Children of The Divine (IC)

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Johnny's Room, The Mirage, Las Vegas

Johnny looks at Emmett and sighs. "What about about to tell you all is generally considered Above Top Secret kinda thing, you know? I know it because I'm just that awesome--" he pauses, then shakes his head, "Nah, that's a lie. I know it because I was enough of a pest that I was finally clued in on it."

As he speaks, Emmett would know that Johnny is not lying.

"The Powers That Be have a bunch of people whose job it is to keep an eye on what they call the Tapestry of Fate." He shrugs a little as he knocks back a slug of his drink. "Scions of the Norns or the Moirai and that lot, for the most part. They look for tangles. A tangle is this big conflux of interwoven fates, and beyond which, the Tapestry gets harder to read. They find a tangle, they find out whose fates are involved, and usually someone gets a visit from me or one of the other messengers to get a job." A look around the room at the others. "Those jobs you had before you got the letter or visit from me this time? Yeah, same kind of thing."

Johnny spreads his hands. "Only now there's a pretty major tangle coming up, and the Fate-watchers found that a number of scions are involved in it. You guys were some of them. Me and Solomon and Selene are involved as well, although I'm kind of tangentially involved. The problem is, the Other Guys have Fate-watchers of their own, and we think they cottoned to the fact that you guys are involved in that big tangle."

The actor grins a bit. "I'm not gonna say that it's destiny that you're involved, because, well, fate is what you make it, and nothing is set in stone."

Selene speaks up now. "Speculating about who hired thugs. Pyke Brands just a front, most likely bankrolling things. Must have a point man, someone calling the shots on the hit. Need to find out who that is. Don't need Fate-watch right now, need Past-watch." She glances at the others briefly, continuing, "Postcognition, not precognition. Just as tricky. Needs a focus, something strongly tied to the thing or person in question." She pauses, inhaling sharply, and finishes. "Blood is always best."

[Scorpodael]

Jack shrugs a bit.... "Don't suppose you can glean much from the heart of one of the thugs, or you would've had Solomon take a tissue sample." He says, opening up his duffel, and rummaging around a bit, before closing it back up, apparently satisfied. "So pretty much, all we have to go on is a minion who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut talking about 'Jotunhammer' as if it were a doomsday weapon... or possibly a very nasty sort of event. Seems fairly important."

[Mytical]

Lupo shrugs. "Destiny, fate, karma, kismit..if there is a fight involved, I am in. The next challenge is all that matters." He really was a simple person. He wanted somebody to challenge him, to push him to his limit and beyond..this seemed like it might do that.

[Naamah]

"Not all."

Aiden gets back up, returns to the bathroom. When he comes back, the yarn drenched in the death-blood of the cyclops is in his hands, damp dark red, bringing the stench of copper back to the room.

"I've... I've heard seidr can see the past as well as the future, but I've only done the latter. If you want, perhaps with Sh-Deann's arrow, the one she pulled from the cyclops. To amplify the power. I could try."

[Giving full godmod power to GM for divining-Aiden.]

[Kheldarson]

Deann starts at her name, confused by the quick cover there. Then more confused by the request. "If you want them, you can have them," swinging the bundle she's holding gingerly in his direction.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: The War Room Johnny's Room, The Mirage, Las Vegas

When Jack mentions kosher salt, Selene picks up the room's phone and called room service to have some delivered.

Johnny shrugs a bit, "Wouldn't put it past Solomon to be scalping the thugs up there. He's a biiiit on the crazy side."

"I'll tell him you said that," Selene remarks dryly. "He'll take it as a compliment."

Then Aiden mentions that he might be able to read the cyclops' past from the bloody yarn-garrote. Johnny nods. "Worth a shot." Deann hands over the arrow, and Aiden does his Past-watch thing...

What Aiden Sees

A jumble of imagery and sensations, some of which couldn't possibly be healthy for his memories or future nightmares. Best not to dwell on these.

But then a much more clear memory comes to the fore. The jotun is there, and a number of other people. Some are Titanspawn and just thugs like the cyclops and jotun, but there are a few humans in the lowly-lit room around a table. Windows look out over Vegas itself.

"The skein is clear, it will be them," a male voice, with a noticeable accent. Latin-American? Something like that. The voice belongs to a tall man, his back to them, looking out of a window into a hallway, fingering what looks to be a set of prayer beads in one hand, turquoise and obsidian.

"All the more reason," a woman interjects, "to just kill them." This comes from a young woman of Asian descent-- Japanese, probably, but it's difficult to tell.

"It may be them," another woman interrupts, this one wearing glasses which almost seem to glow from the reflected light of her computer. She has her hands folded in front of her face, but it isn't clear if she's watching the room or the monitor. "But what isn't clear is how they play into all of this. They may yet be useful. Maybe even allies."

