Graded [Azuran City] Intrigue Down Below

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu​

Kasumi looked around the room once again, picking up on pieces of conversations here and there. Though there wasn't much of anything of note. She heard people talk about a few places and a few names but, there wasn't anything to go on and piece things together at least not from where she was currently. "Well, I suppose we could do a little split operation then. Schwarz can stay over here and be our eyes while we focus on trying to get information out of one of the three that we trailed earlier. But yes, I think that would be our best idea to get more information. They seem drunk enough to slip a lot of information," She pointed out finishing the drink in her hand and putting the cup down on the bar.

"So if you want to take the big guy, I will try and talk to one of the others. While I agree with that statement, we also can't move too slowly either. So I say let's get this show on the road. But the moment one gets too touchy I'm going to make him pay." Kasumi concluded as she saw Lup feign a drunken state before she took one last glance around the room. She noticed a man in the far back corner with a weapon of a similar grade to the others. I think I found a weak point but well see I suppose. She thought to herself as she picked up the empty cup and slowly sauntered over toward him slowly giving the others time to get ready themselves.

Mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

A dash of relief stroke Arkh's mind. They were low leveled dimwits for the most part. Still, too many to take on, but at least it was somewhat feasible given they're drunk. Or so it seemed, it was a bar anyway. Checking on the potential femme fatales next to him, Lupa was more of a confrontational kind of worker, something he did not doubt. All the tools at her disposal, though? What is she, a spy? She was indeed considering taking on the head of the group with charm alone, at first at least. As following them more could lead to nothing. She also suggested blending in, see what they could gather pretending to be like-minded.

Kasumi agreed, she was thinking on making him a watcher while they did the ground work. He wasn't very proud of just sitting there while the ladies did the hard work, but he wasn't lying. He was a former driver and mechanic, now barely a swordsman. He may have taken in to much for his learning as he- Hans Hans Hans "Hans you're such a dour drinker why don't you smile and laugh a little? This is a great time we're in, this cities gonna change for the better y'know? Live a little, celebrate!" Despite the name no longer being the one he responded to, he still had memories with it. He grew up with it, he lived with it, for more than twenty odd years for crying out loud! And then died.

Lupa would notice that the name "Hans" had something to do with Schwarz, as his body tensed and froze up for an instant the second it escaped her mouth. Coincidence. An absolute coincidence. What else could it be? He needed to calm down, and focus. He was Hans no more, he was Hans no more. He was Hans no more!

A shiver ran down his spine, as he did his best to shake off the shock he was just given. He cleared his throat and took a hefty swig of the poor quality ale with his free arm. "Hah. You believe all that nonsense, Victoria? As if we'd get a break..." He said, shifting to a more sarcastic tone. Arkh took note of Lupa downing the whole of her drink. Gross. He chuckled along with Lupa's laugh, however. "You're lucky I got a few coins to spare. Next one is on you though." Faking until making a more cheered up tone. He hoped his pained sarcasm and bitterness played well into whatever they were doing.

Lupa then leaned even closer to him, and spoke in a more proper and natural tone for her. Cigarettes and ale, just like home, though a bit of sweetness managed to slip through as well. Not that it wasn't welcome. It took him a moment to turn and whisper back on Lupa's wolf ears. "Half of them can't even lift their swords proper from how drunk they are. The rest look hindered to some extent by the drink. More importantly, no big shots here. I can't say I can take them all, but they are definitely not properly trained to use such weapons, or any weapon, probably. Our friends from before are all moderately drunk. Does that help?" He hoped his skill learned on this world, along with his knack for telling how drunk someone is would amount to something.

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Lupa looked to Schwarz and couldn't help but be taken aback by his reaction. She blinked owlishly as the boy stiffened up and grew silent. She had wanted him to play along with her act to keep up appearances but he seemed incapable of that at the moment. She kept her tipsy girl act but she wondered about Schwarz. What is he a virgin or something? I got close to him before and he didn't react, so it can't be that... She considered his response to her and focused on what she said. The name, he had reacted to the name Hans. Was it one he knew or something? Did she accidentally stumble upon something involved with his past? Interesting.

She listened as he gave his report, admittedly having someone talk directly into the ear on the top of her head was a bit uncomfortable; it tickled. It was as she thought but his observational skills were a cut above the rest it seemed, so having a sense of surety was welcome. She looked him in the eye and nodded to him. Then a mischievous grin slowly grew upon her face and she gave Schwarz a knowing look. She didn't know why but she would hang this "Hans" thing over him as long as possible. In this business you had to make your own fun. "Yeah, yeah I'll pay the next one I promise! Thanks, Hans." She placed heavy emphasis on the name, before turning and getting up from her seat nodding to Kasumi as they went about their objectives.

She walked over to the table populated by the three men. Luckily they had only accosted Kasumi so they wouldn't know her, or have any reason to be suspicious especially not when they were so inebriated. As she passed another table she discreetly grabbed an empty mug which had once been full of ale, something to keep up appearances. Then speeding up her gait she began to join in the revelers around her. Weaving through them and moving ever closer to her goal but trying to make it as natural as possible. Until she purposefully tripped on a table leg and fell into the largest of the trio. Luckily him being so big cushioned her fall fairly well, not so lucky was the stench of alcohol and other smells which clung to the man. Not quite as bad as Venice in the Summer though. I was never got too good at this, but it did help Capser out one time. "Oh, hahaha sorry about that I guess I drank a bit too much and down I went." She smiled up at him good naturedly but embarrassed. As she got up off him she pushed her body closer to his albeit briefly. "Woah you're a big guy aren't ya? Just drinking with your friends tonight?" She then made a point of spying his blade and being impressed. "That a sword!? Amazing, you must be something else to have that you aren't a solider are you? Or maybe like an Adventurer, you look like you could be one!" Hopefully this would endear herself to him. Few things bothered her anymore, but even she had to admit an act like this grated at her over time. But she'd have to pull it off. Hopefully Kasumi had some luck a well.

