"That's good to know." Laura adds tapping the steering wheel softly. "Your hexing gremlins break the newer appliances, but older ones can still work."
"Could you sabotage it an old fashioned way? Or since it isn't digital any 'material' can be obtained during transit." she wonders. "That is if we want it...hang on is that part of the terms of the meeting?"
Kenneth exclaims mock-defensively"Oi! 'Twas just one iPad, and I dinnae mean it! The blasted green pigs kept laughing at me!".
He smiles, "Tae be fair, unless I'm right cross or trying tae wreck things, I'm relatively safe 'round technology... My gifts come from a goddess who is the patron ay smiths and craftsmen, after all."
He then pauses, "Aye, film isnae terribly durable... I imagine I could burn or melt it fairly easily.. Mayhap e'en whilst it's still in the canister or camera... So long as it's blackmail or historical record... I'd have a harder time ruining the work ay an artistic photographer."
He shrugs, "A'course, that's assuming that the cameras arenae remote eyes and triggering something more sinister. I do ken the cameras would hae been extremely hard tae hex."
"You would know, Sir Hex a Lot." Danny jibes, then ducks below the level of the seat for safety as Ken and Laura exchange witty banter without him. Once he deems it safe to resurface, he does so, pretending like nothing happened.
"Ok, it's not modern electronics, so it's not live monitoring. So your probably right, records for some reason. I can tell you it's PROBABLY not the Fae. Way to crude for their tastes. Same with the white court. They both love the overly complicated, multi-level, unnecessarily convoluted type of blackmail plans. Taking pictures is just so,... passe. Although I'm sure they wouldn't avoid it if it led to a more complicated web of interwoven idiocy. Blackmailing a blackmailer is more their type of shtick."
Heartily enjoying the soft banter, Laura adds; "So would we want to spring this upon the group during the meeting. It seems like a good way of disrupting the affair and maybe even promoting some enmity between the factions."
"Of course, you may have to present this to your Fey sponsor first?" She looks to Danny.
Kenneth laughs, his voice filled with admiration, "Aye, you're a devious sort. Remind me tae ne'er make you cross with me."
He then sobers, Aye, like breaking your heart... I really need tae dae something about that... He nods, agreeing with Laura's assessment, "I think she's got the right ay it. Making an accusation about these sinister cameras and the nefarious plot they represent would like drive a wedge intae things."
He shrugs, "Ay course, I dinnae ken that would be enow tae cause the powers tae strike down the newcomer."
"Yeah, we should also find a way to make sure they are still there before we make a big deal out of it, and then find out they were all moved. THAT might prove,... embarrassing." Danny says, ever the king of understatement.
"HAve to play it carefully." Danny continues, possibly talking to himself.
"Revealing such a thing might even be part of the plan. They're tricky like that. Have to do it in a way that they can't claim we only knew about it because WE put them there." Danny chews his bottom lip thoughtfully.
Kenneth smiles, "That should be easy snow... Fae cannae lie directly and so they be likely tae take us at our word.. Besides, we can swear any oaths -- even by the goddess in my case -- that we ken naught ay them a'fore we discovered them already in place. "
The detective smiles at Kenneth's compliment, giving a little wink back.
"Well could you make the recorders fall over? Or Hex them?" Laura looks to Kenneth through thick lashed eyes; "You said extremely hard, but not impossible. I'm sure you done some things extremely hard before - not sure about the impossible."
"True, It IS all in the phrasing." Danny agrees.
Danny rolls his eyes at Laura, but he's smirking.
"Sheesh, I thought I was incorrigible. Get a room guys."
"Wish I'd noticed those film canisters. Chemicals could be explosives and I'd probably be able to tell if that were the case. I couldn't get away from Mr. Hot Pants, though," Sal grumbles. "Sorry I let you down, guys. Say, Danny, are explosives something the fae might use, or are they below them, too?"
Danny thinks about it for a moment.
"Depends. USUALLY I would think they would be below them. Direct assault with collateral damage is not their usual method. But if they could figure out a particularly amusing way to get the victim to trigger it themselves, like say, showing an old film home movie to a large family gathering, and take out the whole family at once? Yeah. Maybe. I could see that."
Danny looks around the car.
"Oh, that wasn't what you really wanted to hear, was it?"
Kenneth adds, "Tae be fair, lad, none ay the major powers would touch them..."
