Operation: Roll Out

[initiates]

Date & Time: January 31st - February 4th, Present Day Exsilium Time
Location: Neo Las Vegas, in what formerly was called Turkey.
Characters: All Transports!
Summary: Transports have been sent to Neo Las Vegas to gather information on the origin point of the United Earth and the UE AI. Conference sabotage and the rest is expected and invited!
Warnings: Gambling and alcoholic beverages quite likely! Please PM the mod account for anything else.

By day, the landscape isn't desert, precisely, so much as it is dry. Winter's settled in and found in the biting chill of the wind when it finds you standing on the street. Hovercars and taxis thrum down the cobblestone streets, cavorting and honking like a noisy crowd of inelegant, overweight geese. Men walk by on stilts half in make-up, on their way back to their stage for the next night. Walks of shame are taken proudly in this district, one of the few approved and sanctioned vacation zones in the United Earth.

Evidence of law enforcement can be found all around, but they seem altogether too pleased to be there too. Talk with any one of them about crime rates, and they're liable to laugh at the idea. Those who come to gamble know the house is rigged to win. It's not about making or breaking the bank -- people whose funds dip too low are politely escorted back to their rooms and given a set of normal playing cards -- but it is about enjoyment.

Of the flesh too, and it'd be difficult to find anyone working in Neo Las Vegas who suffers from modesty, or anyone visiting who seems unwilling to politely ask visitors and staff if they'd like to keep them company for the night. In fact, Transports may find themselves needing to turn down multiple such requests! The refusal is always taken well. These are people looking to have a good time, and that's all.

No chance taken, nothing gained, right?

At night, the city really comes alive, the lights in all the hotels and casinos turning the Neo Las Vegas Strip into a carnival of sensation. Drinks and recreational drugs are freely passed around, men and women engage in a variety of sexual and other hedonistic excesses without regret, and the beautiful interiors and ostentatious or playful exteriors of the buildings hide and reveal a rich tapestry of events, delectables, and desires waiting to be fulfilled.

Neo Las Vegas is a fun place, and it is a safe place, and it is Where the Conferences For Our Future Are Made. Playtime is on, gang.

Comments

[crocodilesmiles]

( i )

Collette teetered on her feet, arms windmilling as she fell backward into a half-filled laundry bin. "Whaa!" It'd been a while since she'd done any strange trips through the Transporter, and she hadn't expected what they found on the other side.

Including the sheets she was currently becoming entangled in.

"No way! I refuse to do laundry! Get me out of here!"

( ii )

What she hadn't planned on was the fallout for Blue having died so soon after her return to present day Exsilium. It'd been jarring, because unlike the losses of people to their own homes (even their own deaths, in one way of speaking), she'd been back to see his decline. He'd died, and there hadn't been any bringing him back.

She wasn't sure how to cope. Vegas wasn't the best place to figure it out, either, considering her not so steady walking to keep her mind from obsessing over the natural process in life: meeting death.

She wanted to talk to Caesar about it, but she still wasn't sure what to do about him in general. Friends with benefits... did they still talk like friends with none at all? But friends didn't have to be there to support you when you felt low, either, though usually they did. What was too demanding? What was demanding enough?

Too complicated to bother wrestling with, so instead she was out here, navigating the press of bodies on the streets and in the labyrinthine hotels. Catching sight of a face she thinks she knows, Collette changes direction, looking around (is this a bar? it's different than the ones she's been in before) and wiggling through the crowd of people. A seat opens up just as she's knocked off balance one too many times. Collette takes it, feeling breathless, chest tight and lips turned up into a reflexive grin.

"Hey," she said, "Mind if I join you?"

( iii )

This was probably the right hotel. Collette squinted up the length of the stairs leading toward the door marked as "rooftop access." Yeah. She wanted to be there, she had decided, and it was close now. Rooftops were nice places to escape to. She hadn't thought so before, but with the people she's known, and the morphs she's been, up feels better than anything else. A literal pick-me-up, something of a--

Both hands latched on to the handrail as she swayed. Collette felt her thoughts grind to a halt, hopped up on a temporary surge of adrenaline. Her breathing slowed down with her heartbeat after a while, and she moved forward again, out the door and onto the roof proper.

"It's a nice night," she said once she felt the air on her skin, too inebriated to really say if it was cold or not. Turning her head with care, Collette looks for someplace to sit, but the only viable stretch of concrete is at the lip of the roof itself.

Well then. She spread her arms out parallel to the roof, walking with slow, determined stubbornness toward the lip of the roof. She was going to sit right there, and Heavens help her if she had to trip and fall a few times before she got there! "Gotta sit down, down, down..."

i

[lazyinlove]

That was a simple enough request. Stan wasn't a huge guy but he was bigger than Collette, and thanks to all of the stupid farm work he'd had to do lately, he was easily able to grab her under the arms and set her back onto her feet.

"Still kinda wobbley?"

open ...edited for surprise injury, whoops.

[lazyinlove]

a
Being summoned to party (and there was something about a conference but frankly, Stan tune all of that out) was his idea of a mission. It was also the only official sort of mission he' ever been dragged on, save one. That time he and Peter ran off to California for a bit was just for fun. And medical supplies, but anyway.

