'Strolled' was more like 'pushed through the crowd as gently as possible', giving the docker time to notice her approach, and Grimsley smiled sardonically at Aziel. "Hey, it's the gunslinger girl. How's it goin', Aziel?" He plucked one of Aziel's cigarettes and pulled out a box of matches. "Thanks. Some joker splashed a bunch of us with water- appeared right out of thin air. Got all my smokes wet." He rattled the box. "Matches are alright, though."
The docker organizer took one out, struck it off his thumb, and held it out to light Aziel's cigarette, then his own. He took a pleased puff before answering. "It's always work for me, even when I'm playing the poet." He nodded in the direction of the checkpoint. "You come out here to see old Aodhan, too?"
"Ah no, I am here to watch the people!" Aziel laughed, flipping her cigarette hand at the crowd in a carefree gesture. She sipped a bit of smoke and smiled at him. "When else can you see so many together without a brawl, is it not true?"
She cocked her head at him, tucking a stray bit of dark hair behind her ear. "Who was this fool who sprayed you with water? A wizard? If he did it to me, I would push him into the harbor," she said with mock outrage, then broke into a grin. "Or maybe he thought you needed a bath, non? He was a fancy noble, did not like the smell of honest work? Will the next performance by dockers be with them all soaking wet?"
Anthony watches each of his Unit start to interact with people they likely considered trouble, though exactly why he hadn't noticed until now. Then Shane points out someone in particular that appeared to be in a hurry and Anthony was immediately on high alert. The large man Shane had stopped to speak too was not being very subtle at all, so Anthony's eyes began looking for those that might be more so, trying to pick up hints or details that wouldn't normally fit the regular crowd goer, or even hints of concealed weapons or the like.
"Where you going in such a hurry?"
People! he thought in disgust.
Ralf briefly flipped his sash over, flashing the badge pinned to the underside."Official RHC business. Stand down, step aside," he said authoritatively. After another glance over the Docker's shoulder, he locked the man's eyes with a steely glare.
The man caught himself and put out a hand to steady the pretty elf woman. "Uh, no. I'm fine. I'm, uh, meeting somebody, though. Are you alright?" Jaelynn could tell by the man's lack of reaction that her spell hadn't taken hold.
Jaelynn let out the breath she'd been holding in a rush - which caused something of an eye-catching display, given the number of buttons her blouse had open. She used the display to hide what her fingers were doing as she tried once more to use magic to aid her other charms.
"I think," she said, falling into the man, "that I may have hurt my ankle in the collision. These silly heels! I'm not sure I can walk unaided. If... If you really have to meet someone else, can you at least escort me to the bridge? My invitation -" she waved at a tightly rolled scroll peeking out of her belt, "It should get us to the front of the line, and through the checkpoint without having to wait in the crowd. So at least I can thank you for your help by making sure you get through to see the king's speech. Please?"
Leaning against the man's chest, looking up at him with wide eyes, and playing every bit of the well-meaning damsel in distress, Jaelynn bit her lip, and did her best to look as though she were fighting back tears.
Even without magic, she thought, this should be working.
-----
"Ah no, I am here to watch the people!" Aziel laughed, flipping her cigarette hand at the crowd in a carefree gesture. She sipped a bit of smoke and smiled at him. "When else can you see so many together without a brawl, is it not true?"
She cocked her head at him, tucking a stray bit of dark hair behind her ear. "Who was this fool who sprayed you with water? A wizard? If he did it to me, I would push him into the harbor," she said with mock outrage, then broke into a grin. "Or maybe he thought you needed a bath, non? He was a fancy noble, did not like the smell of honest work? Will the next performance by dockers be with them all soaking wet?"
Grimsley rolled his eyes and puffed on Aziel's cigarette. "Some magic idiot who thought it would be funny. Who knows?" He pointed with his cigarette hand at Aziel. "And I think that's been done. 'Water as metaphor for how the bosses are drowning the workers,' something like that." The older man shook his head, his expression wry. "Performance art... nothing new under the sun."
Aziel caught Grimsley looking over her shoulder, scanning the crowd as if he was looking for someone.
-----
Finally, Shane turns his gaze directly on the docker, studying him with obvious interest. Let's see if this Ned will make eye contact, he thought. Then he reached out and tapped the man's shoulder and said, "I'll bet a fellow with a beat-up face and carrying a knife to a speech by the king must have a fascinating story to tell. Care to share it or shall we talk down at the station?" Ready action to attempt to grapple him if he tries to withdraw.
The man jerked in surprise when Shane touched him. "I, uh, ran into a door." He shook his head and touched the hilt of his dagger when Shane mentioned it. "No, it's just, uh, you know. Normal stuff." Then he sighed and shook his head, glancing at the policemen surrounding Shane.
"Dammit." The docker looked resigned to being arrested, though the milling crowd near the barricade was jostling him a little.
-----
Ralf briefly flipped his sash over, flashing the badge pinned to the underside."Official RHC business. Stand down, step aside," he said authoritatively. After another glance over the Docker's shoulder, he locked the man's eyes with a steely glare.
The docker quailed from Ralf's display of authority. "Uh, sorry, sir. Go on ahead." He moved out of the way, shoving a couple of other people in his haste to let Ralf by.
-----
Jaelynn let out the breath she'd been holding in a rush - which caused something of an eye-catching display, given the number of buttons her blouse had open. She used the display to hide what her fingers were doing as she tried once more to use magic to aid her other charms.
"I think," she said, falling into the man, "that I may have hurt my ankle in the collision. These silly heels! I'm not sure I can walk unaided. If... If you really have to meet someone else, can you at least escort me to the bridge? My invitation -" she waved at a tightly rolled scroll peeking out of her belt, "It should get us to the front of the line, and through the checkpoint without having to wait in the crowd. So at least I can thank you for your help by making sure you get through to see the king's speech. Please?"
