[In Nomine] The City of Pentagram IC

[RossN]

Katriel, Wind

Katriel had reached into her purse and withdrawn a small notebook and pen and was busily transcribing advice. She did look up and laugh when Inian asked her about her name and vessel.

"Actually the first time I was Corporeal I went by Charles. That was back in the Forties and Fifties and I... uh... was maybe less cautious around the dames than I should have been, especially when one of them turned out to be a Daughter." She smiled ruefully. "The Chief chose my new vessel and I'm still not sure whether it was a joke, a lesson or whatever but I ended up looking like the sort of girl I used to sweet talk. Honestly though I'm enjoying this new role and vessel... yeah it's different but not in a bad way, you know?"

"And thanks for the advice Inian. I'm not much of a fighter but I can hurt demons so don't hesitate to call me in there."

Throughout the conversation Kat tapped the edge of her pencil against the notebook in a subconscious gesture of constant motion. Even a Mecurian in service to Wind had a bit of the Ofanite to them.

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler: OOC Scene Shifts, and small retcon for Inian

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This week has been really crazy between work, some family stuff, and a funeral for a friend's son. All good excuses, but still want to say sorry.

How about this: we continue one scene in the bar, with the new PCs talking to each other, but you can also start new scenes on what leads you want to go on. That way we get the fun of some talk -- and introducing our new Bright Lilim -- but still have fun.

RETCON for Inian: when Michael showed up overnight, he told you he hopes to send another Servitor to help maintain the balance in Heaven's favor. It'll be up to Lawrence utltimately, but Michael has suggested sending one of his Bright Lilim, currently in service to The Sword. So hopefully she'll be there soon. You two can have met each in Heaven.
So just Inian knows she is probably coming.

The Howlitzer

Frez perks up at Inian mentioning the drive. "USB?" With a small jolt of essence expenditure, a fancy and small laptop materializes in his hands. "Mind if I make a copy?" He is asking politely, but something in the tone makes it clear he's more telling than asking. His out is out, with an eager expression.

The barroom phone -- an old style corded phone that fits the bar aesthetic -- rings. Jerechial answers the phone and listens for a few seconds, his expression growing angry and confused. After about half a minute, he hangs it up with a slight bang.
Almost growling the words, he says, "That was... or said it was... Greasestain. Said he's competing with Madrizel for being a place both sides can talk in peace." He shakes his head, some disgust at the idea of speaking peacefully with demons obvious in his tone.
"I'm not to advise you all on the best course of action. If you decide to investigate him, be wary. He's not just a Balseraph, but a powerful Baron, but at least it looks like he's going along with Haagenti's grudge with Andrealphus, so maybe it'll spread some discord with the demons. But be cautious. No telling how many of his employees are Soldiers, imps, or gremlins. The one blessing I can think of is that he usually doesn't have actual demons working directly with him, if our intelligence on him is still accurate." He smirks. "I'm glad Marc managed to redeem the former Demon of Chick-Fil-A a decade or so ago."

Astarieth gets a buzz from his burner phone. A text from the PI: "Starting some initial retcon. Looks like they returning from that press conference."

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

Tommy notes the burner phone and immediately responds with a 'thumbs up.' "Think I'm gonna go check on the other factions demon. I'll let you know if something goes down, but not sure we're ready for round two. Kat, you interested in coming along?"He turns back to his car but stops when Jerechial answers the phone. Tommy's even more baffled when he hears that it's Greasestain. He wishes he'd been listening. "Why the hell would greasestain want to talk to us?"

And then he strides to the car. He waits a moment to see if Kat's coming, then pops in and pulls up a map of the faction demon's neighborhood. He drives on down and settles in for a nice wait, a block away, out of sight of the house but on the main approach from the school to the house. Tommy's not exactly sure what he's going to do with the kid once he has a chance - outright murder is too obvious. Dominic wouldn't bat an eye at just running the kid over, but the PI should.

Ultimately, figuring that out is future Tommy's problem. Present Tommy has way more problems than solutions at hand.

