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Post by Krakenbox on Mar 24, 2021 15:29:13 GMT -8
It turns out the Bishop of Blackbirds actually wasn't that bad with investigative logistics and organizing teams. The Fairest Dancer made due on his promise to be early to the block. It was Sunday, and he made mention via text that most of the population seemed to be Latin American and a lot of people were attending Church. The streets were largely quiet for now, and would be rushed with business and late breakfast by families once service was over around 11:00. Both avenues provided different paths of information.The block itself was seeing the creep of economic depression, with a few businesses barely holding on and most of the neighbourhood shopping locally as an unspoken deal to support one another from going under. The street itself was apartments above shops, with a few houses here and there in the crowded alleyways.Mitchell had his Tesla parked behind a tattoo shop. It stood out, and frankly stunk of naiveté. Riley sensed he probably didn't have a lot of hard street smarts and generally relied on his affable nature to get him by. The shock of white leaned against the colourful graffiti in a black leather jacket, pink v-neck and dark jeans. He was only armed with a cell phone, leaving the tote bag in the trunk (another bad call).
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Mar 24, 2021 21:13:29 GMT -8
Riley wasn't going to walk into Whitney, into Winters Fiefdom unprepared. Something about all this had rubbed the darkling the wrong way, and they were still trying to place what it was. So they came prepared. Mitch received a test response. Today, his name was Rick. Shaggy dark hair, short trimmed goatee and sideburns, dark brown eyes, and an angular face. He was handsome, but his hair a mess. His clothes were nothing of note, blending in with the local crowds. Rick had once been a short fling of Riley's. He had forgotten his hoodie at their place once a long time ago; today, he wore it once again. He had arrived by bus to the designated location and waited around, taking in the surroundings and spying Mitch by his tesla, parked in front of the tattoo shop. He knew already his work was going to be cut out for him. Crossing the street, he approached. "Mitch, hey. Rick" He held his a hand out to shake. He was gave the Dancer meaningful eye contact and a familiar smile. "You been here long?" He glanced towards the tote on the trunk of the car. "Ya, know leaving your shit out ain't always the best around here."
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Oren
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written by Hiver
Posts: 242
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Post by Oren on Mar 25, 2021 13:16:05 GMT -8
Of course the fucker drove a Tesla. Ruby D'Orsay dressed casually. Working clothes, for moving around, heavy lifting, and going back and forth between tasks. The kind of loose-fitting outerwear for gyms and U-Hauls, with a simple jacket for stashing a knife or two. There was no way she was waving a rapier here. Mitch stood by another man, one she didn't recognize. But she understood as well as anyone that running an operation required an ensemble cast. Ruby wanted three things: a close eye on Mitchell Carr, an ear for Spring motleys, and a taste of the Hedge. And more than anything, she desperately wished for a convergence of the three. Give me toil and trouble. "Hey. Are we waiting for more people?"
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Mar 25, 2021 16:18:30 GMT -8
Mitch blinked for a moment, having to put two and two together with Riley's warning and then a stranger appearing. Flashes of blue and bronze feathers swish through the dancing lights on the concrete, heralding Spring. He smiled,
"Hey Rick! Um, just a couple of hours. I didn't want to make anyone get up at a crazy time." The Dancer sounded sincere, if a bit embarrassed as Riley pointed out the trunk. "It's locked, don't worry."
He detached from the wall at Ruby's approach, "I'm not sure. I think Archie mentioned something about learning the lay of the land... politically. I think we're just supposed to look for anything weird, or, talk to some business owners about the buy-out and see why they're staying."
The Fairest didn't seem to be interested in floating break-ins or using invisibility to snoop around while someone was distracted. Either just to save face or he genuinely didn't of it. "Bit of a weird project, but if Chugunkin wants me to make sure nothing weird happens, I'm down. There's several apartments. Two are convenience stores with a hair dresser, one's a grocery store, a florist, a laundromat, and a bakery. Hasta el Fuego's a popular biker bar, and the bakery does breakfast with a lot of Sunday traffic. There's also a sort of unofficial daycare thing going where a lot of the moms arrange their schedules so one's child minding while the rest work."
