Northern Winds [NC-17] (IC)

[Stygian]

Sitting back and just holding his cup, Stygian was conflicted. Some people were just plain out for taking along; Cogidubnus was possibly unknown to the others, but wasn't really a candidate for stealth so far. Gareeku's odd eyes and general behavior ruled him out as well. And Aisha was definitely not an option at this time. On the other hand, Edge was an excellent, if forced, choice, and Keaton might make a good candidate. The cubi had made a good point of Mel being better for information gathering purposes as well. Not to mention that Keaton wasn't involved in this particular thing, and he didn't want her to be. He needed confidantes, ones that could work elsewhere. And at this point, it was better to focus at them one at a time. Thus, Edge, whom he wanted check on, and Mel, who he knew and who was competent, but distant.
   'Alright. Me, Edge and Mel go scout the club,' he said, firmly. If he was going to be the leader of this group, then he might as well do a good job. 'Isha, Gar and... Shades here; you're watch duty. If and when things go wrong, you start kicking down doors and cover our exit. Keaton,' he said, and then smirked toward the Jackal. 'You, I've got a special job for.'
   Sipping up the last of his cup, Stygian rose suddenly, stepped by the redhead and paid, and then came back to the table with a napkin and a pencil.

- -

The jackal, Laertes, looked up and just raised his eyebrows at Richard. He seemed pensive for a second, then spoke plainly and calmly.
   'Now, we wait. Don't worry; I already have an associate who is following them. We just need you for confirmation. That is all.'
   'I still think this is unneccessary, Les,' the wolf said, chill clinging to her words. 'We're wasting time here. Half of them have bounties on them, the others are probably criminals. All we need is him, and this is taken care of.' Her accentuation on "him" was jagged, contemptuous.
   'I've told you, Ace... He contacted the panthress and told her to kill him himself. He tipped the jackal about her sister, renewed his bounty, and I am fairly certain he called the wolf somehow too. Even more, he is leading us right to the Thirteen. Are you about to pass up on this sort of opportunity?' Laertes answered right back at her, composedly but as if he was disappointed with her for not thinking beforehand.
   'That's what I'm saying!' she snapped. 'It's too much! I want him, and I don't care what the Order thinks.'

[Boog]

"Oh," Richard replied, surprised, "Sorry then. You mentioned someone being here, figured you were in a rush." He nodded at Carey, "Just to clarify, who was here? I thought you meant the cheerful little flying plague carrier, but I'm pretty sure I saw him get out of the car." It seemed too obvious to ask about this Order or Thirteen, in a 'when we tell you we'll have to kill you' sort of way. Best ask the questions that nobody will care about too much.
Marya resisted the urge to snort derisively at Ace's outburst. It sounded almost pathetically familiar.

[Sunblink]

Keaton listened to Stygian's instructions with an expectant look on her face, ears pivoted upright and eyes locked intently on the chiropteran sitting nearby. Clearly, she was waiting for the moment when Stygian would mention her duties with an almost foreign amount of enthusiasm. When he did, however, surprise replaced the anticipation, her ears tilting individually to reflect her slight confusion. Special job? Now what the hell did he mean about that? She should've been suspicious, but instead, Keaton found that brief flash of emotion begin to be substituted with something akin to confidence.

"Special job? Alright," Keaton said, folding her arms and smirking toothily. "Whatever you have for me, I'll tackle it."

When Stygian left momentarily and returned with a pencil and a napkin, Keaton leaned to the side slightly, trying to locate an appropriate angle to view his devices from.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

Stygian was quick to soften the smirk on his face to a content smile. He brushed the bangs out of his eyes, and chuckled.
   'Don't be too cocky. Still, I'm sure you can handle it,' he said, and let the grin slip. 'I'll be wanting you to keep an eye on Richard, and anyone with him. If I'm right, then he's in a bit of a pinch right now, and we'll want him watched. As for the rest of us...'
   He handed the pencil to Edge and looked at the fox seriously.
   'A layout. As simple as you can get. Or you can tell us. It works either way. We'll scout out the details, and then see what we get together. You others,' he said, and looked around, 'can take a break, actually. Let's meet up back here at five. I think we'll know what to do by then.'

