[color=lightgreen][center][h3][i][b]Day 2: 06:54:32 [s]Stolen Apartment[/s] Novi Grad, Novy Jork, Capital Province, Republic of Polavia [/b][/i][/h3][/center][/color] [quote=@LadyAmber] [color=#39FF14]Rowan: “Okay. Is everyone ready?” [/color] [/quote] Oksana eyed up the team, looking across. "I'd say so. Where's your car?" She asked the other witch, glad she'd joined her in the market to shop for goods, having little to say in there. Rowan was good people. Oksana had nothing much to reveal, add, or show. She just hoped Rowan would get a happy ending. She deserved one. Woman was crazy, but, so was she, Oksana reasoned. Nothing normal about having arcane powers and the ability to kick doors in. She rolled up her sleeves, a bit warm inside the flat while wearing this fancy coat. "I suppose Borys has numberplates. Ey, you drunk fuck, time to go." Oksana would say, giving the man a nudge, given that Felix falling off and coming back to his usual self hadn't worked. [quote=@BigPapaBelial] "Fine fine. We'd best be careful." HE looks around the room, "Anyone need a touch up?" He flexes his fists his knuckle dusters glowing, and grins wickedly. [/quote] Felix gives a shrug. "Apart from my sense of humour. And him." He pointed out Borys once again, who was coming back to things slower. Since then though, Upswing had been quieter, given his own space. The guy had been kept to himself, and outside of their little chat earlier, hadn't had much to say. Felix appreciated Silas, he was to the point, helpful, and more than importantly, had saved his life when he was riddled with bullets. That whole act of his took a lot of work usually, so, given he wasn't dead, Felix owed him that at least. [quote=@Tank O The Lake] He reaches for his coat pocket and retrieves a pair of black-rimmed metal glasses, putting them on to complete the look. When he speaks again, all traces of his heavy accent are gone; in its place is the smooth, posh tones of a highborn Briton as he extends a hand to shake. “My name is Victor James Pettigrew; I’m your friendly advisor at Bank of the DSR, Novy Jork. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I interest you in any of our investment plans, or would you like to play it safer and entrust your money to our hedge fund?” When the joke goes over in silence, Upswing laughs, high, genuine, probably. “Relax, darlings; I’m only enjoying myself. Felix, you poor, ironically-named sot, I am [i]at your beck and call.[/i]” [/quote] Felix looked skew at him, with a smirk on his face, wondering just how many times Upswing had pulled that. "I believe you. Half the illusion is convincing the world that you don't exist, other half is creativity. I suppose they won't ask questions.." Felix chuckled, grabbing the raincoat, looking to Upswing as Oksana cut across. "Ex-Special Forces. And an illusionist. I can't see quite what you do next given you'd already hide better. And literally I cannot visualise you. That unsettles me....and seems to be your trick." She set the rest of her gear up, putting a hand out. "I'm Roxie Dylatowa. Ex-Reactor too. Seer. Same page as you I suppose, making sure Manticore doesn't fall into the wrong hands sounds like a way to go. From what Rowan said, it sounds like it really can fuck people up. What the PSA want with it, confuses me. Once we get clear of this mess, including getting her away from it." She stated, as if she was trying to still work this out in her head, but not quite getting there with answers. Felix chuckled, looking across. "Watcher-Witch. Upswing. Shotgun Mage. Toxic woman. Shovel Kalash. We are nearly at the end. Let's move." Felix was sleep deprived, hurt, and most of all, done, wanting to truly get the fuck out of Polavia now. It would be with that, the team would wrap up their business. Pack up their equipment into duffel bags, and once again, get moving. Heading into the drizzly evening, they would be seeing the previously sunny city return to a usual gloom, chimneys still pouring out dark soot in the distance, and the blocks quietening as workers returned for the night. [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b]Act Two: Regroup[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Part Four: Money Talks, Bullshit Walks[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [color=lightgreen][center][h3][i][b]Day 2: 19:42:01 The Grand Polavian Hotel Stary Grad, Novy Jork, Capital Province, Republic of Polavia [/b][/i][/h3][/center][/color] [img]https://static.prod.r53.tablethotels.com/media/hotels/slideshow_images_staged/large/1250091.jpg[/img] The rain would pick up, a gentle patter against the windows of the Mercedes. The cobbled streets of Stary Grad were beautiful, a tram dinging by as it clattered on the old stone road, other cars, old and new, darting through the lights and puddles of a teeming city. The city was a pretty place to be, well, if you squinted at this particular bit, neon lighting still up advertising everything from vodka, cigarettes, gambling, clothing stores, and new western banks and insurance companies. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQnc-hM80UQ]The music gently poured from the radio, a bleak tune for a bleak place.