Callum descretely places a 250 strip bet on Reiko. No need to draw attention, and dilute the odds. He returns, and noticing prying eyes, attempts to surreptitiously direct Rabbit's attention across the ring toward the pair of fellows who appear to be watching them. "Friends of yours?"
In the Ring
Steams is a massive opponent, possibly the biggest man in the room. And just as the order to fight is given you wonder if this was rigged. As you offer him the chance to play the part of the gentleman, he grins past his ridiculously large cigar… which causes a wave of whitish smoke to rise out of his mouth. Maybe why they call him Steams? Wait? Is he gonna try to fight with that cigar in his mouth?
He has the look of a natural athlete. Big. Strong. But not slow. His buzzed head has a massive square jaw and a neck that actually flares out towards his giant chest. His arm are bigger round than your thighs and end in two meaty fists. As you scan his body for anything you can use against him, all you come up with is a tattoo on his forward shoulder of a hammer smashing a dragon's head, splattering blood in the shape of the words '73rd Infantry' below.
He's predictable as he begins to move toward you, but years of training kick in, and you surprise him with your speed.
Outside the Ring
"Friends of yours?"
Rabbit looks past the two fighters, noting the men watching him. "Not that I know. The contact is supposed to single me out, so if that's them they'll come to me."
As if they were waiting for a cue, the men begin to make their way around the ring, having to fight their way through the crowd. The lead one is tall and rangy with nearly black hair and dark skin with the look of a trained fighter. The second, smaller man's eyes are constantly on the move in a nervous way, and he keeps his hands buried in his deep coat pockets.
When they stop at your table, they make a poor show of watching the fight as the tall one speaks in a slow, rolling Karstaan accent. "Mr. Giles. Mr. Rhens. I believe we have some business to discuss." He gestures with his head towards the back of the warehouse, beyond the game night partying. "In private?"
Rabbit is quick to smile, grabbing his umbrella as he stands, "Sure, of course. Lead the way."
The tall one leads you through the crowd and back into the darkness of the presses, the nervous one taking up the tail position. As you move into the darkness, and the roar of the rain and the presses once again dominate the air, Rabbit makes a show of lighting a self-rolled cigarette, leaning over to offer you one - though you both know you don't smoke the things. In the brief flare of his match-stick you see him give you a look. Something's not right.
Again the tall man speaks, "So. What information did you two come here to get tonight?"
Rabbit cocks his head to the side, obviously confused, but doesn't say anything.
In the Ring...
Reiko tries to recall if she ever fought against the 73rd. Neither the name nor the tattoo are familiar. She watches the big man approach debating the right tactic. He's probably called Steams because he hits like a freight train. God, please don't let him be a trained martial artist...
Reiko sweeps in low, throwing a light punch at the nerve cluster in his thigh, trying to hobble the giant. 'Big' is irrelevant to a man on his knees.
MOVE:
STANDARD:
HIT:
DAM:
In the ring
Steams shows his surprising speed, easily dodging by the quick jab. He responds with a wicked body-shot, obviously hoping to beat her quickly, which you catch with your own arm. The shot reverberates through your torso.
The crowd roars as one of the local favorites goes to town on the crazy Tzin woman.
In the Ring...
Reiko winces slightly, Yep - a freight train alright.
She was hoping to save some of her tricks for later rounds, but that seems to be a fading hope. She scans the crowd, seeing the dislike in so many eyes. Do I need to appear weaker or stronger to increase their betting against me? Maybe just increase their ire?
She regards her opponent, "The 73rd, huh? You should have that tat on your ass - we only saw you boys running away, as I recall. Let's DO this, big man."
Reiko steps inside his guard, joins her hands together and drives them upward towards his jaw and then steps away to gauge the damage done.
SWIFT:
STANDARD:
HIT:
DAM:
FREE:
FREE:
In the Ring
The shot rocks Steams back onto his heels, and simultaneously forces his teeth to bite his cigar in half. As he spits out the blood-covered butt, his small eyes focus back on you. He roars out, "B!TCH! THE 73RD RAN FROM NO-ONE!"