- -

The otter looked a bit confusedly at Richard.
   'The bat,' he said plainly. 'Stygian.'
   'You're acting much too rashly. I thought you said you knew him,' Laertes continued, his tone growing firmer. 'You've never taken him head-on, and he always keeps check of the situation. That's why we should be careful, and let him get deep in. He won't be able to escape so quickly if he's occupied.' The wolfess snorted.
   'I've only ever faced him alone or nearly so. You can't outsmart him or outmaneuver him. He'll let you walk right up to him and then you'll find you've just stepped off a cliff. I'm telling you, the only way is to overwhelm him! Don't give him time to think!' Ace insisted back at him frustratedly.
   'We are not giving him time to think. We do not have anyone following us, and even if he has us watched, all he will think us is another factor to throw into the chaos. He will not expect us to act with determination, nor the backing we have. And what is more, we can follow him. We have the advantage, and we will use it, Ace! Is that understood?'
   The jackal and wolf's eyes locked for a few moments that seemed minutes. Then, Ace sighed and broke away, and Laertes did the same only a second after. His face sour for a second, he exhaled, and then looked toward their hosts again, as if nothing had happened.
   'Do you have more tea, mayhap?'

[Boog]

"See now, that's who I thought you meant. However, if he was HERE, as in nearby where we are now, that wouldn't be all that good because that brings the number of untrustworthy people who know where I live to four or more."
"Over in the kitchen, in the cupboard. It's to the left of the olives," Marya replied to Laertes. She wasn't about to get up to offer him any.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha listened carefully to the bat's decision of layout while leaning over the table, and she couldn't help but notice how strategic it seemed.  The panthress expected her position to be as such, as well as Gareeku's, and Edge's, as well as the others.  The one that most needed to be watched was going to be so...everyone else, trusted to keep the watchers alive.

"Works for me," she said neutrally while leaning up from the table and looking idly about the shop, but glanced curiously at Stygian when he added that Richard might be in a bit of trouble, on a good guess.  At this point, on the wrong end of the law in that city, anything short of trouble was possible.

With an exasperated hum, her eyes turned back down to the table again.  She still didn't feel like drinking or eating anything...so for her break, she had to think of something to do until then.  She was partial for staying with everyone...but on the other hand, there were probably shops that had some useful things to browse for whatever lay ahead.  I'm definitely going to need some lightweight pieces of armor at least, she thought, the previous night's battle still lingering in her head...one of those memories never to be erased.  At this point and time it was quite highly advised.

"I will be around close then," she simply said, then started out of the cafe when everyone was to be dismissed.  At least acting seperately they wouldn't be suspected as a group.

[Cogidubnus]

 "We can watch the door, yeah." Cog said, leaning back in his chair. "Walking into a sprung trap is always better than the alternative." he said, looking out at the city again. "
He stayed quiet until the bat mentioned taking a break, to which he raised his eyebrow, and shrugging he cracked his neck.
"Breaks are nice too. Five O'clock it is." Cog stood and headed for the door. "I need to get certain items recharged, if anyone wants to get anything like that. Or if anyone knows and enchanter worth a damn in this city."
The bell on the door tinkled as he left the coffee shop.

[Tezkat]

Edge regarded the napkin with a quizzical expression. He shrugged and copied out his map from the fake news page, this time simplifying the lines and substituting the clutter of colourful arrows for a neat legend at the bottom. This time, exits to the outside were marked "doors to kick down when things go bad", and employee areas were labelled "staging grounds to trap Stygian".

He sighed. "I could do a better job if I had some idea what we're looking for."

[Stygian]

Stygian quirked an eyebrow.
   'Looking for? We're being looked for, more like it. And that's why we're going to waltz in there, packing a lot of heat and capable of making an unexpectedly immediate exit. Just trouble, and all in order to get to know what it is that is really going on.' He smirked, and kicked back his coffee. When done, he put on a more serious face, and stood.
   'Right then. Let's get going. No point in waiting for what has already passed by,' he said, and without waiting stepped outside. He shot a narrow-eyed glare toward Cog's neck before the wolf disappeared, and then waited, slipping out a cigarette.

