[WoD] Heart of the Mountain

[ExtraWhiteRice]

The smile returned to his face, he hadn't expected Burns to submit to his will so easily. Then again, he did have a knack for saying the right thing. Today's transaction was over. He stood, crossing the space to take Burns' hand, giving him a strong, firm handshake. "I'll see what I can do. I'll get in contact with you to schedule our next meeting. Also." He reached to his back pocket, pulling out his wallet, and procuring a business card. It didn't have much information on it, it just said "Negotiator" and had his phone number listed. "If you need to speak to me for any reason, give me a call. Now, I'm sure you need to get back to managing this fine establishment, I have some other duties I need to attend to. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Burns."


After the firm handshake, 'Michael" left the room, navigating his way easily back to the casino. Luckily he hadn't had to get violent. He hoped that he wouldn't in the future--violence wasn't his style. As he walked through the casino, he kept an eye out for Johnny, not seeing anything, he went out the front door, pulling out his phone.


He dialed Johnny's number. He knew that Johnny wouldn't have his number programmed in, so it would probably just show the city his area code was from and 'unknown caller.' He hadn't seen a problem with talking to the cop, he just hoped that Johnny hadn't gotten into any trouble during his brief meeting. He waited as the phone rang, preparing an opening statement.

 

[Xistund]

"Right then I'll just get their meals for two and" He was about to pick up his phone as it started to ring. He jumped a bit as the thoughts of psychic Chinese food owners came to his head. "Maybe that's how they get it to you so fast." He muttered but then was disappointed at the caller ID. "Hold on let me get this." He said as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" He said wondering what was with this night and stopping him from having a good night. Maybe he was put under a curse or something, he'd have to look into it later.

 

[ExtraWhiteRice]

"Hey Johnny. Noticed you left the casino a bit early. You find your story or take my advice?" Not-Michael answered. "Oh, this is Michael by the way." Michael's feet lead him away from the casino. He would have most of the night off, he realized, unless Johnny was still out looking. Whatever would he do with the night at his heels? Maybe he would slip into a little gamble--then again he wasn't one for betting. He was a winner.


He had to plan. His report to Julia would be...different than she expected. If she knew how volatile Burns was, she would have expected him to have to torture the man. Instead, he got wind of a secondary deal--and they would have to meet with him again.

 

[KarlWarrior47]

The dragon kin spoke of old ruins in the mountains, while also approaching Kreigar with blazing eyes. Kreigar scratched his beard as he began to suspect that the Dragon kin was trying to read him up in a way. Though his blazing eyes were rather apparent, the ruins interested the Red-Hooded Hunter enough to ask him about that "Old ruins, eh?" as he questioned the dragon man he realized he hasn't introduced himself properly "Ah! by the way! Name's Kreigar!" he states as the red hooded hunter then gives him a request "Could you show me where exactly these ruins are, Mister-?" he holds his tongue awaiting the half-dragon's response

 

[NovaPheonix]

"Wilde, James Wilde." The man said, turning around and showing off his long brown hair and making his way back toward the poker tables near the middle of the casino floor. "How about I tell you, after we play a game?" He looked over towards a dealer with a knowing smile. "I've still got plenty of money to burn today...and I'm not just going to show off my home to you for free." He looked back toward the Hunter, glancing at his face as if he was interested in him. "What do ya say?" The white rotten apple on his shirt gleamed under the bright casino lights, and he placed his duster over the top of a chair and sat down, awaiting his answer. He took a seat anyway, expecting him to agree. It was about 4:30 by now, not even close to being late.

 

[Xistund]

"Oh Michael...." Why the hell was the man always cock blocking him, did Julia have some vendetta on him. He didn't think he could cheat on someone he's never been with. "Yea she wasn't feeling that good and had a run in with some bikers, so we are just hanging out in my place for now. " Ok this checking up on him is being creepy now. "Look I got to go was just about to order some food before you called, see you at work I guess." He hung up the phone, "Note to self if he shows up at door step shoot him, if he lives interview him and shoot him again." Johnny muttered to himself and pressed his speed dial to get the Chinese place.

 

[NovaPheonix]

@Xistund


"Yo, this is Yang's, what would you like to order?" a distinctly Asian-American voice answered the phone, sounded male. Beyond the voice Johnny would hear the usual hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen behind the man.