Your shot must have jarred him good because his follow up haymaker is easily ducked.
In the Ring...
Now it's time to work the audience up a bit...
Reiko is so busy trying to figure out how to outrage the audience, she mis-steps and throws an unforgivably clumsy punch.
FOOL! Keep your mind on the battle, leave the money-making to Rabbit!
STANDARD:
HIT:
DAM:
In the Ring
Again he throws another violent fist, but again Reiko calmly sidesteps it. The crowd is now getting into it, every step and swing spurred on by a roar of excitement.
Reiko still at 15/23 hp - 0 injury.
In the Ring...
Reiko smiles as sweetly as she is able, staring down 200 lbs of fighter. She says blithely, "You guys never ran? Well, maybe it was the 72nd or 23rd that ran... I don't know, it seems like so many of your units practiced sprinting more than combat."
Reiko steps in again and delivers an elbow to the side of the giant's head, trying to put him out of the fight.
STANDARD:
HIT:
DAM:
Again the tall man speaks, "So. What information did you two come here to get tonight?"
Rabbit cocks his head to the side, obviously confused, but doesn't say anything.
Callum takes a few casual steps away from Rabbit, and address the taller man. "What an odd question. If I knew the what the information was that I came for, I wouldn't have needed to come for it, now would I? I suppose that I should instead be asking what iformation you came to give me, yes?"
Something is very wrong here. I'd better stall until I know what they want.
In the Ring
Steams' head snaps to the side, his eyes going blank instantly. Legs and arms go jelly as he crashes to the floor, blood from his face spraying the already blood-spattered newspapers. There is a full second of near silence - the rain, presses, and thunder finally being heard in the ring - then Reiko is the focus of a defeaning mix of boos, shouts, and even cat-calls as it rains now-useless betting slips into the ring.
Three big men step in, two escorting Reiko to a roped off section in the back while the third tries to drag the unconscious Steams from the ring. Nasally-voice announces the next fight. Some red-headed pale guy faces off against the tall Appawo, but the crowd rushes in to block your view from the ring. Even the sounds of the fight are unheard over the cheers and jeers.
As Reiko sits on the rickety chair in the corner, being watched by a thug who obviously would rather be watching the fight, she takes a look around for Rabbit and Callum. They are nowhere to be seen.
Reiko sits on the rickety chair and absently wipes Steam's blood off her elbow. She rests, conserving her energy.
The tall man draws his overcoat away from his hip, revealing his firearm in a significant way. With a meaningful look he continues in his Karstaan drawl, "I did not come here to have to repeat myself, Mr. R--"
The nervous one cuts him off, his voice high with an Assali accent, "Mr. Giles, since your friend seems to be in the dark here, we'll address you. The IssLaani man you came to meet. What information was he to give? We know enough to know it was information worth some value, and it will be unpleasant for you if you're not forthcoming."
Rabbit taps his umbrella on the slick cobblestones once before responding, "Well, now. I do believe there's been some kind of misunderstandin', boys. We just --" Instantly you know it was the wrong way for Rabbit to start, and the tall one goes for his gun.
Rabbit, quick as ever, snaps the hidden blade out of his umbrella, slashing out a thrust made clumsy by the slick cobblestones.
Damn, Rabbit's gonna get me killed one day. Just not today.
As Rabbit bares steel against the shorter man, Callum draws his arm up from the empty holster, finger pointed like a pistol at the taller of the two.
"Bang. You're dead." Callum's pointed hand opens, and a holdout pistol suddenly appears in his grip, fire and smoke erupting from the barrel.
The courtyard lights up with muzzle flashes.
Your speed takes the Tall Man by surprise, and your aim is true. The bullet explodes towards his body, and only his overcoat (which you now realize is lightly armored on the inside ) keeps it from being a more serious wound. He's thrown off-balance by your attack, and his own return fire goes wide, the round ricocheting off the brick wall behind you.
"Good shot, Captain!" Rabbit cries out.