- -

Laertes got up with a sigh and went to the kitchen. Pointedly, Ace stood where she was, and Carey placed himself leaning on the wall, where he could keep watch over all of the room. The jackal returned in a few minutes, blowing on his tea and murmuring.
   'There should be nothing to worry about, mister Trochoufski. We will be gone quite quickly. And if I understand things right, Stygian wouldn't bother with coming after you.'
   Was that true?

[Boog]

If events thus far were any indication, probably not.
"You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it, but it isn't the first time I've heard someone say that there would be nothing to worry about," Richard replied, "Pardon my paranoia."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel popped the last bit of the pear pastry in her mouth and dusted off her hands before standing. She took a long glance at the map the cubi had drawn, in her mind overlaying it with the one from the tabloid, carefully noting differences. It would have been nice to have a minute to pop into the city records office to see what they were officially claiming for a floorplan, but life tended not to grant favors. She followed the others out, but not too closely. She paused and looked at a display of coffee mugs for sale. She puzzled over one that showed a young girl in front of a far too elaborate coffee machine for a moment before exiting the building.

[Cogidubnus]

 The City was much like every city Cog had ever had the pleasure to visit, if only colored a bit grayer and colder. Not that it was drab - far from it. The place merely seemed...disconnected, almost. Dispassionate. Not the apathy of other great cities - it was not a place of unkindness, but rather of seeming boredom. The streets were far less full than he would have expected of a place like this, and the air seemed crisp even in the noonday sun.
Of course, Cog was a foreigner there. Everything he'd seen thus far had been strange.
Taking a moment to get his bearings, he asked a random passer-by for directions before heading off into the city. He made sure to remember the streets he passed, to make sure he got back in time.
It wasn't too terribly long before he found what he was looking for. Working mages were rare, and ones that lived in large cities were usually employed privately - but adventuring usually carried with it a high demand for magical items and such arcane services, and bigger cities always had such places for those with the coin. Cog passed under a sign to a place marked very simply 'Iggy's', the doorbell tinkling with his entry.
As seemed to be the case with the city, the interior was lavishly decorated, but...sparsely populated. Only one or two people milled about the store, obviously not interested in buying anything. One of them, some sort of feline by the look, gave him a narrow glance before returning her blue eyes to the shelves. Cog quietly ignored her and approached the main counter, manned by a reptile of some sort. The lizard had a bored expression on his face, and seemed to pay Cog little mind.
Cog tilted his hat to the reptile. "Good day, good sir." Cog said, putting his hand in his jacket and removing various items from around his body. "If you might be so kind, I need these things recharged, and perhaps a replacement for this one." Cog indicated a piece of twisted silver that had half-melted.

[Tezkat]

Edge drained the last his coffee as Stygian stepped out with the wolf. "Well, the plan certainly sounds silent and peaceful when he puts it that way." Smirking, he set down the empty cup and refolded his newspaper.

The fox got up, left the waitress a nice tip, and tossed the tabloid into the recycling bin. The newsprint smudged and faded when it landed on the other papers. He glanced up at the wall clock, then parked his hands in his pockets and strolled out the door after the others, whistling softly to himself.

[Sunblink]

Keaton shrugged in response to Stygian's comment about not getting too cocky, that ubiquitous smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. When she heard the details of her special assignment she listened carefully, ears quirked and eyebrow raised, smirk vanishing. A pinch? Great, what did Richard get himself into? It was a possibility that he was pursued by some of the same people who had assaulted them back at the Dragon's Grin, she surmised.

