[Urban Shadows] Cowtown

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Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

"It's okay," I assure Echoes. I set down my teacup and, not for the first or hundreth time, wish she would serve something a little stronger and more caffeinated than herbal tea. There's only so much rose hips and echinacea that my body can tolerate without throwing up. But fae will be fae, I suppose. "I don't think that your court will really expect a total withdrawal from the city. Your studio will probably be fine."

I'm not at all sure of that, honestly, but I'm not going to say so. I know full well what it's like to owe fealty to distant, impersonal forces that can and will uproot your life at will. Echoes knows too; she's far older than I am, at least in this body. She doesn't want truth, she wants reassurance, and possibly a hug. I settle for a brief hand squeeze, before we're interrupted by a visitor.

Looking down, I realize that I'm still wearing yoga pants. Just great. This is absolutely how I wanted to greet a foreign potentate. I have no choice but to brazen it out. I stand smoothly, and incline my head in a short bow; fae can be touchy about things like handshakes. "I am Ophelia Shahmaran, kerberos of Hades," I announce, making the official introduction.

Well, this is an awkward bit of protocol; normally I would make a formal offer of hospitality, but this is Echoes' place, an it's up to her to handle the niceties. I can't even offer tea; Fae can be very, very touchy about hospitality. I try to shoot her a glance out of the corner of my eye, but of course I'm wearing sunglasses so it doesn't work. My naked gaze can make people a little... anxious.

"How may I be of assistance?" I ask, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Put a Name to a Face:
@Ophelia (OKShark): 2d6+1 = (1+1)+1 = 3. Ophelia either doesn't know him, or is in debt.

quote:

Name: Ophelia Shahmaran
Look: Female, Turkish, Albino, Expensive Clothes, Dark Sunglasses
Demeanor: Corporate
Dark Patron: Hades, Lord of the Underworld

Traits: Blood 1, Heart 1, Mind -1, Spirit 1

Factions: Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1

Gear:
A house or apartment, a car (leased Audi), a smart phone
Ancient Bronze Sword (3-harm hand messy)

Moves:

The Devil Inside: When you assume your demon form, roll with Blood.
On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a miss, choose 1 and you owe your patron a Debt.
�� Gain armor+1
�� Heal 2-harm
�� Inflict +1 harm
�� +demonic weapon (3-harm hand or 2-harm close)
�� +demonic movement (flight, flaming motorcycle, etc.)

If you�re working a job for your patron, choose 1 more. If you mark corruption, choose 1 more.

Don�t Look at Me: When you Mislead someone, roll with Heart instead of Mind.

~~Demonic~~ Gorgon form: snake-hair, claws, scaled skin, burning eyes,

~~DEMONIC~~ GORGON JOBS
Your dark patron keeps you on Earth for a reason. Choose two jobs from the list below:

Collecting rogue souls, tracking down underworld artifacts

When you complete a job for your patron, mark Wild. Your patron owes you a Debt for every job completed.

You can cash in a Debt with your Patron in order to have them:
�� Answer a question (honestly) about their Faction
�� Introduce you to a powerful member of their Faction
�� Give you a worthy and useful gift without cost
�� Erase a Debt they hold on someone
�� Give you a Debt they have on someone else
�� Give you +3 to Persuade them (choose before rolling)

Your patron may offer you the chance to buy your freedom, but Debts alone won�t be enough.

Tainted Corruption Move
When you persuade someone on your patron�s behalf, mark corruption.

Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy�physical or emotional�with another person, they give you a Debt they hold on someone else.

End Move
When you die, cash in all the Debts your patron owes you to come back. If you have none, your patron will ask someone else to pay the Debt for you. If they refuse, time�s up. It�s been a good run.

# ¿ Jul 1, 2020 00:03

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# ¿ Apr 23, 2024 17:50

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

Don't panic. Don't panic! If he knew for certain, he would have been more direct. Not for the first time, I'm glad to be literally cold blooded.