The Nervous Man's blades come out like a viper's fangs, and the little light of the hallway behind him flashes off the blades as they seek Rabbit's heart. Rabbit only just gets his rapier up in time to deflect the blades, inches from finding flesh. Rabbit growls out a few Lassaizan curses before throwing a vicious attack at the man's face, which turns out to be a feint as the blade dips below the man's defenses, finding purchase in his clothes.
Initiative: Rabbit, Callum, Nervous Man, Tall Man
(Bolded indicates who's up, in this case, you)
No change to the map.
There were the strange incidents in your shared lab where the lanterns would suddenly pop. Or open flames would suddenly and inexplicably blossom into a roaring, fuelless fire, then dip back to normal. At first the two of you thought it was in issue with the room or a gas-line, but everything checked out. Nanette thought maybe her alchemical mixtures had been off, but double-checking proved her work was flawless. No explanation could be found, and time after time you had to file reports to the University finding some excuse for the accidents.
Then, a month ago there was the surprise mandatory physicals offered by the unknown nurse to all final-year students. Her assistant was a short nervous man who always seemed to be watching you when you caught sight of him.
Then, just a week ago was the followup psych evaluation that was required for all medical students. It was run by the same nervous assistant, and the questions were highly intrusive and bizarre. Not to mention the fact that you received no results from either test.
That night was when you had each received the first note, which you found under your pillows when you returned to your rooms that night. Your door and window locks seemed untampered with - something Simon was very thorough in checking - and yet there it was. Two notes (obviously torn from the same piece of paper) with the same note written in the same hand.
It read:
- You are in danger. The Thorns are after you. We will help.
That's it. No name. You would have called it a prank if you had any friends remaining at the university… the few you had between you having graduated or left.
After two paranoid days, when you're pretty sure a few dirty IssLaani men were following you, two more notes came. Again, they were the same note, in the same hand, torn from one piece of paper, but with no name.
- You must meet us tonight. If you can do so inconspicuously, come armed. We will meet you there. Keep your eyes open and watch out for Thorns.
It was only a few hours later that Nanette was summoned. She was to report to the University's clinic one more time to meet with the same nervous man. The summons was delivered by Nanette's Advanced Medicinal Alchemy professor, an older gentleman who had always had a soft spot for one of his most promising students.
"Listen," he'd said as he looked both ways to ensure your privacy, "I don't know what this is about. But something about that man concerns me. Is there anything I can do here?"
Not knowing what was going on, but also not wanting to violate the note's instructions, Nanette had smiled and thanked the professor, ensuring everything was fine.
The two of you left immediately thereafter. Not knowing what to take, you had grabbed only what you thought might be immediately helpful and made your way off campus. The afternoon had been uneventful except for the breaking of the horrendous spring thunderstorm that had blown in from the south. Then you had made your way to the note's address in the cover of the dark and rain to this place.
The Paper Street Printing Press in the Stacks on the west side of the river.
The two of you lock gazes, and you realize you've both been thinking back on the last couple of strange weeks. It lasts only a moment, though, and your eyes are torn back to your surroundings.
You sit with your back to row upon row of printing presses, very loudly churning out stacks of tomorrow's papers. You avoid looking at the headline again.
RIVERSIDE RIPPER CLAIMS NINTH VICTIM.
The story had been circulating in the newspapers for months. Horrible re-tellings of young women found dead in the labyrinth of the Riverside District. Dead, half-naked, ravaged, bloody, and apparently gnawed on. You try to force aside the gruesome thoughts to keep your senses on the here and now.
All sorts of Rynmoth's folk - from high class Lassaizan to Rynnish working class to even some out-of-towners - have gathered in this giant warehouse on a horribly stormy night to drink, gamble, and fight.. or at least gamble on the fights. Basically they've come to blow off some steam in some illegal manner. Not for the first time you see a dolled-up woman plying her trade on the many men who came here to be entertained. And not for the first time you've seen those women lead those men off into the dark rows of presses.. in search of a place to earn a buck.
You had only been sitting here for about an hour when one of those same two IssLaani men came to sit at your table. He immediately tried to calm your alarm by re-writing you the two notes he'd left, word for word, and the handwriting matched. He had spent the better part of another hour grilling you on the weeks working up to today. Who you'd talked to. What you'd experienced. The examinations. The strange man. The summons.