Arriving in a big crazy strip full of roller coasters and whatever was inside casinos that people got so into, and more importantly hover cars (!) was as good as it had been in his whole life. All the food and drinks and drugs were just extra little bonuses. He turned a cartwheel right there in the street, making a few of the hover cars honk and swerve. Not that he minded. It felt good to be somewhere happy instead of miserable. It felt amazing.

b
Stan's eyes and nose are a bit red, maybe a bit more than the temperature warrants. He's also got a sling on one arm, with a cast and a finger splint tucked away inside. In spite of that he seems to be in fairly good spirits. In fact, he swings around a light post cheerfully. He also slips off, being that he's down to one good arm, but even the part where he lands soundly on his ass doesn't seem to put him off all that much. He doesn't even voice a complaint about it, just glances serenely at his surroundings. Yeah, life is pretty sweet at the moment. Sorry if he's in your way, parked on the sidewalk like that, because he's not really interested in moving at the moment. It's a cool new perspective as far as Stanley's concerned.

b

[khajidont]

[Walking down these busy streets, any familiar face is welcome - even if that familiar face happens to belong to a body that looks a little banged up. He stares down at Stan for a moment before leaning over a little, hands still stuffed in his pockets.

Seeing Stan like this seems to be a trend.]

Having fun down there?

[hejhej]

a; open

[The convention center was buzzing. It's been such a long time since Lisbeth has been in an area so condensed that she suffers a near panic attack before she collects herself in the women's bathroom. She is shed of all her usual markings - piercings are removed, her wasp tattoo is covered with make-up, and she's even wearing a bit of lipstick and cover up. She's nearly unrecognizable in a black skirt and a white peplum blouse with a blonde wig. It's almost laughable that she's in black heels until one realizes she can still run in them.

She's here with Anne to infiltrate the convention. Dressing a queen in modern clothes was just as fun as trashing the hotel room they'd all done the night before.

She checks to make sure the voice recorder disguised as a button on her blouse works, waiting for Anne to join her before they head into the conference room.]

b;

[It's complete anarchy in the hotel room. Thumping music shake the walls, bottles of alcohol and mixers stain tables, and smoke hangs in the air. What did one expect when this particular group got together? There was an easy feeling throughout the room; they were all friends here laughing, screaming, dancing, and smoking together. Despite being in the past, there was still snow outside, but the oppressive feeling of the tundra they left behind for the mission was gone.

Lisbeth grabs a beer from a cooler before heading back where the action was happening.]

a;

[ensorceler]

[ Although Anne is a perfectionist, she can still recognize her limits in some areas, and right now the foe that has defeated her is high heels. They simply aren't a fashion yet in her time, and the first time she attempts in the shoe shop, she nearly twists her own ankle. Now this is something practice would perfect, but they do have a time limit if Anne wants to attend the conference. She settles for fashionable but slightly more sensible flats, making up for the lack of height with a long purple dress she had borrowed from Max's closet meant more for partying than business, but it's as simple as Anne is willing to go, simple pearl drops in her ears and the necklace given to her by Kang. She uses very little make-up, just enough to brighten her cheeks and redden her lips.

It isn't Anne's first time wearing a wig, though this specific kind is new. It seems blonde hair suits her well enough, too. She dons this new persona as effortlessly as possible, despite carefully following cues from Lisbeth and her other friends on how to function in such a society. Through her smile, she is actually terrified, but her desire to know as much as she can trumps her fears in spades. This war must end, and she must go home, so she cannot simply be a victim in this.

Still, she must resist the childish urge to hold Lisbeth's hand before following her in. Perhaps she still misses her siblings too much. ]

Open

[trustycrowbar]

-1-

So they had to blend in at a scientific conference. Gordon had some experience in the colorful melange of professionalism and holiday-making that comes along with scientific conferences. The man is practically at home. He's all over the center, eyeballing posters, asking questions with far too much jargon installed just to keep the presenter on his or her toes, sitting in on talks and TAKING A LOT OF NOTES. Occasionally you'll find him in the inevitable pretentious mahogany bar-and-grill they install into such convention centers, buying drinks for a "new friend" he'd just met after their lecture on AI security faults...

-2-

...Or said "new friend" has pulled him out onto the strip, insistent on taking in the nightlife. Neon-soaked bars, glittery shows, and gambling tables. (For some reason it's always blackjack if they're a mathematician, roulette if they're a physicist, and slots if they're a computer engineer.) He goes along, hoping to gain their trust enough to get some more information that might be useful. He'll even tail them into the brothels, if he thinks it'll get them more liable to talk; a bystander can count about fifteen minutes before Gordon stumbles out again every time, solitary, flushed and wide-eyed.

1

[strategic_guile]

"You look like a fish swimming in the school of his people," if that even makes sense. It does to Blaine, but he's had a drink or two and is looking pretty relaxed. Well, he almost always looks that way even when he's not, so maybe that isn't worth mentioning.

