RP between Rook, Rigby, AJ and Degu
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Rigby — 01/17/2021
Neeva wandering off wasn't all that weird on its own. He'd not have to worry about her getting stolen here, at the very least - still the temptation to be overbearing was pretty great. She may as well have been new to the world and to people, and who was to say she wouldn't scale the nearest building or snatch up the nearest shiny thing if nobody was around to rein her in?
It was a feeling he'd often shared with Lae - it was the feeling of going from no children to a full grown woman and somehow cramming that very same amount of worry into a very short span of time!
Today, the plan was to head into town to shop, stop by Effie's cafe (on Polpetto's request) and maybe scoop up a little extra coin with the lute while he was around. The square was usually a good place to perch - but he didn't even need the manaraptor's screech to draw his attention to the stocks.
And he nearly spilled the little guy from his shoulders, almost dropped his bags in his haste to run right over to her!
"WOAH, woah-Nee. What happened?! "
Rook — 01/17/2021
Neeva had struggled in her bindings, dealt with a few of her asthma attacks (hopefully with someone around to handle lest she continue to suffer from it to the point of unconciousness). As the hours went by, so did her fight and she laid limply in the stocks. The stiffness in her limbs resulted in swelling and the pain that followed from another one of her afflictions.
Threats came and went, but the Chupakri was still determined to ruin everything for those two guards and their Captain. He'd have no job once she was done with him.
Aldo arrived, and some manner of hope followed. "They are punishing me for defending myself against their Captain, who threatened me many times. They did not listen, but they will!" Neeva shifted, pressing a knee to the ground and she shook her head. "I hate this town, I hate it. They were against me from the start! All I did was answer questions and look at his ugly face-scar."
Rigby — 01/17/2021
"Oh THAT guy, huh..." He crouched near her, stroked her hair and some stray ear fuzzies. The drawl dipped into a growl. He'd known the guy's face - at least if it was the same scarred individual he was thinking of. The guy had already run into a few folks he knew. He bit his lip, bobbed his head, appearing to at least buy into Neeva's take, wholeheartedly. Perhaps he did; the Chupakri was always quite frank. "Well. That guy is a fuck and a harlot!" Nee words! "Tell me what he did."
He draped himself across the stocks, eyes sparking, to lean over to address whoever the nearest guy on duty may have been, as casually as if he'd been with his pipe the whole time. (Polpetto for his part daintily scuttled back and forth along the man's back in order to remain upright!)
"So clearly as there was some mistake, I'd like to know the guy who I need to talk to in order to collect my friend, here." Worth a shot!
Rook — 01/17/2021
Neeva wiggled an ear at the attention, and relaxed, wagging her tail behind her. "I tried to get a close look at his face scar after he asked if I was made from alchemy, but he was very loud before and had his hand near his knife. He grabbed me by the throat to shove me, so I shoved him back and he twisted my arm so I scratched him. The big fuck went to the guards and they came to arrest, for defending myself."
She explained, running her tongue over her dry lips. "I ran, and they told me I was resisting, but I was running! I told them I would report them and they said I was threatening them, so now I am here. I have been here since the races. My limb problems are all bothering me, I did not sleep."
Neeva stared sideways at the guard he talked to. "But, I am going to tell everyone what he did."
Degu — 01/17/2021
The guard had kept half an eye on Aldo but he paid visitors no mind as long as they didn't start trying to crack the stocks open. He seemed to be staring at something across the town square when they spoke to him next and he looked to Aldo when he was addressed "Uhhh" the guard grimaced a little and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked past Aldo "You won't have to look too far." he said quietly and shrank back.
Neeva would see him first probably, decked from head to toe in his armor now. Harpur stepped up behind Aldo, sneaking a smirk down at Neeva before he spoke directly to the back of the necromancer's head "Is there a problem here?" he asked deeply, hand rested at the hilt of his sword idly.
Rigby — 01/17/2021
Aldo might have been attempting to charm the first guy into helping them out, but the effect was somewhat dampened as he'd also busied himself with fussing with Neeva as he'd listened to her story, perhaps in spite of better interests. "Yeah y'are!" was quiet, firm, and encouraging, the effect of his willful excising of the anger from his tone giving the result a little harder and more barbed of an edge than he'd intended. He'd reached in one of the coat's many mysterious inner pockets while she talked, palmed a couple of candies, and -
The guard shrank back, Polpetto's feathers rose with angry sparks and tiny growls, and without turning, Aldo set his jaw, mouth briefly drawn into a thin line.
"Yeah. Hi."
He slowly appeared to give up on reaching into his coat in order to allow his hand to drop to his side, instead. (Though the motion, before he splayed those fingers to demonstrate that nope, there were no weapons, did surreptitiously attempt to pass one candy to Neeva, along with the barest don't-say-I-did-that spark and flash of his eyes)
"Think there is. From what she's telling me here, there's been a mistake. Wrong person's in here." He'd attempted to remain even-keeled about the whole thing; the initial plan appeared to be to wander in, look as confident as possible, and see where it got him.
He couldn't say he didn't try, then!
Rook — 01/17/2021
The Chupakri nodded up at Aldo as much as she could and she exhaled a heavy sigh, though she refrained from mentioning a secret treat-giver. Not with that guard around. In came Harpur though and while he smirked down at her, the expression she gave him was one that was mocking. A sardonic smile crossed her lips, because she knew he was in trouble now.
Neeva said nothing as the cambion spoke, but carefully accepted the candy and merely held it for the moment. Harpur had gotten himself in a mess, unknowingly, and she was just eager to see it play out. The threat of a report was one thing, but this was something else for him to have to worry about.
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur watched that hand but then relaxed army the splaying of those fingers. “And how do you suppose that, then? The construct became wild and attacked me when I discouraged it from getting in my face and behaving threateningly” he frowned darkly and took a step into Aldo’s personal space in an attempt to outright exert his size and authority over him, it was how he often ‘kept the peace.’
“I’m keeping the people of this city safe, man. You would do well to remember that before you commit to causing a scene perhaps, Hm?” He smiled and wrinkled his eyes in the least friendly way possible “she will serve her time in the stocks and then she will be released.”
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"I've done more for her over less, is why." It was light and casual; a blink-and-you'll-miss it edge. Aldo stayed in place when Harpur on him and stepped forward. They were nearly the same height; if anything changed, it was a few more sparks subtly animate in his eyes and something about Belserra's old city mage about his carriage; still Aldo, still unflappable, but now somewhat pointedly so.
The gesture seemed to encourage any attention squarely on him, despite the drawl implying he wanted anything but.
"And she's late for lunch. So I'm out here just makin' sure we're all running on the same..." A gesture between his forehead and Harpur's. Wavelength.
"How'd you discourage her? She's saying here that you'd grabbed her throat. Which if that's true, then I'd figure that's that, her time is up, you can free this instrument up for some other poor...guy with a tail looking at you funny or something, and I'll be free to pick her up."
Rook — 01/18/2021
Neeva continued to listen in, ignoring Harpur's mention of what she was for something else. "It is her. I am a woman. If I was like the Vaidya, you would use they or them and not it, but I am not like them." Obviously, he was confused and she was happy to educate him.
"Yes, that is what he did. I was only looking at his face scar." Neeva went on, shifting her weight again. "I did not touch him, and he put hands on me first. He should be in here, not me."
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur looked unsettled the moment he saw light in Aldo's eyes, taking one step back as if readying himself to protect himself. What was he? He looked at Polpetto and squinted darkly as he contemplated everything "I have explained the situation, I will not explain it again. The construct attacked me, now it is learning what happens when you attack a citizen. Out of the two of us, only one of us came away from the interaction bleeding... how do you explain that, hm? Oh and resisting arrest, that added another day" he chuckled and shook his head.
He cast a sharp eye to Neeva as she kept trying to chip into the conversation, snorting irritably "You are an artificial creation." he sneered and then turned his attention back to Aldo, jabbing a thumb towards the square "Get out of here, stop getting in our way. If you want to help her you'll wait until her punishment is up and then you'll educate her so we don't have to. Don't make it worse for everyone." he rumbled, trying to make himself seem taller than Aldo in that moment as he waited for the man to leave with a rather piercing stare of his own.
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"Out of the two of us, only one of us came away from the interaction bleeding... how do you explain that, hm?"
He did waggle a hand, then with a rather sinister chirp of "I can demonstrate."
Aldo did not rage. Rage was something he'd tried to avoid. It had taken years, it had taken learning to be human. And then learning that humans, too, also raged.
But it only made it all the more frustrating when he couldn't simply punch the man square in his arrogant face and just leave him lying there, rather like he'd done with Jax. Neeva would certainly love seeing that, after all.
Eyes flared, flicked from passerby to the other guard, to Neeva again, beyond Neeva, and then back to Harpur. And decided to do exactly what the man said he shouldn't do:
Commit to causing a scene.
Aldo let Harpur's threat hang in the air for a few moments, only replying with a narrowed squint. And then he sat on the bar (giving Neeva some stray pets - and more food and allowing Polpetto to climb across the instrument). "Oh, yeaaaah-you're THAT guard, run into a few friends of mine. Explains a lot of this. Harpur...something. Valentine. Harpur. Del...gado." His hand spun vaguely as he frowned slightly
"As long as we're dealing in complete fucking nonsense, Delancey, this is what'll get me out of your hair. Proposition one: I leave. With Neeva. Walk her around a bit" - the pronoun continued to be stressed, "get her breathing fresh air. Take her back to this nice dinner my wife and I made for her, because neither of us are keen on wasting all that hard work now that we know she's not You keep the thing warm for her while we're out." He gestured to the stocks. "And when we get back, you can pop off to go pick on another demon at the tavern, and we'll cover for you again."
The first proposition was so entirely ludicrous and would've sounded utterly mad had he not been delivering it with a complete poker-face.
"Or. I stay. But without making a scene. The whole time. Com-pletely out of your way. But Neeva eats. I bring her what she needs to breathe well and keep her fed 'til it's done. No date changes, she's here for the full set. Whaddya think, del Toro?"
Degu — 01/18/2021
Rufio walked by in the background, eyes widening and focusing straight ahead. He sped up upon hearing his name even being mentioned near a guard and quickly disappeared down an alleyway.
"Eberhardt" he corrected with a grit of his teeth, fist clenching. Aldo was getting under his skin quite nicely, but two could play that game. If it was to be a game of chicken for who snapped first, then so be it... but more was at stake for Aldo if he wanted to exist in this city if HE snapped first so Harpur reminded himself of that.
He got back in close, forgetting his nervousness over that spark behind the necromancer's eyes now in favor of his anger. He came forehead to forehead with Aldo...a rather dangerous pose between two angry men, and squared his shoulders.
When he spoke it was very low and faux-calm "If you want to stay with her, you can...we even have some empty stocks ready for you" specifically the ones directly next to Neeva.
"If you've nothing valuable to offer other than that attitude of yours, I'm afraid you've got nothing worth negotiating with. Now don't make me ask again. Get out. of. my. sight. Last warning."
Rigby — 01/18/2021
He squinted, mock-wounded. "Ooooof-I don't like that extra stuff. Not my terms. Trumped up charges. If you're not already pulling them from your other end. Sure your superiors wouldn't want to hear that." He allowed the statement to drawl, knowingly. "'Harpur Eberhardt,' huh." He bit his lip, nodding - as if in weird approval at the sound of the name, itself. "Harpur Eberhardt."
And the man was in his face again. God-dammit.
"Well. Sounds like we have enough of an agreement, Harpur Eberhardt." They were eye-to-eye. And he clapped him on the shoulder in what appeared to be enough of a jovial motion - if the two men weren't both stiffly seething and ready to pop.
Aldo clapped him on the shoulder to accentuate that 'agreement' and - with perhaps a subtle yank from behind Harpur's eyes - pulled him straight from the world entirely.
And there was nothing. Nobody could hear them because they did not appear to be anywhere. Figments of the stocks and frozen onlookers might've surrounded them.There was no sound or movement from outside. There may have been shadows where there shouldn't have been in the non-space, sparks and electricity flared noiselessly on the fringes of everyone's vision.
Perhaps the faint ghost of a many-eyed and feathered jackal of sparks and halos where Aldo should be, only visible indirectly.
"Sounds like a geis. I'll remember you. I know where you are. And I know where you'll go."
Harpur was released in but a moment, their surroundings flooding back into definition as Aldo lifted his hand from that shoulder-clap. It had been a second, however long the trip to Aldo's self-named-Spot had taken.
A juggler's kick brought the instrument to his hand from the ground in his retreat, and he crouched to sit cross-legged next to Neeva, back leaning up against the stocks, instrument in his lap. A little shrug if allowed. Nobody else saw the lapse- but there was enough not-stocks-things already happening upon the stocks that it was attracting a few gawkers. If his mission had been to make a scene...
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur's body jolted with the change, eyes widened as the world around him became a void filled with unsettling imagery. His head snapped side to side, eyes swiveling to try and get some bearings. What was happening? his heart raced as he finally focused fully on the jackal in front of him, a symbol of death. He leaned back as far as he could with that grip on his shoulder, his hand gripping at his sword as if ready for a last stand.... and then the world returned.
He almost stumbled backwards, quickly catching his footing as he stared at Aldo and tried to shake the stunned fog in his brain as any practiced monster hunter had learned to do. He half unsheathed his blade and moved towards Aldo, gritting his teeth through how shaken he felt (and admittedly he was fearing for his mortal soul, being a bit of a Neutralist) "How dare you- demon of death, monster-" he hissed seethingly to them.
But then what proof did he have to show his superiors that he had been messed with if he cut off Aldo's head right now? ...none, it'd been done so that there was no proof at all.
He glanced around and then aggressively re-sheathed his sword "Watch yourself." he warned angrily and turned to walk away, pushing through the gathering crowds a little too forcefully as he left with haste to try and process what'd just happened to him... and to make notes in the books about Aldo and Neeva of course! Uh oh.
