Kenneth nods, "Aye, especially if ye think we could take a small sample ay it."
"I can help. I can make anyone whose watching believe they've seen something being moved out. Like bags. Or a person, if you want." Danny offers hesitantly.
"People, even insanely powerful ones, see what they want to see. In fact, the ones who think they're in charge are the easiest to fool. They have a hard time believing that something isn't going the way they expect." Danny adds, smirking as he warms up.
Laura looks to Kenneth at the request, her face blanching slightly. "I shouldn't but...." she nods her head, knowing that she's crossing the lines. The seriousness of the situation slipping down o her shoulders like a heavy overcoat.
"That could be useful Danny." the police detective adds.
"Up... up here?" Sal stammers, paling, "God no. Why would we want it?" She blinks slightly in confusion, then looks at the others. "What in the world would we do with that junk?"
"Man, I just came here to crash on a couch. But if you're thumbing your nose in a vamp's face? I'm in for that!"
Danny gives Tangris an evil, conspiratorial grin.
"Thumb our noses in his face? By the time we're done, we'll have him snorting his own drugs, Turned him over to his his worst enemy, and have him thanking us for the honor!" Danny rubs his hands together while smirking happily, not unlike Jim Carrey in 'The Mask'.
Danny might, perhaps, be getting just a teensy-weensy, itty-bitty bit carried away, as his imagined plan opens up before him like a beautiful desert flower opening up for the rain.
"Up... up here?" Sal stammers, paling, "God no. Why would we want it?" She blinks slightly in confusion, then looks at the others. "What in the world would we do with that junk?"
Danny slides up next to Sal, holding one hand out before her as if inviting her to see the beautiful vista in his mind.
"Because Sal, we need to convince everyone that the drugs have been taken, probably somewhere safe from another attempted 'unofficial requisition'. We bring them up here, safe from prying eyes, while convincing everyone, good guys and bad, that the drugs are being carted away to another storage facility. While the bad guys search for their spiked drugs, we test it to see if our off the wall theory is true, figure out whose behind it, and then bait a trap with their own drugs to lure them in so we can catch them and put them all away!" He grins happily, as if having just explained how easy calculus is to a fellow student.
"Just keep that s*+# away from me," Sal mutters, leaning in the corner and gazing interestedly at the bland flooring of the conference room, arms still crossed before her body protectively.
Kenneth nods and says, "Aye, if it is what we suspect, ye dinnae want tae have it touch you. Vamp venom is absorbed through the skin."
Kenneth nods at Danny, and says, "Mayhap we can keep this conversation going while I work, lad?, waiting for the knowing nod before taking the stuff into the conference room. Now, let's see if I can follow my own advice...and let's keep everyone else safe...
He carefully inspects the package to ensure that there's no leak, and then draws his sgian-dubh... but before cutting the seal, he begins to spin the blade about him, drawing upon the Flames of Kildare and the Fire of the Hearth to create a protective barrier (circle) around him. Just in case...
Feeling the power flow through him, he nods and then carefully uses the dirk to open the package and take a wee sample of the stuff, setting it down carefully and resealing the pack. He then reaches into his satchel and draws one of his anti-venom potions. I dinnae need tae neutralize the venom, so it should just take a drop or two tae see if there's a reaction, leaving the potion useful for later... because I'm thinking we'll be needing them both soon enough....
He carefully allows two drops of liquid to fall from the potion bottle into the tiny sample, watching carefully for the hissing and wisps of smoke that a potion that burns away venom would have on a small sample of venom.
Kenneth expects the drugs to fizz with an acrid dark ruby smoke, to indicate the true potency of the venom. It's effects know to many of the party.
The sticky substance produced from the small plastic bag, gives off the distinctive red smoke under Kenneth's thaumaturgy. However, it isn't the thick acerbic smoke usually associated with the venom. It's a sweet pale smoke that catches the back of the throat.
Clearly some sort of different version of the Reds Venom, the Poppy Court have their own mutation it seems. Laura watches enrapt at Kenneth's casting the first time she has seen some real magic and not the flashy explosive stuff.
Laura whispers softly, slightly in awe of the magic that's been performed. "Is it meant to hiss like that?" she asks barely above a whisper.