"I didn't understand half the shit you just said, but they seem like they're impressed with you." He nods towards the guy who just went to the bathroom for a quick piss. He'd be back in a few minutes, but Blaine would keep Gordon company until then. It was just nice to be around a friend for a while.

open

[needsteaplz]

A. Roulette Table
[Saori only visited the old Las Vegas once. Good food and shows but she wasn't into gambling. She would make an acception for the sake of this mission though. She amazingly had a decent amount of cash to spare from selling rice and tea leaves once food and housing expenses were paid off. Money was what this place revolve and the key to everything they needed.

She eyes the different machines and card tables playing but spotted the roulette table. Fortunately there was a seat open for her taking. When she sat, she crossed her legs just enough for the purple material of her mini dress to hitch up a bit more.]

Anyone else care to join in?

B The Bar
[Saori decided to take a break from the information hunting and games. A little drink wouldn't hurt. She managed to find a nearby bar and sat at the counter. Truth be told, she wasn't much of a dancer, so she was fine with watching. She couldn't help but get the feeling someone was watching her. When she looked over her shoulder, she smiled. ]

This seat's open. Care to join me?

C The Conference
[Oh right, the conference. The real reason they were here. Before the city could drown her in its temptations, she began to work on gathering info on her tablet. Of course it did help to fish out more, especially when it came down to technobabble with a little more persuasive techniques.

She managed to slip out from her last target and found herself at the buffet table. Finally some peace at last.]

B

[strategic_guile]

Yes, I definitely would.

[Blaine slides into the seat next to her and orders a drink. He gives her a smile and a waggle of one eyebrow.]

Having fun in Vegas?

[wolfuncaged]

A; Open

[Fenris has not yet stepped into a modern city in all his time with the Initiative. He is not impressed with what he finds. The place is too loud, too busy, too MUCH.

Of course, trouble doesn't really start until he steps out into the street and directly in front of a moving car. Cars, alas, are not a thing native to Thedas, and as it's moving with no means of obvious propulsion, Fenris assumes that it's magic and deals with it as he sees fit.

That is pull his sword out on it and make a big sweeping slice on the hood. Ooops.]


B; Closed to Merrill

[He's gone to the conference to learn what he can about the United Earth and how to stop them. How to finally be able to go home. Hawke is off gallivanting as she is wont to do, leaving him and Merrill from Team Hawke to come up with the answers.

He's not comfortable with the disguise, he never is, and shifts uncomfortably, watching the people mill about.]

When will it start? This waiting is becoming tiresome.

b;

[yourdistraction]

[ Somehow it's completely lost on Merrill that it was probably inappropriate of her to bring snacks, because she's standing there munching away on a biscuit like it's her last meal. That's probably due to nerves. After all, they've had to suffer the indignity of being forced to look like humans. Normally her pride never would have let her falter. She certainly didn't use the hologram in New Exsilium!

But this is different. They have to know what's going on if they want any chance of returning home, and Hawke is off being Hawke. Meaning they're probably going to have to look for the biggest scene of trouble after leaving to report what they've learned. A tavern, most likely. Or one of those 'casinos', hopefully winning them enough money for a good meal or nicer hotel room perhaps. Well, Merrill could live in one of the closets and be happy enough, but there's a lot to take in and learn!

She rubs awkwardly at the pair of black pants she's had to wear, then tags at the 'blazer', which seems like an unfitting name for such a boring garment, really. But this is how people at conferences dress! She read it, she most certainly did.

And she hates it. ]

Hn, I haven't a clue. Everybody seems quite eager to act like they've all the time in the world here.

Open

[changeitroundsome]

[Facilier is not a gambler. He doesn't like games of chance, where anyone could win or lose. Oh no, he likes to play games where he KNOWS he's going to win. That doesn't mean, however, that he's not adept at earning himself some money in other ways.

The place is full of tourists, and people heading to the convention, so many people with far too much money and far little sense. Las Vegas, he had heard, was a town that had it good, even in his time. In this future state? Well, the place was booming and Facilier was planning on taking full advantage of that.

So, he's set himself up outside on one of the main streets, doing cards tricks and telling the fortunes of those foolish enough to part with their cash to take him up on such an offer.]

hope new CR is ok?

[lazyinlove]

[It doesn't take Stanley long to take advantage of all of the recreational supplies on hand in the city, so he's a bit socially lubricated already when he slides up to check out the magician dude. He gets the feeling he's seen the guy around somewhere before, but he's also pretty sure they've never met before. Maybe a fellow transport? It's probably that. Either way, he stands for a minute near where Facilier is, watching curiously. But he can't quite piece together what's up, so eventually he decides to just ask.]

What's that?

WHERE IS THE MODESTY?

[srslynotguy]

[ Flynn is just absolutely scandalized by all there is in Las Vegas. Gambling, scantily-clad-women that made Judith seem modestly-dressed in comparison, and a seeming lack of discipline in the local police force. He knows they were sent here to gather information and what's going on here in Neo Las Vegas-- at least how it is -- shouldn't be his problem... but Flynn can't help but wish there was something he could do... even though he knows it's stupid to think so.

He's just not used to or pleased by such displays...

]

[skilful]

[ And while Flynn is making faces, Totsuka (unfortunately separated from his friends and lost) taps him on the shoulder. ]

Hello! ...Excuse me, you're a Transport right?