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi let out a sigh as she weaved through the crowd, looking down at the empty mug she pretended to take a drink from it before starting to sway from side to side. Taking a few more steps forward she fell into the man alone at the table who had a soldier's mace on his hip. "Oh sorry, I guess I don't know my limit," Kasumi giggled slurring her words a bit as her face turned a bright red. "Say, that mace looks pretty expensive, are you a noble looking for your love in the slums?" She inquired with a childlike gleam in her eyes.

"Huh, what?" The man sounded annoyed as he looked down at the silver-haired woman who was now in his lap. "If you are taking me for a noble you are either stupid or too drunk for your own good," The man replied as Kasumi adjusted herself sitting on his lap.

She puffed out her cheeks as she heard his response, "Oh come on now, a girl just wants to have a good time and enjoy some drinks. Though are you sure you're not a noble, that you have to be an adventurer or something, maybe a hero? Are you a hero?" She inquired as the same gleam appeared before brushing some of her silver hair behind her ear.

"Heh, I guess you could call me that, though I suppose we should all enjoy the peace while it lasts," The man sighed before taking a drink of his ale.

"But you look pretty strong, so you must be an adventurer or something, I mean you look really strong," Kasumi complimented the man as she placed a hand on his chest and looked innocently up at him hoping to get him to drop his guard. "Wait what did you mean by while the peace lasts? Are you going to save the world or something?" She inquired gazing into his eye only for a moment and pushing her body closer as well. Though mentally she wanted to stab herself for the whole act.

"You are looking at someone is going to be very important. Money will no longer be a concern of mine, as for the peace thing well times are always changing." The man replied as he blushed a bit as he felt Kasumi push herself a bit closer. "As much as I would love to entertain you, I really must be going I have some things to do," The man concluded the conversation moving Kasumi off of him as he stood up and started to walk out.

Meanwhile at Lupa's table, "Hey watch where you are-" The thug replied as he took a closer look he took note of the wolf features of the woman who had bumped into him. "Well yeah, I guess you could say that I am, you can get a closer look if you want," The man smirked as he went to pull her into his lap as she mentioned the sword on his hip. He let out a hiccup before speaking again, "Yeah, we are just celebrating is all," he slowly spoke as his words slurred together barely audible from gibberish.

"You could say that I'm going to be a hero, me and the boys are about to make history," The man spoke as he looked at the woman's wolf ears intrigued by them before his eyes scanned the rest of her. "If you really want to see me in action you should follow us after we get done here, things are about to change for the better," The man grinned as he spoke, though the group was a little too drunk to realize what they had just said.

Schwarz could look and see at least 20 people with the same grade of weapons as the three that they had followed earlier. If he was paying attention enough, he would notice people slowly leaving the bar. If he was paying attention to the conversations he would hear about a shipment of weapons and the location where they were being brought into the city by the slum docks. Though how they were moving the weapons wasn't said, it was fairly close to the warehouse. A few drunken slurs also mentioned the warehouse had a green light at the top left window.

mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Lupa smiled up at the man doing her best to play the role of a girl seeking excitement. She found her youthful appearance useful in this matter, not to mention that based on where his eyes were wandering he found her wolf features interesting. Maybe humans with animal like features were rare here, she hadn't given it much thought but she could be a rather exotic specimen. She had prepared for the possibility of the man not being interested or too annoyed to care about how she looked but she had suspected his nature correctly. Admittedly she felt some satisfaction at getting his attention so far, now she just needed to coax information out of him. She had to be mindful too interested and probing and even he may suspect something. It had to come about naturally, and he would have to make the decision himself. Make him think that's what he would need to keep her around.

The man smelt strongly of alcohol and his words were slurred he was certainly inebriated. Good in that state I barely have to push him and he'll croak. When he pulled her into his lap she allowed it. "Woah! Haha you're strong big guy." Lupa wore an affable grin showing her teeth. Making sure just enough of her body was against his to entice him, but would leave him wanting more. She lean a bit closer as he spoke of their plans. Saying things like they were goin to be "heroes" and "make history" was pretty obvious. Even if she hadn't followed them before she would have guessed they were involved with the Brothers just by how much they talk. "Really!? That sounds so exciting! You guys must be something else." She appeared sheepish and insecure. "I've only been in the city for about a day and its been pretty overwhelming. I really appreciate you offering to show me your work." She took a moment to look over his shoulder to Kasumi. The man she was talking to seemed less receptive, but they were still talking so she must be getting something. She turned her attention back to her quarry. "You know, we could go elsewhere and you could give me a demonstration of how you are 'in action'." She narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice a couple octaves bringing her lips close to his ear speaking in a sultry voice. Then she pulled away tilting her head and furrowing her eyebrows slightly appearing vulnerable. "If, you want?"

She was worried she may be laying it on a bit too thick but she was going through seduction 101 as best she could. She hadn't had to make use of her feminine charms for some time. And she can't say she was a fan these kind of methods. She would make use of them if need be, but certainly not her preferred. Felt a little wrong than just stabbing them or shooting them. At least that was upfront and honest, though maybe she didn't have much of a leg to stand on there. She eyed Schwarz hoping he was watching just in case he needed to act or follow while Kasumi was occupied.

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

With a slightly defeated sigh, Arkh answered "You better, Victoria." Cringing to himself at the thought of that name. Turning back to check his surroundings, he scanned the scene. There was Lupa, who seemed to be on a good path, and Kasumi, whom was having a harder time. As for the rest, a portion of the patrons were standing up and heading somewhere. Upon paying closer attention, a location and their intentions became apparent.