The fear for his mortal soul was going to be a lasting thing though, even keeping the man awake at night.
Rook — 01/18/2021
Neeva was one of the spectators that was none-the-wiser to anything going on between the two. One second Harpur was snarling at him and the next, he looked terrified and stumbled back. She turned her head to watch the guard as he got indignant, and she looked to Aldo immediately after.
"Is he made you are agreeing?" The Chupakri asked in blatant confusion. He was leaving, however, and not trying to force Aldo into the stocks and that made her mood better. Even if he had looked ready to bring his sword into play. "He did not unlock me." Not surprising, but he was running with his proverbial tail between his legs.
And as for tails, Neeva moved hers over and flopped what length she could against Aldo's side.
AJ — 01/18/2021
The Vaidya and Jaxamir had committed many a crime, and as a result, the doctor had gotten quite good at escaping restraints—and picking the locks on Jaxamir's so he would draw less attention than if he were to break the stocks himself. So these? These were easy. The physician could pick them in their sleep, most likely, but they were only meant to stand up to brute force. So public they didn't think anyone would have the audacity. But the surgeon was all about audacity.
The other thing they had on their side were shadows. (19) Even in broad damn daylight, they slipped up close to the stocks, weird and quiet, followed by a whisp of smoke? Some trick of the light, and promptly flopped down to side on Neeva's other side, opposite Aldo and Harpur's talk. Most likely, they'd used Aldo's distraction of the beefy man as cover, and entered at an angle so that the other guards hadn't paid them much mind, but still in full view of many of the gathered crowd (to much snickering of spectators). And then settled in the dirt beside the chupakri as if they were planning a bloody picnic there. "Oh," they mumbled quietly, just enough for Neeva beside them to hear, leaning forward to cast an eye around the stocks at Harpur. "That one." Yes, they'd met him already. Surprise they hadn't ended up in the stocks themself.
And then they promptly pulled a pin from their sleeve and stuck it in the padlock, in broad daylight, bold as balls. "No, he did not," they sighed in response to Neeva's lament, just over the audible click-tap-click of pins nudging out of place. And then click as the padlock opened (20), although the shaft was still in place to hold the stocks closed. Just in time for Aldo to flop down beside her? They peered around the wooden hold innocently. Evidently, they might not have thought far enough ahead—to their actual escape, and the repercussions of. Oops.
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"How dare you- demon of death, monster-"
Aldo did stiffen slightly at that last word, offense truly slipping into that pretense, even for just a seconds...and then shrugged. "Maybe." Offered a little wave at the crowds and then set to re-stringing a couple of threads of gut and metal he'd pulled from one of the myriad coat pockets. As if he didn't casually just pull the offending guard apart out of all known spacetime - just for a moment - at all.
But an angry and vindictive little smile did reach his eyes and quirk at his mouth as the guy left just a little quicker than he'd arrived.
"Couldn't beat him up right here, not with the crowd, so I did something else, instead." She'd leaned on him; he'd curled an arm around; the hold was a little awkward, but he'd nevertheless try and pet her in what he'd hoped was enough of a reassuring manner.
Polpetto had slipped over to the lock, attempted to wriggle tiny digits inside of it. And on occasion he'd shoot little strands of filaments and ectoplasm in, in perhaps an odd attempt to grease it. He'd just clambered back up to the top bar holding the apparatus in place in defeat when he'd heard the click, first. The Vaidya was greeted with a purring trill.
That did also earn a flick of the luminous eyes as Aldo finished tuning the last string, and he did snort in spite of himself. Which was somewhat good; a laughing Aldo was better than the quiet seething one. "Til the crowds thin out a little. I want them to see, and want to rub his nose in it a little. Don't want him picking on you, again." Two different chords, a few murmured, musical words (that may have explicitly been mocking that guard). "'That one?'"
Rook — 01/19/2021
When the Vaidya arrived, Neeva perked her ears up and stared at them sideways. She'd gotten tired of twisting her head about to do so at this point, but they were atleast in a spot where she could. "Oh you got it." She commented at the sound of the flick, but she wouldn't move yet. Part of her was sure they'd all be in them together if she did.
"All my arms and legs hurt." Neeva relaxed in the awkward hold still and closed her eyes a moment, exhaling a sigh. "I am going to tell many people about what he did, so that they can all give him bad looks."
Degu — 01/19/2021
One of the guards posted near the stocks grows suspicious of the two lingering and moves closer to eye them and make sure they're only socializing.
AJ — 01/19/2021
Were they not focused on being Discreet, the Vaidya might have been a little more up front, angry. Aldo could handle himself, Aldo had a much cooler head—although they couldn't say they found any of those terms offensive. The last one, maybe. Demon of death? Wasn't that just an interesting fact?
They looked up at Polpetto, raising a silent finger to their lips; they were well aware they couldn't get away with this. With the guard's attention on them, the lock clicked closed again at Aldo's behest. Probably for the best. Maybe if it was Jaxamir, with Brimstone and Ajaa waiting around a corner. They reached up to brush the hair out of Neeva's face where she couldn't reach it herself.
" 'That one'," to answer Aldo. "Yes. He approached me in the dens. He put his hands on me when I refused to move; I had his seat, apparently." One could expect how that went, with the large, cushiony lounging booths the den employed. "The work staff were too cowardly to do anything about it. I am sure if they had tried they would have ended up here." They were surprised they hadn't. They hadn't exactly diffused the situation once Harpur had backed off.
Rigby — 01/23/2021
Aldo frowned deeply at the Doctor's words. He wouldn't get mad; he'd already made his point to Harpur well enough...but this human was clearly making himself a menace for what appeared "And here you are, entirely human." Sorta'."So he's just an ass. No frills, no excuses." He wouldn't admit to himself that he could just as easily see the Vaidya wheedling away at that captain's evident short fuse just to see what would happen. Probably couldn't blame them.
Aldo did, however, give the Vaidya another meaningful Look as the lock closed again, one that tried not to outright laugh at how easily they'd come by a simpler solution: Only if we need to make a run for it.
He settled deeper into his seat, rather deliberately and showily planting himself in that spot. He wouldn't move and wouldn't shut up until people noticed Harpur...and until Neeva's sentence was mitigated.
"Right, Nee. Tonight, you're gonna' be a hero."
And so the day dragged on; when he could, he'd be a nuisance - singing derisive songs about that caption, making demands for and adjustments to Neeva's comfort. Sneaking her (and Polpetto and the Vaidya) snacks. The intent was clear - by the time she was freed again, she would be the hero of this story...and the people now had a clear villain.
Later; Laerdya's Yule gift of the rune-scribed bird-skull necklace appeared to be incredibly handy when one's husband felt the need to indulge in a little non-violent protest.
To all appearances, the man might've been taking a nap, wedged up against the baseboards of Neeva's stocks with Polpetto wide-awake and alert on his shoulders, not too long after his initial declaration of intent. But it was about that time when, in a decently cozy forest home rather far from the square, a certain elf would be graced with a rather frazzled-looking, spectral raven tumbling into her window in a tangle of feathers (which whisped into smoke as they'd flown about); one who'd righted himself rather quickly and awkwardly to explain the situation, and direct her own attentions over there as the night went on.
Rook — 01/23/2021
"You should tell them, we can get him fired. He should not be touching anyone." Neeva didn't like the idea of one person going around and never being stopped, especially with the multiple witnesses. She made a plan to snitch whenever possible, should she see anything herself. The lock was closed again and she sighed dramatically.
During the day, she occasionally shifted position as much as she could, noodling mostly with her tail tucked close. She accepted each addition comfort and treat, though she hid the fact that she chewed remarkably well as if sneaking food wasn't new to her.
--
Upon getting the information via Aldo in spectral form, Lae headed for the stockades, but with an air that was challenging should one dare to approach the ice mage. The atmosphere was chilling too, a clear threat for those like Harpur, assuming they could bother a lone elf on a late stroll. She'd have brought a blanket, so Neeva had something better than stone to kneel on.
--
When morning came, Lae would've wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as a shawl to ensure no one would complain when they came to free the Chupakri and she remained at her husband's side watchful. Quinne's letter certainly did the trick!
Neeva got up when freed and wandered about the three of them, intent on working out the stiffness in her legs and knees. She rubbed at her neck and wrists, though she knew the ache would only be properly relieved via a nice hot bath. "I am ready to GO!"
AJ — 01/24/2021
The Doctor could only shrug. "He was rather attached to his 'spot'." Enough that it didn't matter what race they were. "He backed off. Perhaps thought better of it." But the blasé way they said it while lounging against the stocks suggested that the doctor probably hadn't helped the situation. They did have a habit of antagonizing and making things worse. They leaned against Neeva's stocks near her ear, a little sigh whistling between their teeth. "Perhaps. I suspect the guards would have done nothing. They would believe him over me." But Neeva's thought was admirable. They politely shrugged at the click of the lock, understanding that Aldo was thinking a few more steps ahead, but by the looks of it the physician had done this a few times before—picked a lock and immediately made a run for it.
A little more difficult here when there were people they didn't want to leave behind.
They settled in for the day, not nearly as forward a nuisance as Aldo was, but his antics earned some muffled giggling beside Neeva's spot. They mainly served as a distraction for Aldo to set up his pranks. They pulled up their bag and dug through it for a cooling balm to apply to Neeva's aches. It wasn't much—freeing her would do a world more comfort than treating the symptoms caused by her imprisonment—but it was one of the few little comforts they could offer.
Lae got a sleepy nod of greeting when she approached, and they'd help tuck the blanket around Neeva for the night. When morning came, they stood to assist as well, a little too grabby to check her wrists and knees for bruising or other issues. Yes, a nice hot bath.
Neeva wandering off wasn't all that weird on its own. He'd not have to worry about her getting stolen here, at the very least - still the temptation to be overbearing was pretty great. She may as well have been new to the world and to people, and who was to say she wouldn't scale the nearest building or snatch up the nearest shiny thing if nobody was around to rein her in?
It was a feeling he'd often shared with Lae - it was the feeling of going from no children to a full grown woman and somehow cramming that very same amount of worry into a very short span of time!
Today, the plan was to head into town to shop, stop by Effie's cafe (on Polpetto's request) and maybe scoop up a little extra coin with the lute while he was around. The square was usually a good place to perch - but he didn't even need the manaraptor's screech to draw his attention to the stocks.
And he nearly spilled the little guy from his shoulders, almost dropped his bags in his haste to run right over to her!
"WOAH, woah-Nee. What happened?! "
Rook — 01/17/2021
Neeva had struggled in her bindings, dealt with a few of her asthma attacks (hopefully with someone around to handle lest she continue to suffer from it to the point of unconciousness). As the hours went by, so did her fight and she laid limply in the stocks. The stiffness in her limbs resulted in swelling and the pain that followed from another one of her afflictions.
Threats came and went, but the Chupakri was still determined to ruin everything for those two guards and their Captain. He'd have no job once she was done with him.
Aldo arrived, and some manner of hope followed. "They are punishing me for defending myself against their Captain, who threatened me many times. They did not listen, but they will!" Neeva shifted, pressing a knee to the ground and she shook her head. "I hate this town, I hate it. They were against me from the start! All I did was answer questions and look at his ugly face-scar."
Rigby — 01/17/2021
"Oh THAT guy, huh..." He crouched near her, stroked her hair and some stray ear fuzzies. The drawl dipped into a growl. He'd known the guy's face - at least if it was the same scarred individual he was thinking of. The guy had already run into a few folks he knew. He bit his lip, bobbed his head, appearing to at least buy into Neeva's take, wholeheartedly. Perhaps he did; the Chupakri was always quite frank. "Well. That guy is a fuck and a harlot!" Nee words! "Tell me what he did."
He draped himself across the stocks, eyes sparking, to lean over to address whoever the nearest guy on duty may have been, as casually as if he'd been with his pipe the whole time. (Polpetto for his part daintily scuttled back and forth along the man's back in order to remain upright!)
"So clearly as there was some mistake, I'd like to know the guy who I need to talk to in order to collect my friend, here." Worth a shot!
Rook — 01/17/2021
Neeva wiggled an ear at the attention, and relaxed, wagging her tail behind her. "I tried to get a close look at his face scar after he asked if I was made from alchemy, but he was very loud before and had his hand near his knife. He grabbed me by the throat to shove me, so I shoved him back and he twisted my arm so I scratched him. The big fuck went to the guards and they came to arrest, for defending myself."
She explained, running her tongue over her dry lips. "I ran, and they told me I was resisting, but I was running! I told them I would report them and they said I was threatening them, so now I am here. I have been here since the races. My limb problems are all bothering me, I did not sleep."
Neeva stared sideways at the guard he talked to. "But, I am going to tell everyone what he did."
Degu — 01/17/2021
The guard had kept half an eye on Aldo but he paid visitors no mind as long as they didn't start trying to crack the stocks open. He seemed to be staring at something across the town square when they spoke to him next and he looked to Aldo when he was addressed "Uhhh" the guard grimaced a little and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked past Aldo "You won't have to look too far." he said quietly and shrank back.
Neeva would see him first probably, decked from head to toe in his armor now. Harpur stepped up behind Aldo, sneaking a smirk down at Neeva before he spoke directly to the back of the necromancer's head "Is there a problem here?" he asked deeply, hand rested at the hilt of his sword idly.
Rigby — 01/17/2021
Aldo might have been attempting to charm the first guy into helping them out, but the effect was somewhat dampened as he'd also busied himself with fussing with Neeva as he'd listened to her story, perhaps in spite of better interests. "Yeah y'are!" was quiet, firm, and encouraging, the effect of his willful excising of the anger from his tone giving the result a little harder and more barbed of an edge than he'd intended. He'd reached in one of the coat's many mysterious inner pockets while she talked, palmed a couple of candies, and -
The guard shrank back, Polpetto's feathers rose with angry sparks and tiny growls, and without turning, Aldo set his jaw, mouth briefly drawn into a thin line.
