PRP: DYLF: Back to the lounge

[ReubanBrightwood]

The Park Ultra lounge Is a club, bar, restaurant and so much more all rolled into one. Tonight it is the scene of scandalous maybe even supernatural activity because somewhere inside a dead women parties, posts to social media accounts not her own. and potentially risks the veil just by existing.

Music booms loud, the flash of strobe lights can be seen through the door the party is in full swing even if the crowds look a little anaemic tonight. The que to get tickets is short and there seems to be shortage. Traffic is lighter then might be expected and all in all people are out but not in the droves and throngs of the previous visit.

This scene is a direct continuation from Philips sanctum no chance to rest or recover is available and scourging further will still accumulate a -3 penalty for Philip

[Philip Crosen]

Philip arrived at 11:30 PM at the Ultra Park Lounge again, or rather an alley a couple of minutes of walking distance away from it after a short drive from his place. He was wearing his take on party clothes: fresh jeans, an orange shirt, his gray jacket and gray-green running shoes in case of the need for a chase. He kept things practical. This time, he`d made sure to keep his poached ashes, SSD and desktop-replacement-aptop at home. No need to change my computer setup or get uncomfortable questions. he thought. No trouble with traffic lights or indeed many others on the road at this time of night meant he was able to get there quite fast, much to his surprise.

The instagram had been way too convenient. And he didn`t know what he was going to do about it. He didn`t consider himself strong enough to take on abyssal creatures by himself and yet he knew he had no one else to rely on. Witch had been a complete blank for days and none of the other mages in the Consilium had seemed interested. And then there was the ethical questions because Philip was not a killer and inwardly squirmed at the uncomfortable situation with all the variables that Fate had handed him by having him go to that bar again. Clearly, whatever this was, if it was some abyssal entity posing as Mothisa after her death, they were a walking veil breach just by existing. Darren Greenfield`s role in this had to be ascertained. And this breach was supposedly at this club now. And it fell to him to do something, anything, about it. To that end he`d brought:

Equipment: 1L plastic water bottle, lighter, cigarette pack, can of hairspray, order-tool-slash-smart phone and first aid kit in his backpack. Wallet with ID, car key, permits and membership cards, $50 cash

He would have his trusty hairspray flamethrower one way or another. So he`d go with the flow and spring whatever traps fate had planned. For a price. I hope I at least get due recognition from my fellows for this. he thought, equally about his associates and his colleague mages. Having parked his car a good distance away from the lounge to not attract attention from clubgoers or unwanted security cameras, this had come with the risk of being further away from it in case of the need for a fast escape or chase. Before exciting it, he knew he`d need Fortunes Protection for the night against the many potential threats that could be arrayed against him.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-03-24 06:36:29	Philip Crosen rolls 7 to Fortunes Protection (Gnosis 3+Fate 4) (10 Again)	7, 6, 1, 8, 5, 8, 7	2 successes

So he cast his spell as quietly and unobtrusively as he could. That was despite not seeing anyone else with him in the alley he`d found for himself. You can never be too careful. he thought, as he excited his vehicle, his fail with Superlative Luck from the other day still fresh on his mind. So he strode towards the Ultra Park Lounge with purpose in his step while taking a good look around, relying on his wit to spot anything out of the ordinary and taking stock of his sorroundings. That was, of course, after scanning the place thoroughly for cameras. He was paranoid and knew he was out of his depth that evening so he was taking no chances, hoping against hope that fate for once agreed with this judgement.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-03-24 06:37:51	Philip Crosen rolls 6 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3) (10 Again)	1, 2, 10, 6, 1, 1, 7	1 success

Per RAW and ReubanBrightwood`s approval, I will move forward by considering the new stats, such as arcana, live as from this new scene, despite this being a direct continuation. I hope this is ok.

[ReubanBrightwood]

Having pulled up, filled his pockets with what he believes will be necessary, and brought forth his enlightened will to protect him from the potential horrors that seem arrayed against him, against reality, against the truth Philip takes a short walk and approaches the club. His efforts to perceive note the same cameras as last time:

one over the door of course, another one overlooking the outdoor seating area that can be seen from 15th street, and a third on the corner of the building aimed into kayak alley and the street parking over the way -- this still leaving the alley that is formed by the lounge being a larger building then the law firm next door unobserved at the back of the building.

A difference Philip does notice is that the queue to get in is shorter and the groups smaller, music still blares a party still rages on inside but if the outside reflects the interior attendance seems a little anaemic tonight. There are no signs of Mothisa outside the club if she is here she must have headed inside after taking the picture.

Yeah it's a new scene, you have you approved experience buys

[Philip Crosen]

As he went up to the entrance, he noticed no new cameras but also that the crowd was much smaller than last time he was there. That made his job much harder, with fewer targets to cajole into a free ticket. He did not want any financial transactions connected to his bank account from this adventure. And he wanted to ideally even avoid having to say an alias completely too, if possible. Certainly not with his hacker friend still on the loose, who could well be connected to this. Sure there were cameras, but he was certain they would be a seperate hack from his financial records and again from the guest lists at this place that evening, in case someone wanted to know of his involvement.