Arkh knew they had to act quickly. Turning back around, nearly emptying his already impoverished bag of coins for the drinks to his name. He also took the chance to glance at Lupa and then Kasumi. Giving both a discreet signal they had to go once they made eye contact.

Arkh wouldn't leave them behind unless they told him to. Otherwise, he would wait for them to be off their "covert" duties, and rejoin with them outside the bar. If he did join with them, he would make sure that they weren't being heard, and inform "These guys are headed to get a weapons shipment from the slum docks, and somehow move it into the city, somewhere close if I heard correctly. A warehouse with a green light at the top left window is the hint I managed to hear here and there"

If they both were too busy with their affairs, mainly Lupa, who seemed more successful, he'd probably have to think of something else.

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi sat down at the table for a moment as she mentally face palmed herself, letting out a sigh. Though she had gotten confirmation that something was going to happen, she wasn't sure what that thing was going to be. Well, that was something interesting, something significant seems to be going on for sure. But, I wonder if any others are starting to have some luck. She thought to herself as she stood up to see that Schwarz was giving her a signal; as she turned to see Lupa having much better luck. She was about to start to make her way over there when a woman approached their companion at the bar. Which caused her to shake her head as she brushed some hear behind her ear and stood up.

Meanwhile, at the bar, "Oh, you must be new here," the brown-haired cat girl spoke as she leaned against the bar next to Schwarz. The woman was dressed in rather revealing clothing which no doubt hinted at the kind of work she did around here. Her green eyes looked at him with a hint of lust tucked away. The smell of alcohol was on her breath, though not as much as some of the other patrons around. "So what do you say? How about we do something? Buy me a drink or something like that, yeah? I can be very cute, meow," the cat girl replied as she winked at Schwarz, hoping to entice him into buying her a drink and some service. She grabbed his hand and looked bashfully away, almost as if she was genuinely embarrassed as her tail hung low. "You can call me Rellina; the cat is already out of the bag, meow," she attempted to be cute as she waited for a response.

meanwhile, at the other table, the man chuckled as Lupa complimented him on his strength as she was pulled into his lap a moment ago. The man was drunk and stupid, though the more outstanding quality was unknown at this point in time. "Well, if you want to come to see our work, I'm sure we could find you something to get paid for," the man slurred as he finished the drink in his cup. As Lupa spoke again, the man smirked. "Ah, well, I'm sure we could arrange something, watch the table, boys," the man spoke as he stood up and motioned for Lupa to lead the way, thinking that she had a place in mind through the upper rooms of the tavern were probably empty. But the man was a little too drunk to think clearly as he decided to go up the stairs, not waiting to see if Lupa would follow.

Back at the other table, Kasumi drunkenly walked over to her companion, who was being harassed. "Hey, get your hands off him," Kasumi stated as she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning forward so her head was next to his. "Oh, Schwarz I was wondering where you went; you gave me a heart attack; you shouldn't scare your soon-to-be wife like that," She put in a fake slur as she swayed side to side slightly. After which, she glared at the cat girl, who glared back and tugged on Schwarz's arm. Look, you hairless furball paws off him; he's mine, see," Kasumi pushed her chest into his back for a second before walking around to his front and leaning back into him. "Should have tried sooner, honey," Kasumi slurred again as the cat girl finally got the message, puffed her cheeks, and stormed off to find a new victim.

Letting out a sigh as she pushed herself off of him, "sorry about that, I had to make it look convincing, oh so you found something we should get Lupa and follow them," as she turned to look and see what Lupa was doing. She knew they would have to act fast, and she tried to signal her from afar, hoping the woman would see it.

mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Lupa had successfully led the man on. He hadn't shown even an ounce of suspicion. Despite herself she couldn't help but be proud of a job well done. As they got up with her leaning against him, her eyes managed to spot the Kasumi and Schwarz. The spoke to each other before Kasumi turned her eyes to Lupa intently. Her eyes narrowed it seems they had found something. Thats was good they were operating blind but this might be their first big step toward building some momentum and stopping the terrorists' threat. Wait, but if they found a lead that means... Her face remained in that goofy girl persona she had propagated but her mood had soured considerably. You mean to tell me I've wasted my time buttering up this dumbass! She was irritated to say the least. She didn't necessarily mind having to do it but that was when it felt necessary now it felt like she hadn't had to do it all. Which was rather conflicting. "Right up here and on the right, I'll meet you up there. Be patient and look forward to it." Lupa led the man to the stairs before quietly wandering off as if it was the most natural thing to do.

She walked over to the other two. Pulling her jacket up on her shoulders and pulling out another cigarette to smoke, she needed it. She stood in front of them saying nothing for a moment. But her face was showed she was obviously peeved. Her ears were straight up and her tail was upright wagging from side to side slowly. Her eyes were narrowed slightly as she smirked at the two of them showing her teeth, without a doubt, in this moment she truly seems like a rather pissed off wolf. "Seems you guys were rather productive really put my own performance to shame huh? I'm sure that means you found something rather good. Didn't you?" Lupa was feeling rather spiteful at the moment, she'd most likely be in a bad mood for some time after having demeaned herself like that for nothing. So for her sake, and theirs. She REALLY hoped they had some premier info they could operate on.

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

As he was taking a gander at the leaving patrons of this hole, just in case they spewed something more of interest, a voice addressed him. A cat girl, somehow more scantily clad than Kasumi, approached him. She seemed drunk, but not enough to make him think she was out of it. Based on that, and her following comment made Arkh think of two possibilities: Either she is just a poor inhabitant of the slums looking for free drinks, or she was gauging yet another client.

Rellina, as she called herself, was trying rather hard with her body language. Perhaps, were he drinking in a more decent place, actually having money, and most importantly, with something more important to do, he may have considered playing along. Not now though.