"Yeah. Hi."
He slowly appeared to give up on reaching into his coat in order to allow his hand to drop to his side, instead. (Though the motion, before he splayed those fingers to demonstrate that nope, there were no weapons, did surreptitiously attempt to pass one candy to Neeva, along with the barest don't-say-I-did-that spark and flash of his eyes)
"Think there is. From what she's telling me here, there's been a mistake. Wrong person's in here." He'd attempted to remain even-keeled about the whole thing; the initial plan appeared to be to wander in, look as confident as possible, and see where it got him.
He couldn't say he didn't try, then!
Rook — 01/17/2021
The Chupakri nodded up at Aldo as much as she could and she exhaled a heavy sigh, though she refrained from mentioning a secret treat-giver. Not with that guard around. In came Harpur though and while he smirked down at her, the expression she gave him was one that was mocking. A sardonic smile crossed her lips, because she knew he was in trouble now.
Neeva said nothing as the cambion spoke, but carefully accepted the candy and merely held it for the moment. Harpur had gotten himself in a mess, unknowingly, and she was just eager to see it play out. The threat of a report was one thing, but this was something else for him to have to worry about.
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur watched that hand but then relaxed army the splaying of those fingers. “And how do you suppose that, then? The construct became wild and attacked me when I discouraged it from getting in my face and behaving threateningly” he frowned darkly and took a step into Aldo’s personal space in an attempt to outright exert his size and authority over him, it was how he often ‘kept the peace.’
“I’m keeping the people of this city safe, man. You would do well to remember that before you commit to causing a scene perhaps, Hm?” He smiled and wrinkled his eyes in the least friendly way possible “she will serve her time in the stocks and then she will be released.”
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"I've done more for her over less, is why." It was light and casual; a blink-and-you'll-miss it edge. Aldo stayed in place when Harpur on him and stepped forward. They were nearly the same height; if anything changed, it was a few more sparks subtly animate in his eyes and something about Belserra's old city mage about his carriage; still Aldo, still unflappable, but now somewhat pointedly so.
The gesture seemed to encourage any attention squarely on him, despite the drawl implying he wanted anything but.
"And she's late for lunch. So I'm out here just makin' sure we're all running on the same..." A gesture between his forehead and Harpur's. Wavelength.
"How'd you discourage her? She's saying here that you'd grabbed her throat. Which if that's true, then I'd figure that's that, her time is up, you can free this instrument up for some other poor...guy with a tail looking at you funny or something, and I'll be free to pick her up."
Rook — 01/18/2021
Neeva continued to listen in, ignoring Harpur's mention of what she was for something else. "It is her. I am a woman. If I was like the Vaidya, you would use they or them and not it, but I am not like them." Obviously, he was confused and she was happy to educate him.
"Yes, that is what he did. I was only looking at his face scar." Neeva went on, shifting her weight again. "I did not touch him, and he put hands on me first. He should be in here, not me."
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur looked unsettled the moment he saw light in Aldo's eyes, taking one step back as if readying himself to protect himself. What was he? He looked at Polpetto and squinted darkly as he contemplated everything "I have explained the situation, I will not explain it again. The construct attacked me, now it is learning what happens when you attack a citizen. Out of the two of us, only one of us came away from the interaction bleeding... how do you explain that, hm? Oh and resisting arrest, that added another day" he chuckled and shook his head.
He cast a sharp eye to Neeva as she kept trying to chip into the conversation, snorting irritably "You are an artificial creation." he sneered and then turned his attention back to Aldo, jabbing a thumb towards the square "Get out of here, stop getting in our way. If you want to help her you'll wait until her punishment is up and then you'll educate her so we don't have to. Don't make it worse for everyone." he rumbled, trying to make himself seem taller than Aldo in that moment as he waited for the man to leave with a rather piercing stare of his own.
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"Out of the two of us, only one of us came away from the interaction bleeding... how do you explain that, hm?"
He did waggle a hand, then with a rather sinister chirp of "I can demonstrate."
Aldo did not rage. Rage was something he'd tried to avoid. It had taken years, it had taken learning to be human. And then learning that humans, too, also raged.
But it only made it all the more frustrating when he couldn't simply punch the man square in his arrogant face and just leave him lying there, rather like he'd done with Jax. Neeva would certainly love seeing that, after all.
Eyes flared, flicked from passerby to the other guard, to Neeva again, beyond Neeva, and then back to Harpur. And decided to do exactly what the man said he shouldn't do:
Commit to causing a scene.
Aldo let Harpur's threat hang in the air for a few moments, only replying with a narrowed squint. And then he sat on the bar (giving Neeva some stray pets - and more food and allowing Polpetto to climb across the instrument). "Oh, yeaaaah-you're THAT guard, run into a few friends of mine. Explains a lot of this. Harpur...something. Valentine. Harpur. Del...gado." His hand spun vaguely as he frowned slightly
"As long as we're dealing in complete fucking nonsense, Delancey, this is what'll get me out of your hair. Proposition one: I leave. With Neeva. Walk her around a bit" - the pronoun continued to be stressed, "get her breathing fresh air. Take her back to this nice dinner my wife and I made for her, because neither of us are keen on wasting all that hard work now that we know she's not You keep the thing warm for her while we're out." He gestured to the stocks. "And when we get back, you can pop off to go pick on another demon at the tavern, and we'll cover for you again."
The first proposition was so entirely ludicrous and would've sounded utterly mad had he not been delivering it with a complete poker-face.
"Or. I stay. But without making a scene. The whole time. Com-pletely out of your way. But Neeva eats. I bring her what she needs to breathe well and keep her fed 'til it's done. No date changes, she's here for the full set. Whaddya think, del Toro?"
Degu — 01/18/2021
Rufio walked by in the background, eyes widening and focusing straight ahead. He sped up upon hearing his name even being mentioned near a guard and quickly disappeared down an alleyway.
"Eberhardt" he corrected with a grit of his teeth, fist clenching. Aldo was getting under his skin quite nicely, but two could play that game. If it was to be a game of chicken for who snapped first, then so be it... but more was at stake for Aldo if he wanted to exist in this city if HE snapped first so Harpur reminded himself of that.
He got back in close, forgetting his nervousness over that spark behind the necromancer's eyes now in favor of his anger. He came forehead to forehead with Aldo...a rather dangerous pose between two angry men, and squared his shoulders.
When he spoke it was very low and faux-calm "If you want to stay with her, you can...we even have some empty stocks ready for you" specifically the ones directly next to Neeva.
"If you've nothing valuable to offer other than that attitude of yours, I'm afraid you've got nothing worth negotiating with. Now don't make me ask again. Get out. of. my. sight. Last warning."
Rigby — 01/18/2021
He squinted, mock-wounded. "Ooooof-I don't like that extra stuff. Not my terms. Trumped up charges. If you're not already pulling them from your other end. Sure your superiors wouldn't want to hear that." He allowed the statement to drawl, knowingly. "'Harpur Eberhardt,' huh." He bit his lip, nodding - as if in weird approval at the sound of the name, itself. "Harpur Eberhardt."
And the man was in his face again. God-dammit.
"Well. Sounds like we have enough of an agreement, Harpur Eberhardt." They were eye-to-eye. And he clapped him on the shoulder in what appeared to be enough of a jovial motion - if the two men weren't both stiffly seething and ready to pop.
Aldo clapped him on the shoulder to accentuate that 'agreement' and - with perhaps a subtle yank from behind Harpur's eyes - pulled him straight from the world entirely.
And there was nothing. Nobody could hear them because they did not appear to be anywhere. Figments of the stocks and frozen onlookers might've surrounded them.There was no sound or movement from outside. There may have been shadows where there shouldn't have been in the non-space, sparks and electricity flared noiselessly on the fringes of everyone's vision.
Perhaps the faint ghost of a many-eyed and feathered jackal of sparks and halos where Aldo should be, only visible indirectly.
"Sounds like a geis. I'll remember you. I know where you are. And I know where you'll go."
Harpur was released in but a moment, their surroundings flooding back into definition as Aldo lifted his hand from that shoulder-clap. It had been a second, however long the trip to Aldo's self-named-Spot had taken.
A juggler's kick brought the instrument to his hand from the ground in his retreat, and he crouched to sit cross-legged next to Neeva, back leaning up against the stocks, instrument in his lap. A little shrug if allowed. Nobody else saw the lapse- but there was enough not-stocks-things already happening upon the stocks that it was attracting a few gawkers. If his mission had been to make a scene...
Degu — 01/18/2021
Harpur's body jolted with the change, eyes widened as the world around him became a void filled with unsettling imagery. His head snapped side to side, eyes swiveling to try and get some bearings. What was happening? his heart raced as he finally focused fully on the jackal in front of him, a symbol of death. He leaned back as far as he could with that grip on his shoulder, his hand gripping at his sword as if ready for a last stand.... and then the world returned.
He almost stumbled backwards, quickly catching his footing as he stared at Aldo and tried to shake the stunned fog in his brain as any practiced monster hunter had learned to do. He half unsheathed his blade and moved towards Aldo, gritting his teeth through how shaken he felt (and admittedly he was fearing for his mortal soul, being a bit of a Neutralist) "How dare you- demon of death, monster-" he hissed seethingly to them.
But then what proof did he have to show his superiors that he had been messed with if he cut off Aldo's head right now? ...none, it'd been done so that there was no proof at all.
He glanced around and then aggressively re-sheathed his sword "Watch yourself." he warned angrily and turned to walk away, pushing through the gathering crowds a little too forcefully as he left with haste to try and process what'd just happened to him... and to make notes in the books about Aldo and Neeva of course! Uh oh.
The fear for his mortal soul was going to be a lasting thing though, even keeping the man awake at night.
Rook — 01/18/2021
Neeva was one of the spectators that was none-the-wiser to anything going on between the two. One second Harpur was snarling at him and the next, he looked terrified and stumbled back. She turned her head to watch the guard as he got indignant, and she looked to Aldo immediately after.
"Is he made you are agreeing?" The Chupakri asked in blatant confusion. He was leaving, however, and not trying to force Aldo into the stocks and that made her mood better. Even if he had looked ready to bring his sword into play. "He did not unlock me." Not surprising, but he was running with his proverbial tail between his legs.
And as for tails, Neeva moved hers over and flopped what length she could against Aldo's side.
AJ — 01/18/2021
The Vaidya and Jaxamir had committed many a crime, and as a result, the doctor had gotten quite good at escaping restraints—and picking the locks on Jaxamir's so he would draw less attention than if he were to break the stocks himself. So these? These were easy. The physician could pick them in their sleep, most likely, but they were only meant to stand up to brute force. So public they didn't think anyone would have the audacity. But the surgeon was all about audacity.
The other thing they had on their side were shadows. (19) Even in broad damn daylight, they slipped up close to the stocks, weird and quiet, followed by a whisp of smoke? Some trick of the light, and promptly flopped down to side on Neeva's other side, opposite Aldo and Harpur's talk. Most likely, they'd used Aldo's distraction of the beefy man as cover, and entered at an angle so that the other guards hadn't paid them much mind, but still in full view of many of the gathered crowd (to much snickering of spectators). And then settled in the dirt beside the chupakri as if they were planning a bloody picnic there. "Oh," they mumbled quietly, just enough for Neeva beside them to hear, leaning forward to cast an eye around the stocks at Harpur. "That one." Yes, they'd met him already. Surprise they hadn't ended up in the stocks themself.
And then they promptly pulled a pin from their sleeve and stuck it in the padlock, in broad daylight, bold as balls. "No, he did not," they sighed in response to Neeva's lament, just over the audible click-tap-click of pins nudging out of place. And then click as the padlock opened (20), although the shaft was still in place to hold the stocks closed. Just in time for Aldo to flop down beside her? They peered around the wooden hold innocently. Evidently, they might not have thought far enough ahead—to their actual escape, and the repercussions of. Oops.
Rigby — 01/18/2021
"How dare you- demon of death, monster-"
Aldo did stiffen slightly at that last word, offense truly slipping into that pretense, even for just a seconds...and then shrugged. "Maybe." Offered a little wave at the crowds and then set to re-stringing a couple of threads of gut and metal he'd pulled from one of the myriad coat pockets. As if he didn't casually just pull the offending guard apart out of all known spacetime - just for a moment - at all.
But an angry and vindictive little smile did reach his eyes and quirk at his mouth as the guy left just a little quicker than he'd arrived.
"Couldn't beat him up right here, not with the crowd, so I did something else, instead." She'd leaned on him; he'd curled an arm around; the hold was a little awkward, but he'd nevertheless try and pet her in what he'd hoped was enough of a reassuring manner.
Polpetto had slipped over to the lock, attempted to wriggle tiny digits inside of it. And on occasion he'd shoot little strands of filaments and ectoplasm in, in perhaps an odd attempt to grease it. He'd just clambered back up to the top bar holding the apparatus in place in defeat when he'd heard the click, first. The Vaidya was greeted with a purring trill.
That did also earn a flick of the luminous eyes as Aldo finished tuning the last string, and he did snort in spite of himself. Which was somewhat good; a laughing Aldo was better than the quiet seething one. "Til the crowds thin out a little. I want them to see, and want to rub his nose in it a little. Don't want him picking on you, again." Two different chords, a few murmured, musical words (that may have explicitly been mocking that guard). "'That one?'"
Rook — 01/19/2021
When the Vaidya arrived, Neeva perked her ears up and stared at them sideways. She'd gotten tired of twisting her head about to do so at this point, but they were atleast in a spot where she could. "Oh you got it." She commented at the sound of the flick, but she wouldn't move yet. Part of her was sure they'd all be in them together if she did.
"All my arms and legs hurt." Neeva relaxed in the awkward hold still and closed her eyes a moment, exhaling a sigh. "I am going to tell many people about what he did, so that they can all give him bad looks."