Leaning against the man's chest, looking up at him with wide eyes, and playing every bit of the well-meaning damsel in distress, Jaelynn bit her lip, and did her best to look as though she were fighting back tears.
Jaelynn could tell as the spell took hold. The man smiled at her and nodded. "Sure! I'm going to the bridge, anyway. And you say you can get me across? That would be great!" He held out his arm for her to take, trying hard to be dashing and ruining it with his eagerness. "Shall we?"
-----
Neither Anthony nor Kostya noticed anything else particularly dangerous looking as they continued to scan the crowd, though as time wore on the mass of people was getting more anxious to be let across the bridge. And only a fraction of them were going to be allowed across.
Grimsley rolled his eyes and puffed on Aziel's cigarette. "Some magic idiot who thought it would be funny. Who knows?" He pointed with his cigarette hand at Aziel. "And I think that's been done. 'Water as metaphor for how the bosses are drowning the workers,' something like that." The older man shook his head, his expression wry. "Performance art... nothing new under the sun."
Aziel caught Grimsley looking over her shoulder, scanning the crowd as if he was looking for someone.
"Ah, my charms have faded when I cannot keep a man's attention," Aziel sighed with mournful humor, the back of a melodramatic hand at her forehead. "Who is she, this one that you are looking for? Or maybe it is only your wet friends?" Her words were light, and she turned to scan the crowd herself, looking for anyone interested in, or heading toward, Grimsley. "Maybe I will help you find them, oui?"
Ralf pushed on into the crowd, trying to ignore Kostya's voice in his head telling him he "should be thanking man for his cooperation." Perhaps so, but even were it in his nature there was no time for that. He tried to spot the Docker who'd caught his attention, but his short stature severely hindered the effort.
Catching a glimpse of another table off to one side he changed direction, bullying his way over and jumping atop it.
"Hey, watch it!" "Sod off, you tosser!"
Ignoring the insults from the picnickers whose food he'd just trampled, he quickly surveyed the crowd, looking for his quarry.
Jaelynn could tell as the spell took hold. The man smiled at her and nodded. "Sure! I'm going to the bridge, anyway. And you say you can get me across? That would be great!" He held out his arm for her to take, trying hard to be dashing and ruining it with his eagerness. "Shall we?"
Jaelynn seemed not to notice the man's eagerness. With a smile that seemed less to do with the docker's attention, and more with having achieved a goal, she stood up, linked an arm with the man, and began leading him through the crowd, towards the bridge - and the checkpoint.
"So," she said, conversationally, as they walked, "I didn't catch your name, good sir. And you never told me who you're planning to meet." After a pause, Jae remembered to make at least a token effort to keep up the charade. "Not a girlfriend, I hope." She probably didn't do a great job of selling her concern, however, as her eyes were scanning the crowd as they walked, making sure there were no other threats in the immediate vicinity.
Anthony sighs when he spots nothing, not out of frustration but relief. It didn't seem, if there were any dangerous elements, that they were particularly wide spread. Still, the crowd was clearly getting anxious and he began to wonder just how much they had been told. After a few moments to take it into consideration, he hits on an idea. "Shane, you seem to have things handled, I need to speak to the officer in charge. If you need me call and I'll get to you."
Tony turns away from his fellow agent, who seemed to have things well in hand, and then goes up to the nearest copper. His eyes scan over the man for a few moments, hoping to get a an impression of what sort he was, but the constant presence of the crowd behinds him distracts his thoughts and he doesn't think he got anything useful from his normally meticulous scan. "These people seem rather anxious. Announcements have been made that only a small percentage were going to be allowed in right?"
"Ah, my charms have faded when I cannot keep a man's attention," Aziel sighed with mournful humor, the back of a melodramatic hand at her forehead. "Who is she, this one that you are looking for? Or maybe it is only your wet friends?" Her words were light, and she turned to scan the crowd herself, looking for anyone interested in, or heading toward, Grimsley. "Maybe I will help you find them, oui?"
Grimsley frowned, looking hard at Aziel for a second before shaking his head and taking a puff on his cigarette. He leaned in so he didn't have to shout. "I heard there's a couple of knuckleheads who want to make trouble during the speech. I'm trying to head them off. Idiots could set back the whole movement if they do anything really drastic. I know you're not involved in the movement, but I'd owe you if you could help me find them in this mess."
-----
"Hey, watch it!" "Sod off, you tosser!"
Ignoring the insults from the picnickers whose food he'd just trampled, he quickly surveyed the crowd, looking for his quarry.
While manfully ignoring the angry table-sitters, Ralf spotted his quarry. He was a good fifty feet away by now, and there was an ocean of Risuris in between the two of them, but Ralf could tell he was headed for the barricade.
-----
"So," she said, conversationally, as they walked, "I didn't catch your name, good sir. And you never told me who you're planning to meet." After a pause, Jae remembered to make at least a token effort to keep up the charade. "Not a girlfriend, I hope." She probably didn't do a great job of selling her concern, however, as her eyes were scanning the crowd as they walked, making sure there were no other threats in the immediate vicinity.
The man smiled at Jaelynn as they moved through the throng. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Iscalio. Miguel Iscalio, but we, uh, everybody just usually uses last names." He leaned in and grinned, whispering as quietly as he could while still being heard. "Me, Coulton, Mercliffe, and Dafton are gonna make a scene. Protesting the way the dockers've been treated. It's gonna be amazing!" Iscalio sounded proud of their planned protest, like he'd just been waiting to have the opportunity to tell someone.
-----
Tony turns away from his fellow agent, who seemed to have things well in hand, and then goes up to the nearest copper. His eyes scan over the man for a few moments, hoping to get a an impression of what sort he was, but the constant presence of the crowd behinds him distracts his thoughts and he doesn't think he got anything useful from his normally meticulous scan. "These people seem rather anxious. Announcements have been made that only a small percentage were going to be allowed in right?"
