[Jack_Spade]

The fitness room was the standard affair of weight lifting machines, treadmills of all shapes and forms, and padded floor spaces where getting thrown to the ground didn't hurt quite as much.

Currently there were three men and two women busy doing some kind of kata. According to their AR tags they were

Shanita Gildersleeve, Benny Guyette, Robt Holmen, Sherley Jaso and Moses Leggio from Group 2.

The two women looked quite flat chested in their sport bras compared to their male compatriots' bulging chest muscles.
Presently they ended the session, led by Moses, and began to spread out to the treadmills.
No-one had yet noticed the runners.

[Volker]

bnc smiles. "You do? I would've instinctively taken a bus."
Once they arrive at the hospital, bnc blows Krestov a kiss to the cheek. "Remember those eyes, big one.", she says as a farewell. She hasn't told anyone except Dr. Schmitt which augmentation she's going to receive, though an attentive observer will already have guesses. After a last hug, she shuts down her cyberdeck, and enters the somewhat frightening building.

[SquirrelDude]

Slobber wasn't one to back down from a challenge, even one where his partner couldn't always turn down the lethality.

<<@Krestov: Let's see if you can hit me first.>>

[Volker]

<@Anna <any news about magical security?>>

[gilga]

Anna rolled over in her bed and texted >> Must have been sleeping late, been a crazy night. I'll dressup and then inform Flatline that I leave. I will not be available in matrix when I am in the astral, so if something bad happens one of us will go back to warn the others.  Peace.


Rolling in her bed, she walked to the shower stripped and enjoyed a warm hot shower, washing away the night and trying to embrace day. Then she'll spend half a hour to prepare herself and go look for Flatline to coordinate some responsible plan with him.

[SquirrelDude]

Slobber took a stance befitting of someone without any formal training. He hardly looked like more than a jacked-up idiot about to get pummeled by the well trained troll.

<@Krestov<Since you're using Augs, I hope you don't mind if I use my magic.>>

Slobber took a deep breath, closed and opened his eyes, and prepared himself for the troll's strike.

[spoiler]Agility Boost 2 [ 6 + Agility Boost 2]: 8d6t5 2[/spoiler]

[gilga]

[Spoiler]
Summon F5 (Man): 13d6t5 5
resis: 5d6t5 1
Improve Intuition: 15d6t5 7
Drain: 2#10d6t5 5 4
[/spoiler]

Anna dressed up even for an astral gig that she could do without leaving the bed. She showered prepared and made her bed. She applied the improve intuition spell just before applying mascara and by the time she finished with her lipstick she had a spirit companion which Anna described as delicious.

The summoning rite was also chaotic like the rest of the magic, she opened her mind to the meta planes and searched for the right spirit. 'Spirit of men, no of Man... oh just come over here gorgeous I am far more interesting than your native metaplane."  That kind of negotiation worked, she was awarded with four services and did not feel tired.

Before leaving Anna texted Flatline to listen in for her and bnc with cc to the team >> Going astral - if you need me back go ping flatline. She placed herself on the made bed placed her hair in a position to preserve her haircut and then *left*. It was an unbearable tingling sensations but then was nothing, she was outside in another world. "Let's go confuse some watchers pretty boy..." she said and moved her consciousness to the bank as far as she could, for an astral visitor she sure did feel comfortable in that plane.

Stopping at a safe distance Anna attempted to figure out how much she can get close without being seen, and she was looking for watcher/spirits or manalinks that connect summoner and spirit. She kept her own spirit close for another pair of eyes. "Can you spot the watchers? We need to traverse their link back to the summoner without raising suspicion. Lets see how distant we can be and still spot these links." she said to the spirit.
[spoiler]
assensing: 15d6t5 4
assensing: 11d6t5 3 (first service)
[/spoiler]

[Jack_Spade]

At the hotel:
The little sparring had indeed the desired effect: Both the two female guards as well as the group leader had taken a pause to watch the two meta humans display their skills. Both Shanita and Sherley grinned at each other