Degu — 01/19/2021
One of the guards posted near the stocks grows suspicious of the two lingering and moves closer to eye them and make sure they're only socializing.
AJ — 01/19/2021
Were they not focused on being Discreet, the Vaidya might have been a little more up front, angry. Aldo could handle himself, Aldo had a much cooler head—although they couldn't say they found any of those terms offensive. The last one, maybe. Demon of death? Wasn't that just an interesting fact?
They looked up at Polpetto, raising a silent finger to their lips; they were well aware they couldn't get away with this. With the guard's attention on them, the lock clicked closed again at Aldo's behest. Probably for the best. Maybe if it was Jaxamir, with Brimstone and Ajaa waiting around a corner. They reached up to brush the hair out of Neeva's face where she couldn't reach it herself.
" 'That one'," to answer Aldo. "Yes. He approached me in the dens. He put his hands on me when I refused to move; I had his seat, apparently." One could expect how that went, with the large, cushiony lounging booths the den employed. "The work staff were too cowardly to do anything about it. I am sure if they had tried they would have ended up here." They were surprised they hadn't. They hadn't exactly diffused the situation once Harpur had backed off.
Rigby — 01/23/2021
Aldo frowned deeply at the Doctor's words. He wouldn't get mad; he'd already made his point to Harpur well enough...but this human was clearly making himself a menace for what appeared "And here you are, entirely human." Sorta'."So he's just an ass. No frills, no excuses." He wouldn't admit to himself that he could just as easily see the Vaidya wheedling away at that captain's evident short fuse just to see what would happen. Probably couldn't blame them.
Aldo did, however, give the Vaidya another meaningful Look as the lock closed again, one that tried not to outright laugh at how easily they'd come by a simpler solution: Only if we need to make a run for it.
He settled deeper into his seat, rather deliberately and showily planting himself in that spot. He wouldn't move and wouldn't shut up until people noticed Harpur...and until Neeva's sentence was mitigated.
"Right, Nee. Tonight, you're gonna' be a hero."
And so the day dragged on; when he could, he'd be a nuisance - singing derisive songs about that caption, making demands for and adjustments to Neeva's comfort. Sneaking her (and Polpetto and the Vaidya) snacks. The intent was clear - by the time she was freed again, she would be the hero of this story...and the people now had a clear villain.
Later; Laerdya's Yule gift of the rune-scribed bird-skull necklace appeared to be incredibly handy when one's husband felt the need to indulge in a little non-violent protest.
To all appearances, the man might've been taking a nap, wedged up against the baseboards of Neeva's stocks with Polpetto wide-awake and alert on his shoulders, not too long after his initial declaration of intent. But it was about that time when, in a decently cozy forest home rather far from the square, a certain elf would be graced with a rather frazzled-looking, spectral raven tumbling into her window in a tangle of feathers (which whisped into smoke as they'd flown about); one who'd righted himself rather quickly and awkwardly to explain the situation, and direct her own attentions over there as the night went on.
Rook — 01/23/2021
"You should tell them, we can get him fired. He should not be touching anyone." Neeva didn't like the idea of one person going around and never being stopped, especially with the multiple witnesses. She made a plan to snitch whenever possible, should she see anything herself. The lock was closed again and she sighed dramatically.
During the day, she occasionally shifted position as much as she could, noodling mostly with her tail tucked close. She accepted each addition comfort and treat, though she hid the fact that she chewed remarkably well as if sneaking food wasn't new to her.
--
Upon getting the information via Aldo in spectral form, Lae headed for the stockades, but with an air that was challenging should one dare to approach the ice mage. The atmosphere was chilling too, a clear threat for those like Harpur, assuming they could bother a lone elf on a late stroll. She'd have brought a blanket, so Neeva had something better than stone to kneel on.
--
When morning came, Lae would've wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as a shawl to ensure no one would complain when they came to free the Chupakri and she remained at her husband's side watchful. Quinne's letter certainly did the trick!
Neeva got up when freed and wandered about the three of them, intent on working out the stiffness in her legs and knees. She rubbed at her neck and wrists, though she knew the ache would only be properly relieved via a nice hot bath. "I am ready to GO!"
AJ — 01/24/2021
The Doctor could only shrug. "He was rather attached to his 'spot'." Enough that it didn't matter what race they were. "He backed off. Perhaps thought better of it." But the blasé way they said it while lounging against the stocks suggested that the doctor probably hadn't helped the situation. They did have a habit of antagonizing and making things worse. They leaned against Neeva's stocks near her ear, a little sigh whistling between their teeth. "Perhaps. I suspect the guards would have done nothing. They would believe him over me." But Neeva's thought was admirable. They politely shrugged at the click of the lock, understanding that Aldo was thinking a few more steps ahead, but by the looks of it the physician had done this a few times before—picked a lock and immediately made a run for it.
A little more difficult here when there were people they didn't want to leave behind.
They settled in for the day, not nearly as forward a nuisance as Aldo was, but his antics earned some muffled giggling beside Neeva's spot. They mainly served as a distraction for Aldo to set up his pranks. They pulled up their bag and dug through it for a cooling balm to apply to Neeva's aches. It wasn't much—freeing her would do a world more comfort than treating the symptoms caused by her imprisonment—but it was one of the few little comforts they could offer.
Lae got a sleepy nod of greeting when she approached, and they'd help tuck the blanket around Neeva for the night. When morning came, they stood to assist as well, a little too grabby to check her wrists and knees for bruising or other issues. Yes, a nice hot bath.
RP between Degu, AJ and Rook
>
Degu — 02/18/2021
Chief Arturo de Ovando was a roman looking man of lean stature. His skin was clay coloured, his nose hooked and atop his head was a mass of wavy dark brown hair. He stood in an early afternoon town square with his hands on his hips and a no nonsense attitude radiating from him. A few people walked by and stared, uttering to each other 'Is that the chief?' 'It's chief Arturo I hope everything's okay..'
Arturo was used to his presence worrying people because if HE had turned up, folks expected some super-crime to take place that he'd seen coming a mile away. He was just here to do his job...dealing with Harpur. Harpur turned up crisp and early, looking like a dog that had been tricked into eating broccoli instead of steak. He beat a fist across his chest in respectful greeting "Chief de Ovando" he greeted, trying to keep the petulant rage from his tone.
Arturo saluted back more calmly but said nothing and a silence fell between them as they awaited the arrival of his partner.
"Is this really necessary? I've done nothing but-"
Arturo fixed him with a dangerous stare that quickly shut him up, but then sighed "Do you have any idea how many concerning complaints we've had about you lately, Captain? ...you are lucky this is all we're doing."
Harpur's face went red with anger but before he could spout off he snapped his head away "All I've ever done is protect this city."
"Then don't make me have to protect this city from you" Arturo quipped and that seemed to pierce Harpur's armor enough to make him look down and away.
After that they waited in silence with Harpur looking just a little deflated, maybe some truth rang in what Arturo had said. Perhaps Arturo had chosen a public place so he couldn't cause a scene when his partner turned up, he hoped that the rumors of it being a supe captain from the other side of the city were wrong.
AJ — 02/18/2021
Bazil had spent the morning fingering a bottle, but ultimately deciding against it. Not on a day like this, when the smell of anything on his breath would get him into a situation even worse. He suited up, his uniform neat and clean, platemail patted and adjusted until he was satisfied (or procrastinating leaving). He stood and twisted the signet ring on his finger, a minor artifact capable of simple form-shifting between human, anthropomorphized, and his true form. He considered making things easier on himself by turning up 'human', but that would last a day, tops. Eberhardt would just look that up, if he hadn't already.
With a long-suffering sigh, he headed out into the early morning, brushing his stubby fingers through the main of grey fur as he walked. The clank and jingle of his armour and weapons heralded his arrival, perfectly prompt but not the early go-getter that Harpur was. Still, the old, washed up lion-man approached, back straight, ever conscious of his training, and came to a stop beside his new partner with his legs together. Keeping his eyes on Arturo and not even sparing Harpur a glance, he cleared his throat to offer a greeting. "Sir."
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur stood impatiently, arms folded. As soon as he heard the familiar clatter of a captain's armor he looked up and immediately balked "What in gods name is that!" he looked sharply to Arturo "Chief you can't be serious! Look at his damn tail and tell me that's safe to have in a city! let alone a captain! And you want me to work with this-"
Chief de Ovando fixed Harpur with a very dangerous stare that said 'push it and it's your entire career next'. The human chief sharply cast his eyes down and puffed furiously off to the side, taking a couple of steps away with one hand on his hip and another pressed to his face as he tried to calm down. The Chief finally greeted Bazil "Captain Bazil Rayhan." he greeted almost apologetically.
"The two of you will be sharing command of thirty units for the time being, I expect you both to work together to ensure the successful daily completion of our common goal, the protection of our citizens." He said it with all the air of a mentor, or father, though he was not a very old fellow himself. "We have a new artifact arriving at the museum today in a couple of hours, we've heard word of potential interference. I want you and some of your units to cover the area in a way you see fit. Don't mess this up." He knew it was a risk, but he hoped that with a serious goal in mind they might work together better...not to mention this was Harpur's area, he ought to know what to do by now.
Harpur looked up at the museum behind them and then over his shoulder to glare at the manticore, biting back some nasty words before sighing and nodding. He turned and saluted the Chief with a weak fist across his chest "As you wish, Chief." he grumbled.
"If i hear you've been giving each other a hard time, there'll be consequences. Now get on with it." and with that the Chief turned to leave, leaving Harpur glaring petulantly at Captain Bazil. "So... you n' me..." he began lowly.
AJ — 02/18/2021
Good grief. His spiked tail bristled slightly, an agitated sway he tried to cover up by keeping it low to the ground behind him. "Age. It'll catch up with you too." It was the best comeback he could fire off, delivered with a tired, grating murmur.
He received Arturo's greeting with a brief, sharp nod, reserving the proper salute for his departure. "'Course, Chief." He at least put a little oomph into his chest-slap.
The manticore weathered Harpur's glare without reaction, tired and done, waiting until Arturo was far enough away to mutter: "I need a drink." He finally turned enough to meet the other Captain's eye. "Looks like." It was probably hard for a human to read expressions on a lion, but he was raising a brow. "Lead the way."
Rook — 02/18/2021
It wouldn't be until the pair turned away and started to move off that Harpur would hear those bothersome whispers. How he was likely to fail and be replaced by someone better over his racism, especially towards his new, better 'partner'
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur didn't quite catch the mutter but he assumed the worst and grit his teeth. A few of the town center unit that belonged to Harpur's groups were standing around outside the museum watching with interest and idly chatting and whispering about what was going on.
Lead the way? that seemed to put Harpur at ease, after all, they now shared the units and he'd expected some immediate clash of authority between him and the manticore. Well, if the dirty supe was happy to just watch him do all the hard work then that was just dandy with him. He smirked in pointless triumph and nodded towards the museum "We need to set up the units for when this artifact arrives, might as well call in the-"
He overheard something from the group behind him and froze with wide eyes, quickly snapping his head around to stare at them in surprise at first before that shocked stare turned dangerous. His eyes burned and he immediately stormed towards them and they quickly shrank away and backed up against the museum's pillars "What was THAT!?" he boomed down at them.
The group of alarmed privates looked at each other with confusion and distress. "You all think you're hot shit do you!? Forget who you're talking about!? Get on the damn ground and give me twenty before i make you give me your damn badge instead!"
"But we-!"
"NOW!!!" he boomed furiously and in heavy armor, in the hot sun they started to get down right there in front of the museum. Harpur was seething, the vein in his temple throbbing...how fucking dare they, what had gotten into his unit today? The Lieutenant of that unit was all the way across the other side of the square and was looking over with a confused squint, turning as if to head over to ask what was going on.
AJ — 02/18/2021
This was more or less Harpur's sector that Bazil was stepping into, so it felt 'right' to give him the lead on things, until the manticore could find his own bearing. But if he'd known it had gone straight to the human's head, he would have thought better of it. He still could, squinting briefly at Harpur's smirk. Things sidetracked before he could think too hard on it though, and he turned towards where his fellow captain was shouting.
Now, the manticore's ears were far better than any mundane human's, and although he didn't stop Harpur from disciplining the privates (they'd been meandering a little uselessly anyhow), he was quick to backtrack mentally over their gossip and was, at least, very sure he hadn't heard anything more than general gossip. At least nothing that should have whipped the captain into a frenzy, left him red-faced and on the verge of a fucking aneurism. But it wouldn't do to show divisive leadership in front of company.
He waited until their attention was on the paved stones as they did pushups. The manticore's gravely voice was low, hushed, a barely cattish his as he leaned in to keep it between them, pushing against Harpur's arm to turn the man around so they could converse away from the privates. "The fuck was that about?" Gods, could he just drown himself in his flask?
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur huffed grumpily as he was turned away, burning eyes fixing directly onto Bazil's own sleepy stare. He bristled sharply at the other captain's tone, used to being the only captain in his area, now he could be challenged by this overgrown feline-cactus. "What? didn't your supernatural hearing pick that up?" he snapped nastily and tried to cool himself down, gritting his teeth and running a hand through his hair. The lieutenant was over by now and was crouching to talk to his poor sweaty men and women as they did pushups in the afternoon sun.
"Surely you heard them? Discussing my job." he kept it vague, glancing angrily over his shoulder at the group and making even the Lieutenant shrink in stature slightly.
"They've never been like that before, not right near me. What has gotten into them?" he growled, sounding disappointed now too, maybe even more so than he was angry.
But Bazil HAD heard them. The conversation had been innocent enough:
'Do you know the new guys name? I heard he was from the other side of the city'
'No. Wonder how Captain Eberhardt is going to handle another captain though'
'Yeah... might be alright really. New guy's some kind of... lion...?'