Well, apparently Mitch did coast quite far on just dreams and his personality.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Mar 25, 2021 19:30:30 GMT -8
Rick raised a hand in greeting Ruby. Who or what that courtier wanted in this situation was still to be determined. But Rick was here for a different job right now.
"Thanks for doing an initial look around; you didn't need to do that, dude," Rick said with a smile after the report.
He glanced down the street and along the area. "You are not wrong; it is an odd job. I know Archie is looking for great visual work. We need information from the people here. Anything we can learn that might make working with them easier and the transition less painful is key."
And if Winter is connected to all this.
Rick took a moment to take Mitch in. How was he feeling about this situation, about today?
"walking door to door in the apartments ain't great. But it could be a place to overhear things or talk to the offices about the rental possibility. I'd say the local stores and street life will give us more natural places to meet people."
Rick paused, thinking about it all.
"I say, we hit the apartment and talk with offices, one of the stores, bakery, and bar. But I am down to play it by ear."
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Oren
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written by Hiver
Posts: 242
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Post by Oren on Mar 26, 2021 8:20:35 GMT -8
"Can't go wrong with a deli. Do we want to split up or...?"
There wasn't an implication of wanting to work in any particular configuration. It was more about taking the temperature of the group. Winter was less of a concern to her. Her focus was more...singular. One of Spring fillies.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Mar 26, 2021 12:48:50 GMT -8
Rick agreed splitting up seemed a good use of their time. He would keep in contact via text if anything was needed. His first stop was the Apartment buildings. He was passing himself off as someone searching for a new home. His questions were designed to a sense of the economic impacts of housing in the area. Were there vacancies? How much was rental costs? Measuring the management responses to get a feel for what pressures they were on with the buyouts. After that Rick moved to deal with the community at large, focusing his time at the Bar and social gathering spots. He looked like he belonged, or at least passively so. Not speaking Spanish was a challenge, one that Rick wished he had focused on back in Texas, but now it was to late. Using his charm and people skills, he aim to learn more about the community and its current mindset. - What was the atmosphere of the community?
- Their feelings on changes in the area?
- Were they held here for financial reasons?
- Or was it deeper, community, relationships, families or ideas, etc.
Through it all, Rick kept his eyes open for any sign of possible Changeling involvement, using his Kenning to see if anything leaped out throughout the day.
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Oren
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written by Hiver
Posts: 242
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Post by Oren on Mar 28, 2021 13:22:17 GMT -8
Ruby's first thought was to speak to the soul of the town. Honesty can seep between beer belches, so the Bar would be her first stop. She'd offer to take one of them home and scope out the surrounding Apartments soon after. When given the opportunity to do so, Ruby would mirror Mitchell. Tread where he did. Support him, when he needed to stick a landing with the residents of Whitney. - What's keeping you here?
- Any family elsewhere?
- Unemployment
- Are any of them undocumented?
- More generally, how can I help?
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Post by Krakenbox on Mar 29, 2021 16:55:35 GMT -8
That atmosphere was largely tight knit, but with an undercurrent of grief due to intergenerational trauma born of poverty, lack of structural support, and gang violence. A lot of people have lost someone, or have family members looking to criminal activity to get by in support or escape. There was a lot of nervousness, but also pride; the money being offered to some was life-changing, but leaving behind their community was painful. Some who had taken buy-outs were seen as cowards or in the most extremes traitorous, making hold-out harder on the rest. Financial limitations were one, others were familial ties where older members were there illegally or a younger member heavily tied into local crime and abandoning wasn't an option. Some knew they couldn't afford the education to escape debts, or that the pay-out was only a band-aid that would collapse in a few years with other familial burdens. Plus, bailing on a community where you were among others of a shared culture and experience for a wider community that largely looked down on Latin Americans as invaders was unpleasant.
As Riley uses Kenning for a blanket assessment notes that some mortals in the area have had magic used on them.
As Ruby presses about moving on from the neighbourhood towards a brighter future, with Mitchell channeling the virtues of Spring to weave the conversation, there's fear about owed debts and what can happen to family members if one were to abandon the block.