"What next?" she asks almost prophetically, as there's a knock on the door.
Then without waiting, Charles comes in an looks around the room suspiciously; "Detective, I've called the ambulance. The suspects are secure and stable..."
"However the leader is still calling for his lawyer, making a bit of a ruckus." with a firm shake of his head in apparent annoyance. Carefully he doesn't leave the room, awaiting a response...
Tangris grins. "You want me to punch him a couple times, shut him up? It's not police brutality if I do it!"
Danny shakes his head in bemusement.
"He only gets a lawyer if he's being questioned, right? If your locking him in a deep dark hole, for his own protection of course, and not talking to him, he doesn't NEED a lawyer, am I right?" He smirks.
Sal turns even paler as the package is brought in and backs away from the table toward the door. As the cloying smell of the smoke fills the room, she gags and rushes into the hallway, nearly colliding with Charles.
Kenneth shakes his head, "Nae, that wasnae quite what I expected. It's venom, but it isnae the same as the normal Red Court.... In terms ay what we dae now, it may be best tae destroy this stuff tae ensure it doesnae fall intae the wrong hands."
Seeing Laura's sudden look at the thought of destroying evidence, Kenneth raises a hand, "I may be able tae purify it. If I remove the bad stuff, ye'd still have your evidence, and if we let it be known that we've burned away the stuff they want, the vamps would likely stop throwing waves of goons at ye."
Danny watches Sal's reaction with obvious concern. And a hint of something else. But the look passes so swiftly that it is easy to believe it was imagined. Or a trick of the fluorescent lighting.
"Sal's got the right idea. With all of the commotion, it's best if someone's keeping watch that isn't emotionally involved in everything that's happened.' He says sincerely.
His look to Ken adds, 'As if anyone could be emotionally uninvolved in something like this!'
"I'm outta my league here." He continues, indicating the pile of 'evidence' on the table. "I'll keep an eye out." He follows Sal out into the hallway.
"Is she alright? She looked a bit green in the gills?" Charles asks showing apparent concern. "Should I?" he nods his head out of the room, indicating to follow her.
With a shrug from Laura, he heads off to find the slight soldier.
Approaching her with a hint of reserve; "You alright Miss?" he asks softly, the policeman's manner once again establishing itself.
As footsteps approach, Sal pushes away from the wall where she's hunched over and scrubs a hand roughly across her face. She stands wobbling slightly, not facing Charles as she answers. "No, I'm not all right. Nobody will be if that stuff gets out and these things aren't stopped."
She turns and grabs Charles' arm, mascara-smeared eyes dark and intense in her pinched, pale face. "Listen, Chuck, I don't know how worried you are about this junk or who is behind it, but you're not scared enough. It's not people pushing this, it's worse, and they've got no morals, no... humanity. They see us as prey, Chuck, and they are happy to take over and run a place like a cattle pen. You need to help us on this, help Laura. This is worse than anything you can imagine."
"Danny, do you know about these...things?" She spits the last word, unable to hide her disgust.
Danny walks up to hear the last, emphatic, words of Sal. He stands for a moment, then nods slowly, once.
"Yeah. I'm familiar with them." He says softly, not at all the usually exuberant Danny they are familiar with. He rubs the back of his head while he gathers his thoughts. (Unusual for the usually quick-witted, or at least quick-mouthed Danny)
"I'm no Van Helsing or anything, I know more about the fae end of weird avenue, but yeah. I know about them." Danny sizes up Charles, makes a decision, and begins ticking off on his fingers,...
"There's the Black Court, their your basic undead critters, super strong, super fast, and pretty much all the basic, common weakness attributed to vamps. Seems that somehow Bram Stoker found out about them, and his novel is basically a 'how-to' on killing Black Court vamps."
Danny ticks off another finger,
"The Red Court are the shapeshifters, I think. Narcotic venom, can make themselves look human, Also strong and fast, and I think they really look like the bat-creature that Dracula was supposed to turn into."
Danny ticks off a third finger, despite the growing look of incredulity on Charles the Cop's face.
