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Post by The Wyrd on Jun 13, 2021 18:01:26 GMT -8
A solid performance by Riley Sorsa, a rising star in the Burlesque world, this one at an arts festival in Los Angeles, California! Headlined by The Killers - brought to you by way of Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada - it was an excellent opportunity for Riley and members of their troupe to show off their talents to a new audience in an event that could properly qualify as High Profile. When the act was done and the set change was bustling behind a curtain, the stage crew hustled Riley and the crew out to their change rooms. They were done for the night, and they were free to join the VIPs to mingle. They'd done a good job. Not the kind of performance that made careers, but still - not bad! Was that Brandon Flowers flashing them a grin on the way past? Who knows? By the time Riley had the chance to look back, the frontman was gone in the bustling hallway. It took about forty minutes to get cleaned up, have a quick shower and change. Within the hour, the moth had joined their guests in the "VIP" section. The pretty boy was up front on stage, an acoustic guitar in hand, slowly playing through the chords of Mr. Brightside, lending the background of the roped off festival a certain lilting tone... Comin' out of my cage, and I've been doing just fine Gotta gotta be down, because I want it all...Alecto and Gavin were there, chilling with their local contacts. Both locals had their Masks hardened. One was dour-looking and a little snarky, with brown, windswept hair and sunglasses on against the late evening sun. The other was cheery, a blonde older man who radiated Spring cheer even through the Mask. Both had Martinis. The blonde's was clearly apple flavored. Introductions were made. Riley Sorsa, meet Felix - just Felix - of Spring, a friend of the faun courier known as Hermia. He hoped she was doing okay, Riley was sure she was, blah, blah... and the dour fellow went by Dr. Euphrates Kent. This one was familiar to Gavin, a low-Mantle Wizened of Fall who had very much appreciated the package that the Razorhand had last delivered him before retiring from the business. Of course, while Riley's career was a good reason to go places, it was cover tonight. The real reason they were in Los Angeles was on the sly. Alecto had been contracted by Zhi to retrieve a package from Felix. An Oath had been required by Zhi before participating; they were not to look, and if they were somehow made aware of what was inside, they were not to speak of it to anyone. Top Secret. A simple-looking briefcase had changed hands during Riley's show, and Alecto had it in her possession. Alecto was new to the courier game, but she knew better than to look. Gavin knew the terrain, having formerly done the runs before the Trods went to shit... and Riley Sorsa was there to make sure her Knight's right hand man got what was his without fuckery or undue complications. Two runners and a negotiator. It was a fine team. The rewards they were promised were individual and secret, but all of them were being offered enough to tell them two things. First, Zhi really felt this package was important. Second, Zhi really felt this was a dangerous run. "Riley! Oh, you did so well," Felix said with a genuine smile. "Thank you so much for performing tonight, I loved it."Dr. Kent didn't say shit yet. He just jutted his chin in Sorsa's general direction. A waitress came by to take drink and food orders. Gavin and Alecto were up first for bevvies, followed by the other three.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jun 14, 2021 19:05:51 GMT -8
The beast was feeling on edge being back here. He didn't think he was ever coming back. Gavin had history in Los Angeles. It wasn't too long ago that he was here doing his last bit of courier work for Dr. Euphrates. There was a reason he'd gotten out of the courier game. It was violent. He'd been backed into a corner by a gang of Lost that were interested in taking more than just the package he was carrying. The Spring courtier that was leading them was affiliated somehow to the L.A. Freehold. There was likely to be some bad blood dried behind the surface of society. The Spring courtier didn't survive Gavin's claws and the package reached its destination. Here he was again, like he somehow couldn't learn his lesson. Just like the last time, the pay was too good. This time however he was a little more seasoned.
Deciding to take the little pieces of joy where he could, he ordered a double whisky from the middle shelf. Real work called for a real drink, obviously, within reason.
Stepping out of the way for Alecto to order, he wondered if she knew what she was getting herself into. From the look of her, he was sure she could handle herself in a fight. He was more concerned she might not see the fights coming as well as you need to to last in the business. Maybe they were more alike and just had the right incentive to override sense like he had the first few times.
"These are the sorts of runs where I'd bump it up a notch; clean out the old gas." he suggested from experience. He took the available moment to scan the room while she ordered.
