My apartment's kinda cramped, and the utilities tend to go out every so often, but the rent's cheap and the neighbors don't pry. Which is good, because I'd be hard pressed to explain the blood on me without coming off as either dangerously unhinged or a violent criminal.

I tap my wand against my front door a few times, pouring a bit of will into dispelling the wards set to deliver a nasty shock to intruders, and slip inside. It's a simple two-room deal, the main room home to little more than a soft chair and my bed, alongside the kitchenette, with the bathroom hidden away behind the only other door. I toss my coat on the bed before sinking into the fluffy seat. It nearly swallows me up as I lean back, and I gratefully shut my eyes.

And then some jackass knocks on the door.

With a groan, I pull myself back up, just in time to see a letter slip through the door's mail-slot. I open it to find a note, but more importantly, four crisp fifty-dollar bills. I whistle, pocketing the money, before turning my eyes toward the message.

'Seeking assistance regarding missing persons. Heard you can help. If you're interested, go to this building's lobby within the next ten minutes.'

Well, now, isn't that interesting.

-----

[X] Hunting down Hendricks, while all well and good, won't pay the bills. Let's see what all this is about.

[X] If it's all the same to you, mysterious individual, I'd rather track down the wizard and shoot him in the face. Repeatedly.

Gotta pay the bills. Shower and get pretty.

>>30354938
>[X] Hunting down Hendricks, while all well and good, won't pay the bills. Let's see what all this is about.

>>30354938
>[X] Ain't no rest for the wicked, acquire money to pay rent and future medical bills.

See about this potential job.

If this guy is willing to hand us $200 just to hear him out, hopefully we can get some significant cash from him after we find whoever it is.

[x] Clean up, change clothes (please tell me we have a good change of clothes) and go meet this guy.

>>30354938
Our can magically cleans and repair you're attire and makeup, right?

[1/2?] (Second post incomplete, still writing)

Screw it, Hendricks'll keep. Money, however, won't.

Still, I can't exactly go down to meet this client looking the way I do. It's just unprofessional, meeting someone with bullet-holes and blood-spatters on your clothing.

So, time to tidy up.

After taking a very, very quick shower (thanks in no small part to the water heater going out AGAIN GOD DAMN IT) and getting a change of clothes, I leave my apartment, pistol and extra magazines tucked beneath my freshly-donned spare coat. It never hurts to be careful when you've got a bunch of crazy bastards out for blood, after all. Fortunately, no one jumps out to try and murder me as I make my way downstairs, and when I reach the lobby there's a man standing by the door.

He's large of stature, wearing simple clothing, and when he sees me, his carefully-neutral expression very slightly twitches.

“Ma'am,” He says, nodding at my arrival. “Glad you decided to take my offer.”

I smile, just a little. “It's hard to say no to two-hundred dollars, mister...?”

“Booker.”

“All right, Mr. Booker, what's the problem?” I ask, wringing a bit of water from my ponytail.

He glances away. “It's my daughter.”

I sigh; this should be good. “What happened?”

>>30355475
>"it's my daughter."

Oh boy, here we go. Deep sigh, pinch your nose and take a deep breath.

"Okay. Tell me everything you can about this. When you realized she was missing, physical description, anyone who's got it out for you or her, ideas where she might go if she just got lost?"

"Also, a hair or something of hers ought to help. It's kinda morbid but if you have something with her blood on it that'd be even better.

>>30355475

[2/2]

Booker grunts. “She was on her way home from work last night when she called me. We talked for a little while, but then she-”

He forces his eyes closed.

“All I could hear were her screams while she was being dragged off.”

My brows furrow. “All right, how old is she? What's she look like? Her name? Enemies?”

In response, he draws a picture from a jean pocket, and hands it to me.

Hm. Young woman, early twenties at the most. Dark hair, dark eyes, bright smile. She's with her father in this shot, flashing a peace sign.

“Kerri turned twenty last month,” Booker says, biting down on his lip. "Don't think anyone had it out for her, either."

“I hope you went to the police,” I say, handing it back.

“I did, and they're looking, but...” He forces the next words out. “You're a witch, right?”

I nod. “Naturally. How'd you hear about me, anyway?”

He grunts again, avoiding my eyes. “Friend of mine. What matters is, well, you can track her down, right? I don't know too much about how magic works, but you can manage that much, can't you?”

