1328/A Clandestine Meeting

A Clandestine Meeting
Date of Scene:	13 January 2015
Location:	Prohibition Chicago <PC>
Synopsis:	Ness and Homura meet with Pinkie in disguise to discuss matters.
Cast of Characters:	2, 264, 470
Tinyplot:	Crying Clowns

---

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    Eliot Ness had a lot of things to think about after the incident the other day, most of them involving his first experience with Magic being used ON him instead of around him, with the exception of Winnowill healing him once. It was a bit jarring. But he had attempted to work through it.

    So instead of focus on that, he was calling a meeting. The only person he trusted to keep the meeting secret, Homura, had been invited. So had Pinkie, who was generally the guest of the hour.

    The meeting location was a small diner in the downtown area of Chicago, generally deserted and empty due to it being between the lunch rush and the dinner rush. He is sitting in a corner booth with a small cup of coffee and a piece of pecan pie.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Homura is very trustworthy. That's why she told the Archmagister, Staren, and also the other Twilight Sparkle when and where they wre meeting and who was invited. Except, you know, not really.

    Walking into the diner, the seventeen years old secretary is dressed for her usual part, even if it's irrelevant today. She just likes wearing formal clothing, she thinks. She would sit at one corner of the table, putting the three of them in a triangle unless Pinkie lacks the basic human OCD needed to line up when sitting around a table.

    "Good afternoon, Ness. Guest not here yet?"

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    Well it looks like everyone knows about the clandestine secret meeting, then. PErhaps that might be why Pinkie doesn't show. At least not in her usual flamboyant attire. In fact it's a different face that makes way into the diner. Tail tucked and hidden in the skirt of a white skirt-suit, ears hidden under a prim little hat, Ness and Homura might recognize WINTER WITHERS as the House Moon and Star secretary arrives and slides into the booth the join the two. There's just one problem.
    Winter Withers has been dead for over a month.
    Not that this stops Pinkie from flashing a smile through her disguise. It is infinitely less conspicuous than bright clown clothes and a mask. "Waiting for someone~?"

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    "She just arrived," Eliot says, looking over towards Homura as she takes a seat. He's grateful the girl is here. He has a level of trust for Pinkie, but it's never had to have some good backup that knows how to throw iron when the chips double up. He takes a slow sip from his coffee and then sighs a bit.

    He looks over at the secretary when she joins the two, "Take a seat. Either of you can order what you like." He sniffs a bit awkwardly and then adjusts his tie, "I think it's best we talk about some recent events that transpired and some gabbin' that happened that wasn't on the up."

    Ness sets his hands on the table and looks towards Winter Withers, "It's about that highly wanted Assassin, if you catch my meaning. The one that me and my secretary here have been researchin'. I was wonderin' if there was any word about if she was okay."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Well that's to the point.

    Homura will skip on food for now, though; that means more for the 'secretary' if she were inclined to eat for two. She lacks a clipboard or pen today, so it'll be mental note taking.

    "The twins, as well. Though I'm curious what Maud will do once she reaches the city. Can she bring with her enough to overrun it?"

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    To the point is good, it gets things going quickly. For the record, Winter orders a big urn of coffee and a slice of cherry pie, taking a second to load said coffee with sugar and milk. "Well hm." She muses thoughtfully, sticking to character for the hell of it. "Information has been hard to come by, with the Laughing Dead epidemic causing all kinds of issues between personnel going missing, showing up to work a week later undead." Oops. Well amid stirring her drink she moves right along. "I think a resourceful trio like that probably would have found some place comfortable and quiet to lick their wounds until ready to move again."
    A sip and silver eyes narrow. "Maud is probably going to want to recover a little, too. Sost likely she has connections of her own in the Cult willing to take her in. Cheese Sandwich was no slouch, he was Big Time, just under the Prophets themselves in the chain. Baltimare is big but if she decides to overrun it, she might be able to pull it off. Luckily Pillars of Joy just don't sprout up overnight. She'll need time. So the city and the people there should be safe for now."

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    Homura completes the second half of his worry, though Ness is less attached to the Twins. The federal agent calmly rubs his gloved hands together and says, "Yes, you are right. They are likely laying low in a safehouse to recover while they're on the lam. I just hope the fool advice of some particularly loud and well-meanin', if incorrect, people don't cause them to do somethin' rash."

    "Cheese Sandwich and Maud Pie," He repeats the name, causing a waitress walking by to look very confused before he waves her off, "I'm not orderin', dear, don't worry." He notes, looking at both women from across the table, "She gave me a right lickin' last time. I'm not a man used to bein' hit with magic. But we need to stop her plan at the pass, I think.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "You'll find it's not unlike being shot, you just... get used to it, and roll with it. Not really much of a choice," Homura answers Ness on the matter of magic, before looking at the two and considering. "So we have time then. That's good. Better not assume we have a lot, but even a bit is better than nothing. We should warn the city so it can arm itself, but if it's too obvious it might change her plans. This would be better if we could make her walk into a trap... but that'd be hard to organize."