'It's manticore actually'
'Alright, book worm'
'It's one of the most common-! whatever.'
AJ — 02/19/2021
The old manticore kept his temper in check. Harpur could throw a fit and make himself look bad, but he refused to give him a reaction; he could dig his own grave. His face scrunched in bewilderment, and he mirrored the human's glance towards his men. The sincerity in Harpur's voice was what got him; he could have just admitted he thought they needed to work off some nervous energy.
"No. I didn't." And the lion man looked sincerely a bit befuddled by it, although for Harpur's sake, he kept a serious frown. "They were just gossiping about manticores, nothing about you, nothing that warranted you flipping out." He kept his growl barely above a whisper, letting the men and women work off that extra energy while the parents discussed things. "If you just want to get their blood pumping, fine."
Degu — 02/19/2021
Harpur looked this manticore in the eyes, his own steely gaze hard and just daring his new partner to say something stupid. When Bazil took the road of 'voice of reason' he was at first even more frustrated, working his jaw as he felt the scraggly cactus was lying to him to make him think he was going crazy! But ... having interrogated so many and investigated so many crime scenes, Harpur had developed a keen eye for detail. Lies, especially.
When he looked at Bazil there were no tells that he was lying. No twitches, no movements, no excessive blinking or deeper breaths. His brows furrowed and the moment he started to doubt himself was clear "No I wouldn't just-"
The Lieutenant turned up at Harpur's side and cleared his throat. "Is everything alright, sirs?" he asked them both but it was clear he was asking the one who'd just gone off the rails at his men. Harpur felt trapped there in that moment, two people asking him what the fuck was going on and he was so sure he'd known. But he HEARD them, he heard them with his own ears!
He growled and turned towards the guards who were still struggling to do push ups in the heat "Get back on your feet" he snapped at them. He didn't answer the Lieutenant, he just looked at the clock on the face of the museum "We need to hurry up and get our men into position." and with that he raised a whistle to his lips and blew it....hard....right there next to the poor guy with good hearing. Even the human lieutenant covered his ears and staggered back indignantly.
Needless to say their units came down the streets and poured into the town square from wherever they'd been nearby, lining up outside the museum while the public looked on with fascination as per usual. It filled Harpur with a sense of pride.
AJ — 02/20/2021
Bazil was too old for this crap. For lying, or any of it. He looked honest and tired, holding Harpur's stare until the man finally ducked his head away from the lieutenant's intrusion. "Yeah. Everything's good." Platitudes to put the confused man at ease, and he turned with Harpur towards the rest of their troupe, only to immediately and violently jerk away at the abrupt and shrill whistle, swearing handily in grit-teethed Arabic and covering the ear closest to the human. Yeah, he could tell that was meant to be petty. And was he the tiniest bit hung over? Probably.
He straightened up again immediately, that round ear angled a bit downwards with a grimace he held into a serious frown, clearing from the back of his throat and looking over Harpur's well put-together lineup of men. Well, at least they were trained well.
Degu — 02/20/2021
Harpur couldn't help smirking when Bazil looked like a pet cat that'd smelled citrus, clearly it was the desired effect but the smirk did fade. He was still concerned, he knew what he'd heard oh so clearly. It could wait, now he had a line up of his men and Bazil was watching him now. He marched slowly along the line of his men "We have a special delivery arriving at the museum, a new item for the collection. A valuable item. We have word that this artifact has drawn the eyes of thieves in the area, and our job today is to see that it makes it into the building safely once it arrives and that it stays there. Keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour, keep your eyes on the roofs and the sewer vents...and especially keep an eye out for..."
Everyone exchanged a glance as if they knew what was coming next.
"Pascaal..." Harpur said it through gritted teeth seethingly. "No doubt him and his friends are planning something, I want you all on high alert. Unit one" he pointed to a group and its Lieutenant "I want you out the front here, three outside on the doors, two inside by the fountain. Have the rest dispersed evenly through town square. Unit two, I want you covering the back end, three outside, two in the lower collection, the rest of you I want along coliseum road and at the bridge. Lastly unit three, I want you upstairs covering the windows and roof entry points." It seemed like a flawless defense. No one seemed to have any qualms and dispersed quickly like oiled machinery working together.
Harpur turned to look at Bazil once they were alone "I don't know if someones paying you to sabotage my job, but I'm watching you." Maybe he HAD heard what he'd heard and Bazil was just trying to make him look a fool so he could take his cushy, hard earned job in the city center!
AJ — 02/21/2021
Harpur was petty, and Bazil was sure he'd find a way to make his life hell without it getting back to Arturo that he'd 'given him a hard time'. The manticore wasn't a tattler; he tended just to put up with abuse and move on. Probably why he was in this situation, if he was honest with himself.
But Harpur also had good command of his men, and Bazil was ready to stand and observe it, get a feel for how they operated, how Harpur operated, until he found his footing with this new unit. 'Pascaal' got a cattish eyebrow raised, and he tried to momentarily catch the Lieutenant's eye with an unspoken question. It was too late, and Harpur was directing everyone onwards, but the venom with which he said the name made him wonder. Although with a name like 'Pascaal', the manticore was picturing a small urchin boy pickpocketing Harpur's lunch money and earning himself a vendetta for life.
As the men scattered to their posts, he turned and started to open his mouth with the question, only to snap it shut again at the human's accusation. Those droopy eyes looked entirely done with him already, although he did briefly consider showing some teeth. "You think the Chief is trying to sabotage you by pairing you with me? You don't have much faith in him, do you?"
Degu — 02/21/2021
Harpur let out a harsh and bitter laugh "That's rich." he said "You have no idea do you?" he didn't even look at Bazil as his men all moved into place, Harpur made sure they were all in place as he stepped away to walk across the front of the museum and then he started ...checking sewer grates, looking down the grates with a paranoid sneer. This Pascaal fellow had obviously snuck underneath venues before or he wouldn't be looking.
"The chief has been sabotaging me my entire career, it's no secret by now" he sneered. "Blacklisted me from faewatch because of some ridiculous notion that i'd lose all control and start throwing knives at the court guard across the border" he seethed "Oh and how he has me frozen in this position, how he interferes with my cases and manipulates my work even though he keeps me in the prime position of town center because he knows I'm the best at what I do." A lot of frustrations were coming out but it was no secret how Harpur felt "And then there's you" he rounded on Bazil with a disgusted stare.
"You're just another form of sabotage....and for what? for me having a girl put in stocks for attacking a captain, I might add, is a far lesser sentence than y' usually receive for attackin' a damn guard. Why? Because she had a friend send a 'Strongly Worded Letter' to him and he listened." he threw a hand up and then turned away, resting his big hands on his hips.
"It's a goddamned circus. I'll have faith in him once he starts having faith in me and my damn instincts....they kept us alive and safe this long."
AJ — 02/21/2021
By the quizzical look on the lion-man's face, no, he did not. But he was sure he was in for one hell of a rant, if that scoff meant anything. He walked with him, squinting over his shoulder at the first gate, but despite Harpur's obvious paranoia, the sewers were a smart place to hide and move, so he stuck close and peered in after them, shielding his eyes from the sun to try and get a better glimpse into he shadows.
He didn't expect to get along with Harpur, this was entirely a 'do your job and go home' situation, and as the man rounded on him, he straightened up and crossed his arms. "Uh huh. I must have done something pretty bad to get saddled with you." He'd settled his hands on his hips, one hooked in his belt, the other on his flask. His gaze was still scouting around him, watching the men fall into position, picking out anything odd, but giving Harpur lots of room to continue his rant.
"Your instincts must be pretty shit if you're convinced I've got some grand vendetta against you. Or I'm getting slipped something under the table. Enough to put up with what'm sure's going to be a lot more abuse and snide comments about my race. Oh yeah, this' going to be a picnic for me. For what, a promotion? I'm too old for this. Did they stick me with you to make you miserable? Probably. Or maybe to teach you some fucking humility." There was no pith in his speech, it all just sounded monotone and tired.
Degu — 02/21/2021
Harpur was on his last nerve today, the captain turned on Bazil and stepped in too close, teeth gritted "Yeah? well feel free to take that to the chief and leave" he growled. Some of the guards out the front were looking concerned 'Are they going to fight..?' one whispered to a fellow and while Harpur didn't notice what they'd said he knew they were saying something and he turned his head on them and snapped "Focus on your WORK!" and they quickly stood to attention.
Harpur sighed and dragged a hand over his face "And we should do the same" he narrowed his eyes at Bazil. The sound of many hooves coming up the road from the direction of the docks drew his head away and then he looked back to Bazil "We'll settle this after our shift. The artifact is here." he grumbled and turned away, lifting his whistle and blowing a short blast (again too close to poor Bazil) and his men were immediately ready.
A carriage pulled its way into town square with a procession of mounted guards escorting it. People gathered around to 'ooo' and 'aaa' and Harpur sighed "Take a unit and make sure the crowd stay back, would you? Then help me escort this thing into the building." he said, seeing as Bazil was so keen to let him take the lead today.
Rook — 02/21/2021
"Can you believe this? He's picking a fight and yelling at us.."
AJ — 02/22/2021
Gods, he was tired. He wouldn't give Harpur the satisfaction of backing down, but he had no pithy response to throw back in his face. He just scowled, tail faintly spiked but low behind him, one ear subtle flicking to the quiet chatter going on behind them.
Harpur was quick to bark them back into line, so he left it at that. Harpur could squint all he wanted at him, but at mention of work, and them, he sighed heavily and turned around to stand at attention and regard the approaching carriage. "Forget it. There's nothing to settle." Of course the human got the last 'word' in, that shrill whistle eliciting the slightest rigidity in the manticore's shoulders, his flat snout curling with distaste. Just barely resisting showing a tooth.
He was going to drink himself into a stupor after this. Heading Harpur's word, but not answering him, that growl remained nothing more than a slight grumble in the back of his throat as he raised a hand to grab the collective units' attention, pointing a claw to one of the gatherings Harpur hadn't already assigned a post to. "You men, with me. We're keeping the looky-loos back. They're welcome to gawk, just don't let 'em get too close." He stalked off, that ball of spikes swaying with him.
Degu — 02/23/2021
Harpur's head snapped towards the sound of those voices and he fixed them with a harsh glare "What has gotten into you all today? We're talkin' about this during debriefing." he growled, he sounded more disappointed now than anything and he looked it too. His men were the best and most loyal in the city, they all worked with him like well oiled clockwork but today the illusion of camaraderie had broken away as far as he could tell. It made his heart ache in a strange way, surely his men did not feel this way about him? not all of them.
He steeled himself against this momentary break in confidence and grit his teeth, marching off to meet the carriage and guide it up to the steps of the museum "Pull it round." he told the driver and took the reigns of one of the horses to help guide it. It involved circling around the fountain but once they were up against the steps he looked back over his shoulder at Bazil who'd done a fine job, he had to admit...for supposedly not being a city central captain anyway. Hmph.
The artifact was some kind of puzzle amulet that had turning pieces and code mechanisms. Harpur had heard of it in recent weeks because plans to move it here had crossed his desk, supposedly whoever could unlock it would be privy to the location of some great unknown treasure. There had been speculation that it could grant the person who found it with some great powers, perhaps even immortality. No one really knew.
The artifact went into the building no problem, Harpur decided his focus would be out the front of the building and Bazil could fuck off to the back. "I want regular checks of the roof and sewer grates" he told his men as they guarded the museum. He kept checking the sewer grates himself, apparently having been duped like that last time.
AJ — 02/24/2021
Bazil turned back around at Harpur's address, ears perked quizzically at his latest accusation. Gods, just his luck if this human also just happened to hear Voices on top of everything else. But he kept his back to Harpur and his attention on the crowds and his unit, ushering people back with a stern politeness, and quickly point out one too-eager child who'd slipped past a guard to try and get a better look (there was nothing to see, but surely if the guards were keeping them back it must be treasure!)
The manticore's eyes were on the carriage's slow pull around the fountain, those last few feet to relative 'safety' feeling agonizingly slow. He might have met Harpur's eye for half a second, but his ears were alert to everything around him, and he turned back to help disperse the crowd.
Harpur could do whatever the hell he wanted, and Bazil would fill in the gaps for now. If that 'fuck off' got translated into a distant glare, he could only hope the Grey Rock of an expression he returned made him a little angrier. Keeping his same unit, he headed towards the rear of the building, posting men at ever entrance and every window, with regular patrols. Roof, and yes, sewer checks.
Degu — 02/24/2021
An hour passed and it started to seem like nothing much was going to happen. An hour wasn't long, but Harpur wasn't used to Pascaal making them wait either. The mood seemed to settle, though a few confused eyes had watched Harpur the whole time, others were wondering if the captain was hearing things too but none of them dared to say anything much after what had already transpired.
The afternoon was peaceful and warm, people milled about. It all seemed perfect until blue gentian's rather abruptly showered down from the roof of the museum. The flowers fluttered down atop the heads of the guards and the captains on either side of the building and Harpur quickly looked up and darted away from the building to get a visual on the roof. Up there stood a grinning, fair haired man in his mid twenties with a narrow frame.
"PASCAAL!" Harpur bellowed and the master thief giggled "Well gentlemen, thank you ever so much for the artifact!" he raised the puzzle-amulet above his head and spun it on one finger cockily before flicking it into his pocket like a pocket-watch.
"But- HOW!" roared Harpur "Take aim!" he ordered and his units raised their crossbows and started loading bolts quickly.
Pascaal giggled even more loudly and turned to run off along the rooftops "Te visurum, Captains! Ehehehe!"
AJ — 02/26/2021
Bazil didn't have Harpur's experience and obviously well-developed vendetta for this man, but he was vigilant all the same, patrolling diligently and questioning his eyes and ears. So he stared quizzically around him as blue flower petals fluttered down from the roof he'd only just checked. "What—" the manticore's confusion was interrupted by Harpur's bellow from across the way, and his tail spiked instinctively.