I take care in setting my teacup aside, hoping it will cover any momentary hesitation. I have to be careful. Some fae can taste untruths. "Lord Hades has a standing bounty on all escaped revenants," I reply smoothly. This is, technically, correct, but the answer to a question he didn't ask. "He cannot be bothered to tend to every scurrilous outlaw soul individually." Also technically correct; the best kind of correct.

I arch a pale eyebrow at him. "May I ask what your interest is in this specific revenant?" And then, a trifle hopefully. "Is Nekyomanteius inhumed? Have you come to collect on the bounty?"

# ¿ Jul 2, 2020 22:57

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

I thought desperately, searching for a way out. There didn't seem to be one; I couldn't think of a plausible lie that fit the facts as Ryouta knew it which wasn't worse than the truth. I could only see this conversation going one of two ways, and neither were good.

I turned, to check to see that Echoes still hadn't returned with the tea. "Lord Hades is not currently aware that Nekyomanteus has resurfaced," I admitted quietly. "A group of local fledgling wizards accidentally summoned the lich using a corrupted seance ritual. All of them were young, and some of them have local political ties. I feared that if Lord Hades's attention were brought to the incident in an official capacity, his retribution would cause the city to become politically unstable, and if his wedding retreat were interrupted, it might cause the area to become geologically unstable," I add darkly. "So I have been attempting to resolve the situation in an unofficial capacity, by hunting and killing the damned revenant on my own."

# ¿ Jul 10, 2020 04:40

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

"Telling them might be simple," I counter, "but it won't get you any closer to Nekyomanteus. Lord Hades is still out of contact, and will be for some time. Whereas, if you work with me, and we stop the lich..." I grit my teeth. "I'll owe you one."

# ¿ Jul 14, 2020 00:36

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses. "Sure," I agree. "If we bring him down and survive, you can take the credit." And if Ryouta doesn't survive, he can be a posthumous speed-bump in my career-path; this blackmail is getting on my last nerve.

I gesture towards the door. "Shall we get started, then? Time is very literally running out."

# ¿ Jul 18, 2020 17:15

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

With Ryouta's smug consent, I take only a moment to give Echoes my sincere regrets for cutting our afternoon short, and I'm out the door and onto the street. "We take my car," I tell Ryouta, clicking the fob on my leased Audi RS7. You can never trust fae with transportation; Echoes once tried to take me upstate via the Scioto River, forgetting that other people need little niceties like boats.

I head downtown, looking for an acquaintance of Ramona's; Ramona prides herself on her ability to find almost anything in the vicinity of Columbus that generates a paper trail, including vampires and most fae, but for creatures that don't own property or pay taxes, she outsources her contracts to someone a little more esoteric. I park in front of an old three story brick house in the German Village. The house to its right has been converted into a museum, the one on the left is a gastro-pub now, but this one is still a residence, technically. Except for the month of October, when it's the most profitable haunted house in the city.

"Gird your loins," I tell Ryouta as I knock on the door. "And, if possible, hold your breath. I'm a gorgon, and even I find this one a little weird." I let that hang a beat before adding, "and I hope you're not allergic to cats."

The door is opened by a tall human dressed entirely in black evening wear, flanked on either side by two of the evilest-eyed black tomcats I've ever seen. From inside the house, I can hear the yowling of dozens and dozens more. "Hello, Sloane," I say. "Sloane, this is Ryouta Katou of the Court of Blossoms. Ryouta, this is Sloane, the Speaker to Cats, a Pythia and medium." Introductions completed, I cut to the chase. "Sloane, Nekyomanteius is loose. I need to know where to start looking for them."

quote:

@Ophelia (OKShark): 2d6+1 hitting the streets (power) = (3+6)+1 = 10

# ¿ Jul 20, 2020 03:57

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

Tch. Boyfriend?