 

[Xistund]

"Hey Harry, its Johnny. I'd like to get the meal for two." He said with a grin, it was sad when he was happy to upgrade his meal from the restaurant's meal for one to two, it might of been sad that he knows the take out delivery boy's first name as well and that he's related to the owner.

 

[NovaPheonix]

"Don't expect me to eat it with you again." He said with a dry chuckle, then he moved the phone away to go scream some chinese at the cook before saying to Johnny. "15 minutes." He hung up before johnny could say anything else. The time passed quickly, and by about 5:43 he was knocking on the door. two minutes early. When Johnny opened the door, the guy who was around his age sort of peeked in, looking at Caeda over his shoulder. "Who's she? She looks kinda sick..." He narrowed his eyes at Johnny as if to ask 'What the hell did you do?'

 

[ValkyrieRose]

Caeda would sit up as she hears the food arrive. it would be incredibly rude of her to eat in the man's bed- leaving crumbs or what not over the sheets was something she didn't really like at all. She made her way over to the couch... though she still looks like hell. She would give him the man a smile and a wave." Thank you very much." She says with a soft smile.

 

[Xistund]

Johnny gave a bit of a 'I didn't do anything look' back to Harry, "This is a friend we where drinking and she felt sick. We had a run in with a gang and I thought it would be safer to stay here for now." He said and added "And get that look off your face you know I don't do shit like that, unlike some I have an honor system. Its a jaded honor system but its there."

 

[Karalexia]

A hooded figure stepped in from the cold, looking out of place among the patrons and gamblers of the casino; dressed in their flashy and gaudy attires, no one paid this person any mind as they were too busy either winning, losing or drowning their sorrows over at the well stocked bar. To them, it was just another one of many oddities you'd find at such a place and hardly worthy of noting.


The figure stood dead at the entrance and giggled softly in a small girlish pitch, head moving erratically as she scanned the place and after a minute or so, proceeded to move with small, dainty steps... or perhaps they were steps of caution...


As the hooded girl walked, her head moved from left to right and back to left again, periodically even looking up and down almost as if she were confused or in awe of her surroundings. As she passed by a row of slot machines, she glanced up and mumbled, reading a jumble of scrolling text.


"Jack... pot..." She read aloud as the message continued to scroll, "Jack can keep his crappy pot!" The girl hissed before surveying the slot machines. "What a strange place... Boxes with scrolling glyphs that hold no power... And all these fools seem excited over them!" She muttered, glancing over towards some card tables, "And over there... Stupid people with cards that have strange markings... Are they trying to get their future read? Fools!"


The girl began to walk again, her pace slightly faster than before and seemingly excited, fidgeting slightly under the hooded cloak that she wore. Stepping out into the area that housed the card tables, she stopped again suddenly, glaring curiously across the way at an individual that caught her eye.


"This is the guy, huh?" The girl uttered in disbelief, "No way! That can't be right! ...But I'm getting all tingly just looking at him!" She continued to speak to herself, observing a man with long brown hair and a rather laid back demeanour. "This idiot can't be... but... My body is telling me otherwise!"


She cautiously approached the table where James and Kreigar were at and stopped a few feet away, staring silently at James and twitching visibly beneath the cloak as she attempted to get a closer look.

 

[NovaPheonix]

Harry put the food down on Johnny's countertop. Two boxes of rice, noodles, meat, and steamed vegetables. He noticed Caeda was laying down on the bed and made his way over to her, passing behind johnny in a swift motion. He moved like a river, his body flowing like a stream. Once he was suddenly in front of Caeda, he waved his hand in front of her face. "Can you see all my fingers?"


When Caeda saw his hand, it was very blurred, and as he moved it back and forth, it moved like the back and forth metronome of a grandfather clock. His hand moved slowly and out of pace. Ding....dong....ding....


She could tell it was moving too slow to be real, but she could also hardly see it. She saw it in slow motion once again, and by now she had lost a lot of feeling in her lower body and her upper arms.


"She looks tired." The delivery-boy put his finger to her neck "Her heartbeat is normal, but her body looks almost limp. What the heck did you drink?" He looked her in the eye with a set of dark blues.