On the other hand, he also knew it had only been a few days since he`d been there last so he`d need to deal with at least some people remembering him. And last time Walker had outed him as a bigshot, ruining his chances anyway. So no chance to pretend to be a pauper now. he thought. After all, while he wasn`t wearing his fancy suit like last time, he could still be recognised. But nothing to prevent me from coming across as a confused bigshot. he thought as he considered his words to the bouncer.

It was a tricky balancing act. Gaslighting the bouncer while also not coming across as too memorable and not giving off a clear sense of purpose while still getting access inside. Sure, he`d walked there with seemingly clear purpose but he pretended to falter in the last seconds as he was lining in wait at the entrance as if waiting for some friends while not actually admitting to anything that might give him away, least of all any of his aliases or names. That of course having the benefit of keeping an air of mystery and cluelessness about him.

"Sir, can I get a ticket for this place here? I only have fifty bucks on me right now though and that`s gotta last me the night."

It was a blatant lie, if only because of his credit card. As he never forgot his wallet or order tool when on official business, and by extension his credit card, either.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-03-24 11:46:04	Philip Crosen rolls 4 to Manipulate bouncer(Wits 2+ Manipulation 2) (10 Again)	5, 2, 8, 10, 6	2 successes

[ReubanBrightwood]

As Philip quickly reaches the front of the que the bounces directs him to a guy just inside the door who takes £25 and gives Philip a ticket which is promptly stamped and Philip has access to the club. If it is the same bouncer from nights ago and if he remember Philip he passes no comment and makes no indication that's outwardly obvious.

Inside the club is large and the foyer splits off into several direction, sign posts above the doors help. Corridors lead of the restaurant, outdoor seating, lounge and music the loud beat of electro drum machines reverberates through your bones and beckons to the dance floor. Doors also lead of this central hub marked, toilets, security and a reception counter with a clerk standing ready to check anything you don't want to take into the night proper

[Philip Crosen]

After paying for his ticket and not giving anything away, he was inside. He decided to keep everything on him and not give any of his belongings to the clerk.
So now what? Let`s see if we can find the `star of the evening`... was the first question that passed through his mind, if sarcastically. He was unsure. But he started by looking around to see if he could pick her or Darren out from among the group of people in the establishment. That was at least his first option, as he was making his moves up as he was going along. If he found either of them, he`d pretend not to notice anything while planning his next mov and observing other people`s reaction to see if they noticed the veil breach. He was determined to take every precaution. And of course, he`d have to find out how to verify he was dealing with an abyssal creature. If he couldn`t find them or find anything out mundanely about them, he knew he`d need fate to give him a guiding hand.

All told, it was a harrowing situation. If he found her, she (or whatever being that posed as her if that was the case) might react badly to being confronted. And he also prepared for unknown threats, like the entity from the morgue, to make appearances (or reappearances) too. Oh how I wish I could just take at least one of my Remingtons for situations like this. he thought while looking, grinning inwardly at his gung-ho joke.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-03-24 16:52:20	Philip Crosen rolls 6 to Perception (Wits 3+Comp. 3) (10 Again)	8, 5, 10, 1, 1, 7, 7	2 successes

[ReubanBrightwood]

Philip has little trouble finding who he seeks natural perceptive ability and a dash of common sense quickly leads him to the dance floor where close to thirty people move to the music in a space that could easily triple that. And he easily spots Mothisa among them. This is not Mothisa as he saw her body in his postcognition, fragile and emancipated. And it is not the Mothisa he has seen from her modelling photos Severly beautiful and professional. No this is the Mothisa that has Appeared after her death Laughing dancing and healthy, with flowing wavy hair dark but the ends dyed blond, a radiance to her skin, a spark to her dark eyes and a frame that suggests the height of healthy living She dances to the music unrestrained by any form of care of pressure, laughing, smiling, eyes half closed, those around her seem readily drawn to her even if she only pays them passing interest wrapped up as she is in her own experiences.

What's more Philip unseen senses alert him to a supernatural effect in the room. From where, what or who it does not say it is not that precise only that something is not as it seems.

[Corn]

Corn returns to the club. When he was there to pick up his sister and her friends earlier - payback for all the times they kept his son-and-heir as Jennifer put it - he felt... active magic from inside the club. It could be Aurora in her club outings, or it could be something else. With his wife away for business and the baby with her, Corn decided to cut an extra hour or two from his really needed sleep despite what his body and mind were telling him.
The sacrifices I make for this community, will forever go unsung, Corn thought as he took a sip from the strong coffee he had brought before approaching the bouncer and waiting as necessary to gain entry in the club.

After spending some time in the que, Corn enters, looking for any mage he would recognize... Nope, not Phoenyx with Aurora. Just Philip ogling a pretty Indian woman. Well, she was ogle-worthy. Corn was married, not blind.
Why does he have magic active though? He didn't have any on the Consilium. Corn wondered.
Corn considers to throw sight on, but decided against it, for the time. I am already here and I don't know this guy aside from Aurora opening a new one on him I already drunk a lot of coffee so I don't have anything to lose. I could wingman him a bit.
Corn said and approached Philip.
Getting in the other mage's field of vision he waves his hand to draw his attention and approaches.