Still, Sloan just proved more helpful than I ever expected. "Thank you, Sloan darling." I kiss the air to either side of her cheek and try to ignore the smell of cats. "This helps tremendously. You justify every one of Ramona's boasts about you." I pocket the address. "Do not worry, my only interest is in the revenant. I promise to do everything I can to save Mr. Stewart from this danger he has gotten himself in."

Fun fact: unlike my fey partner, jack and poo poo happens to me when I break my promises, so long as they aren't made to Lord Hades.

"This... young friend... of Mr. Stewart: you have a description? In case we see them first?"

Once we've gotten what we can from the Oracle I join Ryouta in my car. "My thinking on this is, we go in to talk to Jack Stewart geared up but low-key, and try to get him to scare him away from the revenant. If Nekyomanteus is on the premises, we don't want to kick in the front door but have him flee out the back. I'd rather not have to fight a living wizard and a dead wizard at the same time." I reach into the back seat and remove a slim leaf-bladed bronze sword, covered in verdigris. The guard and handle look like two twining snakes. "But I will, if I have to."

# ¿ Jul 29, 2020 00:32

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

"You want to borrow my sword?" I can't keep the incredulity out of my voice. That's a rude, an astonishingly rude, thing to ask. I can vaguely recall the hands of past lives gripping this sword during the literal bronze age. It's enough that I actually forget and peer at him over the top of my sunglasses, before I remember and raise them again.

"If you... absolutely must..." I say, unwillingly.

[OOC: Ophelia is willing to temporarily turn the sword over, but considers that a debt in its own right, either calling in, or owed.]

As we drive up to the house, I spot another unwelcome face and groan. Bloody wizards. If I hadn't gotten Nekyomanteus's description from Sloan, I would have thought this was our new revenant's form, because that's the way my luck is running today. I pull the car up to the curb, take my cell phone out, and dial the contact marked "Wizard, Disaster".

"What are you doing here?" I demand of Dylan.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2020 23:22

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

"I am hunting an enemy of the Lord of the Underworld," I reply peevishly. "Th wizard in that building is currently harboring a revenant. I don't suppose you know anything about it?"

I ignore the other half of Dylan's question: Ryouta can supply his own damned justification.

Old Kentucky Shark fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Aug 12, 2020

# ¿ Aug 12, 2020 02:46

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

paradoxGentleman posted:

Dylan Mbaye, the Wizard
Blood -1, Heart 0, Mind 1, Spirit 2
Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1

"You're being very suspicious of me, Ophelia, and you have no real reason to be. I'm here on something completely unrelated."

"Uh huh," I say, not believing a word of it. loving wizards; it's like it's their job to give everyone else in the universe a headache.

quote:

I lean forward a bit, squinting my eye at her car. "Listen, can you put Ryouta on the phone?"

I stare at the phone. "Sure. Why not. What else could go wrong today?" I hand the phone to Ryouta. "He wants to talk to you." I pause, and then do the formal introductions. "Ryouta Katou, of the Court of Blossoms, this is the wizard Dylan Mbaye, of the Reformed Hermetic Brotherhood of Set." Then I hand him the phone.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2020 03:26

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# ¿ Apr 23, 2024 17:50

Old Kentucky Shark: May 25, 2012; If you think you're gonna get sympathy from the shark, well then, you won't.

Ophelia
_{Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild 1}

I give it some serious thought. Can I trust Dylan? In the end, though, I don't have much choice. If I can't trust him and I blow him off, there's nothing I can do to stop him from warning Jack Stewart that we're coming. If I can trust him, then he's a potentially valuable asset, and this amulet he wants means nothing to me at the moment; even if Lord Hades commands me to fetch it from Dylan later, at least I'll know where it is.

"I generally prefer to work alone," I say pointedly, "but it's too late now. Might as well bring him in."

Reaching past Ryouto, I open the car's console and take out a patterned headscarf, and carefully arrange it so that it conceals my hair. When I have to put my game face on in public, it helps to have a little plausible deniability. "Let's go."

# ¿ Aug 27, 2020 22:19

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