[RossN]

Katriel, Wind

Kat's large chocolate brown eyes light up with excitement and she smiles early at Tommy's offer. "Glad to! By the way I'm, like, trying to find out what Valefor's gang are up to so let's keep eyes and ears open for that. I think there is a Djinn of Theft around here somewhere."

Still chatting cheerfully the Mercurian follows Tommy to his car. "So who exactly are we waiting for?"

[DoctorFaust]

"Oh, I'm sorry," Inian replies. "I guess I had assumed that if your Roles have mostly been the social sort you wouldn't have needed to that trained up. Always good to have more people around that can handle themselves, though."

He fishes the USB out of a pocket and tosses it to Frez when asked. "Had to smuggle it out of Charon in...mmm...maybe not the most sanitary of ways. I tried to clean the worst of the crap off of it, but it might be a little damaged. What're you hoping to find on there?"

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

"Glad to! By the way I'm, like, trying to find out what Valefor's gang are up to so let's keep eyes and ears open for that. I think there is a Djinn of Theft around here somewhere."

Still chatting cheerfully the Mercurian follows Tommy to his car. "So who exactly are we waiting for?"

Tommy stops, then drums his fist into a nearby table. Not hard enough to splinter anything, but enough to rock the table and hurt his knuckle. He pauses for a moment before he answers as he sucks down a stream of profanity that it probably wouldn't be appropriate for a Seraph to blurt in front of a new Mercurian colleague... "...Totally forgot about Flavius... that's... unfortunate... Last time I saw him was when we busted up the burnt. He left in a hurry when it started going south for them. No idea where he went to, and I only have eyes on one potential bolthole. Maybe we can come up with a plan for him. He's probably had enough time to start thinking about how to make mischief again."

After his moment Tommy returns to his normal self. "But f**k that, lets go. We're looking for a teenage kid who's probably a habbalah of Factions. We just destroyed his partner. He's probably on the way home, I wanna see if he goes somewhere after."

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler

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Y'all can still talk at the bar. I'll PM our new Lilim, too.

Frez gives a comically wary smile at the 'sanitary' condition of the USB but takes it nonetheless and plugs it into his laptop.

"Not sure, but, well, info is info."
He types a few keys, smiles, and pulls out the drive, returning it.
"Copied. Vapulatech got nothing on Jean's attunements. And let's see... medical research, blah, blah. Some stuff that might be useful for blackmail, but Astarieth already owns the doc, so not really needed. Could ruin the company's reputation if it gets leaked, though. OOH--notes on the vampires' odd biology." His tone turns a tad sharp. "Inian, if you use that USB for anything with humans, delete that part." Back to his normal tone, he continues, "Gotta keep up the lie to the humans, right? Eh, guess this just confirms what she said. It has the stolen medical info, but if it's in Charon proper, urgh, Jean'll be upset--well, for an Elohite--that humans get this before it's time, but it's not the first time some intel got leaked and spread before we could stop it.
"This could ruin Charon, though, with the right context. It doesn't prove illegal and unethical testing, but it strongly implies it. Unless I learn Charon is a Vapula front, I don't plan to destroy it, but you can do what you want."

He then gets up and stretches.
"Alrighty. I'm off to investigate and hope the bossman isn't too mad about this one. Call me if you need to kill any more shedites."
After a few more keystrokes on his laptop, Inian and Astarieth's phones beep with a text message.
He smiles mischeviously. "I decided to hack your phones and send you my phone number. I also put some extra security on it so that Technology likely can't get in." He then, less mischeviously, does the same for other angels present who might want it.

Spoiler: tech safety

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Basically, I find it annoying to have to overly worry about your cell phone getting stolen in a game and all your contacts discovered. There's other ways to obfuscate it, but I figure this is good for fun play.

If someone tries to break into your phone, the info is wiped. But it's also really hard to break in now. Not 'supernaturally' hard, or outside human knowledge, but you've got top-of-the-line security.