Looking beyond, it becomes slowly apparent that there's an unspoken albatross where most of the populace here is stick in money laundering operations or ties to criminal protection rackets due to the poor police presence and lack of public funding.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2021 17:05:56 GMT -8
Archie quickly took the time to check his sources and feelers from checking if there was anything noteworthy about these metal heads out of Whitney before he was in the Tesla and on his way to the rundown neighborhood and meeting up with Mitch, ‘Ruby’, and Riley. He was hoping he had more than just his carousing to go on and maybe had something from the mundane side. He sent a message for the group to meet up by a food truck so he could get themselves a bite to eat. Archie of course was too hungry to care about waiting and had ordered himself a Ribeye burrito from Turk-n-yaki. It wasn’t to die for but it was good enough. He was just waiting for the trio now and then show and tell could begin. Strong King - Archie — 03/29/2021
Dead heading
Do I know anything about these Metal Heads?
Wits + Socialize + Entertainment
@dicecord-CoD roll 9
Dicecord-CoD
BOT
— 03/29/2021
@strong King - Archie rolled 9 dice and got 4 successes. 1 8 5 5 3 10(8) 5 8 5
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Mar 31, 2021 19:53:38 GMT -8
Rick, Mitch, and Ruby had met up to talk over their findings. With Archie joining them, Rick informed the others before getting ready to meet him.
Arriving, Rick raised a hand in greeting Archie.
"Archie, hey," he gave him a smile as he approached.
"Thanks for joining us. We've got our work cut out for us."
Rick took the time to make sure what he had not covered over the phone was laid out.
"Archie pinged some winters folks, that might deal with what I was sensing around the block."
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Apr 2, 2021 22:10:24 GMT -8
With Ruby in tow, Mitchell stared at the burrito for a beat before flicking his attention between Rick and Archie.
"Oh! Can't say I'm surprised; we're in their fiefdom... Who are we talking about?" He smoothed his hair and adjusts his posture in a cavalier fashion, but the group was starting to get used to the fact that the Dancer seemed incapable of naturally expressing discomfort or nerves.
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Oren
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written by Hiver
Posts: 242
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Post by Oren on Apr 3, 2021 12:55:56 GMT -8
"Should I have brought something warmer to wear?"
This was serious work, but a little levity couldn't hurt. A small smile in the face of the Cold Snap could do the Emerald fillies some good, if only for a little while. She could kill for some chorizo, and was glad enough to see they had just enough to give her something filling. Community service really awakened her craving for street food. Yes, that's right, Ruby likes street food.
"Everyone just seems...stuck. And with nowhere really left to go, they're all just sort of, wading in circles until their heels grind to dust. That's no way to live."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2021 16:30:11 GMT -8
Was...Was this actually happening.
“Oh hey, hi...Have we met?”
Who the frick is Rick?
Meanwhile to Ruby?
“And are we...are we still playing dress up? I thought this was done at the club.”
How long was this disguise thing going to go on for?
And Mitch was staring at his burrito.
“Would you like one?”
Archie would buy Mitch a burrito.
At this stage he would also concisely explain what he had found out.
“It looks like we are dealing with two entrenched courtiers, Cailleagh - wicked singer, wicked archer, and now apparently a wicked soft spot for helping other addicts. Her partner in crime is Mordecai, professional but walks the line of playing the part of a metal badass. Together they have a band called Watchtower, so that seems to be where the locals are getting their resonance from. Anything specific in terms of names or groups come up from your end? I got the basics from Riley.”
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Apr 3, 2021 20:07:53 GMT -8
Rick smirked realizing that Archie hadn't put two to two together. That was good thing in long run.
"Yeah, Close Friend of Riles, Chill with Linden, and we shared a few lobster rolls once or twice" He gave a wink that seemed rather familiar. "Watchtower? I know them. Ran into them back during the Revenant out break. If needed I could probably setup a chat. As for organizations, no names yet. But the block is pretty tied up in. A lot of the families here are tied up in gang and criminal debt. Not to mention alot...alot of cultural and communal baggage and pride. These folks aren't just going to buy out, and those who do wont have a network to support them after"
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