Arkh was about to decline her himself, when he felt a warm embrace and a head resting on one of his shoulders. He thought to himself how people in this world are bit more lacking in personal space, until he turned slightly to see it was Kasumi. Her voice from before clicked right there. Was she really going to play that card? Trying to hold back a laugh, he smiled when he heard the faux drunk put herself as his fiancée. She felt the pull of Rellina on him, which he focused on, in case this worker of the night was also a thief. Lucky him, he's a bum worth a few coins. But having so few is what made them valuable.

Kasumi finished her off and she left the two. He didn't feel any lighter, which was nice. As promised, he gave Kasumi the summary of the notable things he heard. Adding a "Don't worry about it, she seemed like the type who doesn't take a no for an answer. So you did good. Thank you." to acknowledge her efforts, flashing a brief smile at her.

Lupa came not long after, annoyed, quite visibly, too. Arkh decided not to ask for now. Nor did he need to, as her first words after just standing there gave it away. "They are going to the slum docks, weapon shipment. A warehouse with a green light at the top left corner is the best location hint I got. I think it's very smart of them to have a bunch of drunks guard the shipment, so they'll probably have company, but that's just me." He stood up and looked at both ladies "So, should we follow before we lose track of them?" Arkh asked, with no business left in here, and hoping these drunks knew the actual location they were looking for.

Interactions: EMIYAman saxon

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu​

Kasumi let out a sigh as Schwartz gave her a brief smile. She wasn't thrilled woth the whole performance but, it is what it is. Looking down at an empty cup she was about to speak when Lupa showed up who seemed visibly annoyed. Which too be fair was a reasonable emotion due to what they just had to do. She glanced away towards the door that the several men were walling out of onto the main street.

"I only found out something was happening, my mark was pretty tight lipped when it came to that. But I saw Schwarz give a signal so I came back over here to figure out what he had," Kasumi stated Turning her head back towards the group. She had imagined getting a but more information compared to that. However information was information no matter how small that piece might be.

"Well then, I say that we follow them, no point in wasting our time discussing the matter. The trail gets colder by the second," Kasumi stated as she stood up and walked towards the door to the street. Regardless if the others followed or not she was going to start to tail the a group heading towards the docks.

Mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon ​

She stood before the two of them, while looking at Schwarz in the eyes intently. Fiddling with the cigarette in her mouth. Lupa seemed to deliberate within herself pursing her lips before sucking in air through her teeth in an audible "tch" sound. "Yeah that's decent I guess..." Lupa was showing a rather childish part of herself she hadn't let slip till now, but seemed to be doing what she could to maintain her pride as an adult. She then sighed, while scratching the top of her head in a display awkwardness rather than her being itchy. Her ears were flat against her head and her tail low.

At Kasumi's reminder of their current lead getting further and further away as they speak Lupa perked up. "Right, lets get a move on." A light blush colored her cheeks. Lupa seemed embarrassed at her emotions, but still had an undercurrent of irritation at the situation she had found herself in. She quickly burned the last of the cigarette before flicking it upon the ground as they exited. Not wanting to be outed by the faint light it emitted or the smell of smoke. The rain still poured outside anyway. Perfect for stalking prey.

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

Arkh waited on the other two's verdict before acting any further. After adding she sadly didn't manage to get any hints from her chosen target, she thought she was better off listening to him. As for Lupa, she still seemed clearly frustrated, so much so that her animalistic traits reflected it. Arkh wanted to pick on her a little, her poking at him with his former name and all. Time was of the essence, however, meaning there was no time for that right now.

Kasumi then agreed to get moving, and so did Lupa. Who now was blushing slightly. Arkh raised an eyebrow with a smile. She didn't strike him as a "tough outside, soft inside" kind of person. Questions for later. "Right behind you." Arkh said to the women, as he followed their strides out of the bar.

The rain had not halted just yet, luckily. So moving around without making much fuzz was easy. That said, Arkh remained on his toes, prepared for anyone trying to catch them off guard. While making his way though streets and alleys guided by his partners.

Interactions: EMIYAman saxon

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

As soon as her foot hit the dirt street, Kasumi activated Stealth as she faded into the surroundings. The rain slowly started to pick up a bit more now, as some people were standing under cover of nearby buildings. Night had fully descended upon the city of Azuran; looking up at the dark sky; she could tell the rain would be here for a while. A grin appeared on her face as she moved from shadow to shadow, not wanting to give the people she was tailing a chance to spot her, though she probably didn't need to worry about it since they were drunk. The rain would muffle most sounds to an extent, and from her angle, the men didn't seem to be talking either as they were focused on heading to their destination.

The streets were slowly starting to empty as many residents got out of the rain; the few remaining people were the homeless or those too drunk to find their way home. Many of them reeked of booze as she passed by them, something she had gotten used to smelling in this part of town. Which she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Though she figured she would probably leave the city once this was all over with, providing she didn't have something catch her eye. The group turned down a dark alleyway off the main road, which led to the far side of the docks that people would use as a shortcut.

This will be a lot more interesting if they keep making turns like this, Kasumi thought to herself as she followed the group. The alley was empty except for a few crates stacked on either side, and further down into the alley opened up to a courtyard with an old fountain. She could see more men in the courtyard as they were talking, dressed like the cloaked figures they had run into earlier in the day. Oh so they were not going straight to the warehouse; they must be getting their money. She thought to herself as she found a spot and crouched down, brushing her wet hair out of her face and watching.

"You got the money, right? Once we get paid, we will get the shipment moving to its destination. Our boss will be here shortly I was told that he was about to blow off some steam," The man spoke as the cloaked figures looked at one another before one of them walked up toward the group. With a single snap of their fingers, the small group of men dropped to the ground and groveled.

"I believe you should learn how to speak to your superiors. Here is the money that was agreed upon; you will get the rest upon completing our great work. Just make sure that you are not caught. We will be waiting in our positions," The cloaked figure spoke as he tossed a bag of rykes on the ground before slowly starting to walk off.