The police sergeant- a barrel-chested, big-bellied man with grey muttonchops threatening to become a shaggy beard- nodded at Tony. "Aye, sir. We got callers making the announcement an' runners handing out leaflets now. First seven hundred are getting across, an' that's it." Tony could see a few men in the city's livery standing up on platforms or boxes now, shouting at the crowd around them. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was presumably what he'd just been told.
Grimsley frowned, looking hard at Aziel for a second before shaking his head and taking a puff on his cigarette. He leaned in so he didn't have to shout. "I heard there's a couple of knuckleheads who want to make trouble during the speech. I'm trying to head them off. Idiots could set back the whole movement if they do anything really drastic. I know you're not involved in the movement, but I'd owe you if you could help me find them in this mess."
Aziel nodded in understanding. "It would be a shame to give anyone reason to look at the dockers in a poor light," she agreed, speaking close to his ear to avoid shouting herself. "What would become of your union then? And the true performances, they might not be taken so seriously. Come, we will go to the front. If there are a few unwise men looking to cause problems, that is where they will do it. Do you know who they are?"
Unlooping her tail from where it had been lightly resting around his foot, she began slipping through the crowd, relying on her appearance to get her most of the way around the periphery, and shoving (occasionally with a bit of shouting and hand-waving) to do the rest, while keeping an eye out; once she made it to the barricade, she would hover about the front with Grimsley.
The man jerked in surprise when Shane touched him. "I, uh, ran into a door." He shook his head and touched the hilt of his dagger when Shane mentioned it. "No, it's just, uh, you know. Normal stuff." Then he sighed and shook his head, glancing at the policemen surrounding Shane.
"Dammit." The docker looked resigned to being arrested, though the milling crowd near the barricade was jostling him a little.
Shane gripped the man's upper arm and said, "Hands behind your back." To the policemen behind him, he said, "Cuff him and keep him away from here until after the event." Then loud enough the man could hear, "And try to get a description of the door that did this to him." As the FPD took care of the man, Shane took to scanning the crowd, trying to read the faces of the people witnessing the event to see how they were taking it.
Damn, he thought. Seems like an awful lot of people vying for 100 spots on the platform. He looked for his partners and took to patrolling the perimeter.
"Amria!" Ralf cursed under his breath when he spotted the man.
He started to take up the chase again, but then a thought occurred to him. Still atop the table with a line of sight, he stilled himself and focused on the suspect... first with his eyes, then with his mind.
Immediately following the mental "push," Ralf jumped off the table into the crowd, moving not directly towards where he'd seen the Docker but on an intercept course, hoping to reach him shortly before the checkpoint.
Anthony eyes the criers and then the sergeant he spoke to, for a moment almost certain the man was joking. He couldn't here a word of what they were saying over the crowd and it meant at least a portion of the crowd was in the same straights as him in that regard. Anthony eyes them for a few moments, then looks to the crowd in front of him, and comes up with a quick idea. "Can you spare someone to go around to the criers, get them to speak up a bit if they can? I can't hear a word their saying and I have a feeling it's important the crowd hear this message. Better to be disappointed now, while no one's being let in, then to find out later and all that. Lot less anger that way."
Anthony looks to the Sergeant for confirmation, then heads back to his spot near where they'd be opening up, readying himself for trouble to come when he started.
Anthony takes several moments to study the crowd. Unlike some others he could mention, he knew he himself wasn't that much of a people person. When he was a shopkeeper he had relied on his wits to figure out the right thing to say, rather then just spinning the words for the best outcome. He simply didn't know how to do the latter, but the former? He found it was a lot like a hammer blow when you were making an armor. Wait for the right temp, strike at the right angle and at the right time and you had yourself a good shape. Get any of those off and what you were trying to shape wouldn't work.
The temperature of the crowd was anxious, which wasn't good at all for what he wanted. Getting them excited rather then annoyed would be better but that would require a bit of effort. The shape he wanted was calm order, but that was a pipe-dream and he knew it. The best shape he'd likely get from this mold was accepting resignation and maybe some diverted anger into something else. The time was good. It would be a little while yet before people were going to be let in. And the angle? Well...
Anthony was a big person, so it surprised no one that he had a big voice. He didn't speak as often as others but when he did, his voice drew attention, if only for its size and power. And that was without trying. When he wanted to get someone's attention he found it easy. And even with a crowd like this.
Anthony waits a few moments for the elements in front to quiet down, and then waits a few moments more for word to start moving back a little. He was hoping between his booming voice and his R.H.C. uniform the crowd might actually be willing to listen a little.
Anthony pauses for a moment for any polite chuckles, as well as to catch his breath. He was feeling at least a dozen eyes upon him and hopefully a lot more then that. He shifted just a little, but otherwise did his best to look the professional he was. Suddenly he was quite glad of the uniform he wore. It made him feel a lot less like a scruffy former shopkeeper and former consultant and a lot more like an agent. Didn't make him any more comfortable speaking in public but them's the breaks.
Anthony pauses again. He got his message across, so far, but the temperature still wasn't right yet.
Anthony takes another deep breath and steps back, his eyes watching the crowd to see what sort of effect his words had.
The man smiled at Jaelynn as they moved through the throng. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Iscalio. Miguel Iscalio, but we, uh, everybody just usually uses last names." He leaned in and grinned, whispering as quietly as he could while still being heard. "Me, Coulton, Mercliffe, and Dafton are gonna make a scene. Protesting the way the dockers've been treated. It's gonna be amazing!" Iscalio sounded proud of their planned protest, like he'd just been waiting to have the opportunity to tell someone.
"If 'everybody' calls you Iscalio, I will call you Miguel," Jaelynn said. "Because I hope that I shall be more important in your life than just anybody. I think we shall be fast friends." Jaelynn gave the man a wide smile, and a conspiratorial wink. "And I love surprises! And political theatre! Your plan does sound amazing! I'll bet it was your idea - brave, strong, gallant, and smart, too! You're quite the catch, Miguel. I'm so glad we bumped into each other. Oooh! Can I help you? Please? How about if you and I wait by the gate, and you point out all of your friends to me, and I can bring all of you through together, as my personal escort? A girl likes being surrounded by big, tough men, who stand up for what's right, after all. And heroes like that...well... they need to be properly rewarded." She gave Iscalio's arm a squeeze, and leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.