When Stygian stood up after completing his drawing of the layout, she followed suit, stretching her arms outward and exercising her body slightly. Ah well, it didn't matter that her mission wasn't as extravagant as she originally imagined it to be. She still had the opportunity to practice her shapeshifting abilities, as well as cement her usefulness. Humming to herself, Keaton followed the others, hands nestled in her pockets.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

When Edge came out, Stygian looked quickly at him and then back to the café until Mel came out to join them. They set off at a brisk walk back toward the club. As they passed through an alley, the shadows seemed to gather to the bat, making looking at him clearly hard, as when one is trying to see something clearly when it's too dark. It took a short while, before he reemerged, now in the form of a stoat with graying red fur and a pair of little round pince-nez.
   'Corner of the building, several floors... And they've covered the windows...' he commented as they casually walked by, passing a clean and sharp but still brutish-looking equine bouncer keeping check of the back door, and turned into a bookstore. 'I'm sure they've got some barriers, but that sort of place mostly only inhibits certain types of spellcasting. Most like to depend on guards instead, in my experience. Mel?' He looked quickly to the dragon while flipping through a rather thick novel that looked like it was based on some adventurer's autobiography.

- -

The lizard looked up dully, as if Cog were a rather strange but uninteresting animal that had suddenly come and made some odd and disturbing sound while he was busying himself with more important things. He looked over the various items the wolf had extracted and then made a sort of coarse harrumph.
   'Right. Not that I have many. I'll see what I can do,' the tired saurian commented, and turned, ducking into the back of the shop and vanishing for some time. Behind Cog, the feline exited with the tinkle of a bell and was circumvented by a woman in a long coat, who walked through the shop and stopped where she could look at some ornate magical daggers, close to Cog with her back turned. The same woman who had sat in the café earlier; there was no mistaking that almost scarlet red hair.
   'Here we are,' the lizard said, returning from around the corner and placing his trinkets on the counter, along with a replacement silver piece. 'I had a little trouble with that one, but Iggy fixes. That he does.' He punched in some keys on an old cash register and gave Cog the price, a favorable but not remarkable one, and then returned to reading a grimy book while leaning in a chair.

- -

The jackal regarded Richard's comment with the same calm as before, ignoring it with a clear attitude of knowing better. He waved casually to the baboon as he sat down, wisps of steam rolling off his tea.
   'Trust me, he'll be much too occupied and tied up to mind you amid of all of this. He has a group of people with him too, and I doubt they would all approve. Certainly not some,' he said, sounding entirely certain. Still, with an explanation like that one couldn't help but wonder. 'And even if things go amiss, that will only mean that he is more likely not to have the time and possibility.'

[Gareeku]

"I can't believe this..." Gareeku growled softly. Anger could sensed from his growls, and deep inside, the wolf was absolutely furious. "Thanks to some pure unbelievable stupidity, we now have the blood of a police officer on our hands, and for some reason which I will probably never understand, we ended up with the car in a fucking tree..."

It was only now that the events that had occured some time ago began to sink in. Gareeku had been stunned by what had happened, and that was no easy thing to do to a warrior who had seen it all.
"Pure stupidy...absolute stupidity..." the wolf continued to growl softly. "Someone needs to get their fucking head checked...and something about this isn't right either...I can sense it..."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

As Ignatz pointed out the club Mel looked it over carefully. Lots of protection, but completely standard for any successful business. Nothing looked out of place. High quality, heavy duty but no customizations. "I only see the typical wards I would expect on a business that handles a lot of cash. But I'd hide the surprises inside myself." She eyed the hoodlum wannabe dressed cubi. "Any plans for entering?"

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog nodded gratefully to the shopkeeper, paying quickly and securing the various items back in their various places. He took special interest in the piece Iggy had replaced, the thing nearly indistinguishable from his previous one. He nodded - the protective charm would hold, perhaps a little better than the old one. You had to pay dear for new equipment, but sometimes the price was worth it...
"Very nicely done. Thank you." he said, as they shopkeeper rang up the charges. Cog said nothing at the price, simply reaching into his jacket and giving the shopkeeper a handful of silver coins. Iggy accept them with a half-grunt, apparently immersed in his book. Cog turned without further comment, intent on leaving the shop and finding some other things he needed.
Or, maybe, he might stay - they were walking into an ambush, and he wished to be prepared. There might be something there. Cog scanned the shelves disinterestedly, looking between the alembics and eldritch lab equipment for something he could use. As he scanned, he found himself again attracted to the collection of magical knives, one of the blades catching his eye. To his left, however, was a woman with strikingly red hair - he thought for just a moment, the hair giving him pause, when Cog raised an eyebrow and turned, picking up a piece of chalk that was glowing blue in the fluorescent lights. He studied it a moment, seemingly interested, and set it down after some scrutiny.
He walked past the woman, inhaling deeply, and left the shop, the bell tinkling loudly as he left. He began to walk down the sidewalk, one hand casually leaning across his sword hilt and the other busy adjusting his shades, his steps quiet on the concrete.