[scienceinacan]

A. to fellow shinigami
[ Standing in front of Neo Venetian, Watari is rubbing his hands together eagerly. It's a Field Trip! Er. Mission. Either way, they're here and if they can't find the information the Initiative wants... then that's not their fault, right?

And there's nothing wrong with having a little fun on the side... right? Maybe gaming the slot machines a bit too...

He turns to his fellow shinigami with a wide grin. ]

So, when do we meet back?

B. others~

[ Tatsumi might have told them not to wander away too far from each other but Watari is a grown man. And it's not like he's alone either. There's 003 flapping away beside him! He'll be fine! Just fine!

Time for a little snooping around on his own. Who knows what he'll find! Or who he'll meet... ]

[deathofempathy]

Tatsumi would probably decide. Likely in another hour or two perhaps. Just don't you go getting too carried away, Watari-san.

[Because he knows what his colleagues are like. Especially Watari. At least Hisoka will be there to keep an eye on Tsuzuki. Hopefully his colleague will do the same for the scientist. In any case, they are here and have work to do, even if Hisoka himself is not exactly eagerly anticipating this particular case with the crowds.]

[capitulated]

[ a city full of drugs, drinks, and people looking for a good time--exciting, isn't it?

for some, maybe. nnot particularly for eric, who's found himself leaning back against a wall in a crowded area with both hands raised, fingers pulling at the edges of a red hoodie with the word popular written across it's chest--to get it further down over his face. ]

[skilful]

[ still very lost, Totsuka -- stops when he sees a familiar hoodie. smiling, he tugs the scarf tighter around his neck as he steps up towards. ]

Ah, Eric! [ he breathes a small sight of relief. ] And here I was thinking I lost track of everyone.

[controlledvariable]

a → conference

[First order of business is, well, business.

She attends a few panels, but most of her time is spent talking to the other conference attendees, trying to get them to spill as much information as possible about - anything. It's all recorded by the tiny microphone she's got pinned under her collar, to be transcribed each night when she's back in her hotel room.

Whenever she gets a chance for it, she finds a computer to hack into, even temporarily borrowing a personal laptop or two from some of the panelists. It doesn't take too long, and she has the laptops back in place before their owners even notice they're missing.

It's not the most exciting thing she's ever done, but it's important, so she sticks with it to gather as much information as she can.]

b → casino

[Once she has enough information from the conference, she decides it can't hurt to cut loose for a little and stock up on funds in case they need it for any other missions. It doesn't take her long to realize that things aren't exactly set up in favour of casino patrons, so she doesn't bother playing against the house too much, prefering to let other gamblers lose their money to her. She changes from the business appropriate clothing she'd been wearing for the conference into something a little more suited to Vegas, and a little more distracting, because no one's going to be paying attention to what she's doing if they're too busy looking at what she's wearing.

She plays the role of ditzy blonde well enough that when she ends up at a poker table with a handful of other people, all of them underestimate her and she bluffs and schemes her way to collecting all their chips. It works so well that she repeats the same ploy a few times throughout their stay, at different table and with different players.

Poker isn't the only game to play, of course, and she tries her hand at a few others with mixed results, and she takes interest in what everyone else is doing. It's defnitely more fun than attending the conference, and she's grateful for the chance to be out of Exsilium without being attacked by soldiers, considering the near disaster that was her last mission.

Neo Las Vegas is a lot more fun.]

c → everything else

[When she's not winning herself a decent chunk of money or inflitrating the conference, she's exploring the rest of Neo Las Vegas, politely decling any, uh, offers, and checking out whatever passes for tourist attractions. Even if it's cold, it's not as freezing as Exsilium, and it's nice to just - walk, without having to trudge through several feet of snow. And the cold means that she has an excuse to stop and buy herself a cup of coffee whenever she gets the chance. If nothing else, that makes the whole trip worth it.

At night, if she isn't with Saul, she ends up at the most exciting looking club, because it's been too long since she's been dancing. Apparently she's a little out of date, when it comes to style, but once she's had enough to drink and spent enough time picking things up from the other dancers, she blends in easily enough.

Neo Las Vegas is a little overwhelming at night, and walking back to the hotel while slightly drunk is an adventure in and of itself, but she doesn't get into any serious trouble, so she counts the whole thing as a win.]

c i lied about waiting shh

[quackery]

[Seeing a new place is always excited, and especially so when there are people she loves experiencing it with her. There's a smile on her face as she walks down a street with Steph, taking in all the sights.]

I bet there's so much to do here! What do you want to do first?

[deadelfwalking]

I. (getting drunk)

[Listen. It takes a lot to get a death knight drunk. A lot. Koltira's blood trudges through his veins, thick and cold; his heart has been still for almost twenty years. But it's not an impossible feat. If he works at it, if he really applies himself, Koltira can feel some effects.

He's been wandering this paradise of bars and casinos, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, hands gloved, body snug in a tailored, pin-striped suit. He rejects any advance unless it's for a drink, spending time at the tables only so that he can accrue comp tickets.

He plays poker--Texas hold'em--for hours, and he's good at it. No one has a poker face like he does.]

Raise any two.