At the note of Flavius, Jerechial adds, "He was a surprise. Seemed an unimportant Djinn of Fire in the local gang, but Theft? Theft and Fire hate each other, not sure if it's diabolical politics or just stealing stuff doesn't work with burning everything, but it's hard to picture Valefor sending someone to help Belial. Must be a scheme. Camael did send me a little intel, and she thinks Flavius and Trip are real friends." He rolls his eyes at the thought of demons having real friendship.
"But with how the Burnt are in-fighting, and how bad both of them were when they fled, I imagine that Flavius and Trip are lying low."

Driving to Factions' Den

Astarieth, Katriel, (and Inian? wasn't clear on that) head to the car and drive towards the neighborhood.

There's a car parked down the street from the demon's house, the occupant of which Astarieth recognizes as the PI he hired. The family car is in the front street, and the angels can hear heavy metal music and the sounds of a first-person-shooter game blazing from an open upstairs window. Sounds like a normal enough, if obnoxious, teenager moping or having a fit.

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

Tommy pulls past the house then stops out of sight of both the window and the PI. "Teenager up there's a factions demon. Had a part to play in the attack on the school the other day, and a little bit of other mischief. I don't want to hang out here for long, but I was just hoping he'd go somewhere after and we could go talk to him. After this I was planning on stopping in by the Burnt area."

While he waits for a reply, Tommy puts in an application and interview request on the mercenary company's website.

[RossN]

Katriel, Wind

Katriel frowns, which looks strange on such a perky face. "Ohh, I hate it when they pretend to be teenagers. As if that time of life isn't hard enough for real humans. Do you want me with you to try my Resonance on him when we get the chance?"

[DoctorFaust]

"I think Charon still has all that data. I didn't have the, what's the word, permissions? To delete it from their servers. Couldn't sudo it or anything." Inian takes the flash drive back and shrugs. "I'm not planning on destroying it while the doctor is still working there."

He grimaces at the comment about Flavius. "I'm disappointed I wasn't able to nab him last night. Even if he isn't causing trouble now, the fact he was actually working with Fire can't be good. I hope that Camael is right that they're actually friends and that Theft and Fire don't have something in the works behind the scenes Heaven doesn't know about."

[JeenLeen]

Bar

Frez shrugs.
"Well, like I said, the bossman won't be happy, but I doubt he'll be that upset. The leak happened, and it looks like she spread the intel way before any of us found out she was even in this city. So I probably won't get reprimanded."

Outside Faction's House

As they watch the house, after about ten minutes the music and video games sounds cease. Within a minute, there's a loud and frustrated scream and an expensive-looking flatscreen television flies out of the open window and falls to the ground, emitting a small burst of Noise as it shatters upon impact.
This is shortly followed by a larger burst of Noise, and Astarieth (and Inian?) see a habbalah in celestial form fly out of the house.

The yell was definitely of frustration, not pain, so it seems like the demon received some bad news and took it out on his TV. He's currently flying in a path where you could keep up if you pursue via car.

Spoiler: answering a question that probably wasn't asked

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In case any of you are considering celestial combat, with his headstart and the rate he's moving, you'd probably be unable to catch up. Well, except Inian as an Ofanite. And Katriel would still have to see him to attack him, though I'd allow another Perception check upon taking celestial form. In other words, not recommending celestial combat here, but I'm not saying you can't.

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

Tommy's about to launch into some interesting soliloquy about how the Burnt ended up getting taken down when he sees the TV sailing from an upstairs window and the flitting form of a demon out of the corner of his eye. "Huh. Didn't see that coming." He waits a moment for the demon to start moving, and then pulls the car to follow at a discreet distance.

"Inian, be ready to find that guy if we lose contact. Wanna let Jerechial know? Kat - check the map and see where we may be going."

[RossN]

Katriel, Wind

"Roger, I'm so on it," Katriel replies, her brown eyes dancing with excitement at the prospect of a chase. The Mercurian pulled up her phone and started scrolling through the live mapping app, ready to call out street names as they move.

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler: rolls

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Giving Kat another Perception (3d6)[3][4][1](8) So close, but she still doesn't see him.
Maybe not 100% by the rules, but I'll let an ally noting it let you get another view. I think that's something I read in D&D, not In Nomine, though.