"HALT." Yeah, right. The manticore was still spry for his age, and even in heavy armour, he turned on his toes and took off across the pavement, following after the thief's sprint across the rooftops. "Runners with me, keep eyes on him, give the arbalists time to load! Can any of your men fly!?" No no, all mundies, and here he was, the lame old manticore of the wingless variety. He unslung his snaphaunce in one quick motion, but it would take him a minute to prime it, and he was unwilling to take his eyes off the suspect.
Degu — 02/27/2021
On the other side of the museum, Harpur was barking similar orders and he and his runners took off up the street. "Those roofs don't go on forever, he'll have to come down soon!" he called out. Harpur had stamina by the bucket-load but he sacrificed a fair bit of speed for his heavy armor, something perhaps some supernaturals did not but for him it was a necessary hindrance. His runners got ahead of him a little and both teams on either side of the row of buildings would find themselves headed towards the same bridge at the end of their streets. Pascaal cast each captain a cheeky grin before leaping from the bridge and disappearing behind the building, seemingly onto the bridge below.
Harpur could only assume Bazil was coming from the other side too, "THAT'S IT! We've got you now, Pascaal!" he bellowed in breathy triumph as he rounded the corner and...most likely came face to face with Bazil and an empty bridge. He blinked dumbly and frantically looked around before rushing to the railings of the bridge to look down into the water. A gondola had been passing underneath the bridge at the time and Harpur quickly halted the gondolier with a harsh blow of his whistle. The man had pulled over looking alarmed and Harpur had his men checking the gondola within moments.
The captain glared around them "He can't have gone anywhere-!" he said in frustration as the Gondolier just seemed to be an older man with a nervous complexion on the brink of a heart attack.
AJ — 02/28/2021
Harpur was slowed by heavy armour, while Bazil was slowed by age. The manticore was furiously trying to prime his firearm as he pounded pavement, a catish snarl as his tried to keep his eyes on his target. The crowsbowmen were taking aim and firing off shots, and finally the big cat brought his rifle around as he rounded a corner, nearly slamming into Harpur.
His teeth were bared with short exhales, and he wasted no time trying to converse with him, following suit instead to throw himself against the railings. That damn—fucking--whistle. The manticore's ears lay flat, and he turned away, scouring the water below and racing to the edge of the bridge. The gondola looked like a false lead. Someone who could scale a roof could just as easily cling to the underside of a bridge, right? He left Harpur's men to search the boat, leaning over the side of the canal to get a look at the underside of the bridge instead. Where the fuck...
Degu — 02/28/2021
Harpur clutched cuffs firmly in one fist as he looked sharply around, even looking back at the building that Pascaal had leapt from. He had to still be here! He stood on the opposite side of the bridge to the manticore and looked down at the water while his men questioned the gondolier and checked the area. Bazil leaned down and when he did he'd come face to face with.... Pascaal! the impish half-fae blinked at the manticore and then grinned almost ear to ear "Hey old man.... not the old man I expected to see!" he said with a cheeky grin. Then he tried to drop from the bridge he'd been hanging upside down underneath!
AJ — 02/28/2021
"HALT!" The manticore cried out, ignoring Pascaal's cheek, his voice hoarse from the awkward angle bent down under the bridge. While one had clutched the post of the railing to steady himself, his other hand immediately shot out to grab at the man, dropping his rifle in the process. He caught a fistful of fabric as Pascaal dropped, but even a spritely fae man was heavy when one was leaning precariously over a canal, and he teetered forward, the leverage likely swinging the thief into the side wall. Bazil fought to keep a hold of him, claws ensuring his grip, with another shout to Harpur. ("Eberhardt!")
His spiked tail wasn't prehensile, but it caught the railing to help keep him from going right into the water. He tried to drop his body to the ground so he could free his other hand up for a better grip on the struggling thief. Letting go wasn't an option, so he was either swandiving in with him, or getting pulled out.
Degu — 02/28/2021
Harpur's head snapped to the call of 'Halt!' behind him, eyes wide. He was already on his way over when he saw Bazil almost go straight over the damn railings "Rayhan!" he huffed, sounding vaguely alarmed as he lunged for the man and grabbed at the back of his armor. Both of them were heavy and he started going with Bazil, throwing his arm back towards his men who grabbed for him like clockwork. "You crazy son of a bitch" Harpur growled as he started hoisting Bazil back over the railings onto the bridge but when he saw Pascaal come with him his eyes snapped wide open "PASCAAL!" he bellowed and YANKED Bazil roughly towards him, quickly moving in to make the arrest with the cuffs already in his hand.
Pascaal kept grinning smugly as he was forced against the railings and his wrists cuffed behind him. "Got you! We got Pascaal!" he cheered and his men all wooped and cheered in unison. Apparently this guy was a pain in the ASS! Harpur was too happy to care about that smug grin. He looked at Bazil with a grin of his own as if in that moment he'd forgotten that Bazil was a manticore "You got him!" He almost felt angry about that, HE was the one who was supposed to catch this guy! But eh, they'd worked together, right? it counted.
He was quick to start patting his hands over Pascaal who giggled and squirmed "Oh Captain~ buy me a drink first"
"Shut it... wait where is the amulet?" he frowned.
"What amulet?" the criminal asked with an innocent glance towards the sky.
"God damn it Pascaal!" he aggressively patted the criminal down now and looked around frantically. Maybe he hadn't been working alone. Was this part of the plan!? Harpur's mind reeled. If he couldn't find that amulet the wrath of the Chief was going to come down on him, he just knew it! Bazil would get off easy!!!
AJ — 02/28/2021
This was about to become a disaster of two incompetent captains and a flamboyant thief in the stagnant canal waters. As soon as the other captain grabbed a hold of him, he released the railing to grab Pascaal with both hands, claws digging into and tearing the fabric of his clothes. Harpur could swear and curse at him all he wanted, but as he and his men pulled the manticore up, he revealed the thief he was clinging to, dragged unwillingly from his hiding spot. Bazil was thrown off-balance by the human's yank, wrestling the fae-man against the railing as Harpur cuffed him. Finally, at his grin, he sat down on the pavement to catch his breath a moment in ragged huffs, returning a tired grin of his own.
He fucking groaned at the fae's cheek, leaning forward and climbing to his feet again. "Fuck me." Of fucking course it wouldn't be that easy. He leaned over the railing again, addressing the men that had been sent down to search. "Hold that gondola. Search it again. It's small." While Harpur held the thief, he rolled his eyes back the way they came. Snapping his fingers to summon a few of the unit Harpur had assigned him, he pointed to the buildings. "Break up into teams of two for each building he crossed, search the roofs." As for Bazil... He promptly slung himself over the side of the railing again, reaching his hands down to the underside of the bridge to feel for a lip in the pavement, a crevice, or loose stone he could have wedged the amulet into.
Degu — 02/28/2021
Pascaal winked at Bazil *"Like I said, handsome. Buy me a drink first~" he purred if only because he knew it'd piss the captain's off even more. He Harpur sent two men down in a gondola to check under the bridge and look into the water but it was no use. An hour went by and nothing was found, a tired Harpur brought a handkerchief to his forehead to wipe away the sweat and finally he had to concede that they weren't going to find it.
"Pascaal if you don't tell us where it is you aren't goin' to like the places I have to 'search' for it" he growled threateningly and Pascaal simply giggled "Are you sure about that, captain?"
The constant flirtation finally snapped his last nerve and he thrust a finger towards the barracks "Take him away for questioning!" he snapped and looked up at the rooftops ... maybe the roof. "Any of you good at getting up onto a roof? I want someone up on the roof of the museum, carefully." one tiny woman volunteered herself and a colleague went with her to make sure she was safe but even that search came back empty.
"He can't have been working alone. Probably got rid of it early and used himself as a distraction, bastard." he grumbled to Bazil, hands on his hips as he stared down at the water beneath the bridge. "We can try to get him to talk, anyway."
AJ — 02/28/2021
At least Bazil's rise was a disillusioned, deadpan stare. "You're not worth the effort." Still, with a loud huff, under the bridge again he went, checking loose stones and feeling along the lip of the underside for a crack or hanging chain. Frustrated, he left Harpur to deal with the flirtatious bandit, sending him off to the barracks as he climbed down into the gondola to question the old man. Asking about seeing or hearing anything fall, and poking around his boat for anywhere one could conceivably stash something small, like an amulet. The poor guy had already had his boat pulled apart once, and the damn guards just wouldn't leave him alone!
He'd climb back up to the pavement and Harpur if he found nothing. "He had it when he was on the roof. Straight shot from where he was taunting to here. Not many places for a dropoff 'cept that old man." But it probably wasn't hard to hide it on the roof.
Degu — 02/28/2021
"Unless he stuffed it in his ass while he was running" said Harpur, though there was no humor there. He was pissed off.
He checked with the men who were examining the poor old guy but neither he nor his gondola threw up any leads. Nothing, they had to let him go with a little compensation for the trouble and then it was time to head to the barracks and down into the interrogation room where Pascaal waited for them. It was sundown by the time they questioned him and no doubt Harpur and Bazil worked together rather well in a good old Good Cop Bad Cop routine (with Harpur being the bad cop, of course) but to Pascaal it was all a game. He giggled and wiggled in his seat, flirting with each of them, commenting on Harpur's aftershave, Bazil's handsome mane, all things that would normally stroke someones ego but it became increasingly more frustrating because it wasn't what anyone wanted to hear.
The amulet seemed lost and after being torn into by a FURIOUS chief for losing an artifact their city had been entrusted with, Harpur dragged himself home with a scowl and a mumbled farewell to Bazil. Well, they'd got Pascaal at least... they, ugh, he could have done it without Bazil's help...but he supposed the day could have been worse.
Chief Arturo de Ovando was a roman looking man of lean stature. His skin was clay coloured, his nose hooked and atop his head was a mass of wavy dark brown hair. He stood in an early afternoon town square with his hands on his hips and a no nonsense attitude radiating from him. A few people walked by and stared, uttering to each other 'Is that the chief?' 'It's chief Arturo I hope everything's okay..'
Arturo was used to his presence worrying people because if HE had turned up, folks expected some super-crime to take place that he'd seen coming a mile away. He was just here to do his job...dealing with Harpur. Harpur turned up crisp and early, looking like a dog that had been tricked into eating broccoli instead of steak. He beat a fist across his chest in respectful greeting "Chief de Ovando" he greeted, trying to keep the petulant rage from his tone.
Arturo saluted back more calmly but said nothing and a silence fell between them as they awaited the arrival of his partner.
"Is this really necessary? I've done nothing but-"
Arturo fixed him with a dangerous stare that quickly shut him up, but then sighed "Do you have any idea how many concerning complaints we've had about you lately, Captain? ...you are lucky this is all we're doing."
Harpur's face went red with anger but before he could spout off he snapped his head away "All I've ever done is protect this city."
"Then don't make me have to protect this city from you" Arturo quipped and that seemed to pierce Harpur's armor enough to make him look down and away.
After that they waited in silence with Harpur looking just a little deflated, maybe some truth rang in what Arturo had said. Perhaps Arturo had chosen a public place so he couldn't cause a scene when his partner turned up, he hoped that the rumors of it being a supe captain from the other side of the city were wrong.
AJ — 02/18/2021
Bazil had spent the morning fingering a bottle, but ultimately deciding against it. Not on a day like this, when the smell of anything on his breath would get him into a situation even worse. He suited up, his uniform neat and clean, platemail patted and adjusted until he was satisfied (or procrastinating leaving). He stood and twisted the signet ring on his finger, a minor artifact capable of simple form-shifting between human, anthropomorphized, and his true form. He considered making things easier on himself by turning up 'human', but that would last a day, tops. Eberhardt would just look that up, if he hadn't already.
With a long-suffering sigh, he headed out into the early morning, brushing his stubby fingers through the main of grey fur as he walked. The clank and jingle of his armour and weapons heralded his arrival, perfectly prompt but not the early go-getter that Harpur was. Still, the old, washed up lion-man approached, back straight, ever conscious of his training, and came to a stop beside his new partner with his legs together. Keeping his eyes on Arturo and not even sparing Harpur a glance, he cleared his throat to offer a greeting. "Sir."
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur stood impatiently, arms folded. As soon as he heard the familiar clatter of a captain's armor he looked up and immediately balked "What in gods name is that!" he looked sharply to Arturo "Chief you can't be serious! Look at his damn tail and tell me that's safe to have in a city! let alone a captain! And you want me to work with this-"
Chief de Ovando fixed Harpur with a very dangerous stare that said 'push it and it's your entire career next'. The human chief sharply cast his eyes down and puffed furiously off to the side, taking a couple of steps away with one hand on his hip and another pressed to his face as he tried to calm down. The Chief finally greeted Bazil "Captain Bazil Rayhan." he greeted almost apologetically.
"The two of you will be sharing command of thirty units for the time being, I expect you both to work together to ensure the successful daily completion of our common goal, the protection of our citizens." He said it with all the air of a mentor, or father, though he was not a very old fellow himself. "We have a new artifact arriving at the museum today in a couple of hours, we've heard word of potential interference. I want you and some of your units to cover the area in a way you see fit. Don't mess this up." He knew it was a risk, but he hoped that with a serious goal in mind they might work together better...not to mention this was Harpur's area, he ought to know what to do by now.
Harpur looked up at the museum behind them and then over his shoulder to glare at the manticore, biting back some nasty words before sighing and nodding. He turned and saluted the Chief with a weak fist across his chest "As you wish, Chief." he grumbled.
"If i hear you've been giving each other a hard time, there'll be consequences. Now get on with it." and with that the Chief turned to leave, leaving Harpur glaring petulantly at Captain Bazil. "So... you n' me..." he began lowly.
AJ — 02/18/2021
Good grief. His spiked tail bristled slightly, an agitated sway he tried to cover up by keeping it low to the ground behind him. "Age. It'll catch up with you too." It was the best comeback he could fire off, delivered with a tired, grating murmur.