II. (actually drunk)

[The drink tickets and the bar tabs have come to fruition. For the first time in a long time, Koltira's vision swims. He's out of the casinos now, wandering the strip, unsure of his direction. He knows only one thing: he's finally, blessedly drunk.

And he's smiling.]

i

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan's new to the game -- the general concept of Texas hold'em, that is, and to this game specifically. Which he manages to sneak into by smiling brightly at the player opposite Koltira and leaning in until the man has to leave his seat (and his cards) to avoid physical contact. Bariyan immediately takes the empty seat and beams at the outed player. Luckily for Bariyan, the man is good-natured enough to shrug in bewilderment and wander off with his chips.

Bariyan returns his smile to the table. ]

Also raise any two! [ His eyes alight upon Koltira as if just spotting him. ] Why! Fancy seeing you here, sir.

[skilful]

(A)

[ Finishing up a conversation with one of the locals to learn more about the place and its "attractions", keeping them at the back of his head in case he needs to recommend them to anyone else, Totsuka turns around to look and -- stops. ...Ah, he thinks. Glances around at his surroundings just to make sure of the fact that nobody he knows is around and that he has no idea where he is.

Tugging his red scarf tighter around his neck, he searches for Transports, both familiar faces and ones he's only seen from afar and goes right up to tap their shoulder. ]

Hello! You're a Transport, right?

(B)

[ Later, Totsuka (still lost) can be found standing in a corner beside a skimpily dressed couple in the middle of a rather amicable conversation over the sights of the city. If anyone approaches, one of the two locals raises their head to look and comment: "Oh, this must be your special someone! My, what a pretty (handsome) person. You're so lucky, Totsuka!"

...what have they been talking about? ]

the gay option— i mean b.

[ex_longanimity327]

[ Las Vegas, huh. He has to admit this was new, and a little bit old (they went to Vegas once and it went pear-shaped along the way). But he's been looking for Totsuka, keep an eye on him. When he finds him, he's with a couple chatting, that is, until he hears— ]

—Totsuka.

[hymnals]

[This is the worst place that has ever existed. Adrasteius can't take one step anywhere without balking in disgust and contempt. He sneers at anyone who approaches him; indeed, at anyone who comes within five feet of him. The streets are a meat market, and the casinos and hotels are obviously dens of iniquity. Snakes in human shells writhe all around him, and it's making him queasy.

When yet another person sidles up to him on the street with a sly grin on his face, Adrasteius takes him by the hand.]

Young man, this is no kind of life for you. This is no kind of life for anybody. Here.

[He presses a gold coin into the escort's hand.]

Take this. And buy a fucking book.

[The escort scowls and quickly withdraws (probably thinking about how he already has an entire library loaded onto his Futuristic Tablet Device).]

I'm surrounded by an army of Light-damned whores.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan has been carefully tailing Adrasteius for... all of three seconds, and at that last sentence, he comes up behind the man and places his big square hands right over Adra's tiny shoulders and laughs. ]

Now! I wouldn't say that. The Light hasn't damned all of us.

[ Bariyan, unlike Adra, is in good cheer. He's enjoying this place! Also, he's already had three drinks and flirted with the cute (if obviously disinterested) bartender. ]

both options open!

[symphonist]

[ A. SHOPPING ]

[You know what else is great about Vegas night life? THE SHOPPING. Joshua is taking the opportunity to hit up every store in town. Even if there's nothing there he wants to buy, it's fun to look and it's fun to people-watch. There's also some incredible food, so yeah he's gonna need a whole Disney montage to get through the strip.

He dresses as he goes, and somehow ends up with blue sunglasses, a purple striped bunny sweatshirt, tight black leggings and neon Converse. And the frilly lacey parasol he chose as his weapon a month ago.

S T Y L I N G.]

[ B. GAMBLING ]

[Yes, he is in the casino dressed like a Harajuku monstrosity. Yes, he is beating these people at cards.

Maybe he's beating you, too. Higher and lower is his favorite game, after all. After the Reaper's Game, that is.]

A

[skirtcladgunner]

[Did someone say... shopping?

Because Tori is doing a fair amount of that herself. Mostly of the window variety, and mostly for clothes. So many cute outfits! So many amazing designs! She can hardly contain her excitement. And these dresses. Gorgeous...

She'll just be over here letting out a dreamy sigh, thanks.]

[redsea]

A

[ Historical Relevance of Progress and Technological Achievement Within Our Great Nation, huh? Sounds important. Wanting to do something productive, she attends the convention in the hopes of useful information but after her first day at the panel, Kougyoku looks exhausted. She didn't even talk to anyone. Trying to comprehend all the information was tiring enough. ]

That was a lot to take in, I don't even know if I can remember it all. Oh, I just want this to end... [ The war, she means. A way back home would be nice, too. ] And something to eat.

B

[ Kougyoku's not one for the nightlife, yet the number of shops to visit and things to do excite her. The scantily-clad men and women in the area make her rather uncomfortable but they're not enough to ruin her night. She has never been to a place so lively! She flutters from one attraction to another, but what keeps her is the fountain show at the Neo Bellagio. The water and the lights dance, and she is mesmerized until the end. ]

I wonder if the song will change if I wait...