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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 Jun 15, 2021 7:41:02 GMT -8
The Twilight dancer mask was hardened this evening, pushing their insect-like appearance behind the veneer of a mortal form. Spring courtier was well dressed in a grey striped suit with lace under shit. Their hair was swept back and pinned by a Golden broach in the shape of a moth's wing, and for added flair, their bejeweled handpiece adorned their right hand. "You both look dashing tonight. It's a pleasure to make both of your acquaintances. Hopefully, the evenin' been an enjoyment for all so far? I didn't miss all the fun did I?" The moth couldn't help but give a touch of playful flirtation in their tone. Tasteful but in line with the Brightone's persona. Taking a moment during the introductions to make a good first impression on both Felix and the stoic Dr.Kent. Riley took a seat neat their compatriots. The darkling knew their role in this operation, seeing that exchange had already happened during the show. They gave a charming smile to all at the table. "Why, thank you, but honestly, Pleasure is all mine, Felix. Not often do you get an opportunity like this. " The moth waits their turn than orders a Whisky sour.
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Post by Alecto on Jun 15, 2021 9:51:01 GMT -8
The hardened Mask was Dannica Andrysiak. She is a wedding photographer, and her mother is still holding out hope that she'll dump her partner and have children with someone rich and educated. During the drive, she had tapped the others to have a map on hand, and studied LA's routes like an overeager cabbie driver. Gavin and Riley had been pushed to do the same so the knowledge might stick if shit hit the fan. She used her link with Chin and the deal cut with Zhi to request a firearm, learning from her last experience that tearing into muscle and fat on the street wasn't going to always be viable in the Information Age. The face wasn't as tight as some of the others Alecto had stolen, with high cheekbones and a sturdier build. She wasn't looking to blend in or look harmless, but her catalogue of waifs were ready with the collection of trinkets in her purse wallet. The jumpsuit hid layers of outfit possibilities, along with the Kevlar vest. During the performance, the former politician scratched for as many scraps as she could from Gavin's contact on the locals. She would tag in the the other to consider street-level issues that presented itself. "Damn, that was spicy," she laughed, leaning to take her Sazerac with a wink to the others.
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Post by The Wyrd on Jun 17, 2021 10:07:23 GMT -8
Drinks flowed. Appies came. Brandon Flowers crooned.
Alecto aims to mine Felix and Dr. Kent for information subtly during the course of the performance. Kent is close-lipped, quiet, but Alecto gets the sense that he isn't much of an occultist. Quite the opposite; he's a man of science, a plastic surgeon by trade who does high-falutin' cosmetic surgeries for the would-be Hollywood stars. The way he talks about it is jaded, like he knows full well he's riding high on the back of the fears of not being hot enough to fit into Hollywood's cutthroat nightlife. It gives her a bit of a sense of what Fall here is about, far from the occult mastery of Saturday's Vegas. Beyond that, he isn't swayed to open up more beyond pleasantries.
Felix is more talkative, asking lots of questions about photography and flowing from topic to topic smoothly. He's a socialite with connections in tech and a love of theatre working as a sound guy for a local movie studio. Plainly, he's really just happy to be here. Helping out a powerful Spring Courtier from Vegas was a break from the day to day of the hardships of living in Los Angeles. Reading between the lines, Alecto gets the distinct sense that Los Angeles is a very normal, very regular Changeling town with very normal, very regular Changeling problems. Loyalists. Privateers, picking at them like vultures. One of their few martial Squires had died recently defending a group of them at a party that had been busted. Alecto digs deeper and gets the sense that Felix wouldn't necessarily mind a change of pace -- but they were on a dangerous run, right?
Was there room for tourists?
Riley's attendance and manner caused Felix to brighten, and even Dr. Kent smiled at them, loosening up a bit. "Not at all," the doc replied, leaning in a little as he started to engage in the conversation. "I'm glad we could help make it happen." Apparently, the doc had connections, too. Gavin's run in the past had paid dividends today. "Listen, Gavin - we're happy to help you how we can, but I'm afraid things here are... complex. We've had a lot of challenges lately, most of which I'm not going to get into, but suffice it to say that I wouldn't linger if I were you. Our vows help us, but you three are going to stick out like sore thumbs so far from home."
He slid a keycard onto the table, along with a car key and a piece of paper with an address written on it.