At the bank:
The watchers kept their predictable pattern, circling the building, slowing down sometimes if anything in the astral changed and then sped up again to reach their previous position. Anna's spirit had appeared in the form of a hunky bodybuilder, displaying glistening muscles and long wavy hair, while wearing only a speedo.
Fine as spider silk the connection between the constructs and their creator stretched across the island towards the building the team had identified as the hotel - more specifically they stretched towards the top level. As far as she could determine the mage was of middling power - at best a force of 5 on the Carver-Johnson power index, like his constructs too. Interesting was the fact that it wasn't a hermetic binding but rather an intuitive structure like her own kind of magic even if it wasn't exactly like hers. If she had to guess, it would be a very self centered kind of tradition, as the watchers resembled a bald man with blazing blue eyes and a rather ascetic appearance.
The spirit confirmed her observations silently.

[Volker]

Once Yael shares her findings with the group, bnc sends a message to the group channel:
<@all <this must be mike pierce. fits his description 3x. can the 2 of u observe em watchers 24hrs to find out when and how the watchers/mage on duty change shifts
we need specifics>>

Also, bnc notes this 1^st time we encountered Pierce on the digital info wall, to be updated later, when we have more details.

[gilga]

Anna did a quick scouting of the hotel for possible astral security and then returned home to report.  When bnc mentions 24/h security Anna winches "I ahm cannot stay that long in the astral. Even if we could do shifts without damaging our health, it will be difficult not to be detected with such a prolonged presence.  Perhaps it will be easier to watch the mage and his schedule? I mean the hotel has less secure than the bank - and it takes several minutes to conjure a watcher we cannot miss it even with a camera... "
[/color]

[Volker]

bnc texts back from the hospital if someone cares to transmit Anna's answer to her.
<@all <u cant do it alone but theres 2 of u + u can summon spirits, mayb watchers too. if u think its too dangerous can u either observe the mage or at least check evry now & then? i just want to know their schedule. u ll do fine>

[SquirrelDude]

Slobber was disappointed with his performance, but accepted it graciously. "And that's why you're head of security and I'm in charge of compliance."

"Go talk to our newest fans while I find some  punching bags or some red shirts to blow of some more steam."

[gilga]

"How about I do it the mundane fashion - dress in maid uniform, steal a cleaning cart and plant a camera in his hotel room, perhaps I can even clean, on the way, may be useful to have a material link to the mage. Not that I know what to do with one, but perhaps Flatline knows rituals? I mean, That dude's  gig is to look at the astral and send watcher - he should be alert to astral visitors. How perceptive is he on the physical world?"

[Jack_Spade]

At the hotel:
"That was impressive. What style was that?" Moses Leggio had stepped closer and nodded at Slobbertooth. "The name's Leggio. Are you from hotel security?"
The man was friendly, but his watchful eye's didn't miss any details. He wore an impressive black beard and close cropped short hair. His features like his name indicated a semitic heritage. Slobber and Krestov would have to tread carefully with their answers...

At the base:
Flatline interjected: "Yes, a mundane approach would probably be better - magical spying will likely be thwarted if he has a powerful lodge set up - which he probably has with all those ritual created watchers."

[gilga]

Anna looked at Flatline - grinning deviously "It seems like you are having an affair... mr. Thyme with your abstractor. How unethical of you. And you perv makes her dress up as a maid so you can watch her clean... this is some weird fetish fantasy you have there..."
Watching the embarrassed man she shrugs "At least this is the story I am going to tell if it does not work. You are going to open your wallet and pay handsomely for whomever in charge to not make a fuss about this incident. Be very embarrassed about it - I bet it will come naturally to you."

With a conifdent move she held Flatline's hand and then suggested "Are you going to discreetly make an hotel reservation for us? Commmon,  at least say something inappropriate to me... I can wear the Eve wig if you ask nicely. " she said and then smircked, amused from the thought of putting Flatline again in that kind of situation. She rationalized...  "A young lady renting an hotel room alone is suspicious,  a couple is more casual and humans blended in better than trogs - or some human trog couple."

When they are alone she should ask Flatline, why he lost his marbles with eve, but until they do she is allowed to make fun of it... at least until it is no longer fun.