And to see if he notices (3d6)[3][3][5](11) Yeah... he doesn't know he's being tailed.
He does have a penalty, since not really looking and he's focused.

The loan shark's car tails the flying demon. There's a close call when having to make some turns while he flies over a house, but thankfully they are able to keep up by ignoring a Stop sign.

He's heading out of the neighborhood towards the central part of the town. It looks like Astarieth is going to get to go towards the Burnt territory like he planned, anyway.
A few more minutes of tailing him find him fly into an alley near one of the relatively-unscathed buildings, not quite in the Burnt territory but perhaps technically downtown. It has a Closed sign and some boarded-up windows, but it looks like it used to be an small yet upscale and private club. Two muscular men -- not quite as fit as Inian, but close -- in black suit and tie stand guard. You hear the Noise of the habbalah materializing and he walks towards them. His expression is furious. They simply open the doors as if they recognize or are expecting him.

Spoiler: geography

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For what it's worth, this place is not in one of the 'unclaimed' nodes. So there's no reason to think this is a Tether, nor is it close enough to downtown to likely be part of the Tether to Fire.

[DoctorFaust]

Inian is quiet through the car ride, ready to change into his Celestial form at a moments notice if needed. Fortunately, it isn't needed thanks to Astarieth's driving so he busies himself by sending a text to Jerechial.

Spoiler

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Factions habbalah moving. Guess is bad news from something.

Once they arrive at the Demon's destination, Inian tries to sink down into the car and look as inconspicuous as a 6-foot tall, incredibly muscled Latino can. "Either of you two think you can talk your way in? Even if there weren't guards, I figure I'm persona non grata with whoever's inside after the Pits last night."

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

"Either of you two think you can talk your way in? Even if there weren't guards, I figure I'm persona non grata with whoever's inside after the Pits last night."

As he drives quickly past, Astarieth responds.

"Nope. I ain't even gonna try. Nothing about that makes me the think that they want visitors. Don't want them starting to watch out for us."

He pulls around the block, a safe distance away. "Those guards are probably, at minimum, two Soldiers - didn't even blink at a demon materializing out of nowhere. Kat, if you could discreetly get pics of them I know someone who can check them against the police database. I don't think either of us" - he gestures to himself and Inian - "should do anything. Want to know what we're looking at here before we call any attention to ourselves. Inian - if that kid pops back celestial to go home, think we could intercept him enroute?"

Spoiler: to inian

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I'm guessing he just figured out his colleague got destroyed.

[RossN]

Katriel, Wind

Katriel bit her lip thoughtfully. "I could give the talking ago. I mean, I could be a girl hired to... you know..." She wasn't sure if they did. Mercurians tended to be a little more in the know about physical pleasures than others.

She looked a little relieved when Astarieth made his suggestion about taking pictures. "Snaps? That I can definitely try," Kat said, smiling with pride as she opened up her camera bag and hoisted her equipment.

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler: rolling to take the photo

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I was debating a Move Silently for stealth, but decided clandestinely taking a photo fits well enough in your role, so Skill Check using role.

Precision Skill check using Photographer roll for TN 8 + 3 = 11
(3d6)[2][4][2](8)

The guards don't seem to notice the car driving past at all. Katriel knows getting a good photo from a moving car would be difficult, but she's able to step out and get a couple zoomed-in shots without being detected.
As she returns to the car, after she's entered, the trio of angels see a beautiful but noticeably agitated woman exit the club. She's wearing high heels, a short skirt, and a blouse held by a single button that barely contains her assets; even agitated, she oozes a sense of presence, importance, and sensuality. You all instantly recognize her as Madison Rourke, also known as Madrizel, Senschal of Lust.
Within a few seconds of her exit, a small, black sedan with heavily-tinted windows pulls up. A handsome man, looking in his early 20s, wearing Prohibition-era barkeep garb gets out of the driver's door and opens the back door for her, giving her a professional bow as he does so. After she enters, he visibly deflates with a heavy sigh and shakes his head, taking of his bowler hat for a moment. He rubs a black eye, then adopts a professional and confident look before getting into the driver's seat. They start to move.