C

Accursed machine! I'll show you what you're worth!

[ Her losing streak on the slots went on for far too long, and now? Now she's losing it. She transforms her hairpin into a large sword and raises it over her head to strike. ]

c—she needs an intervention

[ex_longanimity327]

Kougyoku-chan.... [ coughing loudly and a little freaked because the other patrons are looking at you. ]

Johnny D - open

[charming_jerk]

[Johnny is so stoked to be here. Mission? What mission? you might want to keep him on task, but it's been so, SO long since he's gotten to relax like this with the Exsilium crew, he's way more concerned about casinos and booze and people offering themselves to him. Viva Las Vegas!]

[A: Johnny's off to get some fancy duds for the night. How'd he get the money? Blame that lovely charm power of his, that he's gotten far better at using and less shy about since he's gotten to Exsilium. He's also picking out a nice black suit, and looking over shirts and ties quite seriously. This probably comes as a surprise to anyone who knows or even just looks at Johnny, who's a metalhead usually dressed in torn jeans, boots and band t-shirts.

B: Inside the casino, Johnny's hitting the poker tables. He's not a very good poker player - he's bad at bluffing and is even worst at keeping a poker face - but he's having a good time, drinking and joking with the other patrons at the table.

C: Booze? Booze. Johnny's had an awful lot of it. But he's in a good mood, so hopefully he won't be starting any fights. Hopefully. The half-demon comes up to you and tosses an arm over your shoulder, glass of whiskey in his other hand getting close to being spilled all over you. Does he know you? Maybe not, but that's not stopping him right now.]

Dude. Dude. Crazy future Vegas is awesome and I'm never leavin'. Never. Fuck that frozen hell that's Exsilum. 'M stayin' here.

C

[needsteaplz]

[Saori squeaked when she felt the arm around her shoulder but laughed. Some of the booze, including the dirty martini in her had, she drank earlier did loosen her up rather nicely.]

To be honest, I think a month long vacation here is what the doctor ordered. They'll have to drag me off if they want me back.

OPEN

[mallarkey]

( a: the conference )

[ It isn't hard for Wayne, playing a role. Not this kind of role, that was; the longer he had to maintain it the more difficult it became, which was the only reason he was here under the name "Doug Rich" in the first place.

Be that as it may.

He has two main goals in mind: information and money. The latter is what he's personally interested in for the comfort more than anything, but the former he knows will be more useful in the long-run. If not to him than to somebody. Like many of the others there tonight, he's dressed up to make an impression but to also blend in -- playing a part. Just like any con. He doesn't worry either about the fact he's a little rusty on that fact, given that all he's there to do is sit in, eavesdrop/record with his two-way cufflinks, pick pockets on his way out, and then maybe find some place to get shitfaced after. Relatively passive, for him. ]

( b: casino bar/hotel )

[ A few drinks later... whether he's still at the bar or staggering sulkily in the direction of the hotel, Wayne -- Doug -- has the look of someone with a raincloud over their heads, his eyelids heavy, cheeks and nose red. At the bar he'd stacked up about three shot glasses and left half of a forth, humming Molly Malone to himself quietly but unevenly as the night passes. ]

b

[commentboxtroll]

[ Caesar had made his own rounds about the convention the same day before wandering off to take a look around this garish and entirely irritating city for the evening. He's on his way back to the hotel after that, just happening to be ambling down the same sidewalk that Wayne is staggering along.

Recognizing him from Charlie's little gang of negotiators, he slows to a stop and raises a hand, waving to get his attention. ]

Well, well, someone doesn't look too good.

[lucency]

THE CONFERENCE.

[ of course belle attends. of course belle attends. the mission is mandatory for a reason, and she isn't simply going to disregard the information-gathering session that's happening right under everyone's noses. after all, for every person that's distracted by the sights, that's one more person that has to take up the duty. better to get it done in one fell swoop, honestly, and that's what she does.

she takes notes. she blends in as inconspicuously as possible, scribbling down whatever she can, recording it on her tablet if that works (but always with something on paper as backup. always) .

that doesn't stop her from slipping out every so often to partake in the food table they have set up, though. that's what it's there for, after all - to eat from. and if nobody knows who she's affiliated with, they won't object to her getting several platefuls is all we're getting at here. ]

MAKIN' MY WAY DOWNTOWN

[ so the food from before? turns into the food that night. she finds a vendor that has hot dogs, of all things, and sets out aimlessly, nowhere in mind, no real money to spend, to see what sights are begging to be seen. meaning there's a distinct and very real chance that belle's peering around, not exactly watching where she's going.

there's more to be had at the casino than gambling, she knows, but she's also not one to partake in gambling, and she has a hot dog! she doesn't need a drink right now!

the streets are much busier than storybrooke. and new exsilium, for that matter. she takes a step into the street at a crosswalk and is nearly blown over by a taxi speeding through a red light. oops. ]

second one!

[ex_longanimity327]

[ This isn't the Las Vegas he remembers, and yet it is. Still flashy, with the casinos and the ads and the lights.