As a snap was heard again, the men stood up and took the coin. "Well, if they didn't pay well, the boss would have gutted them already. Well, we got paid; let's get moving; the shipment won't move. A change in power is coming, and we are going to be at the top, boys," The man spoke as he tucked the bag of rykes away.

Spoiler: cooldowns

• Stealth - Undetected F (Sight), Stealth F,- The nature of her trade had taught her to hide in plain sight from those around her and to move. She becomes harder to notice by sight and blends into the shadows. The skill is effective 1 post variable depending on combat and exploration. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

Mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Once Lupa exited the tavern she spaced herself away from the both Kasumi and Schwarz. Fortunately the rain and the falling of night led to the streets being practically empty save for their quarry. Kasumi with skill to impressed even her practically faded away like a ghost. If Lupa hadn't known she was there she most likely would have lost sight of her entirely. 'the girls probably better than me, a rarity that one.' However she had her own skills she picked up in her line of work. Distancing herself further she entered a nearby dead end alley way then used the structures around her to scale the buildings. In a couple minutes she was on the roof, and now stalking the Brothers' lackeys.

To be honest tailing wasn't nearly as romantic or exciting as the comics made it out to be. In her advantageous situation Lupa barely needed to make an effort to hide. The combination of the night, the rain, and her being in an elevated position made it all too easy. There was no ducking under cover, or peeking around corners. Hell she was practically just walking after them, if it wasn't raining she probably would have taken a smoke break. 'what was that saying? 80% of engagements is just waiting, or something like that.' From where she was she couldn't spot Kasumi, the ninja that she was. Schwarz was also probably kicking around somewhere nearby. Her would be hunt was cut short once the group reached a courtyard near the docks. It wasn't the warehouse they had heard about but it did seem like a meetup point. It reminded Lupa of where she had first run into the Brothers and their henchmen not too long ago. 'These guys seem to have a thing for abandoned courtyards' With rain battering down and soaking her from head to toe she put her recon abilities to the test.

Seeing a familiar scene of multiple cloaked figures standing before the men. Like the hired help are prone to do one of the men brought up their payment. The cloaked figure across from him seemed to take offense to this. For the second time Lupa bore witness to Magic. The man and those with him fell to their knees barely able to lift their heads from their position on the floor. 'Damn how the hell am I supposed to get through that. I hate going into a fight ignorant.' She watched the proceedings trying to gauge the cloaked mans abilities as well as what she could possible do to handle supernatural abilities like that. Throwing a bag of coins to the floor it seemed their business was concluded. As the parties turned to leave Lupa had to hold herself back from trying to pursue the cloaked individuals. But she felt that was an adversary above her weight limit at the moment. She couldn't be sure of the full capabilities of their magic but she couldn't risk unknowns and end up being discovered. This entire operation relied on surprise and their anonymity. She slinked around the roof of the building, the structures she could climb growing spare as they reached their destination. She climbed back down onto street level remaining as discreet as possible as she followed. The weather and time made it difficult to pick out her allies but she trusted them to be close at hand. This would end up being their first target. If they attack this supply line then things were going to gain momentum quickly. They couldn't stop, after hitting one they'd have to keep going and be constantly moving so the Brothers would have a hard time catching their trail. Admittedly, it was exciting. Sure she was afraid, she always was when the threat of death and loss creeped up before a confrontation. But that was normal. Hopefully with this she could get her hands on some capital. Then she could get back to business. 'though there is the whole question of what comes next' She was going through the familiar motions, but the fact of her sudden new and blank life was still apparent. She was stranded in a new world with a new body, laws of physics, and was utterly alone. She thought to Schwarz and Kasumi. 'I guess I've got some people in my corner even if its temporary.' Lupa felt some content at that. Then she pushed those distraction to the side, focusing on her prey.

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

Kasumi was quick to vanish from sight. With the pouring rain and the sun now gone, Arkh had it rough spotting her. Lupa did her own and outright climbed to some vantage point. Arkh decided to act as the latter, since he had more skill with climbing and moving around. He supported this slightly by using his own vanishing skills. Using two nearby buildings, Arkh climbed to the top of them. slithering in the darkness from above to keep an eye on their drunk targets. Again, given the hour and the weather, it was rather simple to move around unnoticed.

Arkh came to a halt as he overviewed the thugs getting put in their place, so to speak, by these hooded figures yet again. Their magic is certainly something he had concerningly little knowledge about. He considered scanning them with Appraisal, but refrained just in case they could figure something like that could be used on them.

The exchange over, the hooded figures and the thugs parted ways yet again, and Arkh continued to follow. Though as the docks grew closer, high enough buildings to use as cover became scarce. dropping to ground level, he approached the docks these drunks were gathering on, moving from one hiding spot to the next. Eyes and ears sharp for both his partners, and whatever might occur next. Hoping to not screw up at this point.

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi stood up after the group left though she was still a little confused as she looked up to see the others and quickly rejoined them. "Well, I guess it's best to follow them to where they are going. If we can get a chance, we can destroy the shipment before it arrives, which should hinder their operations," Kasumi theorized as she gave a nod to the others before dropping down off the roof and starting to tail the group from a distance. She hadn't seen magic like this before and had seen it twice a single day. Even she felt ill-equipped for this. But with the two others, she was certain they could find a way to counteract that whole issue.

As she walked through the streets, she smiled about it as this was one of the few times she had worked with other people to accomplish a task in this world. In her past life, that had been normal. Everyone wanted to partner up with her during school. As the group turned at a major intersection, she walked over to a wall and peaked around the corner for a moment. As they seemed very occupied with passing out the ryke they had received. The streets by this point were fairly empty as the rain fully set it in as a downpour started. Oh, wonderful. She thought to herself as she moved her wet hair out of her face before glancing back over her shoulder for a moment.