Spoiler: if you follow

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Kat can snag a photo of him if she wants, too.

If you decide to try to follow Madrizel's car, give me a Driving check for tailing them unnoticed. (It's easy to tail them; not getting detected is trickier.)

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

"Kat, get some snaps of that car and get the license plate. So that's Lust and Factions in the same place at the same time. Wonder who else is there? We got any safe way to get ears in?"

Tommy fidgets with his phone in his lap, and starts to text Adewale asking if some cop could report where Rourke is going, before he realizes that Rourke has as many ears or more than Adewale in the police department. Too risky to tail her himself.

"Aight, here's what I'm thinking. Kat, can you keep an eye on the door? I'll hang out here to try to see where they go; Inian, you check the other side and see if you can make out when the Factions guy leaves."

Spoiler: Map of the city

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Quick question - doing the math in his head, does Tommy think that he could call the PI and handoff following Rourke to him? Know it will depend on what direction Rourke's going.

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler: OOC clarifying the plan

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Katriel is able to get a photo of the license plate.

Is the idea that Astrieth does NOT follow them, but just tries to tell where they go based on what he can see from the parked car?
That won't tell you much, since they can turn easily.
Likewise, they are currently driving in the direction of the PI at Faction's house, but it's hard to tell if they'll keep going that way. By the time he drives towards y'all, they'd likely be far gone. You basically went from the suburbs to the edge of downtown, so while it's not a huge drive, it's not just a 2 or 3 minute one, either.

Inian would be able to sneak around to look for back/other entrances. Let me know what you plan to do if you find one, to expedite the scene (e..g, go back and report, try to look in, etc.)
Go on and give me a Move Silently check for stealth, though, either way.

[robnar]

Spoiler: OOC clarifying the plan

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Katriel is able to get a photo of the license plate.

Is the idea that Astrieth does NOT follow them, but just tries to tell where they go based on what he can see from the parked car?
That won't tell you much, since they can turn easily.
Likewise, they are currently driving in the direction of the PI at Faction's house, but it's hard to tell if they'll keep going that way. By the time he drives towards y'all, they'd likely be far gone. You basically went from the suburbs to the edge of downtown, so while it's not a huge drive, it's not just a 2 or 3 minute one, either.

Inian would be able to sneak around to look for back/other entrances. Let me know what you plan to do if you find one, to expedite the scene (e..g, go back and report, try to look in, etc.)
Go on and give me a Move Silently check for stealth, though, either way.

Spoiler: Clarification

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Tommy's idea is that he'd follow them at a distance, long enough to hand off the tail to the PI but not so long that he's suspicious. He would break contact if (1) they start heading in a direction that would prevent the PI from catching up; (2) he ends up having to follow them for longer than he's comfortable with; or (3) they do a surveillance detection move (abrupt U-turn, get off the highway then get back on, something where the only person who'd still behind you after you did that stupid move is obviously following you).

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler

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That at least could work. I'll double-check the map and see how close she is going by where the PI is, and decide if the hand-off works based on a mix of relative locations, plot, and maybe a Luck roll. Give me a driving check for your portion of the pursuit.

And the other PCs agreeing matters, too, I reckon.

[RossN]

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm okay with having Kat keep watch. She's a shutter bug so she has a reasonable excuse for being out and about without necessarily coming across as suspicious.

[DoctorFaust]

Spoiler: OOC

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The plan sounds good to me!

Inian nods and slips out of the car through the far door from the building. He circles around to the backside of the former club and tries to take up a position where he can see the back door and any side entrances at the same time.

Spoiler: Roll

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Move Silently vs. 9: (3d6)[5][1][3](9)

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

Tommy waits till Rourke's car moves out of sight, then waves Inian and Kat out and shifts into gear. As he starts moving he mutters "Hey siri call richard tracey".

When the PI picks up Tommy quickly states - "Change of priorities, and two hundred in it for you. Start driving towards <the highway>. Do Madison Rourke's people know your car?"