He then trails off, and adds in a similarly grim tone, "A'course, a lesser fae looking tae gain position might dae it... Especially one that started out as a changeling and has some remaining bits ay mortal thought in its fool head... 'specially because the major powers wouldnae likely suspect.... nae without evidence, for certain... and 'twould thus seem that 'twas someone else that did it..." He trails off, then says in a mock-cheerful tone, "Heck, if they could take out some opposition with the bomb and then use the strangeness ay the attack tae pin it on others, why, that'd be the very height ay fae strategy."
"Yes. Yes it would." Danny says with a decidedly unhappy look on his usually cheerful face.
"Good thing it was only film in the canisters, right?" He asks with a decidedly hopeful, if forced, smile.
"I didn't see anything sinister in the rest of the place, personally." Sal shrugs. "Doesn't mean it wasn't there. That guy jackin' his jaw the whole time was really distracting. New construction can hide a lot, too. So, what's our plan for infiltrating this shindig, anyway? I don't much like the layout inside. Exit routes can be blocked too easily. Don't even get me started about how easy it is to be flanked in there."
She shoves her fake glasses up on her nose a couple of times, then whips them off in irritation, folding them and stashing them in her bag.
"I think you may have found it Sal. Or a big part anyway. Those tent-buildings are usually notorious for being open and drafty, not being hard to get in or out of. For a party tent it's practically Fort Knox. Either they really want the guests to feel safe, or,... Well,... Hanging out with the Fae has really made me presume the worst of intentions." He says meaningfully.
"Worst of intentions for anyone -- humans included -- is generally a good assumption," Sal remarks darkly, no hint of humor evident in her voice. "So what do we need for this? Should I stock up on holy water?"
Kenneth shakes his head, "Only if we be expecting the Black Court. Reds can use the stuff tae make ice for their cocktails.... like as nae, that's also true ay the Poppies."
He shrugs, "I think we're best tae stay with the plan. At the moment, the rules ay hospitality be our best protection... and, with any luck, our most powerful weapon as well."
"Yep. Stick to the plan. Forwarned is forearmed after all. And now we KNOW that they most definitely have SOMETHING planned." Danny says with confidence.
"Now,... If we only knew what that actually was,..." He adds ruefully.
Pondering Laura adds; "I would offer to find an explosives detector or a sniffer dog for the explosives - but the former would probably be hexed. However I might be able to find a chemical paper, that could indicate the presence of explosives."
Starting up the engine as the group drive away to a small quiet coffee shop that the policewoman knows and trusts. She then adds; "So the plan is you guys go into the meeting as the Fey's entourage. The vamps and who else shows up; when the deal is unfavourable or going down you reveal the vamps treachery?"
"Yeah. Mostly. Sorta." Danny says helpfully.
He rubs his eyes, sniffing deep of his coffee cup before taking a sip.
"It's all rather convoluted. Sorta like regular politics. On Steroids. And Crack. Debating the pros and cons of a life-altering Constitutional Amendment while juggling angry, poisonous snakes. Blindfolded. Yeah. And THAT's just a NORMAL day. On a BAD day they REALLY start to make it hard." Danny says ruefully.
"It's all in the presentation, and the timing." He explains before anyone starts throwing things at him.
"If the host planted anything, and you can prove it, then he has broken the laws of hospitality. HOWEVER, just pulling back the tapestry and saying 'Ta Da!' if he hasn't actually DONE anything yet, that might get him off the hook (he can claim preparations for self defense in case of an attack or something) and then the revealer gets accused of trying to frame the host, or blemish his good reputation. (The rep is much more important than the facts in the Fae's eyes) And then the revealer gets stuck with the breaking the laws of hospitality and all bets are off."
"Yeah. All in the timing. Blow it to early and the host or whoever actually gets applause for creative thinking, (With minus points for making it so easy even a mortal could see it.) Reveal it too late and your talking to a room full of victims who are all mad at you because you didn't tell them earlier. It's the three bears syndrome. You have to get it JUST RIGHT." He smirks.
Danny rubs his eyes again.
"The fae can say anything they want to you. It's only words after all. It's all in HOW you say it and react to it and,... you get the picture. The best solution we can hope for is just to prevent the cameras or whatever they are from actually being used. The best we can dream of is somehow making whatever the finale of the plan is turn against the plotter. Somehow."
"Cameras in the walls, mounts for something in the ventilation system,...WHAT in the world is he planning?"