    Just food for thought, mostly.

    "And yes, try to avoid the stupid advice."

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    A brief scowl of irritation flutters across the silver-haired pony-woman's features before she regains her neutral composure. "Oh yes, because friendship and smiles is going to get us all through and we'll learn things about friendship and growth along the way." She retorts in regards to bad advice. But then moves on: "I didn't know people could get used to being shot." It's an all around unpleasant experience either way, between bullets and magic. "But despite being an Earth Pony breed, Maud is pretty frightening with her knowledge of necromancy. Still, there are two problems with warning the city."
    Up comes one finger. "It probably would warn her off, yes." And then finger number two lifts, "Baltimare is the Cult's seat of power. If anything it'll be the whole lot of you walking into a trap. Unles you were to... Oh I don't know. Maybe try and convince Pinkamena to guide you around the catacombs~." There's that grin again. "Food for thought."

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    "I endeavor to avoid getting lead put in me more than I get used to it," Ness replies to Homura dryly, sipping his cup of coffee and letting her speak. He sighs a bit, hand coming to rub at his chest a bit, though his marking there is covered up by the suit. He still frowns heavily, "I agree with you, though. We should try to pre-empt, especially if the city is their seat of power. Warning them might just get us turned on," He looks over to Homura, thinking it over.

    "Can I get that shotgun back, by the way?" He asks as a side-note.

    And then back over to Pinkie, "The advice they have been giving the Assassin are only going to incite her to anger, I think. Her goals and motives are not ones I disagree with, but I would like to see her focus and control her motivations, waiting for the best moment to strike. I fear the poor advice many give her could lead to her throwing her life away, which would be bad, as she apparently needs to lead us to some catacombs."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "Hm? Oh, of course."

    Homura pulls a blanket out from under the table.
    She places it on the table, and then stuffs her hands underneath. Evidently things are appearing under there because then there's four bulges. She withdraws her hands.

    "Here you go."

    PUBLIC SAFETY HOMURA SAYS ALWAYS PUT A BLANKET OVER YOUR SHOTGUNS AND AMMO WHEN IN A RESTAURANT. Especially when handing them out.

    Ness will not just find his shotgun under there but also a tactical M4 Beneli model, with two boxes of ammunition. Blanket's big enough to wrap it all up into a bundle without any ends sticking out.

    Still extremely illegal.

    "Sneaking through the catacomps seems fine."

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    Another sip at her coffee and Winter Withers peers up over the rim of her mug. She waits as the clandestine blanket-passing of ordinance occurs before moving on, tracing her finger along the rim of her mug. "They are reading her fairly wrong, I'd say. But if pressed she might honestly do something rash from the agitation."
    Grump.
    "Oh no, though. She's normally very methodical; even if it doesn't seem like it; there's a lot more patience involved when she works than she lets on, buuut. The current situation has been pressing everyone to be a little rash, but. No one who wears a mask wants to wear one forever, there are usually reasons for putting them on, and a day they eventually have to come off right? I think she very much intends to doing her level best to see that day in her case."
    On to the catacombs though: "They span under the whole city- and Baltimare is quite large. No one's ever mapped them completely, though the Cult does have an expansive knowledge. Just make sure your guide stays alive down there."

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    Ness is a police officer, though. So hilariously, he just takes both guns from under the blanket and props them up in the booth next to him and acts like what he just did wasn't any big deal at all. Remember, in the 1920s, cops had guns literally everywhere at all times. It's really minor for him to have two 12-gauges in a diner with him.

    "If she ever wants more training or to put her skills to good use, I can put her in contact with some people that could give her a lot more outlets," He's TOTALLY referring to the Syndicate, duh. And nothing else.

    "The catacombs seem like a good strategy. We should get that information out to the others."

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    Winter Withers sets her coffee mug down now, unbothered as Ness just pulls the shotguns out. He's a cop after all. "Is that so? Well. She just might have to consider that, after this is all over." It's something to think about. Something else to think about occurs when she reaches into her blouse pocket and withdraws a deck of cards. A quick and practiced shuffle and she seems to ruminate for a moment in the midst of cutting and re-stacking. But then she fans the deck out, indicating Ness a choice of one at his leisure.
    "I'll see what I can do on my end of things, in the meantime. But a dead secretary can only help so much."

Eliot Ness (264) has posed:
    Ness tilts his head as she offers him a deck of cards. He reaches towards it and draws one out, carefully removing it from the stack and then inspecting it, "Yes, I imagine the death is a bit of a hinderance, Miss Withers. I still appreciate your help in this matter."

Pinkie (470) has posed:
    Being dead must suck, yep. Winter simply gives an ambivalent shrug.
    The card is The Death. Upright.