I shrug. “I'd need to have something of hers to track her with. Hair, blood, hell, even toenail clippings would work if you've got 'em.”

He pulls out a small plastic bag, with several strands of hair inside. “I know that much, ma'am.”

“Glad you know the basics,” I say, plucking it from his hands. “How much are you paying?”

This time, Booker withdraws a bunch of fifties. “Will a thousand do?”

Ho-lee shit.

-----

[X] You know just the way to warm my heart, sir. Consider it a deal.

[X] I'm not comfortable taking this job, but I can refer you to someone who can.

[X] [WRITE-IN]

If you accept, you can also ask more questions.

>>30355823
>[X] You know just the way to warm my heart, sir. Consider it a deal.

>>30355823
>[X] My are you a devoted father. It warms my heart. Consider it a deal.

>>30355823
>[X] Accept the grand as your base pay, but remind him that you expect hazard and combat bonuses if circumstance warrants them. And he's getting billed for any work related medical expenses.

“You are one devoted father, sir.” I say, gladly taking his money. “But I have to tell you, this is just my base pay.”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

I quirk a brow. “Whoever took your daughter is likely dangerous. I expect bonuses for any hazards I deal with, and if I end up in a shootout, I'm getting paid for that too.”

He nods. “I understand. Is that all?”

“One last thing; if I get shot, or cut, or bludgeoned, or otherwise maimed, you're handling the medical expenses.”

His frown deepens, but he nods again as I pocket the cash.

“Now, you can likely expect results within a few days at the most,” I say. “I'll work quickly, you have my word. Can you give me your number?”

He does, leaving once I've got it memorized.

“Well, buddy,” I say, patting my wallet. “Looks like we got a job!”

-----

[X] I'm not as good at tracking spells as I could be, but I should be able to narrow things down to a rough location. After that, I suppose I'll just have to do some legwork.

[X] I'm still a bit sore I never got to call up a hellhound, but what do you know, they're excellent trackers! The downside is that they're not exactly subtle.

[X] [WRITE-IN]

>>30356198
Why not both?.jpg
Use the tracking spell to get the general location and then use the Hellhound to narrow it down. Let's us summon a Hellhound while minimizing collateral damage or whatever problem they cause.

>>30356198
>Hellhound
>the hound from hell
>do the thing with the summoning

I pull a strand of hair from the bag, tap my wand against it, and shut my eyes, visualizing my target. There's just the slightest push of will from my end before the tip of the stick emits a cheerful little *plink*, the tip lighting up.

I give it a few experimental waves, noting which directions the light grows and fades, and then hold it by my side as I set off into the night. Hopefully, if anyone sees me, they'll simply think it's a glowstick. I keep my other hand on my pistol, glancing around every so often to make sure no one's following me.

Fortunately, I seem to be in the clear.

So I walk.

And walk.

And walk.

Christ Almighty, I wish I had a car.

-----

It takes me maybe a solid half-hour before I reach the chain-link fence walling off the local trainyard, my wand glowing like a supercharged flashlight. I cut the spell, content that I'm close enough to figure things out on my own, and look for any holes in the fence. After a few minutes, I come up dry. The main gate is open, but with the guard on duty, getting through would be tricky. The fence also cuts off at a building that leads into the trainyard proper; I could always earthcraft a hole in the wall and get in that way.

First, though, I need to get my hellhound on.

>>30356995

[2/2]

I duck into a nearby alley, draw chalk from my coat, and etch a circle into the ground. A quick push of willpower seals it, and with only a little trepidation, I get to summoning.

“Hound of the Devil, I request thy aid,” I say. “Come to this humble witch, I beg of you. I beg of you. I beg of you.”

On the third repetition, the scent of sulfur assaults my nose, and the ground contained within the circle shifts and molds as an oily liquid rises up. Over the course of the next minute, it grows and grows, solidifying into the shape of a pitch-black hound, blood-red eyes alert. I try to avoid making eye-contact; it's a bad idea all around when working with hellhounds.

“What is your wish?” It asks, voice thick like tar.

“I need you to lead me to the woman this belongs to,” I say, drawing another hair. I gently set it at the edge of the circle, and the creature gives it an inquisitive sniff. Even looking away, I can feel it staring at me.