[Aisha deCabre]

Despite walking pretty much beside herself in a city that was surely after their heads, Aisha felt like taking a deep breath of fresh air, finally, after going out a little ways away from the cafe and into the district where the shops were.  "Mierda..." she cursed beneath her breath, her voice hidden in the folds of her cape hood, still colored dark grey as she had willed the camouflage enchantment.  She had to admit that the bit of magic had done well for her so far in the time that she's had it.  Genius, Rynkura.  It helped to keep a profile hidden away from recognition, however long it would work.

The panthress wandered the streets, keeping an eye out.  She knew that Cogidubnus had also gone into that part of town, somewhere nearby.  The others were busy with that plan of theirs.  Aisha shook her head...she still couldn't believe the crew that had been brought together.  Four adventurers that she recognized...one she hadn't talked to all that much, but was still a help...one whom she had once thought was dead, but only in some ways...and two who were once against them, now for.  Plus a bunch of strangers.

"Adaptation..." she hummed.  The word and the concept she was often familiar with.  But suddenly, her thoughts snapped out of it as she spied the armory shop that she was looking for, bringing her out of darker imaginings for the future.  After a brief look around, Aisha pushed the doors open, a little bell signifying her entry.  She pulled the cowl away to reveal her face, just a friendly gesture to the one behind the desk.  The walls were filled with quite a few displays of shields and steel plated things, perfect for what adventurers sought in battle and travel.  There were even a few weapons she wouldn't have minded putting in her collection.  The temptation was quite harrowing.

But, Aisha couldn't be wasting coins...she knew what she wanted.  "Perdón...excuse me," she nodded to the storekeeper, a burly-looking ox.  He looked up to see the cowled female jaguar, not the least bit intimidated by the surroundings, and definitely carrying the adventurer's poise.  "I don't suppose you have a decent set of leather armor...or something equally lightweight here, perchance," she inquired.  Aisha almost doubted it after asking.  It was like the armor bandits wore that she was seeking.  But they had to get it somewhere.

[Stygian]

Uninterestedly but never veering with his eyes, Stygian flipped through the book.
   'None very complicated. We, or you, go in under the guise of ordinary guests or workers. I bring something dangerous and explosive along through the back door, play them their trick back. We sit down, have drinks, I go talk to Ash and see what it is that she wants... Hopefully it's just me she's after, and you people can get out of there. I know how not to need someone to cover my back,' he said. The idea of him not coming out of there didn't seem to bother him much.

- -

The bull's face didn't change a hair. He switched the toothpick he was chewing on through his teeth, and looked her up and down. Then he simply asked;
   'How light?'

- -

The noon rush was in full going, as Cog had to weave to move smoothly through the crowd. A few vehicles rolled down the streets, and quite a few bicycles darted past every now and then. The atmosphere was almost that of every other ordinary city of Haszal's size; businesslike, hard and quick. Most of the main streets were very clear save the moving of the mass, since no peddlers or hawkers were allowed to sell their wares anywhere but the squares. Even the back alleys were kept empty save for the shingles hanging above shops and pubs. And that was where Haszal differed. Every other city that large or greater would have been a little more rough, a little more diverse. The bustling, noisy but familiar feeling wasn't there. The greatly differing architecture or style wasn't either. The atmosphere was crisp and quiet, the buildings tall and clean. And there were no people who were visibly creatures in the crowd.
   Thoughts like that were the perfect to distract a stranger, like Cog. It was, of course, hard to pinpoint the precise difference, but once one knew it was there, it was perfectly clear. It wasn't something that one should let oneself be distracted by, of course. Just as he passed a crossing he saw, in the reflection of the large front window of a restaurant on the opposite side of the street, a brief flash of clear red.