The Japanese woman looks over to a second man, but much about him is shrouded in shadow, even before one takes into account the black leather fedora hanging low over his brow. His feet are crossed up on the table. "Game's too early yet to go pickin' off pawns," he drawls lazily, a Southern accent-- Cajun?-- noticeable. "Ag's right, they might be useful." When the Japanese woman makes an unhappy sound, he adds, "Doesn't mean it might not be worth seein' what their mettle's like."

The Japanese woman nods, and glances to another figure in the room, and this one exudes menace. Tattoos crawl up his muscled arms, and dark red hair hangs in his face. He stands up and turns to face the jotun and cyclops. "Kill 'em if ye can," the tattooed man declares in an Irish-accented voice. "Don't let me down, boys."

"Nossir, Mr. MacBride," the jotun says hastily.

The shadowy man in the hat reaches into his jacket and draws out a paper. "Lucky me, I got Mercury's Johnny Hancock." He scrawls the note-- the same false note in the suite upstairs-- and then waves his fingers along it, muttering something in a language unfamiliar.

"Su," the man at the window says, "go over there and make sure everything is set up proper." The Asian woman nods and stands. "Rest of us should get back to Denver, apart from you, Matt," this is directed at the shadowy man. "Get the Corazón, and get it to Grom--"

The vision ends there, probably because the cyclops stopped paying attention as it and the jotun left.

[Naamah]

Location: Johnny's Room, The Mirage, Las Vegas

The world comes foggy, his own mind and memory coming shuddering, drowsy.

"The Heart, they said. Corazón. Group of people. Fate-watcher I think, South American? A Japanese woman, nickname Su. Some Gendo-wannabe chick nicknamed Ag. Shadowy Southerner, he illusioned the paper, Matt. MacBride, he ordered the two against us. Tatts and red hair. They--"

He sighs, and drops the skein and arrow. "Denver. Whoever these people are, they're headquartered in Denver. Matt was sent to get the Corazón and get it to Gruh-something, I couldn't hear, he was already leaving."

He sits down heavily, holding his hand to his head, trying to sort the images of his own mind from the remnants of what he'd seen.

[Scorpodael]

Aiden has Jack's full and complete attention from the second word... "South American? Was he the one talking about the Heart?" He asks, his gaze unnervingly intense... and for good reason. This was probably a man of similar background to him, and like calls to like. Besides, among the Aztecs and the Maya, the only folks concerned overmuch with hearts were the priesthood and the gods themselves. Or, at least, that's how he remembers it.

[KabeRinnaul]

Luke's head was finally clear enough to talk by the time Aiden started describing his vision, and he wasn't going to interrupt that. "Might ask my relations about anybody named MacBride... And for future reference, try throwing some water on my face before electrocuting me."

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Johnny's Room, The Mirage, Las Vegas

Selene is already typing things into her computer as Aiden is speaking, and once Jack has spoken, the hacker starts to speak herself. "Cross-referencing 'Corazón' against Las Vegas. Might be something in an exhibit. Or something in a collection. Also running checks against our database of known quantities. Checking for 'Matt,' 'Ag,' 'MacBride,' and 'Su.' Might be better if full names were available," she pauses, inhales sharply, then shrugs. "Can't be helped. Anyway."

"MacBride does sound familiar," Johnny muses. "But Solomon would probably know better, if MacBride's the one who sent the thugs in." He pauses as his phone rings and he puts it on speaker. "Yes, Solomon? You're on speaker, by the way."

"Finished up here," the Aussie says. "Just gonna grab me keys and then I'll be down."

"Sure thing, Sol," Johnny replies, and is corrected quickly.

"Me name's Solomon, figjam."

"Sorry, Solomon. The name MacBride mean anything to you?"

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and when the Aussie speaks next, his voice is flat, tight. "Yeah. Real nutter, that one. He in town?"

Johnny glances up at Aiden, then nods. "Seems like he might be."

"Bloody Nora," comes the swear. "Thanks for the warning. Be there in a few." He hangs up.

Selene pipes up now. "May have found something. The Corazón del Invierno. Also the Coeur de l'Hiver. The Heart of Winter." She holds up her tablet, showing a picture of a large blue gemstone, about the size of a man's fist, roughly heart-shaped, with white veins crawling along its surface. "Centerpiece of Rodrigo Sevilla's collection at the Palazzo." She frowns a bit. "Not seeing why it's important. Just a stone, no myths or legends associated with it." She shrugs, setting the tablet down. "Still running searches on those names. Strange I'm not finding MacBride. Not all that common a name, especially among our set."