 

[ValkyrieRose]

"That's the thing, It was a simple Jack Rose" Caeda says a moment after she realizes the man is trying to help her. She looks at him with a soft, pathetic smile. "I've had a million of them before, but nothing like this has ever happened. I should probably get a hold of the police or isolate some of my blood now that I think of it." She says "I must have been drugged."

 

[NovaPheonix]

"Well, that's specifically the problem, it's going through your bloodstream..." He pulled out a set of needles from his pocket "Just hold still..." He stuck a tiny needle into each of her arms, and her legs while she laid on the bed. He took a simple thread from his pocket and continued by sticking a fifth small needle into her chest quickly. He used the thread to create a visible web between the heart-needle and her other limbs.


"I hope you don't mind me doing this inside your house, I'm trying to help." He turned to Johnny quickly before looking Caeda in the eyes. He helped her to move so that her body was turned toward the other side of the bed , flipping her 180 degrees. "Facing South...Alright." He examined her body again. He tapped the small needle around her heart with his finger,


"I'm redirecting the Fiery Yang Energy from your Heart around your body to counteract the Poison associated with Water-Yin." He told her plainly in English although it might as well have been Greek to everyone else around.


Johnny had heard that he could do things like this, but assumed that he was just joking. He worked quickly, the tiny threads seeming to vibrate as he spoke firmly in a ritualistic manner. It sounded like chinese, but at the same time, it clearly wasn't. It just sounded like gibberish.


((Special Thanks to my friend Pumpkin for giving me some basic info on Taoist Medicine, I know next to nothing so I take no credit.))

 

[ValkyrieRose]

Caeda gasped as she felt a sudden warmth in her body... like a resounding pulse that was restoring the energy ... the feeling in her legs, her arms, returning. She didn't understand what this chinese deliverman was doing but... it was working, whatever it was.


"Oh... i feel a lot better now." She blinks, the surprise evident on her face as she looks at the man. "I can't thank you enough." She says, closing her eyes and enjoying the sudden feeling of her body again. "you said poison attributed to water... I was poisoned with something, not just drugged?"

 

[NovaPheonix]

"Whatever it was, it looked more like something my Grandpa would keep hidden from me. Some kinda strange herb or something. You looked exhausted, but your body wasn't reacting at all...like a delayed sleeping drug. I think." He rubbed his chin and stood over her. He carefully removed the needles and turned back to Johnny again. "Don't worry, you don't owe me anything, I do this for free."


It was kinda rude of him to ask Johnny if it was ok, not even wait for an answer, and then just go ahead and perform the medical ritual right in front of him. In this case though, he threw the warmed thread in the trash and just brushed it off. "You do have to pay for the food though, It'll be $25."

 

[ExtraWhiteRice]

Johnny had hung up on him!? How rude. Other than a run-in with bikers, seems like things had gone smoothly with Caeda, that cop-lady. That relieved his duty for the night--except for his report to Julia, which would be best left...till tomorrow evening. The night was at his heels once more as he put his phone away. He had a feeling he was going to end up working with Johnny at one point, trying to keep him "out of trouble" more. Oh well.


He still wasn't one for gambling, but he could go for a drink or two. He walked back into the casino, heading to the bar. He hadn't decided yet whether he wanted hard liquor or if he just wanted something simple, like beer.

 

[Xistund]

Johnny saw the spectacle that was what Harry was doing and stunned. His mouth was on the floor as the man clearly used some kind of strangeness to heal her. He took a moment to realize he was being talked to. "Y-yeah, pay right." He pulled out some money and handed it to Harry, his mouth was rather dry as his mind raced all over the place.

 

[NovaPheonix]

• Wonderland Bar
• Johnny's Apartment

• 
  
  
  Terrance saw that someone new had sat down and eyed him for a bit. The bartender noticed that he had strange colored hair, but otherwise he didn't stand out as attractive or anything like that. He looked rather normal. "Hello." Terrance slid over to that side of the bar, gliding on his feet. He gazed at the man, speaking in a soft Irish accent. "What would ya' like?"
  
  
  Behind the bar was a long stretch of bottles of various colors and shapes. In particular there was a small clear bottle, almost like a mirrored whisky flask that had a blue liquid within it. Upon seeing it, the bartender swiped it and moved it underneath the bar with a quick flick of his hand. Behind the bottles was a large mirror that reflected the man sitting there as well as the now abandoned pool table behind him.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Harry took the money and leaned in rather close to johnny, whispering in his ear as his short dark hair brushed by Johnny's cheek. "Who gave you those drinks? You got lucky, whoever it was forgot to give you the full dose, but someone was trying to put you guys to sleep...I don't understand why someone would do that. Sure, the woman makes sense, but you were being targeted too. I smelled it on your breath."
  
