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As they spoke, Gianna listened carefully. Marcus she knew, the others not so much. Well, not as much as to have direct contact. Gianna was resourceful. What she was intrigued with was how they came up with solutions.
Of course, she had an answer.
All expert gameplayers did.
For now, the owner of Quicksilver Gate remained quiet as they offered their ideas.
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Marcus watches as Gianna listens to the questions and concerns of the other freeholders. He's fairly certain that he knows why the wizened is asking them to do this for her. He doesn't buy her line about being a simple woman or her opinions on the whims of fate. He thinks the gameplayer just needs a few pawns to move across the board. She's obviously not willing to endanger any of the more important pieces quite yet, or she would be using the courts, but she must need to make a move of some sort. Perhaps the enigmatic wizened knows something they don't... Then again, maybe she's just afraid she'll lose her turn. Who knows? But, despite any misgivings Marcus might have regarding Gianna's manipulative methods, he trusts that they do ultimately share the same goal, so the Summer Court's Hunter will play his part in her little game... for now.
"I don't mind taking point on talking to Goyle when we find him. If he is trying to burn bridges, there's a chance he might listen to a Hedge Warden, if he's not too far gone. But, first we need to find him. The kind of equipment our guy's making off with is definitely going to be missed. There are a few things we can do as far as narrowing down his location if any of the thefts have been reported to the police. In addition to the police reports, there would be a paper trail of insurance claims and replacement invoices by the service providers. If he's a bridge burner, I doubt he'd want to open any new hedge gates, so we're probably looking for an established gate, possibly even a trod. But, before we get into all of that... I'd first like an answer to the second part of my earlier question. Gianna, do you know where we might start looking for him?"
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"Ah!" Gianna suddenly exclaimed, placing a hand to her forehead as if she was ever-so-silly. Her large eyes held mischief as she looked towards Marcus. "How forgetful I can be! Of course you did. One moment," she said, looking down beside her before bringing up a photo of a race track, sliding it across the table. "This is the Cal-Expo Race Track, literally just outside of our freehold's borders. I'm sure those astute enough to know of such things are aware how...flux that makes matters. However, after a lot of hardwork, I believe Mr. Goyle to be utilizing a gate just outside the track itself; an old trailer that is in a state of disuse, not owned by anyone but still on the site. I have personally seen the gate," Gianna admits, pausing. "I know it works. To open it, you must wipe the mold growing around the blacked out window in the door."
An Intelligence + Occult roll can be made with a single success indicating that the area outside the freehold is known as the Brim, or Border Marches, places outside the so-called security the freehold offers
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When it came to checking sources...she thought on that. Marcus seemed to have covered the best options. Hopefully he knew how to check police and insurance leads. Newspaper maybe? "M-m-maybe check old newspapers? F-for stories a-about the thefts. Ssssome reporter may-haps-ould have s-spot a pattern in story, heh-heh."Brain worked
Morgan stared at Gianna as the woman spoke. Her large eyes blinking owlishly at the Wizened. A brief look of confusion passed over the Beast, followed by a look of understanding, and quickly suppressed into a semi-neutral expression. Yes, Hedge Gates did have catches and could be opened without Glamour. The raccoon had most certainly not forgotten about that for a moment, no she had not. She tried to cover up for it by nodding, "I-I cross the Brim on THIS side reg-regularly on d-del-del-courier jobs. T-t-t-think seen it, race-track-place, but n-not insides though, heh, or closes enough to sense a gate. H-have sensed some elsewhere in town though, n-not explore-alone-anymore....Pretty certain-sure I know where...parking likely to...be...and signs would make it obvious, heh-heh, d-don't mind me."
Morgan blushes as she looks down at the table. She hadn't needed to state such an obvious knowledge, there were signs for parking after all. Seems Malory was right: Morgan didn't think before talking.
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Didn't get distracted
Lynn reached over and put her second cup cake in front of Morgan smiling and winking slightly when the other woman glanced up.
She hadn't missed the fact that Giana seemed to have all the answers for questions they hadn't even asked yet. But that was how Gameplayers worked. You either dealt with it or you didn't.
"So, we either tack this guy down using the paperwork trail he's left behind or by leaving out some bait. We talk with him and get him to take us to HAL. We hopefully talk HAL into letting us go through his library.” She ticked the points off one by one on her fingers. “If we get all this done, who says we’re going to be any closer to figuring out how to take out Fairweather? If the sovereigns couldn’t do it, what could possibly be in the research that would give us a chance?”
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"If we know where the Gate he uses is couldn't we just use that to find him? Just wait for him outside, setup a stake out, bring stuff to trade, plan an ambush, make a trap, leave a note, or however. If he doesn't vary his route we know where he'll be. We'll just have to figure when he'll be there. Which we can hopefully figure a pattern from the stuff Marcus was talking about."
He decided he'd let Gianna field Lynn's question about the research. He had a feeling he knew why. If he had to guess, they had not used it. Maybe the Hollow was too dangerous, or maybe HAL's betrayal tainted the knowledge in their minds. Whatever the case he doubted the white-haired Wizened would send them to do something if she didn't have a good probability of return.
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"I thought Goyle was operating within the freehold. It's one thing to follow a trod into the border marches when you know the lay of the land, but walking into the hedge through an unfamiliar gate in the brim can be... tricky."