In his strange, clipped, IssLaani accent he'd finished, "Okay. I don't have time to explain everything, but you are still in danger. The Thorns will not stop until they have what they want." His eyes linger on Nanette, leaving no doubt what they want. "We must wait for my partner. He is to make contact with someone who will help you leave town. Though it makes me wary that I have not seen him tonight."
It is halfway through the first of the main fights of the night that he finally points out two men to you. One is a tall, well-dressed (if soaked) Lassaizan man who sits with the second - a short but rangy young man in fine if ill-fitting clothes with an umbrella across his lap and a black bowler hat with a red feather in the band. on the table in front of them is a beautiful two-handed Tzin sword, of all things. Your IssLaani companion pulls out a piece of paper with a hand-rendering of the two men. "Those are our contacts." His eyes sweep around them with concern. "My partner should be here." His voice carries an undertone of agitation. He seems about to get up when you notice another man moving through the crowd.
His movements are what catch your eye, but when he turns to nervously look around the crowd you recognize him. It's the strange nervous man who summoned Nanette.
How can he know we're here?!
The nervous-looking man follows a taller, dark-haired man over to the man with the red feather in his hat. They exchange a few words, then all four get up and move away from the ring and into the dark of the presses.. moving towards the back of the warehouse.
Your IssLaani companion lets out a hiss, "This is not good." His gray eyes meet yours, and in them you see fear and anger.
So you sit waiting for another few minutes, the IssLaani impatiently looking for his partner. Then you hear it. Barely over the sound of the presses and the crowd.
Gunshots. From the direction the four men went.
Seeing an advantage, the Tall Man rushes you, flipping the gun in his hand so the grip is a club, and swings it wildly at your head. You easily dodge back.
The exchange between Rabbit and the Nervous man continues. The Nervous Man's swings are weak after Rabbit's last strike, though one nearly finds its mark once again. Rabbit follows up with another stab towards his body. This one lands solidly, skewering the Nervous man, and he slides backwards to slump down on his back in the rain. A pink tint grows in the rainwater under his body.
Rabbit spins, his usual joking grin turned wicked, "One down. Captain, I believe the next one's yours?"
Map update
Initiative: Rabbit, Callum, Tall Man.
As they sit at the table with their new IssLaani companion, Nanette and Simon exchange quite a few looks, reverting to the nonverbal communication they developed over the years in the orphanage. It's clear to them that their situation is far beyond anything they expected - far beyond anything they have ever experienced. Emotion after emotion flashes across their faces: Nanette shows fear, curiosity, and confusion; Simon exhibits anxiety, anger, and frustration.
When Simon sees the nervous "assistant" that's been tormenting them, he quietly points him out to Nanette.
Just as Nanette starts to tell the IssLaani that they should go out and see what their contacts are doing with him, they hear the gunshots ring out.
Immediately Simon moves in front of Nanette, his hands moving toward his belt.
Nanette stands as well, and says "We need to go out there. Your contacts might need help - and maybe we can get some info out of that man."
Simon starts in the direction of the door, turning to be sure that the IssLaani is going to come along...
With a final look back at the IssLaani, Simon and Nanette head in the direction of the gunfire, with Simon going first.
Quickly noting that the sound seems to have gone largely unnoticed by the noisy bar crowd, the two move at a fairly quick walk... .
Rabbit takes the opportunity to slide around behind the Tall man, using you as a distraction to make a stab at the man's kidney. The thin blade once again passes into his clothes, his armored coat keeping him alive… barely.
Map Update
Round 5. Initiative: Rabbit, Callum, Tall Man
With one quick look to make sure you're not being followed, Simon opens the door and walks through first followed quickly by Nanette and your IssLaani companion. The light of the long ten-foot-wide hallway is bright to your eyes after the darkness of the large press room, but they adjust quickly. The hall ends with a door that lets out into the night, and you think you can hear the sounds of scuffling or fighting coming from what looks like a courtyard beyond.
As you move towards the door, you can make out the boot of a man who is apparently lying in the rain just outside.