"OK, so let's not presume 'Boom', although double checking for it is probably a good idea. So they have old-style cameras. They want to film something on the sly without worrying about it getting hexed. For what? Facebook? For blackmail? Or to document something? They have mounts for something ready to go in the vent system. According to WAY too much TV, the vent system is how you introduce gas to a building."
Danny now looks as if he has (finally) confused himself.
"But, if half the attendees are already dead, and the other half are essentially immortal, what kind of gas would have any effect on them?"
Kenneth says, "Fae can still be drugged, 'tis why they love getting intae their cups so much.... And I think Reds can tae... I seen tae recall hearing a tale ay a nest where they got their 'cattle' drugged before feeding tae get a bigger rush... Poppies, as an offshoot... Hard tae say. A'course if auld Flower-power be resistant... Well, it sure makes a body think he might be guilty, wouldnae he say?"
Laura drives the car as the afternoons shadows lengthen and pulls upto a little coffee-shop she knows,that's discrete and out of harms way. Ordering some drinks for the group, as well as a few pastries.
"So the Reds could be using it to lower inhibitions and to influence negotiations? That's crafty and arrogant...." Laura ponders, taking a sip of her earl grey.
"So we need something on the Reds or the Poppy Court, something to persuade your Fae friend and whomever else is attending that the Vamps are not as strong as they pretend & then once you do that they compound it with the betrayal?"
"Pretty, much, yeah. If it were only as simple to DO as to SAY." Danny sighs.
"Tricking others into thinking your stronger, or smarter, or whatever, is pretty much standard policy in the supernatural world. The White's have taken it to an art form, but it seems pretty universal. When you have that many varied groups of super-creatures, you have to establish a pecking order SOMEhow. You know, without getting into a world-wide-supernatural war that even a blind, deaf and dumb Muggle couldn't miss." Danny smirks.
"Like I said, no one is likely to get upset that they TRIED to pull something. They won't like it, they may take revenge upon the moron who tried it, but they'll respect the skill the trap was set with. BUT, being so clumsy about it that a mortal figured it out?" Danny smirks evilly.
"That's just bad form. And pretty much an automatic boot out of whatever supernatural club you were hoping to join." Danny chuckles gleefully.
"But we need the PROOF, something we can unveil at the right time. Just KNOWING about 'it' isn't going to cut it. Well, technically it might, but we'd likely still end up dead too. I'm sure that probably breaks some little-known law of hospitality too." He adds somberly.
Kenneth says, "Well, unless ye want tae head back in, I dinnae ken what we can dae about that. I could try tae whip up a batch ay gas-protection potions, but I dinnae ken what tae protect against."
He shrugs, "Dinnae misunderstand, I'm open tae any other ideas, but I'm starting tae worry that may be closing in 'pon that 'improvise spectacularly' part ay things.... Though, laddie could we not mayhap use your gifts tae lead a bigger, nastier, host-type towards the cannisters and let them find the clumsy attempt? Worst case, they'd postpone and Auld Flower Power'd need tae come with something new... and best case, it'd trigger a mite bit ay suspicion on the Tulip Tsar."
Danny opens his mouth,... then closes it again thoughtfully.
"Honestly,... I hadn't really thought of that." He admits sheepishly.
"Too much time on stage I guess. You get used to taking the spotlight when you can get it. I hadn't thought of 'letting' someone else find it. That,... is actually a good idea. I just have to sell it so it can't get turned around. Don't want it to look like we planted anything!"
"How big are those vents with the clamps?" Sal interjects, "Could somebody small fit inside them? Any way to get me in there the day of so I could examine the getup, see if explosives or electronics are involved?"
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As the group departs, Sal tugs on Danny's sleeve and takes him aside for a second to whisper something to him.
As they get up to leave, Danny almost facepalms himself. Almost.
"I'd better call her Royal Highness Jr and see when she wants us to pick her up." Danny says, looking around for Morien before remembering that she was already WITH said 'highness'.
He looks like he wants to facepalm himself. Again.
"I'm gonna go and see if they sell Sanity here." Danny quips, turning around to reenter the coffee shop.
Sal, doing a little comedy two-step with Danny as she tries to leave while he tries to reenter, whispers something briefly as they turn sideways to pass each other. Danny blinks.
"Um,... Yeah. No problem. I had forgotten, thanks." Danny says dazedly as he reenters the shop.
A few moments later Danny reemerges with a fresh cup in his hand, steam curling through the holes in the lid.