  
  

 

[Xistund]

Johnny flushed a bit as the man leaned in close to whisper in his ear. They had both been drugged?! So someone wanted them both out of the picture, but why? Maybe he should follow that bartender to see what's what. "The bartender at the Wonderland, do you know anything about him?" He asked his friend who seemed to know more than most delivery boys should.

 

[NovaPheonix]

"No, but we should probably go get some answers from the guy." He said 'we', implying that he was getting involved. "My grandfather would want me to help, so I will. The casino's down the street anyway, so it won't take too long. I'll text someone to cover for me at the restaurant." He pulled out his phone and did just that, "Or did you want to eat first?" He asked while texting, pointing over to the Pepper Steak, Rice, and Vegetables on the counter.


He also noticed that Johnny was still carrying a gun, but didn't seem to be bothered by that very much. "Might need that." He glanced down at it. "Those weren't normal drugs, if you know what I mean." Harry knew Johnny had studied the occult more than even he did.

Johnny's Cash


$945

 

[ValkyrieRose]

"I'm coming too." Caeda said, hearing just enough to get up and stretches. "I feel a bit better now that the water...poison is out of my system." She says, looking to both Harry and Johnny. The policewoman smiles. "Besides, whatever the two of you plan on doing will have a lot more weight with a badge enforcing it." She says. "I'm going to have to report this to the precinct at some point, however." She says... she was still a policewoman after all.

 

[Karalexia]

The more she observed James, the more she was certain that he was indeed the one she had been sent to find, although she was quickly getting annoyed with the whole situation.


"He... He-he-he's not doing anything!" She grumbled aloud angrily, "He's just sitting there with those worthless cards and that stupid looking idiot staring back at him with a gormless look plastered across his face!" Trembling irritably, she extended her right arm outwards in the direction of James whilst practically screaming out, "WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THIS!?"


It was at this moment, something seemed to catch the girl's eye and her anger and irritability was replaced with a curiousness. She retracted her arm and walked away from where she had been standing for the past few minutes, towards a rather colourful area, surrounded by people with a cornucopia of differently shaped bottles and liquids of many different hues. Stopping in front of the bar, she peered across at the collection of bottles that lined the wall. "What is all of this!?" She demanded, glancing towards the bartender, "Are these some kind of magic potion or elixir? What are their properties?"


She eyed the bottles one by one. Some filled with clear liquids, some with brownish liquids and some with even pink, blue and black liquids. As for the bottles, they ranged from small, single serve to tall and thin; some were even shaped like lamps and vases. It was all quite peculiar to the girl and her mind was beginning to get lost in wonder and awe once again.


She gave the air a sniff to see what she could pick up, but the scents were various and unfamiliar to her. Some fruity smells stood out, but there were also some bitter and acrid smells that defied to be recognised. She glanced at the patrons drinking at the bar and noticed that some were quite wobbly and not all there.


"Hey! Answer me!" She yelled at the bartender once again, "What is all of this? Is it made to put people into a dream like state?" She asked, shooting some of the patrons another glance. "Or are the results different with each bottle?"

 

[ExtraWhiteRice]

He looked up towards Terrance, who had asked him what to drink. "Well, I'm kind of a lightweight. what would you recommend without going over the top?" He asked the bartender before someone else came up to the bar, demanding to know what all of the bottles were...what was she? Secluded? Something more mystical?


"The bottles all contain various forms of alcohol." He answered for the barkeeper. "They do have different effects to different people, but the overall goal is to numb your senses and forget your worries. Why come to a casino other than to have fun?" He wasn't sure why he explained this to the woman who had approached the bar--but she was right next to him, yelling at the barkeep for no reason. "Now, there's no reason to ask what the point to all of this is--you can only understand if you partake. If you have the money, that is."


His attention returned back to the barkeep, a sheepish smile on his face. "Maybe something fruity, so I can't tell that I've drank so much." He laughed. He did have the whole night, and the rest of the day tomorrow, to recuperate.