"Hey man! I am Jacob, from the office. I was just passing by. Wife and kid are away for the night -and tomorrow- and thought to have a little time with a friend but he canceled. So I am here all alone. Was thinking to leave but with such an entry price, Coming and going within 10 minutes is a colossal waste and I don't get as many opportunities. I saw you here and thought to say hello to an up and coming manager in the firm, especially when it comes to South Asian offices!"
Smooth and subtle. If the girl's friends heard that they will put in a good word for him. I am soooo good as a wingman.

Then he leans in and whispers "I see you have good taste. Want me to wingman you with the Indian beauty? I can talk up your achievements and such. Your day job probably includes philanthropy so that's a good angle too. Do you know her?"
Corn is pretty obviously oblivious to the diva's situation and that she should be in a grave and not on the dance floor.

spells and effects

Armor 0
Spells active: 0/7
Spell Tolerance: 0/3
Vulgar spells: 0
Mana: 9



Equipment:
Considering that I am a master of mage, this will be long and detailed as corn can do things with most items.


Cellphone
Lead Medallion (dedicated Tool)
Wallet, includes his ID, credit cards, some cash
His cross and his wedding ring
A bottle of water and a candy-bar
pack of hankerchiefs
pack of gum


Equipment in car:
Small backpack
Flashlight
Cellphone
A bottle of water and two candy-bars
ziplock bags
strong Duct-tape
Cotton clothsline rope
pistol
Extra change of clothes
Shoes
Plastic gloves


Baby seat
Baby Wipes
That strange plastic cup that you use to give water to babies
A couple of used paper cups and a few receipts (it is not the cleanest car).

[Philip Crosen]

Having found his quarry rather quickly and briefly looked at her, it was clear that whoever this was it was the same person from his research into her post-death They looked quite different that the pre-death invididual. Corn`s presence was a welcome one. Adding some much-needed firepower in the form of his mastery of matter. He was briefly incensed by him calling his investigation ogling. Clearly, Corn didn`t have any clue in how much danger he was. At least, he could now formulate some plan.

"Nice to meet you Jacob. Just let me just type something really quickly, please be patient. I`ve something to show you."

He then took Corn aside, subtely beckoning him to follow him and be patient for a few minutes as he began frantically typing on his phone. After all, as this conversation was not sleeper-friendly. Time to get him up to speed. he thought, sighing. After a few minutes of really fast typing, he handed Corn his order-too-slash-phone in a show of trust and relief, despite not stating that it was his order tool. It was a risk. After all, no one except him or Corn could see thethings that were open on it now. The phone was on his research app for this case and he`d quickly typed up the following, interspersed with his images and evidence:

Needless to say, please don`t talk about what you`re about to see in this establishment and consider it a token of my goodwill, but also an acknowledgement of the dangers currently around us. First of all, call me Reggie in public. But not here. I don`t want them to know I`m on to them. So just call me dude or some other descriptive pronoun. Anyway, good taste is one way to describe me finding what`s likely a walking veil breach, so thanks for the complement I guess. The person you`re looking at has been certified dead for some time. At my apartment I`ve ashes from her cremation and here are screenshots of the public media spectacle that followed her death. Even some sleepers seem to already almost be on to the fact that she`s a dead woman walking too, judging from some internet comments. I`ve been tracking this case for days, and I`ve confirmed with Postcognition and extensive research that whoever that is is posing as her. More precisely the way she looked about three years ago, before she took a modeling job. After taking this job evidence of maltreatment and drastic weight loss eventually led to her death under mysterious circumstances. So I`d suggest we re- cofirm what I discovered with Postcognition and then decide how to deal with the breach. No doubt whatever they are, they won`t like being confronted. And I`ve confirmed they have several allies we might have to deal with too.

Interspersed with this written description were pictures and files, evidence of what he was writing: pictures of Mothisa, her decline, her death certificate, the media hooplah after her death and of the ashes of her`s he possessed and screenshots of some of the comments on Darren`s instagram about him and Mothisa and his reason for being there that evening. And pictures of Darren and the ring on Mothisa`s and his finger, and Mr. Vize. It was a lot to spring on someone at once and Philip knew it, so he closely studied Corn`s reaction. His statement that some sleepers were on to her, was slightly exaggerated as he could no doubt see from the comments but he wanted to convey the gravity of their situation, while still letting him make up his own mind. Two things he did not mention to Corn though: details of his experiences in the morgue, including the creature in the basement and what it wrote, and his failure with his spell and his almost getting hacked, the latter having been his main issue for the past couple of days.

[ReubanBrightwood]

Corn like Philip has no issue gaining entry into the lounge his unseen senses alerting him to the potential for problems. The Moros swiftly finds Philip and the two can huddle in a quiet corner to get up to speed easily enough as the club is not exactly popping off tonight.

For her part Mothisa continues to own the dance floor giving passing attention to those around her but largely focused on her own dance it seems. Until she takes a break with a cry of excitement and heads over to the bar ordering a galaxy cocktail. The wallet she pulls out is old leather and duct tape with a peace symbol sticker brazenly covering the exterior.