"If you decide you want to stay the night, you can stay there. There's also a rental car I've covered, if you need a vehicle change. You can drop at at the Hertz at McCarran."
Felix smiled broadly, staying quiet as he sipped at his beverage.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jun 17, 2021 10:51:15 GMT -8
Observing the other Lost when the growing concerns for laying low were made apparent, Gavin suddenly felt a little naked with his mien swinging in the breeze. Drawing on a bead he settled the hints of his Arcadian nature behind the mask. It was a foreign feeling to hide like this for him. This was complacency. He hadn't even lived in Vegas all that long and he forgot one of the basics because the protection of the wards made things feel 'safe.' The wards don't protect against privateers or loyalists or even knowledgeable humans. This was L.A. and there wasn't even a hint of the same safety here. There's no excuse, he chided himself.
The content of their local benefactors' words bore hints at some of the local concerns that they weren't going to talk about. Something that the established vows would protect against.
"Most of which," Gavin hung a pause on the courtier's words to put weight on the opening with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile. "We know this is hard yakka. Who is going to be sniffing our asses? What can you go into?"
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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 Jun 18, 2021 6:56:01 GMT -8
Riley kept a bright smile upon their face. Seeming to be still riding the high from the show. Their eyes flick across the table to those speaking before making a glance around the gathering.
Las Angelos gave Riley a fresh breath of air from the scandals and pressures of Vegas, and the Bright one seemed to be soaking it up. The darkling, however, despite their outward merriment, was entirely focused on the task on hand. The Wisp scanned the crowd idly, making sure none were overly focused or eavesdropping on this gathering.
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Post by The Wyrd on Jun 21, 2021 10:25:30 GMT -8
Riley could be thankful; nobody seemed to be listening in on them. To be fair, The Killers were blasting out Spaceman, and those zippin' white lightbeams were flashing over their heads. There was plenty of noise cover. Gavin's inquiry earned a half-smile from Dr. Kent. "There's a couple of nasty highwaymen mucking about of late." The word was old-timey, but in context, the Lost understood it. Privateers who preyed on the road. "I hear Summer's going to be particularly hot for them tonight. At the very least, it will keep them busy. Gives you less time for logistics and planning and the like if you go now, but it puts one known problem out of your way if your plan is to just run for it."Felix blinked, leaning in a little bit and glancing around like Riley did. "I've heard about escalations lately in gangland conflict inland to the east in the last 24 hours or so - toward Vegas. Sadly, my people don't know much else."
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Post by Alecto on Jun 21, 2021 16:26:51 GMT -8
"Swapping sounds worth it," Alecto sniffed. The Beast didn't want anyone tracking their car and tagging their routes. It also meant the rental plates would hop to another account that wouldn't trace back to their home city.
The Beast was biased: confident in her speed and ability to swing. She would rather return to the nest than map out an alien landscape and allow people to make calls and pull in friends. Courier work had expectations and espionage was a luxury that Zhi would have provided if it was that easy.
"If we're going to run a game of cops and robbers, I guess I should ask what neighbourhoods get a little too whimsical for the general public." Limitations on magic slinging went both ways to attract the attention of the Loyalists. They weren't here long enough to forge a Bargain with the locals to meld with the landscape, but the Others didn't invade during her Season, which was why she took the job in the first place. Alecto just wanted to know which areas were on lock down with cameras and mundane attention versus the crazy shit a motley of Privateers could lob without fear of consequence.
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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 Jun 22, 2021 10:55:56 GMT -8
This sort of operation wasn't Riley's forte. They knew a thing or two about going unnoticed, but this scale of subterfuge was new grounds for them. Gavin and Alecto seemed to be far more used to this. The latter being a bit surprising to the Moth given their previous chats.
"I agree on the swap, a little prep time could help but I am all ears to other options." Riley said simply, taking a small drink. Musing over the options. Speed was useful, but running blindly wasn't going to help them either.
The silently lets the others lead the questions, taking mental notes.
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Post by Alecto on Jun 24, 2021 15:35:12 GMT -8
"I don't like the idea of having to deal with a whole motley of traitors when Summer will pull all the noise. Mapping the city while we bunker down for potential threats lets us navigate around it, but Riley the cover made up pretty public tonight and us prepping means they prep too."