Aziel nodded in understanding. "It would be a shame to give anyone reason to look at the dockers in a poor light," she agreed, speaking close to his ear to avoid shouting herself. "What would become of your union then? And the true performances, they might not be taken so seriously. Come, we will go to the front. If there are a few unwise men looking to cause problems, that is where they will do it. Do you know who they are?"
Unlooping her tail from where it had been lightly resting around his foot, she began slipping through the crowd, relying on her appearance to get her most of the way around the periphery, and shoving (occasionally with a bit of shouting and hand-waving) to do the rest, while keeping an eye out; once she made it to the barricade, she would hover about the front with Grimsley.
Grimsley nodded. "Aye. Three boys about twenty and one older idiot in his thirties or forties. They don't look anything special. They're gonna be hard to pick out of this crowd. While they weren't anything special, the pair almost immediately saw Shane cuffing someone by the barricade. The older docker at Aziel's side nodded. "That's one. Damn. I'd hoped to get them out of here before they got mixed up with the cops."
As Grimsley slowed down, Aziel noticed another man staring at Shane and the man being arrested by the barricade. He was older, probably in his thirties or forties, and he looked like he'd been in a fight recently. As she watched, he turned and started to head away from the barricades for the nearest street.
-----
He started to take up the chase again, but then a thought occurred to him. Still atop the table with a line of sight, he stilled himself and focused on the suspect... first with his eyes, then with his mind.
Immediately following the mental "push," Ralf jumped off the table into the crowd, moving not directly towards where he'd seen the Docker but on an intercept course, hoping to reach him shortly before the checkpoint.
Ralf could feel it as his power failed to take hold.
He did, though, momentarily spot the man through a fortuitous break in the crowd. The docker was still heading for the barricade.
-----
Shane gripped the man's upper arm and said, "Hands behind your back." To the policemen behind him, he said, "Cuff him and keep him away from here until after the event." Then loud enough the man could hear, "And try to get a description of the door that did this to him." As the FPD took care of the man, Shane took to scanning the crowd, trying to read the faces of the people witnessing the event to see how they were taking it.
The docker complied, almost meek now that he'd been arrested. The pair of FPD officers took the man back to talk to their sergeant about what to do with him. Shane looked around and saw Aziel and an older human pushing through the crowd in his direction.
The crowd nearby was pointing and people were looking over at the docker Shane had just taken into custody.
They seemed curious but the arrest didn't appear to have made anybody angry.
-----
"If 'everybody' calls you Iscalio, I will call you Miguel," Jaelynn said. "Because I hope that I shall be more important in your life than just anybody. I think we shall be fast friends." Jaelynn gave the man a wide smile, and a conspiratorial wink. "And I love surprises! And political theatre! Your plan does sound amazing! I'll bet it was your idea - brave, strong, gallant, and smart, too! You're quite the catch, Miguel. I'm so glad we bumped into each other. Oooh! Can I help you? Please? How about if you and I wait by the gate, and you point out all of your friends to me, and I can bring all of you through together, as my personal escort? A girl likes being surrounded by big, tough men, who stand up for what's right, after all. And heroes like that...well... they need to be properly rewarded." She gave Iscalio's arm a squeeze, and leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.
The man beamed at Jaelynn, proud as a peacock. "That would be great! Yeah, let's just get to the front an' I'll grab the other guys. I'm so glad I met you!"
-----
"Can you spare someone to go around to the criers, get them to speak up a bit if they can? I can't hear a word their saying and I have a feeling it's important the crowd hear this message. Better to be disappointed now, while no one's being let in, then to find out later and all that. Lot less anger that way."
The sergeant looked at Anthony like he was crazy. "Of course you can't hear them! I can barely hear you!" The noise of the crowd made it almost impossible to hear normal conversation at a distance of a few feet, much less shouting at fifty or a hundred feet. But as Anthony turns away, the sergeant shouts an order to one of the men at the eastern checkpoint and one at the western checkpoint and they dive into the crowd.
This leaves the eastern checkpoint with only 1 man holding back the milling crowd from entering the barricade passage to the second checkpoint. He holds out his arms wide in a futile gesture to keep the excited people from just moving around him.
"Good people of Flint, I would have your attention!"
The people closest to Anthony turned toward him, but nobody beyond 10 feet seemed to be able to hear him. Anthony's speech set some mutters starting but most people just nodded. Of course, these people were already in front and were likely to be let onto the bridge.
Anthony sighs and rolls his eyes as he see's that the majority of the people had no idea what he was saying. He was hoping to avoid this second option, but it didn't look like he had a choice. "If you folks in the front would be so kind, pass the information along, and have those behind you do the same? It seems like most people aren't going to hear that news otherwise."
With that said, Anthony waits a moment to see if the Folk he spoke to would be willing to do that, then walks over to where he left the sergeant, joining the man until the other two officers return. With Scrapper following along, Anthony had little trouble being in two places so close together at once. "When the officers you sent get back, I'm going to call one of my fellow agents back, then make my way through the crowd with Scrapper. It'll take a while but we need this information to get out there."
Grimsley nodded. "Aye. Three boys about twenty and one older idiot in his thirties or forties. They don't look anything special. They're gonna be hard to pick out of this crowd. While they weren't anything special, the pair almost immediately saw Shane cuffing someone by the barricade. The older docker at Aziel's side nodded. "That's one. Damn. I'd hoped to get them out of here before they got mixed up with the cops."
As Grimsley slowed down, Aziel noticed another man staring at Shane and the man being arrested by the barricade. He was older, probably in his thirties or forties, and he looked like he'd been in a fight recently. As she watched, he turned and started to head away from the barricades for the nearest street.
