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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 21, 2020 22:54:00 GMT -8
Carousel wasn't a venue Kai or Oren had heard of before, but the fact that the place seemed to be rather upscale for a strip club in Naked City indicated good money, and established clientele. Big names in the criminal underworld were throwing a mixer for reasons currently unknown. Backroom VIP was where the action was likely happening, past the aerialist pouring drinks for those passing with welcome access. The Elemental was still high, but the impact not as powerful as the hour ticked him over the peak. He felt a small sense of loss, but also relief to be not as aware of his prison of flesh. As the Wizened dialed up their covert handler, Solomon probed about the murderer, not wanting the loose end floating if the boy had any involvement with the supernatural. Whether that meant arrest or his own brand of Fae justice wasn't discussed. The name 'Lucky' or 'Ambrosia' was unfamiliar, clearly a moniker to function among the mundane. The Hunter growled something about the abuse of Crown, or rather, someone was getting greedy with their Masks. If the groups were going to street war, it indicated an amateur, or someone who was simply skimming from the chaos and didn't believe in intervention. Whoever was leading the operation definitely wasn't an architect of empires, playing past and loose with the city's vulnerable for quick capital. Having a splinter gang after a local chapter of the Crips suffered a major raid happened somethings: profiteers looking to stake their claim in the chaos, but they disappeared as quickly as they were formed. The gun raid was bold, and likely a short sighted attempt to stay dominant in the area. Someone had to have fed the mundane information on the stash to fuck with the Arrayer. Or someone in his motley. The Knight of Scales wasn't happy, but still held to the mantra that their operation was under the table. They needed proof before he could sanction his blessing to override the Freehold Oath to bring courtiers to order. The potential of cross-court made things dicey for a political scandal, and getting those of the proper Mantle involved would at least help in the pair's case to frame themselves as ignorant Iron vigilantes protecting the mundane. |
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Post by Kai Rose on Oct 21, 2020 22:56:46 GMT -8
Once they had the location, but before they went, Kai said to Oren, "Look, man. You've plainly got some talent for appearances, but I... uh. Don't. And potentially, we're dealing with a Lost here. We need to harden our Masks and look like not ourselves. You got any skill with make-up? Make me look like... not me?"
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Oren
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written by Hiver
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Post by Oren on Oct 26, 2020 6:24:31 GMT -8
She asked him if he could mold her. Change her in the same way he could. He lamented that he could not. But, there were mundane methods. Simpler methods.
"I didn't bring much...let me see."
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 26, 2020 18:59:49 GMT -8
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Oren
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written by Hiver
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Post by Oren on Oct 27, 2020 14:27:41 GMT -8
"Okay, hold still."
He smiled at the thought of transformation. To project it onto someone else. To let them become. He had done enough scouring and stitching to understand just how pliable the body could be under certain circumstances. He would not unleash the full battery. That would take way too long.
He instead opted for something understated. Muted, even, as Kai Rose seemed to have a habit of brandishing her thorns rather than her petals. This was more than blush and highlights. This was threading at a level past the skin. Beneath. In the bramble and the thorns that tackle and snare in order to form the Mask. He would break her apart, only a little, in order to entertain something novel and never before seen.
"You have a wonderful complexion. What products do you use? You don't have to tell me. A girl's got to have her secrets. I've been there."
Something beautiful.
"You're doing this to hide. Don't. Pluck the fruit that this will bear for you."
Something subtle. Something to appreciate rather than something to fawn over.
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Post by Kai Rose on Oct 27, 2020 21:54:34 GMT -8
It wasn't Kai's mien he was making up. Rather, as the Glamour took, sharp angles of glass and color took the form of a fit, handsome woman of approximately thirty. She had bright eyes and high cheekbones, with tanned, muscular arms. The make-up did change her look up, subtly disguising her so she could blend in.
"I, uhh... wow. Nicely done." She chuckled, shaking her head as she appreciated herself in a mirror. She never really did have much of a touch for cosmetics, keeping it as basic as possible. He'd done that, but far better. "Not much, man, but what I can say is we'll do this again on a night for fun, eh?" Kai flashed him a grin. "Mask up, man, and we'll spread out. See what we can find in terms of information and go from there."
Rocking black pants and a blouse that worked with her athletic form, Kai Rose worked the room once they arrived. What were the rumors, the whispered innuendos and the affairs that led one to the underworld? Where were the good parties? Could she get them into the VIP room?
Hell yes.
If she was as smooth as she felt with this make-up job, she sure could. The power of positive thinking!
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 28, 2020 13:44:30 GMT -8
Oren does his work, revealing practical talents going beyond just acting execution of the stage. Sealing their true faces behind the Mask and away from other Lost, Kai immediately gets to work. Honing in on the crime world would be a mistake: she didn't have the knowledge of its inner workings, and would eventually come off as a narc. Questions are floated about a party worth their time, adopting the persona of a person in the know. They had drugs, they knew performers, they knew secret hideaways, and just needed the right people to tag in.
An identity was built. The appeal of networking opportunities among the appetites of elite, now they just needed to lie through their teeth. A suited man with auburn hair in his mid-twenties was grabbed by one of the dancers, the distress clear as she relayed something in the din of the club. He didn't appear ruffled, bright blue gaze sweeping across the floor, before calling over a pair of security and handing off the problem.
Apparently that one had pull with the staff.