"Chai Latte with a double shot to supercharge it!" He says briskly, the newest infusion of sugar and caffeine already hitting his brain. He takes another cautious sip.
"Ah. THAT'S better! Now, where were we? Oh, right. You all do what you have to do," Danny says, glancing at Sal, "and I'll meet you all there at,... Hang on, Let me call Morien and find out whether her highness wants to be early or fashionably late. I'm betting on late. No Fae can resist an entrance. And what good is an entrance without an audience?"
Danny hits a number on his cell, and a few seconds later starts talking. "Hey. It's us. I mean me. How the shopping world tour going? Great. So, um, when exactly does she want to meet and take her there? Huh. Ok. Cool. Thanks. See you then."
Danny pockets his tracphone and takes another sip of his dangerous concoction.
"All set." He says with forced cheeriness. And he tells the others the time Morien gave him.
Through the dusk's twilight there's a low growl. Hoary side panels glisten with the first winters frost, a kaleidoscope of light glistens from the darkness, as into view slides Moriens' pale Fey car. The animalistic purr of the engine, an untamed beast that promises power fills the street. It then relents as the vehicle glides to a stop, whereupon the rear door opens itself and Laverna unfolds herself from the back-seat.
No movie-star could exit with more grace and dignity, without flashing anything despite her gauzy attire. Lace and silk make up the bulk of her dress, if you could call it that, for although it covers her whole body and flows at least a foot upon the pavement about here - some panels are translucent, others show tantalising glimpses of flesh beneath the lace. Looking Danny & Kenneth up and down carefully, "Are you ready?" she asks.
Sal manages to arrive back at the worksite as all the builders are loading their vans with the tools. There is a a rough looking man with a shaved head and a hard look to his eye, that seems to be start of the nights security.
Kenneth says with a smile, "Dinnae ask me, I'm naught but this fool's Champion.". He then pulls on the sleeves of his jacket, adjusts his magical blade and gauntlet, and finally straightens the cross around his neck. "But aye, I am. "
Sal
Not wanting to cause a ruckus, Sal will try to slip in before the security forces get to their final stations and full complement.
Danny straightens the bow tie of his tuxedo.
"I'm always ready." he says with an English accent and a super-spy smirk.
"Not really. But when your dressed like James Bond it's hard not to sound like him!" Danny adds cheerfully to Kenneth.
Danny looks Laverna up and down approvingly. Then he looks again.
"My Lady. You look positively,... Dangerous." Danny drawls slowly.
Danny is fairly certain that Laverna will take the comment as a complement. Most Fae would.
"I approve of the daring fashion statement. Providing visible proof that you are unarmed,... thereby convincing everyone that you must be packing. Raising both the room's appreciable beauty and paranoia levels in one gossamer package."
Danny gives Laverna a nod and silent golf clap of approval.
"Ready when you are, My lady. Although there are a couple of things you should know about before making your grand entrance." Danny says diffidently.
Danny had debated with himself long and hard about this part while he prepared for the party. In the end he decided to tell Laverna about what they had discovered, both the visit of the Poppy Court Princess, the suspected real reason behind the visit, and the evidence of unexpected surprises waiting in the main room of the party tent. He had decided that Laverna was far more deceptive and manipulative than he could ever dream of being, and she could probably figure out what the host's mysterious game was faster than he could.
Danny had also decided that Laverna craved excitement. The Fae as a rule were bigger adrenaline junkies than any mere mortal could ever be. So he left out the part where he and the others had made a few preparations for the evening. After all, everyone loves a surprise, right?
Laverna smiles, an intrigued twinkle to her eye. Like all fey the politics and deception appeals to her innate nature; "Let us see what we can get from these Bloodsuckers, see if we can force some cracks in their monopoly of the town & other concessions." With a flick of her wrist there's small sparkles of frost.
"I've tarried too long, let us see this meeting get underway." She looks to the door of the vehicle that opens itself and with the unworldly grace (& discrete flash of her breath-stealing legs) she enters the pale car.
The older rough, tough man you saw before enters the room with Mr Aggogo - an African vampire, that Danny has described. You overhear a brief exchange. [smaller]"So after tonight we can expand the pack?" "By half-dozen, that is all." "And they won't be harmed?" "Well not as such, probably. You wanted to cement your position." The older question looks a trifle apprehensive at the answers he receives.