Aziel stopped and elbowed Grimsley, jabbing a thumb at the older man escaping. "Is that him? Maybe he is having the second thoughts?"
Amria!
Feeling his probe rebuffed, Ralf continued pushing through the crowd as quickly as he could manage. Must be learning fly spell, he thought.
The man beamed at Jaelynn, proud as a peacock. "That would be great! Yeah, let's just get to the front an' I'll grab the other guys. I'm so glad I met you!"
Jaelynn smiled, "Oh, Miguel," she sighed into his ear, "I don't think you could be nearly as glad I."
As the walked, she gave him just a little more room, keeping one hand on his arm, but with a little bit of space. Ostensibly, this was so that he could make room between members of the crowd. In reality, this also gave Jaelynn room enough to work her magic and have it ready if she saw another member of her Unit, and ensured that Miguel couldn't hear her whispering to the air.
Shane watched as the FPD escorted the man he'd collared away from the barricade, hoping they send some others of their unit back to help with crowd control. Scanning the faces who had witnessed the event, he feared he'd see anger at the arrest, but for most it seemed to mean only that they got one place closer to the entry point.
Shane walked the perimeter slowly, scanning the crowd for other potential problems while making clever banter with the people at the front. He drew on some of the tricks he did when he was posing as a docker. If an attractive woman was with a man, he'd direct a compliment to the man about how lucky he was to be with such a beauty. He'd passed a woman wearing a hat with a model steamship floating on top, warning her to be careful or someone might hit her in the head with a bottle of champagne. He tipped his hat to the older folk, saluted the war vets, etc.
When he got closer to Anthony, he heard him trying to get the crowd to wait patiently. It seemed unlikely to be very effective, but Shane determined he would do what he could to make the same point. He continued his beat along the barricades, now pausing to ask people which of the royals they were most interested in seeing go by in their carriages. He took the chance to remind people that the crowd would not be let in until the honored guests came through.
As he reached the middle of the barricade, where the carriages would pass through, he heard Jaelynn's voice in his ear, something about getting someone to the barricade to point out co-conspirators. Then he caught a flash of red hair framed by a delicate parasol.
Though not quite sure what she was up to, he moved down the center aisle, directing some to step back to give the carriages room. This put him near enough to Jaelynn to see her escorting a young man with a slightly confused grin on his face. Pointing toward her, he gestured that she should leave the crowd and enter the open area in the middle of the street.
He made sure a few others who tried to string along stopped and moved back into the crowd, by which time Jaelynn was close enough to address him. He let her do the talking first, assuming she would give him some idea of what she was up to.
Aziel stopped and elbowed Grimsley, jabbing a thumb at the older man escaping. "Is that him? Maybe he is having the second thoughts?"
Grimsley looked at the man and nodded. "That's Dafton. Looks like he's decided against making a scene. Good for him. Let's go make sure."
Aziel and Grimsley were able to weave their way through the crowd, closing the gap with Dafton as he tried to unobtrusively leave the scene. They were now within 40 feet of the man.
-----
Anthony sighs and rolls his eyes as he see's that the majority of the people had no idea what he was saying. He was hoping to avoid this second option, but it didn't look like he had a choice. "If you folks in the front would be so kind, pass the information along, and have those behind you do the same? It seems like most people aren't going to hear that news otherwise."
With that said, Anthony waits a moment to see if the Folk he spoke to would be willing to do that, then walks over to where he left the sergeant, joining the man until the other two officers return. With Scrapper following along, Anthony had little trouble being in two places so close together at once. "When the officers you sent get back, I'm going to call one of my fellow agents back, then make my way through the crowd with Scrapper. It'll take a while but we need this information to get out there."
A few of the people in front of the crowd seemed willing, and turned around to pass on the message.
The sergeant nodded at Anthony, though he still looked skeptical. "Whatever you say, constable."
-----
Amria!
Feeling his probe rebuffed, Ralf continued pushing through the crowd as quickly as he could manage. Must be learning fly spell, he thought.
Ralf could feel it as his mind insinuated itself into the other man's. He didn't seem to notice that anything had happened, focused as he was on making it to the front of the crowd. But as he stopped to manifest his power, Ralf lost a little more distance on the man.
-----
As the walked, she gave him just a little more room, keeping one hand on his arm, but with a little bit of space. Ostensibly, this was so that he could make room between members of the crowd. In reality, this also gave Jaelynn room enough to work her magic and have it ready if she saw another member of her Unit, and ensured that Miguel couldn't hear her whispering to the air.
The crowd became too thick for them to easily move through, so Jaelynn suggested they use the empty corridor through the middle of the crowd. Iscalio gallantly held the ropes out of Jaelynn's way, then rejoined her on the other side. A policeman quickly came over to shoo them away but backed off when Jaelynn flashed her badge.
Iscalio just nodded at her explanation, not thinking anything of her special invitation giving them special privileges. "This is great!" He smiled at her, clearly enjoying the feeling of being one of the King's special guests.
-----
Though not quite sure what she was up to, he moved down the center aisle, directing some to step back to give the carriages room. This put him near enough to Jaelynn to see her escorting a young man with a slightly confused grin on his face. Pointing toward her, he gestured that she should leave the crowd and enter the open area in the middle of the street.
He made sure a few others who tried to string along stopped and moved back into the crowd, by which time Jaelynn was close enough to address him. He let her do the talking first, assuming she would give him some idea of what she was up to.
Iscalio didn't seem to think anything of Shane shooing other people away or coming up to them. It was clearly a perk of having an invitation. He looked expectantly at Jaelynn for her to present the 'invitation'.
Jaelynn, first looking at Miguel for some 'moral support,' turned her nose up at the slightly disheveled policeman in a different uniform than the FPD. She waved her invitation in the man's face, not even bothering to open it.