"The White Court are the most human. Looking. Have no problems with daylight or most of the common 'weaknesses' the others share, and don't drink blood. But they can still kill you just as dead. I think they eat your emotions or something, and I've heard stories that some of them feeding are just as addictive as a drug. Not as strong or fast as the other vamps, but still way above the average human."
Danny ticks off a fourth finger,
"And the, green? no Jade Court. And,... That's all I got. Just the name. Not a clue otherwise. More a rumor or bogeyman that you hear about in the Fae circles. Well, did I pass?" He asks Sal with a grin.
"The test. This was a test right? Did I pas?" He asks again cheerfully, trying to get her to smile.
"White court eat despair, fear, and finally your soul. I know about them..." Tangris says from behind Danny, his voice trailing off into an obviously angry expression.
Kenneth whispers, "Not always fear or despair, lad. Some ay them are succubi... and I dinnae ken which ay the whites are the worst, tae be honest."
"I don't know about all those types, but I do know that the red ones are horrid, evil abominations that can't be allowed to make a foothold here. There are whole villages and countrysides full of people being used by them. It can't happen here. I can't believe they feel confident enough to even try it!" Sal speaks fiercely, but cannot keep the quaver from her voice. "At least you people don't think I'm crazy!"
Charles backed off when confronted by Sal, a look of concern crossing his face. Was he judging her or empathizing? Everyones words bring out a strange look, whilst he places his back against the wall.
Danny gives Charles a sympathetic look.
"Yep. Welcome to the corner of Weird Ave and Spooky Lane. Population, all your worst nightmares. Fortunately just a block over you also have Good Guy Lane. So at least you have wizards and monster hunters as neighbors." He grins.
Kenneth nods reassuringly, "'Asides, you're just hearing the tales ay the things what go bump in the night. Ye dinnae really want tae meet any ay them, ye ken."
He turns to Laura, "So, about my suggestion? Should I be tampering with yer evidence?"
"Not to mention hippy goats with big... fists." Tangris grins. "Come on, Sal. Ain't nothing out there that isn't going to have a bad day when you shoot it enough. We'll get 'em. I promise."
"That stuff should be destroyed," Sal urges wiping her nose on her sleeve, "Put the word out we're taking it elsewhere and destroy it. We'll go in the transport, give 'em a surprise. You can lie about it." She gives Laura an appealing look. "Governments lie all the time."
"Whoa Sally, easy girl!" Danny quips with what he hopes is a friendly grin to Sal, holding up his hands peacefully.
"I understand your enthusiasm, I think, but I think Ken's right. We need to keep the 'normal' stuff so that they can lock up Mr Happy down the hall for a long time. As long as we get rid of the 'extra vitamins', we've avoided the immediate concern. Keeping this stuff off the streets. Of course that begs the next, bigger question," Danny adds regretfully, avoiding the police-person's eyes.
"Where did this stuff come from? Where's there's one shipment,..." He shrugs his shoulders,...
"Maybe just one bridge at a time?" He adds with a big, sh!t eating 'I talk too much don't I?' grin.
Laura looks away contemplating, realising that she'll have to put aside the law that she has sworn to uphold. Admit that she cannot stop these 'vampires', allow these outsiders do their vigilante justice. It was one thing to ask for help in the heat of adversity, but to relinquish her duty in a premeditated manner leaves her conflicted.
However, she gives the barest of nods to Sal & Kenneth. Approval for what they have to do.
Danny moves over to stand close to Laura as the others,... do whatever they are going to do with the stuff. He doesn't stand so close as be familiar, or threaten her personal space. Just close enough to be heard without raising his voice.
Danny leans casually against the wall, watching the others, but talking to Laura.
"I know how you feel. Really. I really am just a singer. Ok. A Really good singer. But I got thrown into all of this weirdness face-first too. If it helps, think on this. The laws were written to protect people. What you have to remember is,... these things aren't people. Most of them never were."
"I'm not saying you should do anything wrong. Far from it. Far as I'm concerned, you and yours are the second best line of defense we have against,... that. But your looking at the first line of defense." He nods at Ken, "And he's just as good at his job as you are at yours. You can trust him. He's on your side." He adds with a small, sincere smile.
"You make it sound like the 'clean' stuff is all sugar and spice, Danny," Sal snaps, "It ain't. It needs to be gone."