The Beast was pushing to gun for it--it wasn't her nature to sit and imagine, and rather deal with an issue that was in front of her. "Felix, you can hitch a ride if you're happy with the risk-" her attention roved to see if Gavin and Riley would protest. In her mind, the more magic the better, and Felix likely had his own Bargain to not add to visibility. "You would have contacts in with locals that we wouldn't. What can you offer in a motley crew?"
She wouldn't mind accolades from Spring.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jul 1, 2021 19:43:34 GMT -8
"Riley, real quick. Get out your phone take a selfie once each with each of our drinks facing a different direction with a different background in each. Move your hair a bit too. Flashing lights, different backgrounds will make them look like different times. Pop them up on your social later at separate times. It'll look as if you are still here depending on a problem's info sources. I think you have to turn off your GPS when you post or it'll narc on you somehow. Not sure how that works exactly." There was nothing wrong with a little subterfuge. It also set a bit of a tone for 'serious business' for what followed.
His experience with the street gave him a tingle on the back of his neck when Felix asked about playing tourist with them. Who in their right mind wants to travel when they're likely to get shot, stabbed, or kidnapped on the trip over?--The desperate or people who know they're not the target of the violence, he concluded. Gavin had been ambushed by an L.A. Spring courtier that was seemingly working with privateers the last time he came out this way. He had to be cautious, especially with Felix being Spring.
"I don't mind a tagalong, exactly." Gavin said generally. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Felix. "You're really interested in rolling with heavies on a hard go? Right, mate, I'm gonna need to know what you're running from, or more precisely what'd be chasing us as a result of you coming with." He wasn't hostile, it was more a lack of interest in an added blind risk. It crossed Gavin's mind that he was likely at the party mentioned where the Squire had died. That raised the question as to possible involvement with that outcome.
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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 Jul 6, 2021 8:38:57 GMT -8
“Sounds like a plan to me” Riley says, agreeing with Alecto. They glanced to Felix who wanted to join. He seemed soft, but if he wanted to run along, Riley wasn't going to say no.
“As long as Ya know the risks” Riley says with a shrug to Felix and looks to the other two. “Oh my pleasure” The moth says to Gavin’s instructions. Popping onto their phone hey turn off the GPS, and even put it in airplane mode while taking the photos. They go the extra mile as the conversation continues, taking photos as instructed, even getting up and heading ot the bar for a few minutes, and taking selfies with the Band in the background or out on the dance floor. Even making a couple TikTok drafts to post later on.
Once done they return to the table. Sorting through the photos and doing small edits. #thekillers #showlife #Partytok
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Post by The Wyrd on Jul 7, 2021 17:12:27 GMT -8
Felix shook his head at Gavin's inquiry. "Please don't misunderstand me. I have no interest whatsoever in rolling with heavies on a hard go. I'd much rather a nice plane ride, or perhaps a straightforward teleportation via a Mirror - but I am afraid that is simply not possible. How do I... hmph." He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "I keep hearing about Las Vegas from dear Hermia. You know, the courier?"
Hermia was a Name around the Freehold, an inter-Freehold package delivering faun with quick feet and a quicker ear for gossip.
"It sounds safe, Mr. Graves. And I'm really very tired of having to elude the servants of my Keeper. I've seen people watching me. It makes me very nervous, and I'd like to be able to live my life without fear."
To Alecto's question, he grinned.
"Oh, yes, of course. I'm an accountant by trade, and while that makes me about as far from a heavy as one can be around here, I'm well-connected within the police and the less-savory elements of the world; I help lawyers prepare, you see. You know. For Court?" He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I've a decent connection with animals, and I've been known to be able to move objects as I see fit," he said with a modest shrug.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jul 11, 2021 19:02:32 GMT -8
Seeing that Riley had finished up with their photography assignment, "Walk with us," Gavin suggests as he scoops the crew together and moving with arm gestures, Felix included.
There was a thread of possibility loose in the fabric of Felix' story. Gavin pulled at the thread.
"Can't hold wanting to evade that sort against you. Wasn't looking to. I just want an honest assessment of how close you think they are. You say they're watching you. Do you think they are on your trail right now? When's the last time you caught them following you?" he fired off the barrage of related statements to keep it on track and the pressure on to the questions at tail end while they moved toward the exit.
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