[Sunblink]

Almost obediently Keaton followed the group, trailing a few feet behind Stygian as though in clear anticipation of when he would give send her the directions to Richard's house, where she would begin her Valiant Rescue Mission--as she had christened her assignment a few minutes after he had explained the details of it to her.

When they stopped Keaton remained vigilant, peering around while Stygian rifled through his seemingly uninteresting book. Even while he laid out the plans for their raid Keaton listened attentively for where she would come in, hoping that the opportunity for her to exercise her abilities would come soon.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

While she had waited for the shopkeeper's response, Aisha casually leaned on the front desk and eyed some of the gleaming blades and decorations adorning the walls.  The hardy voice caught her attention again however, and she thought for a second on how to describe what she was looking for.  But it was quite easy to picture at least.

"Light enough to move around in fairly easily, for the wearer to be quick and nigh undetectable," she said, a straightforward enough description, no waste of time.  He could tell that the panthress knew what her trade required...bounty hunter was the perfect guess.  "Yet tough enough to withstand a few nice blade slices if need be."  The battle from before was still fresh in her mind.  Next time it would have probably been her flesh to be ripped instead of her clothes.

She stood up straight again, fingering the pouch of coins at her side.  The price couldn't have been too steep, but she more than likely had enough left over.  "I wouldn't mind it also being in good condition,"  Aisha then added, nodding politely.  "If you please."

[Stygian]

The bull took a long, hard look at Aisha, scratching the stubble on his cheek, and then rose from his seat. He towered over her, his neck straining his tight shirt and his tree trunks for arms rippling.
   'Come on. I wanna show you something,' he said, and opened the door to the counter before walking back into what had to be the storage. When Aisha followed, she found him hunkering over a newly opened crate of some kind.
   'This is the latest stuff we have. Now mind ye, this ain't that fancy enchanted stuff you adventurers are so used to...' he said, before pulling a padded vest of some sort out of the packing. 'It's armored vests. New stuff that MarCo makes.' He slapped one of the pads for emphasis. 'Thin metal over a layer of weave, and then tiles. Nothing fancy, but it works wonders against a blade. Will stop a few bullets as well. But it's mostly made to be light. And there's no metal together, so it's soundless as a shirt.' He threw the vest to her and smiled. 'Try it on.'

- -

Stygian looked up briefly to see Keaton hovering over him. Of course. How stupid of him. He put the book back and resumed scanning between the volumes on the shelf in front of him.
   'Keats, why don't you go ahead? It's out the door to the right, and then right again. Not half a mile from here straight along that line. You'll see a movie theatre, and then a pair of tall, gray apartment houses with black roofs. Can't miss it. It's entrance number four,' he said, and then gave her a confident look. 'All you need to do is keep an eye out for who is there with him. You can come back when you know. Or you can take a look around.'

[Cogidubnus]