Brings back memories—or maybe not. But he's been walking around, to get some air, that is until she spots someone crossing the street and grabs a hold of the woman's arm—dragging her back to the sidewalk. ]

Are you alright? That was a close one. [ he lets go when the taxi's gone. ]

[therapeutics]

[ normally, information-gathering is julia hoffman's thing. she can do it in an instant, but it isn't fun when it has to be dragged out of them, and hypnosis wouldn't be a viable option in a place like this. certainly, she's made foolish decisions before, but that? that's crossing the line. even she has enough sense to refuse to attempt to pull that off.

so what little information she's gathered is sitting in her pocket, recorded discreetly from her tablet (she really needs to get a tape recorder for her sessions at home, she thinks - and then she remembers, and she has another drink), while she herself sits perched on a little stool at the casino bar. she bites a cherry off a stem and continues to watch everybody lose their money. it's actually pretty amusing. ]

[lazyinlove]

[The next stool over belongs to someone who has decided that spinning around is kinda fun. Isn't that swell, Jules?]

Sup, doc?

[awarlock]

a; some bar
[Adam doesn't need to take a look outside of the conference to know what this place is like. There were so many like it in his travels, and he's been to majority of them — primarily because one of his best friends in life is a gambling addict who'd think this is his version of heaven. Adam doesn't participate, but it doesn't mean he can't observe. Most of his life outside his duties to the universe has been about observing.

For once, he's sitting in a bar—one of the many all too flashy bars. He has a drink, he hasn't touched, and his usual angry face on. How can a person look so displeased in a place where joy and distractions with entertainment is bursting out the seams?

Well, that's just his nature.]

b; that conference
[Adam doesn't have any contribution to the conference. But he listens, and listens carefully to the history of this place and gathering what information he doesn't already know. The holograms that comes with these missions allows him to blend in well enough to mingle and ask questions. It covers the gold skin and blank eyes, but it doesn't put a veil on the distaste on his face during the whole thing.]

b

[khajidont]

[Jaime's been doing his best to listen, truly, he has been, but this particular speech has dissolved into the sort of self-congratulatory nonsense that he's never had to sit through before. The list of people to thank for this man's accomplishments is astoundingly long, and that's enough to make him zone out to take a look at the people he's with.

As it turns out, the guy beside him looks about as happy as Jaime feels. It doesn't take anything at all for Jaime to guess that he's from Exsilium as well. In a low voice, he murmurs,] If you're looking to blend in, you might want to try look a little less like you're being forcefed pig crap.

[His gaze is diverted to the man chuckling on stage, one hand resting on his considerable gut before muttering,] Even if that's exactly what's happening.

open!

[oversleeps]

( a ) city streets.

[ the worst part about this place is all the lights. marduk had been hoping to find some solace in the nighttime, but no; everything is even brighter and even harder to read, now. brushing off a person for the nth time, he squints up at a particularly obnoxious screen as it scrolls through the events of the night.

it is possibly the most horrible thing ever invented. he can't actually finish making out the words on it before the display switches again, and though he knows it's unlikely there's any useful information on it, he is determined to fucking read it all. it's the principle of the thing, really. the embarrassment of giving up would be just too goddamn much. ]

Who's fucking idea was it to come here, anyway? [ he asks no one in particular. ]

( b ) roulette.

[ a day later, and marduk has managed to find his actual game of choice. roulette is simpler than a card game (he'd never been good at three dragon ante, anyway) and harder to be accused at cheating at than dice, making it the perfect game to rig in his favor. he's smart enough to remember to lose money periodically, but for the most part he just uses bits of magic to influence the ball towards a better outcome, trying his hardest not to look smug every time he wins.

which is to say-- it's just an extraordinary amount of luck that he's won this much, obviously. definitely no foul play, despite the dirty looks he's getting. and the way he's chewing at his cuticles as the ball goes around? clearly, just nerves due to the amount he stands to lose. ]

gimme a b

[implying]

[ Vanadi is pretty sure he knows exactly what's going on over there, with the rather impressive amount being won. He's also pretty sure he doesn't want to unwind his arm from either of the lovely young hips to both sides of him, even as they (twins, he's really gotten lucky today) drag him over excitedly to see the day's "big winner".

So Vanadi stands across the table from Marduk, decked out in hologram humanity and looking far more sulky than anyone with a busty young woman and her lithe twin brother on either side of them should. He'd fully intended to avoid Marduk this entire time, yet here he is anyway.

Dammit. ]

[miscreant]

one
The amount of flashing lights and people pressing too close for comfort takes its toll on Seviilia in a few short hours. She is not hard to spot, even with her hologram in place, as she remains plastered to the corner of a building for far longer than any normal person should. Her human hologram depicts a pasty human female with raven hair tied back into a ponytail, stormy gray eyes throwing scowls to anyone who happens to glance in her direction. She occasionally dips backwards to avoid anyone who might consider approaching her. A lot of people try to chat up the scarification on her arms and neck.

Its absurd to think that her demeanor doesn't drive off passersby, but one particularly insistent man ends up on the business end of her fist, and ends up scurrying away as she takes the opportunity to start relocating.