He received Arturo's greeting with a brief, sharp nod, reserving the proper salute for his departure. "'Course, Chief." He at least put a little oomph into his chest-slap.
The manticore weathered Harpur's glare without reaction, tired and done, waiting until Arturo was far enough away to mutter: "I need a drink." He finally turned enough to meet the other Captain's eye. "Looks like." It was probably hard for a human to read expressions on a lion, but he was raising a brow. "Lead the way."
Rook — 02/18/2021
It wouldn't be until the pair turned away and started to move off that Harpur would hear those bothersome whispers. How he was likely to fail and be replaced by someone better over his racism, especially towards his new, better 'partner'
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur didn't quite catch the mutter but he assumed the worst and grit his teeth. A few of the town center unit that belonged to Harpur's groups were standing around outside the museum watching with interest and idly chatting and whispering about what was going on.
Lead the way? that seemed to put Harpur at ease, after all, they now shared the units and he'd expected some immediate clash of authority between him and the manticore. Well, if the dirty supe was happy to just watch him do all the hard work then that was just dandy with him. He smirked in pointless triumph and nodded towards the museum "We need to set up the units for when this artifact arrives, might as well call in the-"
He overheard something from the group behind him and froze with wide eyes, quickly snapping his head around to stare at them in surprise at first before that shocked stare turned dangerous. His eyes burned and he immediately stormed towards them and they quickly shrank away and backed up against the museum's pillars "What was THAT!?" he boomed down at them.
The group of alarmed privates looked at each other with confusion and distress. "You all think you're hot shit do you!? Forget who you're talking about!? Get on the damn ground and give me twenty before i make you give me your damn badge instead!"
"But we-!"
"NOW!!!" he boomed furiously and in heavy armor, in the hot sun they started to get down right there in front of the museum. Harpur was seething, the vein in his temple throbbing...how fucking dare they, what had gotten into his unit today? The Lieutenant of that unit was all the way across the other side of the square and was looking over with a confused squint, turning as if to head over to ask what was going on.
AJ — 02/18/2021
This was more or less Harpur's sector that Bazil was stepping into, so it felt 'right' to give him the lead on things, until the manticore could find his own bearing. But if he'd known it had gone straight to the human's head, he would have thought better of it. He still could, squinting briefly at Harpur's smirk. Things sidetracked before he could think too hard on it though, and he turned towards where his fellow captain was shouting.
Now, the manticore's ears were far better than any mundane human's, and although he didn't stop Harpur from disciplining the privates (they'd been meandering a little uselessly anyhow), he was quick to backtrack mentally over their gossip and was, at least, very sure he hadn't heard anything more than general gossip. At least nothing that should have whipped the captain into a frenzy, left him red-faced and on the verge of a fucking aneurism. But it wouldn't do to show divisive leadership in front of company.
He waited until their attention was on the paved stones as they did pushups. The manticore's gravely voice was low, hushed, a barely cattish his as he leaned in to keep it between them, pushing against Harpur's arm to turn the man around so they could converse away from the privates. "The fuck was that about?" Gods, could he just drown himself in his flask?
Degu — 02/18/2021
Harpur huffed grumpily as he was turned away, burning eyes fixing directly onto Bazil's own sleepy stare. He bristled sharply at the other captain's tone, used to being the only captain in his area, now he could be challenged by this overgrown feline-cactus. "What? didn't your supernatural hearing pick that up?" he snapped nastily and tried to cool himself down, gritting his teeth and running a hand through his hair. The lieutenant was over by now and was crouching to talk to his poor sweaty men and women as they did pushups in the afternoon sun.
"Surely you heard them? Discussing my job." he kept it vague, glancing angrily over his shoulder at the group and making even the Lieutenant shrink in stature slightly.
"They've never been like that before, not right near me. What has gotten into them?" he growled, sounding disappointed now too, maybe even more so than he was angry.
But Bazil HAD heard them. The conversation had been innocent enough:
'Do you know the new guys name? I heard he was from the other side of the city'
'No. Wonder how Captain Eberhardt is going to handle another captain though'
'Yeah... might be alright really. New guy's some kind of... lion...?'
'It's manticore actually'
'Alright, book worm'
'It's one of the most common-! whatever.'
AJ — 02/19/2021
The old manticore kept his temper in check. Harpur could throw a fit and make himself look bad, but he refused to give him a reaction; he could dig his own grave. His face scrunched in bewilderment, and he mirrored the human's glance towards his men. The sincerity in Harpur's voice was what got him; he could have just admitted he thought they needed to work off some nervous energy.
"No. I didn't." And the lion man looked sincerely a bit befuddled by it, although for Harpur's sake, he kept a serious frown. "They were just gossiping about manticores, nothing about you, nothing that warranted you flipping out." He kept his growl barely above a whisper, letting the men and women work off that extra energy while the parents discussed things. "If you just want to get their blood pumping, fine."
Degu — 02/19/2021
Harpur looked this manticore in the eyes, his own steely gaze hard and just daring his new partner to say something stupid. When Bazil took the road of 'voice of reason' he was at first even more frustrated, working his jaw as he felt the scraggly cactus was lying to him to make him think he was going crazy! But ... having interrogated so many and investigated so many crime scenes, Harpur had developed a keen eye for detail. Lies, especially.
When he looked at Bazil there were no tells that he was lying. No twitches, no movements, no excessive blinking or deeper breaths. His brows furrowed and the moment he started to doubt himself was clear "No I wouldn't just-"
The Lieutenant turned up at Harpur's side and cleared his throat. "Is everything alright, sirs?" he asked them both but it was clear he was asking the one who'd just gone off the rails at his men. Harpur felt trapped there in that moment, two people asking him what the fuck was going on and he was so sure he'd known. But he HEARD them, he heard them with his own ears!
He growled and turned towards the guards who were still struggling to do push ups in the heat "Get back on your feet" he snapped at them. He didn't answer the Lieutenant, he just looked at the clock on the face of the museum "We need to hurry up and get our men into position." and with that he raised a whistle to his lips and blew it....hard....right there next to the poor guy with good hearing. Even the human lieutenant covered his ears and staggered back indignantly.
Needless to say their units came down the streets and poured into the town square from wherever they'd been nearby, lining up outside the museum while the public looked on with fascination as per usual. It filled Harpur with a sense of pride.
AJ — 02/20/2021
Bazil was too old for this crap. For lying, or any of it. He looked honest and tired, holding Harpur's stare until the man finally ducked his head away from the lieutenant's intrusion. "Yeah. Everything's good." Platitudes to put the confused man at ease, and he turned with Harpur towards the rest of their troupe, only to immediately and violently jerk away at the abrupt and shrill whistle, swearing handily in grit-teethed Arabic and covering the ear closest to the human. Yeah, he could tell that was meant to be petty. And was he the tiniest bit hung over? Probably.
He straightened up again immediately, that round ear angled a bit downwards with a grimace he held into a serious frown, clearing from the back of his throat and looking over Harpur's well put-together lineup of men. Well, at least they were trained well.
Degu — 02/20/2021
Harpur couldn't help smirking when Bazil looked like a pet cat that'd smelled citrus, clearly it was the desired effect but the smirk did fade. He was still concerned, he knew what he'd heard oh so clearly. It could wait, now he had a line up of his men and Bazil was watching him now. He marched slowly along the line of his men "We have a special delivery arriving at the museum, a new item for the collection. A valuable item. We have word that this artifact has drawn the eyes of thieves in the area, and our job today is to see that it makes it into the building safely once it arrives and that it stays there. Keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour, keep your eyes on the roofs and the sewer vents...and especially keep an eye out for..."
Everyone exchanged a glance as if they knew what was coming next.
"Pascaal..." Harpur said it through gritted teeth seethingly. "No doubt him and his friends are planning something, I want you all on high alert. Unit one" he pointed to a group and its Lieutenant "I want you out the front here, three outside on the doors, two inside by the fountain. Have the rest dispersed evenly through town square. Unit two, I want you covering the back end, three outside, two in the lower collection, the rest of you I want along coliseum road and at the bridge. Lastly unit three, I want you upstairs covering the windows and roof entry points." It seemed like a flawless defense. No one seemed to have any qualms and dispersed quickly like oiled machinery working together.
Harpur turned to look at Bazil once they were alone "I don't know if someones paying you to sabotage my job, but I'm watching you." Maybe he HAD heard what he'd heard and Bazil was just trying to make him look a fool so he could take his cushy, hard earned job in the city center!
AJ — 02/21/2021
Harpur was petty, and Bazil was sure he'd find a way to make his life hell without it getting back to Arturo that he'd 'given him a hard time'. The manticore wasn't a tattler; he tended just to put up with abuse and move on. Probably why he was in this situation, if he was honest with himself.
But Harpur also had good command of his men, and Bazil was ready to stand and observe it, get a feel for how they operated, how Harpur operated, until he found his footing with this new unit. 'Pascaal' got a cattish eyebrow raised, and he tried to momentarily catch the Lieutenant's eye with an unspoken question. It was too late, and Harpur was directing everyone onwards, but the venom with which he said the name made him wonder. Although with a name like 'Pascaal', the manticore was picturing a small urchin boy pickpocketing Harpur's lunch money and earning himself a vendetta for life.
As the men scattered to their posts, he turned and started to open his mouth with the question, only to snap it shut again at the human's accusation. Those droopy eyes looked entirely done with him already, although he did briefly consider showing some teeth. "You think the Chief is trying to sabotage you by pairing you with me? You don't have much faith in him, do you?"
Degu — 02/21/2021
Harpur let out a harsh and bitter laugh "That's rich." he said "You have no idea do you?" he didn't even look at Bazil as his men all moved into place, Harpur made sure they were all in place as he stepped away to walk across the front of the museum and then he started ...checking sewer grates, looking down the grates with a paranoid sneer. This Pascaal fellow had obviously snuck underneath venues before or he wouldn't be looking.
"The chief has been sabotaging me my entire career, it's no secret by now" he sneered. "Blacklisted me from faewatch because of some ridiculous notion that i'd lose all control and start throwing knives at the court guard across the border" he seethed "Oh and how he has me frozen in this position, how he interferes with my cases and manipulates my work even though he keeps me in the prime position of town center because he knows I'm the best at what I do." A lot of frustrations were coming out but it was no secret how Harpur felt "And then there's you" he rounded on Bazil with a disgusted stare.
"You're just another form of sabotage....and for what? for me having a girl put in stocks for attacking a captain, I might add, is a far lesser sentence than y' usually receive for attackin' a damn guard. Why? Because she had a friend send a 'Strongly Worded Letter' to him and he listened." he threw a hand up and then turned away, resting his big hands on his hips.
"It's a goddamned circus. I'll have faith in him once he starts having faith in me and my damn instincts....they kept us alive and safe this long."
AJ — 02/21/2021
By the quizzical look on the lion-man's face, no, he did not. But he was sure he was in for one hell of a rant, if that scoff meant anything. He walked with him, squinting over his shoulder at the first gate, but despite Harpur's obvious paranoia, the sewers were a smart place to hide and move, so he stuck close and peered in after them, shielding his eyes from the sun to try and get a better glimpse into he shadows.
He didn't expect to get along with Harpur, this was entirely a 'do your job and go home' situation, and as the man rounded on him, he straightened up and crossed his arms. "Uh huh. I must have done something pretty bad to get saddled with you." He'd settled his hands on his hips, one hooked in his belt, the other on his flask. His gaze was still scouting around him, watching the men fall into position, picking out anything odd, but giving Harpur lots of room to continue his rant.
"Your instincts must be pretty shit if you're convinced I've got some grand vendetta against you. Or I'm getting slipped something under the table. Enough to put up with what'm sure's going to be a lot more abuse and snide comments about my race. Oh yeah, this' going to be a picnic for me. For what, a promotion? I'm too old for this. Did they stick me with you to make you miserable? Probably. Or maybe to teach you some fucking humility." There was no pith in his speech, it all just sounded monotone and tired.
Degu — 02/21/2021
Harpur was on his last nerve today, the captain turned on Bazil and stepped in too close, teeth gritted "Yeah? well feel free to take that to the chief and leave" he growled. Some of the guards out the front were looking concerned 'Are they going to fight..?' one whispered to a fellow and while Harpur didn't notice what they'd said he knew they were saying something and he turned his head on them and snapped "Focus on your WORK!" and they quickly stood to attention.
Harpur sighed and dragged a hand over his face "And we should do the same" he narrowed his eyes at Bazil. The sound of many hooves coming up the road from the direction of the docks drew his head away and then he looked back to Bazil "We'll settle this after our shift. The artifact is here." he grumbled and turned away, lifting his whistle and blowing a short blast (again too close to poor Bazil) and his men were immediately ready.
A carriage pulled its way into town square with a procession of mounted guards escorting it. People gathered around to 'ooo' and 'aaa' and Harpur sighed "Take a unit and make sure the crowd stay back, would you? Then help me escort this thing into the building." he said, seeing as Bazil was so keen to let him take the lead today.
Rook — 02/21/2021
"Can you believe this? He's picking a fight and yelling at us.."
AJ — 02/22/2021
Gods, he was tired. He wouldn't give Harpur the satisfaction of backing down, but he had no pithy response to throw back in his face. He just scowled, tail faintly spiked but low behind him, one ear subtle flicking to the quiet chatter going on behind them.
Harpur was quick to bark them back into line, so he left it at that. Harpur could squint all he wanted at him, but at mention of work, and them, he sighed heavily and turned around to stand at attention and regard the approaching carriage. "Forget it. There's nothing to settle." Of course the human got the last 'word' in, that shrill whistle eliciting the slightest rigidity in the manticore's shoulders, his flat snout curling with distaste. Just barely resisting showing a tooth.
