Hajime's lightly but firmly holding him in one hand now, it's because Hajime has realized that under no circumstances should Ryo go over there and touch whatever it is he's pointing at. At least that means he's not going to charge in an attack.

Hajime is trying to return his attention to the Tiger Undead. "The hell is going on here, anyway?" It's not how he saw this playing out in his mind.

"Wants to take the Battle Fight outside!" Ryo understands that better than a great many objects in this room.

[chalicejoker]

"So, what, we hire someone from the town?" Hajime frowns slightly. "If we just dress up a mannequin, they'll pick up on that. But I guess we could throw them off by making it look like we underestimate their intelligence that badly."

[givemyrightarm]

"No. We pick the one of us who has two arms and is closest to her in build. In other words: you."

1/2

[chalicejoker]

2/2

[chalicejoker]

"The hell? How dark is it going to be, and how bad is their eyesight?!" Clearly, Hajime is not a fan of this plan. "That's a terrible idea!"

"Gonna look pretty in a dress," Ryo says solemnly.

[givemyrightarm]

"We don't exactly have a lot of options," Irene points out.