As soon as they see the boot, Simon puts up his had to stop Nanette and the IssLaani. Making sure that they understand that they are to stay back, Simon sneaks up to get a better look.
Reiko waits for the current bout to end, curious to catch sight of the victor and hoping that whoever emerges is barely capable of standing. If these boys weaken each other enough, my chances improve.
Rabbit, quick as ever, is on top of the man before he can get up, his rapier flashing once more, pinning the man to the ground. Rabbit's aim was viciously accurate, and you can see he has maybe seconds to live, the mud beneath him turning a bright red as it mixes with rainwater and life-blood.
Lightning lights up the sky and Rabbit is looking up from the dead Tall Man as he withdraws his blade. "What the hell do you think that was about? I mean, other than these guys obviously not bein' my contact."
You peek around the door frame.
Your eyes, straining into the still-raining night, struggle to find the source of the sounds of a struggle. One final gun-shot goes off. You think fired by the well-dressed Lassaian man. The Tall Man somehow avoids the bullet and makes a break for it towards a locked gate just visible across the courtyard, and you watch as he loses his footing in some dark mud, tumbling to the ground. The short rangy fellow - the one with the red feather in his hat - makes pursuit and very efficiently pins the Tall Man to the ground with a thin blade that extends from what looks like an umbrella handle.
Lightning lights up the sky and Red Feather looks up at the Lassaian as he withdraws his blade. "What the hell do you think that was about? I mean, other than these guys obviously not bein' my contact."
Back to Reiko, at the Fighting…
You watch as the fifth fight since yours finishes up. You can't really see what's going on, but you can see as the fighters exit after each fight. Apparently everyone is in it for the money because no loser leaves conscious. Every victor leaves in various states, from barely standing to nearly untouched. The real kicker for you had been at the ending of the second fight, when you watched the victor leave.
It was Filippe, from the dueling gym across the river. You didn't know him well, but you did know him. In fact, you had sparred with him on occasion with practice blades. He was fast, dangerously fast. Fast enough that he had earned the nickname "The Weasel". You, however, had heard that the nickname had actually been given for his penchant for cheating, and Rabbit's paper comes to mind.
Third name on his list you have hidden in your undergarments:
- The Weasel. Fast. Fast. Fast. Strikes quickly and accurately. Also, CHEATER!
The bouncer brings you out of your reverie and points a thumb to the ring. "Yer up, b!tch. Do us all a favor and lose arready."
He marches you to the ring, surprising you by actually keepign people from trying to get in your way. Sure enough, Filippe 'la belette' awaits you, and he's shaking his head as you enter. On his thin face is an unbelieving smile. "Oh, my foreign friend," he says in Lassaian, "but it is good to see you. Shall we once again dance?"
In the Ring...
Reiko smiles and nods, "Good to see you, Filippe. Aren't you on the wrong side of the river?" She doesn't really need Rabbit's note in this case - she's seen Weasel fight with a blade and his grey tactics. "I'd offer you a chance to bow out but I know you wouldn't take it... so let's see who is better without a blade today. En garde!"
While weasel is deadly fast, he seems a little slower off the mark than usual and Reiko quickly steps in and launches a snap kick at his stomach.
FREE:
SWIFT:
STANDARD:
HIT:
DAM:
MOVE:
In the Ring
The Weasel is barely able to get a block up for the kick, and the shock of it throws him off-balance. His next move would have been a surprise but for your fore-knowledge of his antics. You are able to read his body language, and he projects his next attack a little too much. He drives a thumb at your eye, trying to temporarily blind you.
Reiko sees the thumb coming at her eye and tries to smash his elbow to deflect the blow.
AoO:
HIT:
DAM:
In the Ring
Reiko side-steps the Weasel's attack even before he can really launch it, steps in and uses his own momentum against him. Her elbow crashes into his mouth, and a sickening crack is heard as teeth, spit and blood fly in the opposite direction as the rest him.
His attack towards Reiko's eye becomes a soft flailing as the man stumbles past her and crashes to his knees. He sits there, obviously dazed.. shaking his head, and as he tries to rise he blacks out. As he fall to the mat at the crowds' feet, another tooth falls lazily to the mat next to his face.