"See here," she said, "I have a special invitation to see the king's speech across the bridge. My invitation allows an escort. This brave docker - champion of the oppressed - and his friends are my escort, but were separated in the crowd. You need to get us to a place where he can spot his friends, and point them out to you, so that you can be sure they join us for the gathering. Quickly, please. I would hate for them to get lost in the crowd."
She looked again to Miguel for reassurance that she was properly standing up to the forces of oppression, eyes clearly begging for his approval.
Not wanting Dafton to see her too early, in case he knew she was with the RHC, Aziel said in Grimsley's ear, "Bon. I will go that way, and you call to him when you get close enough for him to hear."
With that, she attempted to blend into the crowd, putting a few citizens between her and her quarry as she took a slightly circuitous route after Dafton, meaning to get ahead of him and cut him off.
A subtle smirk of satisfaction on his face, Ralf leapt off the table and resumed pursuit, still angling to intercept rather than heading directly towards the subject.
"See here," she said, "I have a special invitation to see the king's speech across the bridge. My invitation allows an escort. This brave docker - champion of the oppressed - and his friends are my escort, but were separated in the crowd. You need to get us to a place where he can spot his friends, and point them out to you, so that you can be sure they join us for the gathering. Quickly, please. I would hate for them to get lost in the crowd."
She looked again to Miguel for reassurance that she was properly standing up to the forces of oppression, eyes clearly begging for his approval.
Miguel the Gallant nodded quickly, puffing out his chest and taking a step toward Shane. "That's right! We've got an invitation! So help or get out of our way."
-----
With that, she attempted to blend into the crowd, putting a few citizens between her and her quarry as she took a slightly circuitous route after Dafton, meaning to get ahead of him and cut him off.
Splitting up didn't have quite the effect Aziel had hoped. Grimsley quickly got swallowed up by the crowd, while Dafton had an easy time slipping through the mob at the edge of the square. Aziel could see she was losing ground on the man; in a few seconds she would lose sight of him entirely.
-----
A subtle smirk of satisfaction on his face, Ralf leapt off the table and resumed pursuit, still angling to intercept rather than heading directly towards the subject.
Ralf pushed through the crowd, making scant headway against the mass of bodies. But the docker didn't seem to be doing any better, as Ralf's mental impression of him didn't feel any further away.
Miguel the Gallant nodded quickly, puffing out his chest and taking a step toward Shane. "That's right! We've got an invitation! So help or get out of our way."
Shane suppresses a grin and nods at the pair, as if to say all is in order. "Yes, sir. This way." Shane walks briskly toward the barricades ahead of the pair.
Aziel cursed fluidly under her breath. She couldn't see Grimsley any more, so she had no way of knowing whether he would be close enough to call out and delay Dafton. Now it was a matter of whether she should try calling the bruised docker's name and hope he stopped, or push more forcefully through the crowd, or whether she should let him go as no longer a threat, and track him down with a description of where he lived, worked and spent his free time.
But she couldn't be sure his mischief was played out.
Unwilling to risk him bolting or let him go and undo any chance of catching him red-handed with... whatever, Aziel fought to slip through the cracks in the crowd like a veteran dodging enemy soldiers, full-tilt like the enemy was on her tail, sometimes actually half-climbing over the people who got in her way, and never missing a step. Her aim was to get clear of the worst of the crowd rather than directly pursue Dafton, so hopefully he wouldn't think that her path was meant to intercept his own until it was too late.
Face of a crying baby, why does Grimsley not call to him? she thought, vaulting over an amazed child via the knee of someone who had stooped to tie his shoe, then ducking under a pointing arm and twisting miraculously between a knot of people without breaking stride. I do not intend to dance this dance all day!
Shane suppresses a grin and nods at the pair, as if to say all is in order. "Yes, sir. This way." Shane walks briskly toward the barricades ahead of the pair.
Jaelynn gave Miguel's arm a quick, excited squeeze, then practically dragged him after the departing officer. "This is so exciting," she said to the docker as they went. "I can not wait to see this plan acted out!"
Face of a crying baby, why does Grimsley not call to him? she thought, vaulting over an amazed child via the knee of someone who had stooped to tie his shoe, then ducking under a pointing arm and twisting miraculously between a knot of people without breaking stride. I do not intend to dance this dance all day!
Dafton got caught up in a knot of excited speech-goers and took a few moments to de-tangle himself. Aziel's acrobatics brought her back within a few dozen feet of the man before he got moving with purpose again. While others were looking at her, he seemed completely focused on getting out of there and didn't notice Aziel coming up behind him.
-----
Jaelynn gave Miguel's arm a quick, excited squeeze, then practically dragged him after the departing officer. "This is so exciting," she said to the docker as they went. "I can not wait to see this plan acted out!"
Iscalio followed Jaelynn and Shane like a lamb to the slaughter.
He stopped short, though, when he saw one of his friends being led away in handcuffs. The docker leaned down to whisper fiercely in Jaelynn's ear. "They got Mercliffe! Let's get out of here!"
-----
Ralf could feel it when his quarry stopped. All of a sudden he was gaining on the man, when he had steadily been losing ground. Either he was where he wanted to go or he had stopped for some other reason.
No time to be subtle now; Aziel headed straight for Dafton, intending to catch his arm and wrap her tail about his boot before he could object.
"Monsieur Dafton! I am so glad I spotted you in this crowd!" Aziel purred, glancing around for Grimsley as she gestured at the crowd with her free hand while slipping her arm through his. Chest heaving from the exertion of her obstacle course run, she leaned in close to speak in his ear. "There is a docker looking for you - he has an important message. Won't you stay and hear what it is?"
He stopped short, though, when he saw one of his friends being led away in handcuffs. The docker leaned down to whisper fiercely in Jaelynn's ear. "They got Mercliffe! Let's get out of here!"