“Release me, and I shall see it done,” It says.

I shake my head. “Swear to me you shall not attack me, and that you shall follow my orders as long as you are here.”

It growls. “On my soul, it shall be done.”

That's as good as you're ever going to get with a demon, so I smudge the edge of the circle and get out of its way.

Now I just need to get inside the trainyard.

-----

[X] I've got a dog with very sharp teeth, and I've no doubt he can tear through the fence. Shouldn't be hard to slip in that way.

[X] A glamor to disguise myself and my new best friend should get us past the front gate, although the hound's smell is another thing entirely.

[X] I'll rip a hole open in the building and climb in that way. Loud, certainly. Effective? Very much so.

>>30356995
yusssssssssss

>>30357030
>[X] I've got a dog with very sharp teeth, and I've no doubt he can tear through the fence. Shouldn't be hard to slip in that way.
Seems to be the safest course of action.

>>30357030
>I've got a dog with very sharp teeth, and I've no doubt he can tear through the fence. Shouldn't be hard to slip in that way

>>30357030
Fuck subtlety. RIP AND TEAR!

>>30357030
>[X] A glamor to disguise

plus

[X] I've got a dog with very sharp teeth,

Even if someone sees us coming, they won't know how fucked they are until it's to late.

[FFFFFFFFFFUCK CAPTCHA)

While I'm tempted to simply RIP'N'TEAR an entrance for myself, I'm pretty sure I'd have rent-a-cops on my ass in minutes, at best. However, while I can't cut through the fence on my own, I've got the perfect tool to do so.

“We need to get inside the trainyard,” I say, peeking around the alley's corner, hound in tow.

“I shall eliminate the-”

“We're not killing them,” I say, firmly. “Can you chew through the fence, give me a hole to crawl through?”

The hound huffs noisily. “This is a waste of my talents, but so be it.”

The two of us skulk towards a secluded section of fencing, and I keep an eye out for passers-by as he chews through the fencing with alacrity. I let him go first, and crawl after him, dusting my coat off once I'm through. The hound trots onward, me following close behind him. He leads me through a circuitous route, nose to the ground as we wind around train cars and guards.

As we keep moving, there's a shout from where we broke in, and I wince. The hound isn't nearly so bothered, maintaining its relaxed pace as it leads me to the mouth of a subway tunnel.

“Ah, hell,” I say, drawing my pistol. “Why did it have to be underground?”

“I shall handle this,” The hound says, teeth bared.

-----

[X] Send in the hound; if someone's lying in ambush, I don't want to announce myself with light.

[X] Stick together; two are better than one when it comes to hunting down my target, after all.

>>30358302
[x] Use the Glamour Notice Me Not mentioned in last thread.

[X] Stick together; two are better than one when it comes to hunting down my target, after all.

Don't forget to link your thread on Twitter, bud. Please? I didn't note the timezone and just figured you'd post when it's up. Sucks I'm here so late.

>>30358302
[X] Send in the hound; if someone's lying in ambush, I don't want to announce myself with light.
The hound's expendable. We kind of aren't. Both of us can handle ourselves alone, too, so seems like the best choice to me.

>>30358302
>Use "Notice Me Not"

>>30358302
>Send in the dog of war

>>30358302
Side question; can we just outright kill someone if we have some blood?

Or are we limited to lesser effects?

If possible, I'd just like to put that fucker down and be done with it, before it bites us in the ass. Leaving a wizard with a grudge running loose is ASKING for trouble.

>>30358526
yo we have his blood
he has no idea how fucked he is here
like
>having his blood
>losing
it's practically impossible
we gud

>>30358526
I'm thinking if we could've we would've. You know, instead of trying to find him so we can shoot him one last time.

>>30358587
>I'm thinking if we could've we would've.

We haven't had the chance to do anything yet.
The shoot-out at the warehouse was only a few hours ago.

As soon as we got home, we got hired for a job.

>>30358400

... WELL DON'T I JUST FEEL LIKE THE SMARTEST PERSON EVER

>>30358526

It depends on the blood sample. With a large dose, sure, you can pull some really horrific shit on a guy. With just a bit wiped up, like Holly's got, you oughta be able to track him down, fuck him up a bit with a bit of hexing beforehand. It'll definitely give you an advantage to have him suddenly come down with HORRIBLE CRAMPS before busting his door down and shooting his ass dead.