She jitters over to Charles with a little head-bob of apology. "Sorry, Chuck, didn't mean to scare you. This stuff's real. I didn't want to believe it either. There are vampires. Fortunately, they're also criminals, or usually, so it's no conflict of interest for ya. A lot of problems are caused by these things. And it's nice, because they're not human. Feel free to shoot anything that changes into something horrible, yeah?" She looks to Tangris for support, then realizes what she's said. "Unless it's a goat. Goats aren't monsters."
"Oh I'm sure some goats are monsters. Monsters in the sack, baby!" Tangris leers at Sal for a moment before his goofy grin wrecks the effect.
Danny barks a laugh.
"Where DID you pick this guy up Sal? I think I like him!" Danny grins.
"Some trouble in London, of course." Sal quirks a tiny smile. "If it weren't for 'trouble', I'd have no social life."
"Now I find that hard to believe." Danny says with a friendly smirk.
"I've seen you dance. Don't be so modest!" He adds with a wink.
"Oh I'm sure some goats are monsters. Monsters in the sack, baby!" Tangris leers at Sal for a moment before his goofy grin wrecks the effect.
Charles stoically tries to take in Sal's words, he's still slightly wary of the pale soldier. "Those men weren't Vampires were they? They looked more like scummy goblins to me... that bloke on the roof was old Biffer. He's not something...." he wonders. Danny's smirking words bring a questioning glint to Charles eyes.
Laura still stands to one side, pondering the consequences of her actions.
"Dancing's cheaper than therapy," Sal murmurs, "And it's tough finding a shrink who believes me. Those guys are the vampires' stooges or thralls or hirelings or even partners, I'd guess."
"Yah. Therapy IS expensive. Bubble wrap is cheap." Danny says, miming popping bubble wrap bubbles with a blissful look.
"Besides. I think the shrinks need shrinks more than anyone else."
"Sal's right. They're human. Probably. Why get your hands dirty when you can use disposable henchmen? If you can make them bleed, and they die or at least fall down, and don't get back up, they're human."
"Probably."
Danny gives another 'it's all good' grin.
"Look, it's not really THAT hard to tell. While there are a lot of things out there, they're still outnumbered by the generally normal people. When you get something else cornered, well,... only a few can really pass for human without going to a lot of trouble. When they reveal themselves, it's usually pretty easy to tell. Trust me, if you corner a Red Court or a werewolf, you won't have to worry about mistaken identity. No claims of 'unnecessary or excessive force'!" He grins at Charles.
Kenneth shakes his head at Danny's comments, Aye, because the thing'll kill ye, Charles..
He sits back down in his circle and says, "Right, let's see about this evidence... And we should probably accidentally let one of the bawbags see what we're daeing so they can report it."
In order to not get Laura, or anyone, fired -- or to allow these scum to escape because the evidence went missing or was destroyed...
Kenneth's plan is to use the Fire of the Hearth to try to purify the heroin in front of him, basically trying to filter out the venom. I imagine that this will be much more complex, so I'm not quite sure how to set a proper set of targets for what I'm about to do, so I'll need some adjudication from the GM on it
"Plus most werewolves are jerks. All high and mighty with their 'I'm a hunter! I eat meat!' crap. They're just dogs with delusions of grandeur. And they piss everywhere!" Tangris mutters, his face darkening.
Charles is nodding along slowly. Whilst Laura looks cautiously on as Kenneth, uses the cleansing fires of Brigit.
Laura looks to Kenneth as he moves back into the room to perform his ritual, "So are you going to investigate? I suppose with my partner being injured, I can have some consultants..." she leaves the invite hanging.
Danny's mobile starts to gently ring;
"I'm coming to town."
Laura looks to Kenneth as he moves back into the room to perform his ritual, "So are you going to investigate? I suppose with my partner being injured, I can have some consultants..." she leaves the invite hanging.
Danny's mobile starts to gently ring;
** spoiler omitted **
"Consultants? Oo, those get paid, right?" Danny says with new found enthusiasm as he pulls his cell from his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he doesn't recognize the number. With a shrug he pops the top open and holds it up to his ear.