Without missing a beat, Jaelynn spun Miguel towards her - keeping his face away from the police and Mercliffe - and kissed him. Fully, hard, and fiercely. She held the kiss until she felt his lips relax under hers. Then she whispered to him. "They have him - because he didn't have an invitation, and he wasn't with me. This is good. They will be focused on him, not us. We can still do this, my brave Miguel, but we need to find your other friends, as soon as we can, before they get caught!"
She kissed him again, before he could respond, the parasol behind his legs, and her free hand tangled in his hair. "You're with me, my brave hero, and we have an invitation. Don't be afraid of the oppressors - that's what they want." She gave him a brave, encouraging smile.
-----
She kissed him again, before he could respond, the parasol behind his legs, and her free hand tangled in his hair. "You're with me, my brave hero, and we have an invitation. Don't be afraid of the oppressors - that's what they want." She gave him a brave, encouraging smile.
Iscalio looked thunderstruck but nodded at Jaelynn. "Uh, you're right. You're right! Okay. Let's do this." He puts his arm back out for her to take and escorts her directly to the barricade, where Shane is waiting with the Flint police.
-----
"Monsieur Dafton! I am so glad I spotted you in this crowd!" Aziel purred, glancing around for Grimsley as she gestured at the crowd with her free hand while slipping her arm through his. Chest heaving from the exertion of her obstacle course run, she leaned in close to speak in his ear. "There is a docker looking for you - he has an important message. Won't you stay and hear what it is?"
Dafton couldn't extricate himself from the crowd and Aziel quickly caught up to him even though she lost sight of the man. In a moment she was right beside him. He jerked as she slipped her arm through his.
"Who the hell are you?" He shook his head. Dafton was older, well into his 30s or maybe even early 40s, and looked like he'd taken a beating within the past day. "Doesn't matter. I know what message it's gonna be. I saw Mercliffe get taken. I'm out of here." The man easily pulled his arm away from Aziel. "If you know what's good for you, you will, too."
Iscalio looked thunderstruck but nodded at Jaelynn. "Uh, you're right. You're right! Okay. Let's do this." He puts his arm back out for her to take and escorts her directly to the barricade, where Shane is waiting with the Flint police.
Jaelynn went with Miguel. "Get him up, where he can see his friends," she told Shane, and gave Miguel an encouraging smile and nod.
When he was on his way, she leaned in close to Shane "Don't let them see uniforms with him though, or they may think he's doing something other than 'helping them get a spot.' You might want to 'arrest' me, too when you do grab them all. I might be able to turn him into a source, see if there's more to learn, if he feels guilty about 'getting me into trouble.'" She shrugged, "Then again, he doesn't really seem like the type you'd trust with too many details. Perhaps we can play it by ear. Cuff me when you grab them, just to be safe, but separate us. When he's out of sight, you can uncuff me, and if we need me to 'befriend him' again in the jail, that option is available to us."
Suppressing the urge to grimace as well as the instinct to draw a weapon, Aziel made a quick decision. If Dafton had any more allies in his planned troublemaking, they might meet up with him where he was going. Besides, she was too far from the front of the crowd to help the rest of her unit - and they were too far from her to call for help if Dafton did anything foolish in the midst of a fight. There were too many potential hostages around.
"Alors. Wait! I will go with you. Let us get out of here!" She hurried to keep up with him, casting "covert" looks around that were actually attempts to locate that blasted Grimsley.
Jaelynn went with Miguel. "Get him up, where he can see his friends," she told Shane, and gave Miguel an encouraging smile and nod.
When he was on his way, she leaned in close to Shane "Don't let them see uniforms with him though, or they may think he's doing something other than 'helping them get a spot.' You might want to 'arrest' me, too when you do grab them all. I might be able to turn him into a source, see if there's more to learn, if he feels guilty about 'getting me into trouble.'" She shrugged, "Then again, he doesn't really seem like the type you'd trust with too many details. Perhaps we can play it by ear. Cuff me when you grab them, just to be safe, but separate us. When he's out of sight, you can uncuff me, and if we need me to 'befriend him' again in the jail, that option is available to us."
When Shane got to the barricade he made a few people at the front make room for Jaelynn and Miguel. Without making eye contact with Miguel, he said, "Silver Invitation holders and guests will be admitted once the carriages have entered. Wait here." He tried to make it sound like something he had been saying repeatedly, with some boredom in his voice. Then he returned to his 'beat' of pacing along the edge of the barrier watching the crowd, trying not to think about Jaelynn asking him to handcuff her, just in case she could read minds.
Kostya had spent the last twenty minutes talking to someone that he perceived to be suspicious before finally realising that they were simply an out-of-work thespian practising their talents.
"This city." He mumbles as he moves away, trying to ignore a continuing rendition of Madame Butterfly trailing after him. He searches the crowd for the other constables, hoping that one of them is having better luck than he is.
When Shane got to the barricade he made a few people at the front make room for Jaelynn and Miguel. Without making eye contact with Miguel, he said, "Silver Invitation holders and guests will be admitted once the carriages have entered. Wait here." He tried to make it sound like something he had been saying repeatedly, with some boredom in his voice. Then he returned to his 'beat' of pacing along the edge of the barrier watching the crowd, trying not to think about Jaelynn asking him to handcuff her, just in case she could read minds.
The docker nodded at Shane and smiled at Jaelynn like he knew exactly what was going on, then turned to look out at the crowd to see if he could flag down his friends.
With the crowd moving around them, Iscalio couldn't see any of his other friends just yet. He glanced down at Jaelynn, a sheepish smile on his face. "I don't see anybody!"
Shane, as he returned to his path along the barricade, saw nothing else suspicious. Or at least nothing else that looked possibly dangerous. There were lots of weird things going on in that crowd.
The same went for Kostya. From his view at the back of the crowd he couldn't see anything that looked like it might be a danger to the crown. A threat to the state of modern theatre, sure. A depressing comment on the trend of modern art and poetry, definitely. Physical danger? Not so much.