Tommy briefly explains the plan and the limits - handoff the tail, need to know where Rourke goes and if she meets anyone else there. Do not get close enough to be seen, break off if you think they noticed you. Then he waits for the PI's confirmation while he speeds up to regain the tail.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Driving: (1d6)[5](1d6)[6] check digit: (1d6)[2]
Emote (to feign nonchalance while driving): (1d6)[6](1d6)[3] check digit: (1d6)[2]

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler: rolls

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(3d6)[4][3][5](12)
(3d6)[3][1][4](8)
(3d6)[4][3][1](8)


Note: Driving roll failed.

As Inian circles around, he notices some guards looking out one of the rear windows from the second floor. One is armed with a sniper rifle and the other with a machine gun. They don't look like thugs like the Burnt, but more like ex-military.
However, they don't see him. The Ofanite is quick and agile, as befitting his Choir, despite his bulk. They are focusing on the rear entrance, so it's doubtful he could access it without being seen, at least without a distraction or miracle. There was a side entrance, but it was boarded up, so entrance there would make noise in the mundane and celestial sense.

Katriel is able to watch the front. She notices a couple homeless people either sleeping or resting in a nearby alley, and there's one other person hurrying by on the street. The presence of other people near the building isn't common, but neither is it rare. The guards may notice her, but appear uninterested besides a slight leer.

Astarieth reaches the PI, who at first sounds excited but then grows quiet a moment at the mention of Rourke.
"Know my car? Er, maybe, but... You want me messing with Madison Rourke's people?"
He's trying to hide it, but, even without his Resonance, Astrieth can sense a conflict of emotions in the man and a hesitancy to take this job. A mix of anger and desire towards Rourke. That file Adewale sent did mention he had some sort of run-in with Rourke some years ago, that led to him being kicked off of or leaving the police force. It sounds like something from that still rests heavy on his soul.

However, it may be a moot point. After a couple corners, the car turns and stops in a vacant street in a run-down part of the downtown. The driver door opens and the young man exits and closes his door. He holds up his hands as if signaling "I'm unarmed" and starts to walk towards Astarieth's car. After a few paces, he shouts rather loudly, "You following us, brother? Wanna talk about it?"

The PI curses upon hearing the voice and says, "If that's one of Rourke's, you be careful," and hangs up.

[robnar]

Astarieth, Judgment

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. When Rourke's car takes the sudden turn and stops Tommy just drives on by.

Over the phone he mumbles to the PI: "Abort. They made me. Have a good one."

Around the corner, he texts Kat and Inian <they made my tail may have alerted the building be careful>

Time to see what they do next. They'll have eyes on Tommy's car for sure. He moves on down the line, back to his storferont, flips the sign to "open" and posts up there.

He types in a quick <im at my shop text if you need a ride> and then starts surfing the web.

[JeenLeen]

Spoiler

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(3d6)[13]

Inian and Katriel

The two of you receive Astarieth's message, but don't notice anything happening with or messages sent to the guards.
After another minute, the front door opens and Katriel sees a short, overweight teen with an awful complexion, a sheen of grease over his skin and in his hair. It's as if someone tried to make a real person out of a cartoon of an overweight, pimply teen. He's wearing a Poppy's Diner uniform. He's also wincing with pain as he moves, and grabs his arm. Katriel then notices it isn't quite bending the direction an arm should. Seems this whatever/whoever-it-is has a broken limb.

Astarieth

As he drives towards his shop, he notices a couple buildings that looked (relatively) fine yesterday now having broken glass or bullet-holes in a door or chipped into the building's stone. The aftermath of the Burnt's infighting after the Gravel Pits destroyed its hierarchy.

His shop, however, is fine, and he is able to safely enter and go about searching.

[DoctorFaust]

<U too. See you later>

Inian stares at the back door from his hiding spot, but try as he might, he can't think of a way of getting into the club without fighting at least one of the guards. He sighs, and sends a text to Katriel. <2 guards back here. Think u could make noise out front, pull them away? Or did u get the more interesting side?>

[RossN]

Katriel

Kat rapidly texted back: <'The worst looking teen I've ever seen leaving - he's greasy, fat and has a broken arm. Tail?'>