He was going to drink himself into a stupor after this. Heading Harpur's word, but not answering him, that growl remained nothing more than a slight grumble in the back of his throat as he raised a hand to grab the collective units' attention, pointing a claw to one of the gatherings Harpur hadn't already assigned a post to. "You men, with me. We're keeping the looky-loos back. They're welcome to gawk, just don't let 'em get too close." He stalked off, that ball of spikes swaying with him.
Degu — 02/23/2021
Harpur's head snapped towards the sound of those voices and he fixed them with a harsh glare "What has gotten into you all today? We're talkin' about this during debriefing." he growled, he sounded more disappointed now than anything and he looked it too. His men were the best and most loyal in the city, they all worked with him like well oiled clockwork but today the illusion of camaraderie had broken away as far as he could tell. It made his heart ache in a strange way, surely his men did not feel this way about him? not all of them.
He steeled himself against this momentary break in confidence and grit his teeth, marching off to meet the carriage and guide it up to the steps of the museum "Pull it round." he told the driver and took the reigns of one of the horses to help guide it. It involved circling around the fountain but once they were up against the steps he looked back over his shoulder at Bazil who'd done a fine job, he had to admit...for supposedly not being a city central captain anyway. Hmph.
The artifact was some kind of puzzle amulet that had turning pieces and code mechanisms. Harpur had heard of it in recent weeks because plans to move it here had crossed his desk, supposedly whoever could unlock it would be privy to the location of some great unknown treasure. There had been speculation that it could grant the person who found it with some great powers, perhaps even immortality. No one really knew.
The artifact went into the building no problem, Harpur decided his focus would be out the front of the building and Bazil could fuck off to the back. "I want regular checks of the roof and sewer grates" he told his men as they guarded the museum. He kept checking the sewer grates himself, apparently having been duped like that last time.
AJ — 02/24/2021
Bazil turned back around at Harpur's address, ears perked quizzically at his latest accusation. Gods, just his luck if this human also just happened to hear Voices on top of everything else. But he kept his back to Harpur and his attention on the crowds and his unit, ushering people back with a stern politeness, and quickly point out one too-eager child who'd slipped past a guard to try and get a better look (there was nothing to see, but surely if the guards were keeping them back it must be treasure!)
The manticore's eyes were on the carriage's slow pull around the fountain, those last few feet to relative 'safety' feeling agonizingly slow. He might have met Harpur's eye for half a second, but his ears were alert to everything around him, and he turned back to help disperse the crowd.
Harpur could do whatever the hell he wanted, and Bazil would fill in the gaps for now. If that 'fuck off' got translated into a distant glare, he could only hope the Grey Rock of an expression he returned made him a little angrier. Keeping his same unit, he headed towards the rear of the building, posting men at ever entrance and every window, with regular patrols. Roof, and yes, sewer checks.
Degu — 02/24/2021
An hour passed and it started to seem like nothing much was going to happen. An hour wasn't long, but Harpur wasn't used to Pascaal making them wait either. The mood seemed to settle, though a few confused eyes had watched Harpur the whole time, others were wondering if the captain was hearing things too but none of them dared to say anything much after what had already transpired.
The afternoon was peaceful and warm, people milled about. It all seemed perfect until blue gentian's rather abruptly showered down from the roof of the museum. The flowers fluttered down atop the heads of the guards and the captains on either side of the building and Harpur quickly looked up and darted away from the building to get a visual on the roof. Up there stood a grinning, fair haired man in his mid twenties with a narrow frame.
"PASCAAL!" Harpur bellowed and the master thief giggled "Well gentlemen, thank you ever so much for the artifact!" he raised the puzzle-amulet above his head and spun it on one finger cockily before flicking it into his pocket like a pocket-watch.
"But- HOW!" roared Harpur "Take aim!" he ordered and his units raised their crossbows and started loading bolts quickly.
Pascaal giggled even more loudly and turned to run off along the rooftops "Te visurum, Captains! Ehehehe!"
AJ — 02/26/2021
Bazil didn't have Harpur's experience and obviously well-developed vendetta for this man, but he was vigilant all the same, patrolling diligently and questioning his eyes and ears. So he stared quizzically around him as blue flower petals fluttered down from the roof he'd only just checked. "What—" the manticore's confusion was interrupted by Harpur's bellow from across the way, and his tail spiked instinctively.
"HALT." Yeah, right. The manticore was still spry for his age, and even in heavy armour, he turned on his toes and took off across the pavement, following after the thief's sprint across the rooftops. "Runners with me, keep eyes on him, give the arbalists time to load! Can any of your men fly!?" No no, all mundies, and here he was, the lame old manticore of the wingless variety. He unslung his snaphaunce in one quick motion, but it would take him a minute to prime it, and he was unwilling to take his eyes off the suspect.
Degu — 02/27/2021
On the other side of the museum, Harpur was barking similar orders and he and his runners took off up the street. "Those roofs don't go on forever, he'll have to come down soon!" he called out. Harpur had stamina by the bucket-load but he sacrificed a fair bit of speed for his heavy armor, something perhaps some supernaturals did not but for him it was a necessary hindrance. His runners got ahead of him a little and both teams on either side of the row of buildings would find themselves headed towards the same bridge at the end of their streets. Pascaal cast each captain a cheeky grin before leaping from the bridge and disappearing behind the building, seemingly onto the bridge below.
Harpur could only assume Bazil was coming from the other side too, "THAT'S IT! We've got you now, Pascaal!" he bellowed in breathy triumph as he rounded the corner and...most likely came face to face with Bazil and an empty bridge. He blinked dumbly and frantically looked around before rushing to the railings of the bridge to look down into the water. A gondola had been passing underneath the bridge at the time and Harpur quickly halted the gondolier with a harsh blow of his whistle. The man had pulled over looking alarmed and Harpur had his men checking the gondola within moments.
The captain glared around them "He can't have gone anywhere-!" he said in frustration as the Gondolier just seemed to be an older man with a nervous complexion on the brink of a heart attack.
AJ — 02/28/2021
Harpur was slowed by heavy armour, while Bazil was slowed by age. The manticore was furiously trying to prime his firearm as he pounded pavement, a catish snarl as his tried to keep his eyes on his target. The crowsbowmen were taking aim and firing off shots, and finally the big cat brought his rifle around as he rounded a corner, nearly slamming into Harpur.
His teeth were bared with short exhales, and he wasted no time trying to converse with him, following suit instead to throw himself against the railings. That damn—fucking--whistle. The manticore's ears lay flat, and he turned away, scouring the water below and racing to the edge of the bridge. The gondola looked like a false lead. Someone who could scale a roof could just as easily cling to the underside of a bridge, right? He left Harpur's men to search the boat, leaning over the side of the canal to get a look at the underside of the bridge instead. Where the fuck...
Degu — 02/28/2021
Harpur clutched cuffs firmly in one fist as he looked sharply around, even looking back at the building that Pascaal had leapt from. He had to still be here! He stood on the opposite side of the bridge to the manticore and looked down at the water while his men questioned the gondolier and checked the area. Bazil leaned down and when he did he'd come face to face with.... Pascaal! the impish half-fae blinked at the manticore and then grinned almost ear to ear "Hey old man.... not the old man I expected to see!" he said with a cheeky grin. Then he tried to drop from the bridge he'd been hanging upside down underneath!
AJ — 02/28/2021
"HALT!" The manticore cried out, ignoring Pascaal's cheek, his voice hoarse from the awkward angle bent down under the bridge. While one had clutched the post of the railing to steady himself, his other hand immediately shot out to grab at the man, dropping his rifle in the process. He caught a fistful of fabric as Pascaal dropped, but even a spritely fae man was heavy when one was leaning precariously over a canal, and he teetered forward, the leverage likely swinging the thief into the side wall. Bazil fought to keep a hold of him, claws ensuring his grip, with another shout to Harpur. ("Eberhardt!")
His spiked tail wasn't prehensile, but it caught the railing to help keep him from going right into the water. He tried to drop his body to the ground so he could free his other hand up for a better grip on the struggling thief. Letting go wasn't an option, so he was either swandiving in with him, or getting pulled out.
Degu — 02/28/2021
Harpur's head snapped to the call of 'Halt!' behind him, eyes wide. He was already on his way over when he saw Bazil almost go straight over the damn railings "Rayhan!" he huffed, sounding vaguely alarmed as he lunged for the man and grabbed at the back of his armor. Both of them were heavy and he started going with Bazil, throwing his arm back towards his men who grabbed for him like clockwork. "You crazy son of a bitch" Harpur growled as he started hoisting Bazil back over the railings onto the bridge but when he saw Pascaal come with him his eyes snapped wide open "PASCAAL!" he bellowed and YANKED Bazil roughly towards him, quickly moving in to make the arrest with the cuffs already in his hand.
Pascaal kept grinning smugly as he was forced against the railings and his wrists cuffed behind him. "Got you! We got Pascaal!" he cheered and his men all wooped and cheered in unison. Apparently this guy was a pain in the ASS! Harpur was too happy to care about that smug grin. He looked at Bazil with a grin of his own as if in that moment he'd forgotten that Bazil was a manticore "You got him!" He almost felt angry about that, HE was the one who was supposed to catch this guy! But eh, they'd worked together, right? it counted.
He was quick to start patting his hands over Pascaal who giggled and squirmed "Oh Captain~ buy me a drink first"
"Shut it... wait where is the amulet?" he frowned.
"What amulet?" the criminal asked with an innocent glance towards the sky.
"God damn it Pascaal!" he aggressively patted the criminal down now and looked around frantically. Maybe he hadn't been working alone. Was this part of the plan!? Harpur's mind reeled. If he couldn't find that amulet the wrath of the Chief was going to come down on him, he just knew it! Bazil would get off easy!!!
AJ — 02/28/2021
This was about to become a disaster of two incompetent captains and a flamboyant thief in the stagnant canal waters. As soon as the other captain grabbed a hold of him, he released the railing to grab Pascaal with both hands, claws digging into and tearing the fabric of his clothes. Harpur could swear and curse at him all he wanted, but as he and his men pulled the manticore up, he revealed the thief he was clinging to, dragged unwillingly from his hiding spot. Bazil was thrown off-balance by the human's yank, wrestling the fae-man against the railing as Harpur cuffed him. Finally, at his grin, he sat down on the pavement to catch his breath a moment in ragged huffs, returning a tired grin of his own.
He fucking groaned at the fae's cheek, leaning forward and climbing to his feet again. "Fuck me." Of fucking course it wouldn't be that easy. He leaned over the railing again, addressing the men that had been sent down to search. "Hold that gondola. Search it again. It's small." While Harpur held the thief, he rolled his eyes back the way they came. Snapping his fingers to summon a few of the unit Harpur had assigned him, he pointed to the buildings. "Break up into teams of two for each building he crossed, search the roofs." As for Bazil... He promptly slung himself over the side of the railing again, reaching his hands down to the underside of the bridge to feel for a lip in the pavement, a crevice, or loose stone he could have wedged the amulet into.
Degu — 02/28/2021
Pascaal winked at Bazil *"Like I said, handsome. Buy me a drink first~" he purred if only because he knew it'd piss the captain's off even more. He Harpur sent two men down in a gondola to check under the bridge and look into the water but it was no use. An hour went by and nothing was found, a tired Harpur brought a handkerchief to his forehead to wipe away the sweat and finally he had to concede that they weren't going to find it.
"Pascaal if you don't tell us where it is you aren't goin' to like the places I have to 'search' for it" he growled threateningly and Pascaal simply giggled "Are you sure about that, captain?"
The constant flirtation finally snapped his last nerve and he thrust a finger towards the barracks "Take him away for questioning!" he snapped and looked up at the rooftops ... maybe the roof. "Any of you good at getting up onto a roof? I want someone up on the roof of the museum, carefully." one tiny woman volunteered herself and a colleague went with her to make sure she was safe but even that search came back empty.
"He can't have been working alone. Probably got rid of it early and used himself as a distraction, bastard." he grumbled to Bazil, hands on his hips as he stared down at the water beneath the bridge. "We can try to get him to talk, anyway."
AJ — 02/28/2021
At least Bazil's rise was a disillusioned, deadpan stare. "You're not worth the effort." Still, with a loud huff, under the bridge again he went, checking loose stones and feeling along the lip of the underside for a crack or hanging chain. Frustrated, he left Harpur to deal with the flirtatious bandit, sending him off to the barracks as he climbed down into the gondola to question the old man. Asking about seeing or hearing anything fall, and poking around his boat for anywhere one could conceivably stash something small, like an amulet. The poor guy had already had his boat pulled apart once, and the damn guards just wouldn't leave him alone!
He'd climb back up to the pavement and Harpur if he found nothing. "He had it when he was on the roof. Straight shot from where he was taunting to here. Not many places for a dropoff 'cept that old man." But it probably wasn't hard to hide it on the roof.
Degu — 02/28/2021
"Unless he stuffed it in his ass while he was running" said Harpur, though there was no humor there. He was pissed off.
He checked with the men who were examining the poor old guy but neither he nor his gondola threw up any leads. Nothing, they had to let him go with a little compensation for the trouble and then it was time to head to the barracks and down into the interrogation room where Pascaal waited for them. It was sundown by the time they questioned him and no doubt Harpur and Bazil worked together rather well in a good old Good Cop Bad Cop routine (with Harpur being the bad cop, of course) but to Pascaal it was all a game. He giggled and wiggled in his seat, flirting with each of them, commenting on Harpur's aftershave, Bazil's handsome mane, all things that would normally stroke someones ego but it became increasingly more frustrating because it wasn't what anyone wanted to hear.
The amulet seemed lost and after being torn into by a FURIOUS chief for losing an artifact their city had been entrusted with, Harpur dragged himself home with a scowl and a mumbled farewell to Bazil. Well, they'd got Pascaal at least... they, ugh, he could have done it without Bazil's help...but he supposed the day could have been worse.