When she had first arrived in the city, she hadn't expected all of this to happen. She was planning to rob a rather corrupt and wealthy noble in the city and had been working on the plans to do so. But, that had changed a bit and was placed on the back burner. After a little longer, the drunks approached a dock where several crates were sitting with a few more thugs standing by them. Kasumi moved from crate to crate until she was closer to the wooden dock. Though she could barely make out what the men were talking about.

"Keep two out here, we need to go in the warehouse and find the rest of the supplies that are being moved," One of the men ordered as the rest of the group grumbled and left two people outside as they headed into the warehouse.

Kasumi turned back over her shoulder toward her companions and one of her hidden daggers and motioned her eyes toward the two guards that were outside guarding the shipment.

Mentions: EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Moving within the rainy night Lupa stalked a ways away from the group they were tailing. The three of them had come down from the tops of the buildings onto the street level. Like a group of smartly dressed phantoms, she imagined they made for quite the sight. Though making sure no one noticed their coming was the whole point. Now that they had all moved out into a more open position and had ceased their movement Lupa could see her two compatriots. Schwarz was closer to her having taken a route close to her own while Kasumi had been a bit further away but still within eye sight. The only reason she had even known where she was however was thanks to Kasumi coming up to them and giving a sitrep. 'Christ that girls too good at that, my heart skipped' She didn't visibly react, but Kasumi's ability to fade away and reappear was one Lupa had rarely seen.

She eyes the warehouse as she listened to Kasumi. Finding herself glad her hair was out of the way rather than obscure her vision. After following a sight longer they came up to the warehouse. Lupa noted them leaving two men to guard the outside while the others moved further in to grab the shipment. Her eyes narrowed a slew of choices appearing before her eyes. They had to be smart about this but also decisive. The way they handled this first objective would set the tone for the rest and how they would be presented to the Brothers Organization. She eyes Schwarz and Kasumi moving close to speak. Even with the the distance and the rain they couldn't be too careful especially not when Magic existed. "Two guys posted outside, the rest are inside. We could try to go around them and sneak in." She looked to Kasumi as the ninja motioned to the guards. She considered the most obvious action to take. "We could also engage, knocking them out is an option though prone to risk killing them would be the quickest solution. I don't mind either way, but there are pros and cons to both." She turned to Schwarz as she spoke. "What do you think Schwarz? Killing may come easy to people like me, but taking a life shouldn't be done lightly especially your first that one tends to stick. I won't force you." Hoping to assuage any pressure he may feel she gave some reassurance. "If not thats fine me and Kasumi can handle them, and you can be on overwatch. But we do need to come to a decision as to how we are going to engage." Pulling her knife out from her holster within her jacket she brandished it in a reverse grip readying herself for combat. "Remember our goal is their supply chain we can't waste time with mooks, magic or not. Just gotta make sure they can't use em for whatever operation they got planned. Either by neutralizing everyone inside or setting it all ablaze." She pursed her lips as she considered something. "Hm, in this weather though thats gonna be a issue. We can burn whats inside but not much beyond that..."

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

Arkh remained at the ready once he rejoined Lupa, and it wasn't long before Kasumi emerged from the shadows as well. He found it interesting that she could pull the same trick as him, though she seemed far more experienced in its use. As for their situation, Arkh sneakily eyed the area. They left only two fellows on the outside. Given the downpour, he was confident based on how things have been playing out, that they could sneak up on them and take them out.

As he considered how to possibly get to one of them and ambush him, Lupa addressed him, with his nickname from this world thankfully. "I-..." She had a point. A point that Arkh had not realized himself. He was being surprisingly cold about all this. Lupa would notice a moment of contemplation as Arkh realized this. He did see why though, upon this quick introspection. He died, only to be brought back a skilled swordsman in a different world. His body from this world eased his mind off the other. Killing a man though, that was a bit more excessive than anything he had spend doing so far. It was kind of surprising how his nerves of steel translated into this situation...

Arkh quickly shook his head "We got no time to waste, I'll help in whatever method you think is faster." He said, with a surprising resolve. After saying this, he pulled his sword out in a swift motion. He honestly wasn't confident if they could pull something off just by stopping this one shipment, but they had come too far to just back down at the last moment. This would at least mess with the promised threats in some way, which kept him satisfied.

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi watched as the two men kept guard, though they did poorly at that. The rain was becoming lighter now, no longer a shower, as it slowed down to a drizzle. Looking up at the sky, she was glad it had lightened up a little bit, but that still didn't help them in this situation. She glanced back over as Lupa started to talk to their other companion. "I think it would be a greater risk to leave them out here; if we wanted to, we could set the building ablaze from the inside and then take out who we can and see where it leads. Though I have a feeling once this warehouse goes up in flames, they will probably be fairly annoyed, though I haven't heard about any other storage areas since we got here. So this might be the only supplies they have in the city right now," She theorized. Looking back toward the guards, they had their back turned towards them as they looked out onto the water behind them. Scratching the back of her head, she let out a sigh.

Turning back as she heard Arkh make his choice. "Alright then, sit back and watch our backs, or you can head over toward the door to the warehouse it shouldn't take us too long to deal with these guys so long as they don't notice us." She concluded before using stealth once again she disappeared and slipped once back into the shadows of the night as she swapped the grip on her knife to that of a reverse grip, as she started to approach the two guards outside. She motioned to Lupa to take the one on the left as she approached the guard on the right and used her backstab ability to cover the man's mouth as she drove the danger into him several times until he started to slump over.