The sooner she could duck in somewhere dark and out of the way, the better.

two
The glitz and glamour quickly become too much for the death knight, and she finds herself seeking better shelter. It was too similar to Silvermoon, and she hasn't given THAT city the time of day in years. At least Silvermoon had once been her hometown -- the familiarity here simply left a bitter taste in her mouth. So she opts for somewhere darker.

That dark place she finds is, of course, a bar. Seviilia is much more at ease here, though obviously still on edge due to the crowd. The overhead lighting is low, but the neon lights spin and twirl. It's enough for her to hide on her own in a booth with a collection of alcohol. Well...almost. Her collection is visible from a distance after all.

Surely one person couldn't drink all of that by themselves.

two

[hyanaimne]

[she spots Sev on her own quest for somewhere to hide, having grown tired of pretending to care and half-assing any attempts at gathering information. It wasn't that she couldn't keep doing it, of course, but she didn't want to. There was too much going on for her to be anywhere near comfortable, and a retreat was in order. Possibly some alcohol.

Which is why, without an invitation, Tempest quietly casts the usual protection spell, then slides into the seat across from Seviilia. She takes a moment to eye her collection of alcohol, before arching a brow across the table]

Planning to hide in a bottle, dear?

open to ur face

[commentboxtroll]

a. conference

[ Neo Las Vegas is loud, bright, and way too friendly for Caesar's tastes, which leaves him to sticking mostly to the conference. There, at least, he has a reason to be, and he's brought along his slightly less casual clothing to make the attempt at fitting in. It's really only his fancy green vest (the last thing he ever retrieved from the original Exsilium, a bitter thought), a white button down under that, and some black slacks he'd gotten from his year in Paris.

Now if only he had a briefcase.

No matter. Enough people are using small computers to handle everything, so letting his tablet record the different conference panels. Though looking around, he can't help but think... ]

They really, really shouldn't have sent everyone to this thing.

[ What a mess this is going to be.

Anyway, he's around, either sitting at the backs of the conference gatherings or lingering around groups in the halls to eavesdrop, all while looking far too at ease with this place. It's a nice facade to keep up, but let's see how long that lasts. ]

b. casino

[ Then there's the bad idea of handing a card full of money to someone far too clever and letting them loose to play in a casino.

Terrible idea, but Caesar's not playing to make big money, he's just there because the group he's attached himself to ended up going that way.
He's smart enough to excuse himself once he starts getting the sense the dealer doesn't like him anymore, though as he goes a few of his new "friends" seem to be trying to follow after. ]

No, really, red hair isn't lucky. [ He puts his hands up between him and a woman intent on touching it (why always the hair, seriously?!) ] I'm sure if you go back and keep at it, you'll find your own luck.

[ His smile is strained by now. This place is pushing how much social stuff he's willing to tolerate! ]

b. face meet hand

[crocodilesmiles]

( Collette wasn't sold on the smell of the Casinos, nor after continued exposure, much of anything related -- gambling is exciting for some, but it's outside of anything that gets her heart rate going, and so it's dismissed as anything exciting or important at all.

What she likes is the ongoing festival of people watching she can do at her own leisure, walking through and riding up and down escalators and glass elevators because people weren't quick enough in telling her not to.

She's run into some familiar faces over the course of events. It's funny, how they could recognize each other, but it had something to do with being from a place where none of them were ever really at home, then finding themselves again later, in yet more alien circumstances. So she doesn't think too much when she spies a familiar face among unfamiliar ones. She expects Caesar would be good at sticking to the mission, one where Collette's personal skills didn't shine. She couldn't pull off serious businesswoman with anything passingly well, though she might have morphed one.

No, now that he was in the social element, this is where she thrived. So she finds it funny when she hears what he says in response to what one woman is trying to do.

Oh, Caesar. )

I think the pretty lady is saying she wants to borrow some of yours, Mr. Silverberg!

( The Mr. Silverberg is usually something playful. It is now, too, but it's a playful degree of respect; there was no point in breaking away from whatever persona he's been cultivating.

She holds out her hand to the woman, all teeth and relaxed, friendly posutre. )

Collette Singh, Human Resources. You have to forgive Mr. Silverberg, anything less than the blunt doesn't get through when he's still got his head in business mode.

[hyanaimne]

a. casino

[having found a corner of the casino that's not as populated as the rest of the room, Tempest situates herself there and proceeds to glare at anyone who even looks at her for longer than a few seconds. If looks could kill . . .

But she hates dresses, she hates crowds, and it's far too bright for her, and all of it is serving to sour her mood. She played along for most of the day, welcoming advances and flirting with whoever approached her, but now? She was with it, at least for now]

b. outside

[when she's finally reached her limit, Tempest leaves the casino and goes to wander the streets. It's still loud, and it's still far too crowded for her liking, but at least this was a little more familiar, and it was easy enough for her to get lost in the crowd.

She can't help but stop and stare every so often, though; she's only been to a modern city twice, and it's all so new and strange to her still. At the very least she seems more like a tourist than someone a couple thousand years out of time]

a

[controlledvariable]

[Steph has two glasses of... something fruity in hand when she sidles up to Tempest, holding out one in offering while she takes a sip of her own.]

You look like you're having fun.

[wait]