A few minutes pass, Mr. Aggoggo returns with a different pair of 'gentleman'. The first, a middle-aged man with blonde curled & coiffured hair, has a stance and motion of a man who brooks no insolence. A prideful man, used to being obeyed - however he looks tightly strung as if over the past few days he's been forced to re-evaluate his situation. Compared to the charcoal pinstriped suit of Mr Aggoggo, the other gentleman is a relic - he wears early Victorian dress of a gentleman, however rather than looking like a costume he seems to wear it with authenticity and panache.
Both of them have the suave charm and assurity of the vampire, comfortable in nearly all situations. However the third man is a stark contrast, dressed in ragged and humble clothes - his pale skin is mottled and disturbingly non human. There's a vile decaying aura that causes the nose to wrinkle; certainly the pale skinned blonde man is disturbed by the other ones presence, looking at him as he would a lowly serf.
Both of the well-dressed men are vampires, you suspect Red Court - not Poppy. Whilst the final wispy haired man is a ghoul.
A: "All is prepared as you can see. You are in charge of tonight's security. It is a very important night for Lord Laurence, chosen to host this meeting." He indicates their host, the blond haired man.
G: "I would like to have extra time to have checked it out."
LL: "I don't care what you like! Your King ordered you to obey me, you have some time now." He snaps. "Your kind have done a good job keeping the fields clear of dogs letting me tame them, My Gods don't disgrace ME!"
A: Placing a calming hand onto the crook of the Nobles elbow. "What his Lordship means to say, is that we thank your King & that you do understand that you're to follow instructions.
He pauses: "It should be a peaceable meeting, but we've got in place certain precautions. You've chosen your expendable forces for here."
G: "My Fida'is will follow your lead, should you see weakness they can exploit it."
A: "Good, for if all goes well.... then my Lords' name will be legendary. At worst we'll have held a major meeting & I won't like to think what would happen if it went wrong - our guests are quite powerful."
LL: "Nonsense. We have the amplifying force of the Nexus, plus my secret weapon. I can prove my power is equal to any councils."
G: The creature spits a glob of yellow mucus upon the floor & rubs it in with his bare-feet; "That's Evil, she's crossed Jehovahs' Veil."
LL: "Superstitious Poppy-cock! I'll have none of that nonsense, lest I turn her will upon you." He raises a hand as if to strike before letting it drop.
A: *sighs softly, used to his lieges moods*
LL: "And if that Poppy bint or the callow fey or even The Other disrupts anything.... well then I turn her upon them."Suddenly there's a knock on the door...
Danny bows from the waist as the Lady passes him to enter the car.
"I do so love 'Enthusiastic Negotiations'." he smiles pleasantly.
In a softer, more worried tone he says to Kenneth Sotto Voice;
"Where's a lightsaber when you need one?!?"
With that he slides into the back seat with the others. Not entirely unhappy to be sitting close to the gorgeous Fae creature next to him.
Despite the roominess of the interior, Danny soon begins to feel the effect of sitting so close to a powerful Fae. He is glad that her attentions are obviously elsewhere, and not actually focused on him. Or he would likely be much more uncomfortable, if not downright embarrassed. To keep his own mind focused he concentrates on other, less visibly pleasant, things. Like walking (almost) unarmed into a vampire's obvious trap, Cold showers, the Twins when they're angry,...
Kenneth chuckles, "Best I could dae is a blade ay flame, but ye'd still need tae make the snap-hiss and woosh-woosh noises your own fool self."
He then scans the area one last time, looking for obvious danger or a tail before taking his place in the car next to Danny.
The pale car slips through the dark, Morien at the helm steering the vehicle like a comet through the night sky.
It doesn't take long to arrive at the the location for the meeting, at the building sited upon the conjunction of a trio of rivers. Laverna is seemingly calm and focussed upon the night sky through the tinted windows. And as you pull up at the barrier, there's a glimpse of a blue hair from across the bridge in the pub beer-garden.
However at the barrier is "G" the middle-aged and grizzled leader of the werewolf clan. He looks at the car and moves to lift the barrier.
If she's certain the light won't be seen, Sal pulls out her silenced phone and texts to Morien (whose phone won't explode when used): Careful. Werewolves plan to expand pack by a half dozen tonight. How? What is Jehovha's Veil?
She moves exceptionally slowly and carefully to avoid making any noise while she seeks the clamps that had been mentioned by her friends. If she can find them, she examines them to see what (if anything) they contain.