>>30358587

This anon gets it.

>>30358557

Although this one's also definitely on the right track.

Also holy shit the captchas just hate me right now, so updates'll likely be slowed even further.

>>30358744
Great. Basic plan;

>Track him down with BLOOD MAGIC
>Hex him with HORRIBLE CRAMPS using BLOOD MAGIC
>Send HELL HOUND though his door just as our Hex takes effect
>He's a Wizard, so should have magic shit we can use, so LOOT

>>30358744
So not only Geomancy, but Vitaemancy? Or is this just an extension of Witchy Witch powers?

Why don't we just use his blood to summon a demon and exchange his vital essence for the beast's immortal servitude? Or just say "fuck it" and use what blood of his we have to boil it all out of his meat-sack?

>>30358907
>So not only Geomancy, but Vitaemancy? Or is this just an extension of Witchy Witch powers?

I think it was said we have witchy witch powers, and geomancy was just something we were better at than other types of magic.

>Why don't we just use his blood to summon a demon and exchange his vital essence for the beast's immortal servitude? Or just say "fuck it" and use what blood of his we have to boil it all out of his meat-sack?

Not enough blood for that, we need more.

>>30358907
>use what blood of his we have to boil it all out of his meat-sack?

From what Shazam said, we just don't have enough for the really good stuff.

Hexing him right before we send a Hell Hound through his door should be good enough.

>>30358952
Eh. Use the blood to make a voodoo doll, then.

>>30358907

Blood, in general, is extremely powerful, although more strictly as a magical component than a combat tool. Having someone's blood is a fantastic FUCK YOU button, even for someone almost completely unskilled with magic.

Holly hasn't really delved much into Vitaemancy, mostly because it's some nasty stuff. Also, getting better at it, by necessity, requires you to do some pretty horrible things to other people.

>>30358972

There you go!

>>30358854
>>30358958
My sense of practicality is conflicting with my desire to ice the bitch in a really hateful way.

On the one hand, loot is pretty neat. On the other, we could light his apartment on fire. No need to waste bullets, not need to summon a fickle demon. Down, dirty, and old fashioned.
At the very least he'll be terrified and out of breathe if he escapes. Easy to gloat over him then.

>>30359048
Why do we want to kill him again?

>>30359081
Cause he acted like a cockhead and wanted to kill us for it. Basically.

>>30359104
He did act like a bit of a cockhead
But I don't think he ever wanted to kill us
Maybe right after we shot out his knees without much provocation, but I think that's understandable.

>>30359128
I'd say pressing a loaded gun to our head is provocation enough. He didn't intend to shoot us, but that was a damn stupid thing to do to somebody dangerous and armed. Holly for example. Then he goes impotently crying to some criminals that we're showing up because he's pissed and angry we got the better of him. That's why I don't like him at all, he's an idiot and a bitch.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the guy's unjustified wanting us dead and hating us. But neither is Holly. Nobody's right here, it'll just have to end with someone killed probably.

>>30359290
It was stupid of him, but we did shoot out both knees when we could have made our point with one. I don't think he's done anything to us that justifies killing him.

>>30359377
Whether Han or Greedo shot first, shots were fired and now damage control must be done. We're not good people, so if that has to come by manipulation, domination, or death, better us in control than him.

>>30359377
His intent to have us killed is enough to justify killing him.

>>30359408
I agree. Let's just try manipulation or domination instead of death.

>>30359432
No

>>30359435
I'm in agreement. That's why I suggested a voodoo doll. He could be a valuable asset/ally-of-convenience (the convenience being we won't cap him and leave him down an alley to bleed out).

>>30359435
But death is more sure. We're playing with our lives here, there isn't a redo button.
It's not as if he was a civilian just dragged into a fight by bad luck; dude carries a gun, dude's prepared to kill, dude should know that there's a risk of dying doing what he does.

>>30359458
???

>>30359484
He's a mage too, though. If we could effectively defang him, then sure. But, he seems the type to hold grudges and won't be very trustworthy.

>>30359548
Just bind the doll's hands or seal them in wax/clay or something. Would probably make it impossible for him to cast spells. That, or stitch his mouth shut. I don't know how magic works in this setting.

>>30359548
I'm not comfortable with straight up murdering him.