Once that was done she nodded her head and made her way over to the shipment that was guarding; she might as well get a look and see what else they are hiding here. She thought to herself as she opened one crate; she saw several weapons, all of the soldiers grade. There were also a few vials of dark liquid that were towards the bottom. "I don't think they will mind if we use these," She smirked as she used her appraisal skill and her jaw dropped as she saw the item's name. Dragon's Fire. "Well, that is an interesting thing; it's called Dragon's Fire, I assume if you can light it on fire, though I don't know how potent it will be," she advised as she picked up one of the jars and tucked it away for the moment.

If Arkh decided to go towards the door, he would notice it was a heavy oak door with several locking mechanisms inside. The door was cracked open, which he could see through and see several crates stacked high along the back wall of the room he could peek into. Several men were gathered around a small table with multiple bags sitting on the table. "Well, this seems like a good payday; those robed freaks are strange, but they pay well; alright, gather what we need in here, and once the delivery is done, we can split the rykes here," One of the men explained as the others nodded and then disappeared from view.

Spoiler: cooldowns

• Stealth - Undetected F (Sight), Stealth F,- The nature of her trade had taught her to hide in plain sight from those around her and to move. She becomes harder to notice by sight and blends into the shadows. The skill is effective 1 post variable depending on combat and exploration. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown​

• Backstab - Fighting Style Daggers, Adrasian Style F, Flexible E, Acrobatics F, Stealth F, - Kasumi positions herself so she is behind her target so she can stab them in the back. Must be within striking distance. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

mentions:
EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Lupa looked Schwarz in his eyes. She held his gaze looking for doubt or weakness. Any sign she should demand he sit this one out. Yet there was none, the kid had surprised her. He wasn't sure of himself or of the situation but the resolve to do what was necessary was there. He had steel in his eyes. It was rather nostalgic. Accepting his choice Lupa nodded to Kasumi, she was right the risk was too great. While Schwarz was on over watch they would strike. Kasumi crept into the shadows sneaking up on the right guard. Lupa followed suit [Hunting Operation] sidling up to the guard opposite of the other one. Syncing her actions up with Kasumi, though having to get a little creative in her approach due to his position, she stood up from a crouched position behind the man and swiftly slit his throat. His severed trachea ensured he wouldn't be making any noise. As he fell to the ground she calmly stepped over him. Unconsciousness would soon take him and death not too long after. It was as merciful as she could manage while keeping to their schedule. 'I doubt he sees it that way though.' The blood that was pooling under him yet was washed away in the rain reminded her why she often wore red.

Slipping next to Kasumi Lupa kept her head on a swivel. While she didn't have her gun she still kept to procedure. Following behind Kasumi and watching the girls blind spots. Encountering no resistance they went up to the shipment. Keeping on lookout while Kasumi rifled through the crates Lupa inclined her head as the girl spoke of the boxes contents. Her ear twitched and a slight grin grew on her face. "Dragon Fire eh? Could be useful, lets hang onto it and keep going." Follower the ninja girls lead she pocketed some Dragon Fire for herself. With the mission now well underway she signaled Schwarz they would be regrouping and began to make her way to the warehouse.

Spoiler: Cooldown

• Hunting Operation- Fighting Style [K's Systema] E, Climbing F, Stealth E, Acrobatics F - Kristina as "K" spent a large amount of time avoiding fights rather than starting them. As a bodyguard to Casper her role was mostly defensive in nature. She would respond to dangerous elements and react accordingly. But once in a while there were moments where Caspar declared a "Hunt". Kristina launches an attack from a hidden position on ground or from an elevated position similar in function to Tactical Retreat but used aggressively. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown 0/1 Cooldown

​

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

His time to take a human life hadn't arrived yet, it seemed. Kasumi and Lupa decided to take matters on their own hands. Kasumi, asked him to either watch their backs, or go on ahead. He opted for the former, seeing as he'd rather not alert the two guards from their impending doom, now that the rain was letting up. He kept a close eye on the area, while the ladies did some inspection. He even approached the warehouse, combining his shadow melding Aura, and his Undetected skill, turning himself into a misty afterimage of shadows. He just caught on a bit of the conversation and saw them disappear from sight, at which point, he turned back.

On his way back, he noticed Lupa signaling towards his previous spot. It honestly wouldn't surprise him if when he dispelled his Aura and his skill, she would be shocked to see him pop up from elsewhere. Then again, canines have good senses, and she might too. Regardless, he informed "They seem to be readying up, I saw some bags in there. Coin, perhaps? I didn't manage to hear much else though. Did you two find something of use?"

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi moved toward the warehouse as they regrouped, she heard what Schwarz had said. "Well, looks like we arrived at the right time then, huh, I'm sure their supply lines would be hurt if they lost this warehouse." She grinned as she turned to Schwarz, "Just some dragon fire, though I think it's safer to use it on this building rather than what they might have planned for it." Kasumi chuckled as she motioned toward the doors as she used stealth again, disappearing into the shadows. She moved toward the door, pushing it open slightly as a creak sounded. Causing her to clench her teeth as it was now open enough for her to slip through.

She could hear crates being opened and shut from the door, though they didn't seem to care about how much sound they were making. Even a child could sneak past them with this much noise. Looking around, there was a staircase to the right that led up to the next floor; as she started to go up, she hoped she would find a better vantage point to see what was going on. However, she was glad to be out of the rain, even if it was for a little bit. We still don't have a lot to go on; hopefully, I can find something here before it burns to the ground completely. She thought to herself before reaching the top of the stairs.

The ground floor was a relatively simple layout, the area by the door was a smaller room that led down a small hallway to a larger open area. In the entrance was a table with several bags the hired thugs had left on the table with some chairs. A staircase to the right side of the entryway led up to the second floor. The room beyond the entry room was lined with crates on shelves and some in stacks, but the large room was still far away enough for Lupa and Schwarz to know that the room was more significant than what they could see from their angle.