-----
"Alors. Wait! I will go with you. Let us get out of here!" She hurried to keep up with him, casting "covert" looks around that were actually attempts to locate that blasted Grimsley.
Dafton frowned but nodded, apparently content to let Aziel tag along. "So who did you say you were with?"
-----
Ralf felt it as his quarry started moving again, but trying to get through that crowd was like swimming through molasses. He was lucky just to not be losing more ground on the man.
At first thinking the docker had reached his destination, Ralf came to a different conclusion when he sensed the man moving again. Suspect also having trouble moving through crowd.
He continued to push forward to intercept, glancing around him as best he could in an effort to stay aware of his surroundings.
The docker nodded at Shane and smiled at Jaelynn like he knew exactly what was going on, then turned to look out at the crowd to see if he could flag down his friends. With the crowd moving around them, Iscalio couldn't see any of his other friends just yet. He glanced down at Jaelynn, a sheepish smile on his face. "I don't see anybody!"
Jaelynn smiled back at Miguel, no sign of her frustration on her face. "Not to worry, Miguel! If we stand here long enough, they'll have to come past us, and with our invitation, they'll make room for us up front, even after the crowd is through. We'll just grab your friends as they come by, if we have to! But keep looking!"
She began to look about as well, though not specifically for Miguel's friends. Instead, she looked for something Miguel could stand on, to get a better view. As she looked, she asked the docker, one hand squeezing his, "What do your friends look like?"
Dafton frowned but nodded, apparently content to let Aziel tag along. "So who did you say you were with?"
Aziel weighed the risks, then shrugged internally. When in doubt, why bother to lie? It only meant more lies to build on later.
"A monsieur Grimsley. He said you were planning a great artistic statement, and I would be remiss if I did not see what it was, non? I do not know what he planned to say to you, but I suppose he can say it later."
Of course, there was no law that said you couldn't twist the truth a bit.
As Shane walked along the barricades, he searched the crowd specifically for the other members of unit 11. He wanted to believe the lull in the action was a sign that they had been successful and had already headed off other would-be ne'er-do-wells. But he had no idea how perceptive they were or how resourceful. Somehow Jaelynn had gotten one of them wound around her finger, but he had no sense of how skillful Kostya, Ralf, and Aziel were. They wouldn't be RHC if they did not know how to work a crowd like this. Relax! he told himself. Still, he'd feel better if he could locate them.
-----
At first thinking the docker had reached his destination, Ralf came to a different conclusion when he sensed the man moving again. Suspect also having trouble moving through crowd.
He continued to push forward to intercept, glancing around him as best he could in an effort to stay aware of his surroundings.
Ralf could see that he was within 30 feet of the man now. He also saw that the man's effort to get to the barricade had put him much closer to Anthony than to himself.
From his place with the solo policeman, Anthony noticed a man who looked like he'd recently been in a fight. He couldn't see Ralf through the crowd, though.
-----
She began to look about as well, though not specifically for Miguel's friends. Instead, she looked for something Miguel could stand on, to get a better view. As she looked, she asked the docker, one hand squeezing his, "What do your friends look like?"
The only thing Jaelynn could see to put Miguel up on was the small podium the police sergeant was using to look out over the crowd's heads.
Miguel shrugged, still looking out over the crowd. "Like me, I guess. You know- normal. On the big side, maybe. We cleaned up a little so we wouldn't stick out. Oh, we were in a little fight last night." He chuckled. "So I guess you could look for guys who look like they've been in a fight."
-----
"A monsieur Grimsley. He said you were planning a great artistic statement, and I would be remiss if I did not see what it was, non? I do not know what he planned to say to you, but I suppose he can say it later."
Dafton frowned at Aziel over his shoulder. "Grimsley? What's he..." His eyes widened a little as the thought registered and he stopped, turning to face Aziel. "Fine. He can gloat. He was right. Mercliffe got arrested and he'll probably roll on the rest of us. So I'm leaving. Alright?"
Dafton frowned at Aziel over his shoulder. "Grimsley? What's he..." His eyes widened a little as the thought registered and he stopped, turning to face Aziel. "Fine. He can gloat. He was right. Mercliffe got arrested and he'll probably roll on the rest of us. So I'm leaving. Alright?"
Aziel shrugged one shoulder indifferently, while filing away the name and the fact that this Mercliffe could name the other troublemakers. The Unit probably already knew, if they'd interrogated the man, but there was no reason to drop the game just yet. "Monsieur Grimsley may wish to gloat, I do not know. But does this mean you are giving up entirely?" She injected disappointment into her tone and expression. "I seem to miss all the big statements lately. At least tell me what genius it was I have now missed!"
He... saw that the man's effort to get to the barricade had put him much closer to Anthony than to himself.
From his place with the solo policeman, Anthony noticed a man who looked like he'd recently been in a fight. He couldn't see Ralf through the crowd, though.
Aziel shrugged one shoulder indifferently, while filing away the name and the fact that this Mercliffe could name the other troublemakers. The Unit probably already knew, if they'd interrogated the man, but there was no reason to drop the game just yet. "Monsieur Grimsley may wish to gloat, I do not know. But does this mean you are giving up entirely?" She injected disappointment into her tone and expression. "I seem to miss all the big statements lately. At least tell me what genius it was I have now missed!"
Dafton shook his head. "No, I'm done. You tell Grimsley I'll see him at the next meeting. I know when I'm beat." The grizzled old docker turned to continue down the street away from the square.
-----
Dafton shook his head. "No, I'm done. You tell Grimsley I'll see him at the next meeting. I know when I'm beat." The grizzled old docker turned to continue down the street away from the square.
Aziel slowed to a stop, watching Dafton slink away. It is not as though I can arrest him for anything; he has done nothing so far that is a crime. C'est la vie. At least she knew what he looked like, should they have to find him again... but likely that would be a job for the FPD once they had interrogated this Mercliffe.
With a heavy sigh, she turned and headed back toward the crowd, on the lookout for any other troublemakers in hiding.