>>30358302
Tell the hound we need to find AND NOT KILL the girl, and send in the hound.

>>30359604
Fair enough. I admit I was going too far murderboner for a few posts.

>>30359655
Oh ya. Discretion isn't something demons practice, is it? Let's hope this doesn't blow up in our faces, huh?

>>30355475
>Booker
>missing a daughter
Where have I heard this before?

>>30359721
Hm.

Unless he does something to further provoke us, I'm not comfortable killing him, period.

>>30359745
Some shitty on-rails and cutscenes game with terrible bullet-sponging AI made of press X to win, and terrible "LEL MULTIVERSE" plot?

It's pretty horrible 10/10.

[1/2?]

An idea strikes me, and I pull out my wand. “Hold still,” I say, touching it to the hound's flank, muttering quietly. It obediently holds position as I focus my will into a simple glamor, capped off with a whispered “Notice Him Not.” The moment I draw my wand away, the hound practically fades into the background. No matter how hard I focus on it, my eyes slide off if I let my attention falter.

“Find the girl, but don't kill her. Fuck up anyone else in your way, all right?” I say, and with that encouragement the hound bounds into the depths.

With the hound doing the dirty work, I follow it in just a short distance, until I'm cloaked in shadow. From here, I can see out the tunnel, but any passing security can't see me unless they head inside the tunnel. Speaking of security, a pair of them come walking by, tasers in hand. They're talking among themselves, paying no attention to the tunnel, and pass by soon enough.

It's a quiet few minutes that pass by, only interrupted by the occasional pair of rent-a-cops. At the same time, I'm getting annoyed that dog hasn't reported back yet.

And then gunfire cracks out from deep inside the tunnel.

The latest pair of guards on patrol freeze, staring into the depths, and one barks a swift request for backup into his radio. As the other draws his flashlight, I quietly backpedal further inside, until all I can see is blackness.

More gunshots crack out, bursts of automatic fire setting my hairs on edge; what the hell's going on in there?

>>30359813

[2/2]

Pistol gripped firmly in one hand, wand in the other, I get a quick little light-spell going, just enough to see by, and charge. Staccato bursts of gunfire punctuate every few steps I take, and I pray no one's waiting for me as I keep running.

It takes me a solid minute of ground-pounding, but the tunnel eventually splits into a fork, gunfire coming from the left. After another rough half-minute, I skid to a halt in front of a hole in the wall, dim light leaking out from inside. A quick peek reveals a corridor that opens up into a larger room, the light shining from within. More gunshots ring out from inside, followed by roughly-accented shouts in some foreign language.

Whatever's going on in there is something I don't want any part of, but it seems I've gotta go in.

I creep inside, pistol at the ready, and travel the corridor without incident. Halfway through, the tunnel transforms from regular walls to dirt. Once I'm through, I poke my head out the corner, and my breath catches at what I see.

Scrap metal lines the rough, earthen walls, arranged in indecipherable pieces of, if I had to hazard a guess, art? Bodies litter the dirt floor, people in rough, tattered clothing, gas-masks stitched to their faces. Blood pools from their corpses, congealing around old Soviet-bloc AK's. They've all, to a man, had their throats ripped out.

Well. Guess I know what all the fuss is about.

There are multiple doors dug into the earth, but only one leads towards the gunfire.

-----

[X] The hound can handle itself, if this carnage is anything to go off of. Explore a bit while it occupies the Soviet Mole People.

[X] I'd rather not lose my only ally in this place. Charge!

>>30359861
DOG IS OLEV.
DOG IS JUSTICE.
DOG IS VERY.
FOLLOW THE DOG.

>>30359861
>[X] I'd rather not lose my only ally in this place. Charge!
We can loot later!

>>30359861
>I'd rather not lose my only ally in this place. Charge!

>>30359861
Mole people

Ah, hell, guys, I'm sorry for just disappearing like that. I'm gonna have to call it a night here, shit's come up on my end. I'll try to get the thread going again tomorrow, just keep an eye on my twitter.

>>30360691
It's alright Shazam, you're too cool for me to be mad at you.

>>30360691
No worries guy. Thank you for running! This is a really fun quest.

Be sure to archive now just in case, okay?

>>30360757
>>30360754

You guys are too good for me. Thread's archived, I'll be back tomorrow.