 As Cog caught the streak of red flashing off the glass and narrowed his eyes. From the coffee shop, to the enchanter, and finally down the road. He carefully avoided turning around, or letting on he noticed at all, and instead breathed in, absorbing the scents in the air. He could smell the perfume she'd been wearing in the shop - lavender and cinnamon. His face reflexively soured, but he quickly calmed himself, and waited for the sign to change to 'walk'.
There could be no mistaking it, at this point. He'd have to lose her, somehow. And though he was certain she was a tail, killing her was out of the question. Not out in the open, and certainly not without making completely, utterly sure, first. And that would entail questions.
Besides. Cog mused. I've been a little on edge, recently. Less blood would be better.
As soon as the red sign changed to the little green man, Cog again began weaving through the crowd, somehow...unnerved, by the simple actions of the populace. Everyone walked upright, and though not apathetic, seemed coolly detached. They made way for each other. People threw their things in the trash, and carefully folded newspapers before discarding them. He hadn't counted more than two or three discarded cigarettes littering the ground since he'd gotten here. Things were clean. Organized. Not mechanical, and though the people came in great variety, there was an underlying sameness to them. It made Cog stick out like a sore thumb. He looked nothing like the natives, although by no difference in dress or appearance.
He could smell her, still following him. Hiding in the crowd wasn't working. He'd need to think of something else, quickly.
Taking the next right he came to, he ducked into a random Chinese restaurant, and walking past a rather taken aback canine waitress of some sort, walked straight through and into the kitchen. The head cook, a frog by the look of him, bellowed something in an unintelligible language at Cog and pointed back the way he came. Cog tipped his hat apologetically to the man as he walked by, weaving through waiters and waitresses and finally navigating through the kitchen to the back door of the restaurant. He exited quickly, the door thankfully opening into an alleyway. Cog closed the door behind him, and positioning himself right to the side of the entryway, began to draw his sword. It was halfway out before he stopped, eyeing a shovel the cooks had set aside for scraping the waste buckets out. He resheathed the blade with a metallic click, and picked up the shovel, swinging it around and above his head, and waited for the red-haired girl to emerge.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha paused, watching the storekeeper's almost stern face for reply, then tilted her head with intrigue as she followed a few paces behind the massive ox.  She stood within the doorway of the storage room with her arms crossed, her eyes soon laying upon the vest he pulled out of the crate.

Now that was something that she'd never seen, said the panther's face as her expression turned into an interested grin, hearing what it was made of...lightweight and could withstand bullets as well as blades...perfect for what she had to get herself into.  And altogether the look of the vest wasn't bad either.  Still there lay ground to verify the claims, and she was quite happy to try it on then.

"MarCo, huh?" Aisha hummed and caught the vest in midair with one hand, surprised that for its look it didn't drag her grip too far down.  She looked it over, hands thoughtfully testing the feel of it, while being careful not to make a premature scratch with her claws, and testing the padding with a whack from the back of her hand.  Then, the panther slipped it around herself, having took her cape off for a moment first.  Taking a few tiptoed steps and lithe movements with the vest, Aisha was relieved to see that it was indeed quiet, for all she could listen in the uncrowded store.  It even fit her well enough...she could move and breathe, a missing trait that was otherwise loathed sometimes in torso armor, in her opinion.

"Huh!" she chuckled finally with satisfaction, looking herself over and back.  "Well, for not being that 'fancy enchanted stuff', it looks to still get the job done," she smirked back to the storekeeper and slipped the thing off while grabbing her cape again.  "Fine design and function."  She paused in thought, then gave a quick nod to herself in assention.  She probably wouldn't find anything at all better for the time being.  "How much?" she inquired, turning back to him.

[Stygian]

The bull grunted and folded his massive arms across his chest.
   'That one will set you back five hundred bucks, but it's well worth it. You might find it hard to find an enchanter who's ready to fix it for you though, but if you need something replaced a lot of dealers fix MarCo stuff pretty cheap nowadays,' he said, leaning against one concrete wall.