[/url] Arriving at the hotel, the valet at the front would catch sight of the Merc, and with a hand out, approached the driver's door, where Rowan would be. "Everyone stay cool." Felix said, as Oksana rolled her eyes. "No shit. I'll talk. You sit there and look stupid. Pavel has to be here, but it will cost us. Worth the price. Everyone, keep an eye out on the lobby. Tell me if you see anyone or anything weird." Roxie felt like there was too much obvious dad-leading from Felix going on today, especially with all the crap with Rowan. Everyone was pissed, angry, and annoyed. It felt like the team were at an end with each other, but then again, a fragile alliance like this came with everyone's reasons to get the hell out of here. They wanted escape not to stay. They were each others' best hope, but that felt like still a poor ending to say the least. The valet would come up to the window, knocking to open at Rowan. "I can take it from here, Miss." He opened the door, as Felix and Oksana didn't really stop to let the valet do it for them, clambering out onto cobbles. The latter in her wool coat concealing a folded up AS VAL, pistol and, the former carrying a couple of duffels under his technical looking grey raincoat jacket, making enough room for Upswing to follow behind him from the middle seat, dressed smart. Borys would be able to emerge from the front passenger seat, while Rowan would be able to leave their stolen Merc with a valet, for a later pickup. Walking inside, the group were quite a range. In varying degrees of formality, custom, they would walk up the marble steps of The Grand Polavian Hotel, the finest hotel of the capital. The one bit that the Party hadn't totally stripped out, because this was for diplomats, foreign dignataries, and others to visit. It was beautiful, the floors and walls covered in marble, but it felt like it was aging. A tired beauty, rather than a polished kind of gemstone. Clearing her throat, Oksana walked to the reception desk, pointy hat in left hand, high-buttoned wool coat still on, Felix keeping an eye behind, his cargo pants and waterproof coat combo not really as formal, or as pleasant. Then again, he wasn't expecting to dress smart. "Welcome to the Grand Polavian. How can we assist you?" The receptionist was not so cheerful. She was almost administrative, clerical. Not welcoming, warm, it was Polavian hospitality. Cold, but functional. "Five rooms please. Standard rate." Oksana uttered as if she was confident, like she did this all the time. Shit, this was going to be expensive. But an appointment with Pavel was worth the price of admission. "Fine. Passports, please." The receptionist's dead eyes stared back, as Oksana slid across quite a few more DSR dollars than were needed to underline that it wasn't a check that she wanted. "We're on rather special business." "You are witches and wizards on business. You better not be Albani. I have had enough trouble with you people." The receptionist grunted, taking the money, as Oksana kept eyes on her. That slur got thrown a lot. But then again, it came with being a druid and with the cuff of her neck on her woolen coat revealing tattoos of butterflies emerging from her collarbone. Enough to show, Oksana knew that much, to show it was maybe best not to fuck with them too much. Oksana could see that part of her demeanour coming from a mile away, as she let the staff member sort keys, leaning forwards. "We're looking for Pavel Baltyk." The receptionist looked oddly at her, as if this was already getting into a bad idea. "Sorry, I can't say if I know him." Sliding a polaroid across the desk, Oksana looked to her, seering less, witching more. A bit of Rowan and Upswing's book was needed, she decided. "Would this help jog your mind? I really need to see him." The receptionist grunted as she took the polaroid, and oddly, her tone seemed to shift. Chromatically placed truth serum. It made her drool a little, but the black polaroid with nothing on it made her spit out what she remembered about the man. Rowan wasn't the only one with tricks up her sleeve. Oksana had gotten a little bit of some truth serum blended with mushroom cap resin, brewed it with old film reel, and it basically worked a treat if you needed someone to spit out something they didn't want to, from a suggestive manner. It was a trick Upswing likely knew, and perhaps a "He is returning in ten minutes. Room 404." The reply was almost the same brand of monotone, but as Oksana took the keys and Polaroid, she smiled, checking that their rooms were on the 3rd floor. Pavel had one of the penthouses. Lucky bastard. With that in hand, she threw the keys at the group, at least, passing it into the hand of Borys - noting it would be a poor idea to throw things at a drunk person - and with it, looking up at the group. "He's here. Should be here soon. No point going to rooms yet. We can wait for him to arrive." Roxie replied, as Felix looked across at where they could kill said time. The bar area was very pleasant, and a pianist was playing, adding to a gentle lounge atmosphere. It was serene, easy, simple, versus what the reality was next. Getting in contact with Polavia's top counterfeiter, getting papers, and leaving. It wasn't over quite yet, but it would feel like the beginning of the end. "Do you know what he looks like?" Felix asked, as Roxie nodded. "He's Pale Pavel. Albino looking bastard like him? Wears white Puma and has a white beard. Strange looking fucker. You don't forget a face like him. Wizard with detail. Like Upswing, if he did passports." Roxie chuckled, walking as they headed into the bar, surrounded by businessmen, and various visitors, some foreign, all bar Upswing a little less the clientele of this sort of establishment. Dropping off duffels at the bar, abd taking a moment. "Would you look at that. They have Polavian Standard. Cheeky round?" Felix darkly commented, as Roxie looked. Thinking back to earlier. They hadn't gouged the price yet.... "Fuck it. One for the road. Here's to the end." Roxie added, looking to the others. "What are you getting?"