Johnny picks up his phone. "I know a guy works security at the Palazzo, I'll give him a heads-up." As he's dialing, the door unlocks and Solomon walks in. He's stained in ichor. "Solomon, someone with ties to MacBride and some other bad guys is going to try to steal something at the Palazzo."

Solomon pauses only briefly. "Right, then." He looks around. "Time to gear up, mates." He pulls a ring of keys out of a vest pocket and crosses to the bedroom door. He shuts it, then presses one of the keys against the doorknob. Although there's no actual lock on the door, the key slides in. He turns it, then opens the door again.

Where before there had been a rather luxuriant bedroom, there was now a big warehouse-like room filled with racks of weaponry. From the modern-- guns and rifles-- to the more classic-- swords, knives, crossbows, axes, and pretty much anything you care to mention. "Now you know why I've always got what I need to hand," Solomon smirks at a dumbstruck Johnny. "Come on, mates, gear up. Take what ya need. I'll go clean meself up."

Johnny nods. He glances at Luke. "Go ahead and make any calls you need, see if your relations know anything about MacBride," he adds, tossing him a phone. "We've got the roaming charges covered.

GM Note: Solomon's Divine Warehouse of Implements of War is open. Take this as a chance to chat up, ask questions, and gear up. Then it's time to go try to find a sneakthief!

[Naamah]

His brain is mostly clear - some of the more gruesome images, particularly of the Cyclops's death, are lingering. Aiden takes in the conversation, using a good amount of willpower to not ask Luke would you like some cheese with that whine?

"Sol. Wait."

Aiden gets up, eyes clouded in thought. "Open up the other one as well. The wardrobe. If we're going to the Palazzo, it would make sense for at least a few of us to go in proper dress. And try not to make a mess in the shower, I'll need it after."

He smirks at the big Aussie before slipping into the magical room. It's clear he's been here before - he passes right by the guns and explosives and Implements of Stabbity Death for a corner section. He takes a ring - ingeniously crafted with a spring loaded needle - and a few tiny vials of liquid. Not all are marked in English - one in Italian, one saying flunitrazepam, two in unknown script. After a decent pause, he also slips a short non-metallic blade in his pocket.

"Emmett. Deann. Either of you like fancy dress?" He gives a particular look to Deann. "You can wear a suit it you like, although I remember one dress they had in a lovely russet that might look lovely on you..."

[Mytical]

Lupo is a man of few words, and fewer questions. He is not above taking some weaponry (if available) however. Something that might be hard to come by is the following : A blade with a enclosed handguard (ie something you can put your hand IN), the handguard would also act like a pair of brass knuckles..with spikes (small ones). If that is not available, he will take two brass knuckles with spikes.

A retractable bo staff, or just plain bo staff if that is not available. Pair of nunchucks..and two fans with metal/sharp edge. Yeah..he is weird.

As for wardrobe. Lupo thinks. "You might lose the fancy suit if something goes down, but I say a gi under a three piece will work for me. Just know that the 3 piece will be shredded if I need movement." he is use to having to dress up. Doesn't bother him a bit. He puts on the gi, puts away the weapons that are concealable, leaves what is not..then puts on the fancy outfit over it.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Johnny's Room / Warehouse Full of Guns, Lots of Guns / Wardrobe of TARDISian Proportions, The Mirage, Las Vegas

Solomon gives Aiden a baleful glare at the shortening of his name, but he goes over to the hallway closet, shutting the door and inserting a different key. When the door is reopened, another huge room is revealed, with row upon row of clothing, for both sexes, of all sizes and varieties.

"Mr. Twist there's right," the Aussie remarks. "Might want to dress up before you head into the Palazzo, especially if you're going near Sevilla's collection. So dress accordingly..."

He glances at Lupo, and now Solomon sighs. "Oi, Wolfie, ya can't fit a Gi under a three-piece suit. Trust me on this. You lot might want to choose your weapons to match. Twisty," which along with 'Mr. Twist' appears to be his nickname for Aiden, "has the right idea. Concealable is the order here. We ain't gonna be able to stop the other side if you get busted for carrying more weapons than a redneck in the mountains."

Before he heads for the bathroom to clean up, Solomon has one last thing to add, "If ya have anything of yours you need to stash, leave it in the weapons place. It'll be safe there."

[Mytical]

*looks over the wardrobe for two outfits that would work together..one comfortable to move in..that will fit under another that is more stylish*

[Kheldarson]

Deann had pointedly ignored Aiden's comment, but was currently perusing the clothes closet. "Mr. Solomon, I don't suppose you have any other easily concealed bows in your collection?" She's pulling out a dark green dress as she says this.