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Oren
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written by Hiver
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Post by Oren on Oct 30, 2020 12:09:08 GMT -8
Oren opted for a form that he thought best suited the venue, sculpting his face and figure into something with quiet strength. The King adorned in Wool and Silk. Broad and straight-laced, with the gait of a lion on the plains. Oren looked at himself in the rear-view and thought: Penrose. That was his name. The suited man in auburn had weight. Gravity. He imagined a snapping finger and a drawing of swords. Penrose took note of the exchange. Her anxiety. His poise. What game was he to play? He could hunt, relentlessly. Or, he could twirl around the room and see how every piece moved. He could get to know the ensemble. Auburn wasn't the leading man. That would be a shame. Nonetheless, Penrose walked purposefully. "She seems nice. Is she one to attract trouble, or was this just an unlucky night for her?" |
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 31, 2020 12:00:19 GMT -8
The man's attention clicks to the debonair formally known as Oren. He blinks for a moment, trying to recall if he recognized him as a patron at all, and drew a blank. Kai continued to float, Auburn disinterested in her activity.
"Someone acting like a jackass. It's taken care of," he responded flatly, expression unchanged. There was a pause, but when Penrose didn't move on, his head cocked slightly, "Did you...want something?"
Another beat, as if he had to remember he was apparently engaged in a conversation. "...Unless someone is about to die. I doubt I'm the person you're looking for."
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Post by Kai Rose on Oct 31, 2020 17:11:07 GMT -8
Kai rolled up next to Oren's handsome form, draping herself on his shoulder as she held a cocktail glass up for him. Was that a Martini? Whatever it was, it looked the part. She knew a thing or two about fitting in at a party. "This party really is great, isn't it? Who's your friend?" She offered the flat-faced fellow a languid hand for a shake. At his remark that unless someone was about to die, he wasn't the person to look for, she gave a bit of a gasp. "A man of mystery!" She leaned in a little and gave a coy little smile. "So dangerous. Are you 007?"
She looked up to Oren.
"Do you think he would party with us?"
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Oren
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written by Hiver
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Post by Oren on Nov 4, 2020 20:32:02 GMT -8
"He looks like he knows people that do, love."
Auburn was security. This did not invalidate his place in Oren's little cast list, however. He could prove trouble if they barked up the wrong tree. But he could also prove useful in the diffusing of tension, displacing an emergent enemy.
"We're fresh from LA with a fantastic recommendation for places to be. And I was hoping someone with your eye would tell us where the real music is, away from all the noise."
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Post by Krakenbox on Nov 5, 2020 22:18:01 GMT -8
The man stared impassively at Kai's offered hand, not moving to take it, until it becomes too awkward to continue holding out. Was he 007?
"No."
He started to move around and beyond the pair, apparently unmoved by a pretty face of either persuasion. At Penrose's question, a nearly inaudible growl escaped his throat as his attention momentarily flicked back,
"Someone recommended this place," he repeated, the stone cold, bright stare boring into him.
"...Who?"
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Oren
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written by Hiver
Posts: 242
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Post by Oren on Nov 9, 2020 10:03:26 GMT -8
"They like to hold things close. Just like you. Just like us."
"Lucky charms on a boutique bracelet." That affectation was intentional. A name and a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that they were all pawns in someone else's game. Oren, of course, had no idea about the role Lucky played in the grander scheme. "I have it on good authority that this is the place to be, like pink lemonade on the parched tongue."
Penrose had no need to hide or lie or obfuscate. Oren was lying through his teeth, but Penrose felt comfortable. Oren hoped that confidence shone through his eyes and his posture.
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Post by Kai Rose on Nov 9, 2020 13:45:25 GMT -8
Kai remained, looking vaguely bored in that party-girl way as she looked around. This was Oren's solo; she was just part of the set.
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Post by Krakenbox on Nov 11, 2020 0:50:53 GMT -8
"Okay."
The man blinks slowly as Penrose placed the emphasis on the name, straightening a bit as something clicked. "I see." Auburn 007 nods his head towards the back, "You're going to tell me how you know that name." It didn't sound like a negotiation. It takes a moment to process that despite his flat demeanor, it didn't appear to be a threat, per say. No gun was pulled or arm grabbed as he casually led them past the secondary bouncer, placing a finger against his lips as he was lost in thought. They passed several closed doors, before pleasant live music outside the pulse of the club replaced the muffled sound behind insulated walls.  A surprisingly busy lounge emerged as several well dressed patrons were attended to with drinks, the wayward hanger-on chatting up the dancers as an obvious meeting took place. The environment was surprisingly relaxed, despite the open drug use laid out on the table, faulted weaponry, and more than one dangerous face from the underworld. The pair stood out. Besides themselves and their suited escort, most of the attendees appeared either Latin American or African American. There was a roundtable discussion happening out of earshot, higher up and without the buzz of the party. Attention was unconsciously pulled with loud personalities. A man in a pinstripe suit and polished fade haircut tapping the table with a ringed finger as he emphasized his point. The woman he was addressing had a loin's mane of curls, tracking his finger in a predatory manner as she held a languid smile, radiating power as she lounged in a chinchilla coat. A handsome Latino, decidedly underdressed in slacks and a button-up that strained against his muscled arms, flashed teeth in a confident grin as he cut him off. The gangster didn't look pleased with the flex, but no one moved to retaliate, his partner shifting uncomfortably as the other leaned forward and stared the Latino down. Kai and Oren's escort was watching, before flicking his attention back to the pair and nodding for them to sit. Someone whistled to the Masked Wizened as they passed. A sever bounced over with a tray of coke and champagne, while the Auburn haired man started to busy himself with dismantling his gun. "...Lucky?"A few of the men at the bar looked over at the group and grinned, beginning their approach and changing their mind as the metal started to clang against the glass of the table.
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