"Hellooo?" He says musically,...
Danny listens for a moment, blinks, then smiles brightly.
"Hey! What a pleasant surprise! Really? That's great! When? Uh-huh, Great! You need me to pick you up or something? No, you already made arrangements I'm sure. Where you staying? Ok, cool. Yeah that's a great place. You need anything? Uh-huh. Ok. Sure, just give me a call when you get settled, and I'll come give you the grand welcome tour! Yes. Ok. Sure thing. Thanks for the call. See you soon. Bye-bye!"
Danny snaps the phone closed, the vacant smile still on his face as he stares thoughtlessly at nothing. The smile slowly fades as his bright-eyed look fades to one of blank incomprehension. Then, in his eyes, you can see the sudden spark of thought as comprehension dawns.
"Oh,... Snap."
Kenneth thinks a moment more, then nods, saying, "I think I can solve both the problems... Dinnae let anyone come in here or bother me for a few minutes... but maybe let one ay them see what I'm doing though the doorway.."
With that, he wills some of his power back into the circle he drew with his dirk, creating a small flickering outline of fire, reminiscent of a gas burner on low.
Ok, got that. Since we're not in a huge time rush at this moment, I'll break up the power call in half -- a discipline of 4 means I should probably be ok...
He closes his eyes and begins to visualize the process, seeing the purifying power of the Fires of the Hearth burning away the vampire venom, while weaving tiny shields against it from the Fires of the Forge, protecting the evidence. He smiles and nods, Aye, that ought dae it... and reaches out to his goddess and the Flames of Kildare, drawing them to him, and then carefully releasing the power without destroying everything. The whole evidence bag is wreathed in flame and the ring around him appears to have been turned up, the small dancing flames growing taller and brighter, looking more like a burning ring. Shield there, burn that away... He breathes slowly as he calls the power to him and directs it, until the flames slowly die out, leaving the evidence bag seemingly untouched, and the ring of flames drops back down to a simmer. He stands within the circle, then breaks it, winking the flames out of existence, and smiles as he tosses the bag back to Laura, "There ye be, evidence to convict, without the added danger of vampire venom."
"Dude! That was... like real magic, right?" Tangris looks in awe as Kenneth casts his spell. "Hell. I've never seen anyone do anything so... I dunno, flashy before. Can anyone learn to do that?"
"I can't stay around that stuff," Sal mutters as she strolls down the corridor away from the magic-infused conference room, "Hey, Chuck, got a place I can powder my nose around here?" She cranes her neck looking for some sort of sign to the facilities.
The venom seems to cannibalise the red blood cells, to interact with them in a strange way - Increasing potency?
Laura catches the bag, trying to hide her wide eyed astonishment under thick dark lashes.
Charles follows her raising an eyebrow at the infantilisation of his name. "Yeah, it seems that magic is strange..." his words probe slightly, wondering if that's what she was talking about - or if she's talking about the other stuff.
"Well, I'll show you to the personnel rest room. I doubt you're used to cell's facilities?" he lets the words hang in the air. After a couple of corridors, he leds Sal to a rest room & he waits outside.
Back in the interview room. Laura looks to Danny, Tangris and Kenneth. "What next? Talk to the ringleader? Or head off to try and find his supplier... or shake-down the grunts?" she wonders. "Unless you have other contacts?"
Kenneth stands and says, "I'm no Wizard. I wasnae born with power, nae did I learn tae tap or shape such things. Really, I cannae dae anything on me own, these powers come from Brigid, and so any of her Heralds could dae the same. From the tales, some in the past were far more powerful."
He adds, "The answer to your question, lad, is yes. And no. Ye need tae be born with some talent tae be able tae make magic on your own... but there are other ways tae get at magic - other sources of power that can be tapped by ritual, and other patrons willing tae grant their gifts, if ye ken where tae look."
He turns to Laura, "Aye, we dae hae other contacts... but until we reach out, I dinnae ken how much they may know or have seen.... And this lot of dougheads, on the other hand, may represent a trail ay breadcrumbs we can follow immediately."
With that, he winks at Laura and the smile and lightness returns to his tone, "Besides, as a bard, I would be remiss in not getting the tale from this lot when I had the chance."