She has spent less than 12 seconds in the ring before she is once again showered by the white rain of now-useless betting slips. The crowd begins to turn on her, and there are a few tense seconds when she thinks she's about to have to fight her way out. The same rude bouncer, however, forces his way through, grabs her by the arm and pushes an opening through the crowd. Once or twice it's necessary for him to knock someone back as they try to step in on Reiko.
She's literaly bringing the place down around her. Instead of taking her back to the rickety chair in the corner, however, the brute of a man pulls her along towards the room where she changed clothes. As your concern rises, he looks back in annoyance, "This is to keep the crowd under control. Gotta keep you outta sight if yer gonna keep on fightin' tonight." You can tell he'd rather let the crowd at you.
And so you find yourself back in Hobb's changing room, once again listening to the sounds of the presses and rain.
Once she's alone in the changing room, Reiko lets out the breath she's been holding since the match started. I'm not sure if I should be more concerned about the fight or the crowd. Not for the 10th time, Reiko wishes she had her blade in hand... and maybe her hat.
While she doesn't appreciate the bouncer's manhandling or attitude, at least the man was doing his job. After a moment of reflection, she chooses not to antagonize him regardless of what he says.
Reiko discreetly pulls the list from her underwear and reviews the names and information. Hopefully, one of these bastards has a glass jaw.
After verifying that the nervous man is dead, Simon watches the rest of the scene intently, trying to memorize the faces and dress of the two who survived the fight.
Once he's confident that he'd recognize them again, he realizes that the two will probably go back into the club - which will bring them right to where his companions are hiding. He slips back to Nanette and the IssLaani and pulls them back toward the club. As they walk, he relates what he saw, and describes the two survivors to the IssLaani.
As he's whispering to them, his thoughts are racing. This is quickly getting out of control. Would we have been better off taking our chances back at school?
Callum puts pressure on the tall man's wound, and uses the fellow's shirt for a makeshift bandage.
"Who sent you?!? What do you want with us? Tell me, and I might consider letting you live!"
Then he goes still.
Rabbit watches over his shoulder as he wipes the man's blood from his thin blade, slides it home inside the umbrella shaft, then pops open the umbrella, lessening the amount of rain falling on himself.
As Callum stands up away from the dying Tall Man, Rabbit gives him a look and crouches down, rifling through his coat and pockets. "Now I know you fancy yerself a right proper gentleman, Captain Rhens, but would you mind going and having a looksie at what the other fella has on'im? I'm more than a little curious to know what this was all about."
After a minute or two of quiet searching, he yells over the rain, "A gun, a knife, and a handful of cash. No identification papers. Other than that… nothin'. Well, unless you call a 'v' tattoo somethin'."
Sticking out from behind a few fallen stacks of soaked papers you can just see a hand.
When you turn to leave the IssLaani doesn't follow, instead whispering, "You say the one with the red feather still lives?" When you nod your head he continues, "This is the contact. ShoPi and I were to make a deal with that man. I think it in your best interest if we meet. It's not ideal, but things are getting out of hand quickly." He sees your hesitation. "You are of course welcome to leave, but if the one who has been following you does not report in to the Thorns, they will simply send more until you are collected. I must still find out what happened to ShoPi." There is a pause, then he realizes his error. "ShoPi is my partner tonight. He was supposed to make contact with the man with the red feather, then bring him to us."
Callum searches the nervous man's clothes for anything odd. His eyes track back to the "V" shaped pin. He pockets it for study later.
What would a Karstaad assassin want with me? And what is that mark?"
"You always run with the most interesting people, Rabbit..."
Simon stops and regards the IssLaani. Taking a quick glimpse to see Nanette's reaction, he says, "He's the contact? Then I guess we should meet him."
Simon takes Nanette's hand to make sure she stays near him, and they turn and head back out toward the men. To the IssLaani, he says, "They're expecting you - you go first."
As he's talking, Simon's mind is whirring. I hope that hand doesn't belong to ShoPi. This man is right - things are getting out of hand.