Marcus narrows his eyes at Gianna's performance. the elemental prefers more straight forward methods and is beginning to resent the growing feeling that the wizened is somehow toying with them the way a cat plays with its dinner. However, the hedge warden dislikes the idea of venturing into the hedge outside of the freehold boundaries even more than the gameplayer's theatrics. Especially if it means he'll be relying on this squad of freshmen to watch his back.
Well, why didn't you just come right out and ask us to leave the safety of the freehold and stagger into the unknown hedge of the border marches in order to try and convince a bridge burner to lead us on a wild goose chase through the thorns until we stumble upon the secret hollow of the freehold's insane former autumn king so we can beg him to share the secret of how to kill a dragon? Oh wait, that's why. Because when you say it like that, it sounds... one, crazy... and two, like we're all going to die.
However, Marcus knows himself well enough that he is well aware that he's going to follow up on this lead regardless of whether he wants to or not. It really doesn't matter how dangerous or unlikely Gianna's plan sounds, the metalflesh knows he'd never forgive himself if Fairweather struck again and he could have prevented it. So, instead of speaking his mind, the elemental simply nods at the picture of the race track and waits for the wizened to answer Lynn's question. He's pretty sure he already know what Gianna's going to say, but he just wants to hear her say it.
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Morgan shook her head and started rambling, "Um, heh, L-Lynn makes a g-g-g-good points. I-I mean b-b-b-but if HAL vast obess-obtuse-occul-erk, fixated on Fair Weather heh-heh probable-oble dug up m-more then what have. Ken it what needs and kinda-only lead for findings k-knowledge. I-I-I been lookings-search on own s-s-since Seasons burned," she then looked at Lynn with a very flat expresion, "All I found is in the packet. And I d-d-don't wanna trade-truck with Fleshmarket b-b-bastards for ken-books, nada-trust 'em." She'd found nothing upon this side related to Fair Weather. HAL was the only known option was the other side and a semi-friendly source, which beat a Goblin Market. And she had no desire to visit a Goblin Market founded by, if rumors were true, Privateers.
The raccoon then turned her over sized eyes to Daniel, "W-why not bolth? Dippty-lomacy and out-stake. Try t-talk a-a-yet have someone hide-watch in-in case he bolts for gate a-a-after ken her frequent it. L-like Marcus," she nods her head towards the Metalflesh, "said t-t-t-teh Brine-Brime-Rim kinda danger. If-if avoid going in by chatty-chat then yay. I r-r-remem...ber..." her eybrows rose as something occured to her. She tilted her head once more as she thought of something.
In her mind, Morgan was looking at a mental map (for lack of a better term) of Sacramento. In this case she was recalling what location were near the race track. Her eyebrows shut up as a worried expression crossed her face. She didn't recall exactly WHERE she came out that night, but it was a park at or past the Brim. Had she been North or West of the Freehold? Dammit, she couldn't remember much from after escaping.
Well, Riverfront was near the race track. She looked around the table a little worried, "Um...t-t-the Callie-Export izza n-n-near t-the Riverfront Park, ri-rights? Um, heh-heh, t-t-t-that coul-maybe where I-I ditched th-th-th-th-thing f-from e-entry-2-in-the-packet. C-c-certain sure c-came out in a b-b-big-park out-zidd Briny-rim-Brim. N-n-n-not clarify on exact-locality p-park. Memory fo-fogged f-from blood-lack at time, heh. Pretty-reason sure I w-was past Brim inna Hedge though."
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Daniel tried to understand, he really did. The context just wasn't there.
He raised his hand "Uh, couple questions. What's the Fleshmarket? How much more dangerous is the Hedge past the Brim than in the Freehold? And what kind of thing did you ditch from 'entry to in the packet'?"
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Marcus grabs a Snickers candy bar from the bag he brought and slides it across the table to Morgan before she faints. A couple of guys on his rugby team had gotten dizzy and incoherent on the pitch when their blood sugar bottomed out, and the elemental thinks he recognizes the same warning signs in the beast. Besides, he certainly doesn't want her to lose consciousness after bringing up such a clever idea.
"Good point, Morgan. I bet Goyle would be less jumpy if he's approached by just two people, instead of four. It might be in our best interest to split up. Two of us make contact with Goyle and try to bargain with him, while the other two stay out of sight and keep their eyes open for any trouble."
The metalflesh manages to stifle his urge to let out a sigh as he turns toward Daniel. Deep down, Marcus knows that it really isn't the darkling's fault that he's such a clueless noob.
"Sal's Fleshmarket is a rather notorious goblin market in these parts with a nasty reputation. I'll bet you can figure out just from the name alone exactly what it is they buy and sell there. As for the wilds of the border marches, it's just as dangerous and unpredictable as anywhere in the hedge, but because it's outside of the freehold boundaries, its even more untamed and disorienting. It's a lot easier to lose your way in the thorns without any familiar paths or landmarks, so like I said, walking into the hedge from the brim can be... tricky."
Marcus fall silent since he doesn't really feel qualified to answer the last of Daniel's questions, so he opens the cooler he brought and cracks open a bottle of Stella. Taking a long drink, he turns his attention back to Gianna in expectation of her response.
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