- -

It took a while, long enough that Cog began to doubt that she would even come, while he stood there holding the shovel, tense as a spring and ready to strike. Twice, someone walked by and he almost swung, but the absence of red alerted him. And then there she was.
   The shovel was a rather clumsy weapon, odd and unbalanced unlike his sword, but Cog's swing arm was something mean and the little thing didn't weigh much. It traveled in a perfect arc around with the flat side against that fiery ruffle of hair, and then he felt a heavy strike and a firm and short sound that confirmed the hit. The figure next to him staggered.
   It was only when the shovel was kicked out of his hands that he realized that she had not in fact gone down. She had shielded her face with her hand the very last moment, it seemed, and caught herself very quickly. Immediately, the wolf let go of his grip on the shovel as she threw it, and whipped his hand to his sword hilt, expecting to use the opening for a quick victory. But even though his execution was perfect, the blade out in a flash that was hard to see with the naked eye, he did not strike home. Instead, there was a sharp metallic strike as his blade was blocked. Reflexively, he drew back and flashed out in another strike. And he was blocked again, and pushed back against the wall. Strength, shock and astonishment held him in place.
   The woman was only a bit shorter than he was, perhaps three inches, and one of the oddest creatures he'd ever seen. Set in a heart-shaped but strong and beautiful, very lightly furred face, two large gleaming black eyes with red irises faced him, surrounded by six considerably smaller ones, slightly shaded by her red bangs. A pair of fangs showed slightly over her rose lips. Her somewhat muscled arms were tense as she held him pinned with a pair of knives halfway large enough to be called machetes. And under her open cloak and shirt, he could see what had to be pads, and more knives in her belt. She looked at him intensely, yet strangely with neither of the anger at being attacked nor the cold murderous intent that he had expected. It seemed more like she was... focused on something.
   Then, very suddenly, she backed up, Cog's soles fully touching the ground again, and stuck the knives back in under her cloak. Then, slowly, she raised her arms, standing still and looking straight at him.

- -

Finally, with a sigh, Stygian slapped his hands on his knees and straightened. He turned toward Mel.
   'I know how good your memory is. And since you are probably all unknown to them, I'd like you to go in first. Alone. Can you do that for me?' he asked, his voice slightly tinged with concern.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel nodded, "I should be able to get something." She looked thoughtful, then strolled around the end of a case of books. Down the far side strode a pudgy beagle in a poorly fit blue suit and carrying a clipboard. Long ears rippling as she moved with a loud, clumping gait the glum faced canine crossed the street precisely between the crosswalk markings and down to the back door of the club. She didn't go directly to the door but stopped in front of the garbage containers. The beagle counted them, twice, managing to look even more glum. She wrote something on the papers attached to the clipboard before addressing the scowling bouncer. "Officer Joy, Department of Health and Sanitation. I am here to audit the results of your previous inspection," she intoned while flashing a badge produced from a baggy jacket pocket. Before he could comment she questioned, "Are these all your garbage receptacles? An establishment of this size should have a minimum of five garbage receptacles." She made a tsking sound as more marks were applied to the papers. "I will start with the kitchen and work outwards. Please inform the proprietor that as this is an audit I will not need his or her presence but I will need access to the copies of the paperwork and certificates of the previous inspection." She stepped up to the door and the bouncer with the confidence of a petty official doing her job.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog's eyes were wide in shock, one eyebrow clearly visible over his shades. Whoever this girl was, she was damn good - three strikes from Cog, and she hadn't even taken a scratch. And there weren't many at all who could see his strikes, let alone block them.
As he feet touched back to the ground and the woman backed away, putting her knives away and her hands up, Cog let his sword rest at his side in a low stance. It was a deceptively weak-looking position, and Cog respected her enough not to simply resheathe the blade. In his other hand, he fingered a small tooth that he'd attached to a chain around his wrist. It was ice cold, despite the warmth of Cog's hands.
He stared silently at the woman for a moment, waiting for her to speak. She remained silent. "Cogidubnus Mithlome, at your service." Cog said, inclining his head at the woman. He regarded her coolly for a second. "I would be much obliged to know why you are following me. Now was not a particularly smart time to do so."

[Boog]

Richard rolled his eyes at the jackals comment, As if Stygian was the only one to worry about. Honestly. He sat back down on the couch and reached for the thing of oysters he'd set down earlier. It was gonna be a long night.

[Sunblink]

In-between excitedly hovering over Stygian's shoulder (at least as well as one of her diminutive height could manage), Keaton's ears pivoted upright as she heard the chiropteran indulge the whereabouts of Richard's home. A sly smirk of wicked satisfaction crept over her muzzle.

"Now that's more like it," she said, dropping herself back onto her heels and walking towards the door. Mentally, she documented every word included in Stygian's directions, hoping hat she would recall everything he mentioned. "I'll be back before you know it with everything you need."

And with that she opened the door and exited.

~Keaton the Black Jackal