"Hurry up! We don't have all night we need to get these supplies moving through the sewers beneath the city," Commanded the man who was in charge off the group as they continued to pull crates full of weapons over to the center of the room. On the floor next to the crates was a large wooden platform connected to a pulley system, which seemed like an elevator or a crane to move supplies around on.

Spoiler: cooldowns

• Stealth - Undetected F (Sight), Stealth F,- The nature of her trade had taught her to hide in plain sight from those around her and to move. She becomes harder to notice by sight and blends into the shadows. The skill is effective 1 post variable depending on combat and exploration. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown
• Backstab - Fighting Style Daggers, Adrasian Style F, Flexible E, Acrobatics F, Stealth F, - Kasumi positions herself so she is behind her target so she can stab them in the back. Must be within striking distance. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

mentions:
EMIYAman Rev IX

 

[EMIYAman]

Kristina
Interactions Rev IX saxon
​

Lupa maintained her position with Kasumi. They stood near the doors to the warehouse preparing to breach its confines. Her canine ears twitched as she listened for anything out the ordinary. Unforeseen variables were NOT what they needed right now. 'too bad these extra ears don't seem to be much better than my normal ones, kinda strange.' They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. Lupa hoped they were wrong in this case even if past experience said otherwise. Honestly this magic stuff scared her she didn't like her enemies having capabilities she couldn't understand or plan around.

She looked around for Schwarz. 'he should be here already.' She looked to his previous position, her mind immediately went to possibilities for his absence, but she was alerted by a voice and presence suddenly next to her. On instinct she whipped her knife around pointing it at the neck of the culprit. Her eyes stared intensely and her would be victim. The first thing that struck her was the lack of pressure in her head that usually told her when an enemy was nearby, next was the familiar face and hair color. She blinked her cold expression morphing to one of mild exasperation. "Christ Schwarz don't sneak up on me like that, you know I'm conditioned to stab people who do that right?" She sighed lightly before lowering her knife and returning it to a neutral position. "So they are on the move huh, rather quick. Lets get them out the way then we can put this Dragon Fire stuff to good use. Schwarz, on me." Together the three of them infiltrated the warehouse, with its inhabitants hopefully none the wiser.

Slinking inside behind Kasumi Lupa scanned the room as she entered. It was small layout which lead into the main area of the warehouse. There were crates and sacks strewn about on shelves, and the terrorists had left bags on a table. Lupa decided to check them out after they killed them and lit the place up. She hoped it was money, big causes for the good of the people were great and all but it rarely put food on the table. From further in she could hear the terrorists speak in a hurried tone. 'So they were moving through the sewers; it was the most obvious place.' Her eyes narrowed as she saw the weapons packed into the crates. She couldn't help but have a grin form across her face, it was exactly what she was hoping for. Lupa looked over to see Kasumi going up to the floor above them. She deliberated the positioning in her head and whether or not she should follow suit. But decided against it. Kasumi could have the vantage point it would serve them well if things went tits up. She looked to Schwarz briefly before moving deeper into the warehouse and into the larger room sneaking behind crates and doing what she could to get closer without being discovered.

 

[Rev IX]

Arkh Jager
​

Arkh was sorely wrong about Lupa sensing him, earning him a knife to the neck and an equally sharp glare. The gaze lost some intensity as Lupa recognized him. He didn't move a muscle in response, other than the initial twitch of surprise. His eyes did show panic, but he did not let out a noise until Lupa settled. "I... Sorry about that." He said, slightly concerned due to how close he was to accidentally biting the dust... again.

No time to lose though, so he took note of what Kasumi briefly explained. Their means of burning. Lupa told him to follow, to which he nodded and acted as such. The place was noisy, so sneaking in was surprisingly easy. Even more so with a more experienced stealth person as Lupa clearly was. Arkh followed the canine lady like a shadow, taking note of the previously seen bags, as well as the weapon-filled crates.

Kasumi took a detour upstairs, but not wanting to risk anything, Arkh continued to move along with Lupa. At some point, she turned to, most likely, check on him. Still silent, Arkh nodded, and continued to move with her. His senses on high alert, not wanting to be caught with his pants down.

 

[saxon]

Kasumi Kagu
​

Kasumi reached the top of the stairs and glanced down from her vantage point. The area around her was a small loft filled with a few crates toward the back, though there was really nothing special about these from what she could tell. They were probably filled with normal items or something like that if any inspectors came looking that they would find normal warehouse stock. Though she couldn't be sure of that, she figured if they burned the warehouse down it would surely hurt their supplies or stop the movement of items further into the city. Though she figured even if they destroyed this, it would only slow them down and probably put a target on their backs.

As for the two on the lower level, the thugs were moving crates onto the elevator that was just a crane with a wooden platform that lowered into a hole. Many of them talking about how they were going to spend the money they got from this on drinks. However, none seemed too bright as they finally stacked multiple crates on the lift before it descended down below with the men cranking the lever. What are of the sewers does that go into? I mean they probably have more people down there to move everything off once its down there. She thought to herself as she pondered it for a moment.

After that, the thugs started to move toward the exit where they had come, probably looking for something outside, maybe booze or more supplies to bring into the warehouse. Though the men were gone for the moment, if the group on the ground floor wanted to look around at the crates, they would see weapons bearing the sigils of far-off noble houses, though many of them were foreign. This only would lead to more questions about what was going on with these weapons and who was funding the group. There was also a note on a nearby crate that they searched that would detail the shipments of weapons going into the city; though it didn't mention the origin, it looked like a shipping manifest.

After a moment Kasumi met up with the rest of the group, "Well, we know where the weapons are being brought to, though what should we do know? I mean we could go into the sewer but I think they would have a lot of eyes on that especially if they thought it was more weapons coming down. Though we could always torch the place and take what we can carry out of here as well," Kasumi suggested as she looked at the group.


mentions:
EMIYAman Rev IX