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It was about time. Synelle finally had some concrete evidence and direction. It had been a few days since she entered the city and she didn't plan on being here this long. In fact, she had another job lined up for when she left that was literally waiting for her to take it. So to wait around in the city for days wasn't economical. However, she wasn't just wasting time or doing nothing. She was here to solve a mystery! One that she kind of just walked right into. And over the course of solving that mystery she met a lot of interesting types. A white haired hero, a dragon boy, and even a big ol' teddy bear. And now she was about to venture into the tunnels that connected the main city of the Wharf to the Fishing Hamlet where this all started.
Usually, that wouldn't be too bad. The tunnels were designed for civilian use. The main paths and routes were lit and kept in good order for travel by the citizens of the city. And while the Fishing Hamlet was poor and overlooked, they weren't completely cut off from the city. But if what she was looking for in the tunnels was on the main path there wouldn't be much of a mystery. No, she needed to walk the less common and more dangerous bits of the tunnels and for that she needed some help. Help from someone that was either official or had a good way of tracking the surrounding area. If it was outdoors in the wilds, Synelle could do it herself. But she was unfamiliar with the tunnels and it was going to be safer to have someone with her.
So the dark-skinned girl set out into the city before she headed over to the tunnels. It was raining today too, which would have been a problem if Synelle wasn't planning on spending her day inside a mountain. Along with her umbrella, the girl wore a black and red dress. The top was covered with a black overcoat that buttoned down on her front. It had a tall collar that was folded over and tied with a neat red ribbon into a bow. The dress itself ruffled at the bottom and only covered the top portion of her thighs. Then, to complete the ensemble were her boots and hat, both matching the dress and coat she wore. The footwear laced together neatly in red while her black hat was adorned with a single faux rose.
It was a cultured look. More than what one would expect from civilian in the Wharf. It was pretty clear that she wasn't the working type from the way she dressed and that was exactly what she was going for. While she was a capable fighter, Synelle needed a more coy and innocent persona in her outward appearance and mannerisms. She needed to look like she had a bit of money and was a bit naive It was what elicited help from others pretty easily. Now now she just needed someone that fit what she needed. A good tracker or someone that knew the tunnels rather way. The girl asked around in the city of people willing to help her explore the unused parts of the mountain's depths. And when she did, Synelle made sure to speak louder than what was necessary for casual conversation. She wanted to be overheard and she especially wanted other to hear that she was willing to pay. The bait was set and she was looking for a good catch.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Dec 25, 2019 20:37:02 GMT
WORD COUNT: 1000
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Time here in the Wharf wasn't exactly going the girl's way. First, the way she had ended up here was absolutely unfortunate. The girl's box, the one which she had called her home for the better half of seven years, had been used in a little swindle by some unlawful hooligans. Wares were being sold to individuals by the harborside in the wharf, from the gartneries in Fumehat. Specifically, as Riina could tell, an ordnance of herbs and plants. Precisely what they were to be used for, Riina couldn't be certain. All that the girl really knew, from the little interaction with Gwrtheyrn - one of the individuals who had been taken in by this scam - after the misunderstanding of receiving a feline female rather than plantshad been straightened out, was that there had been an exchange of crates. A crate that the scammers had presumed merely filled with hay, for one that was full with the herbs. Incidentally, between the time that the crate had been scouted out and the time the exchange of crates had happened, Riina had come home drunk. Plopping into the crate flat, the others hadn't really noticed her pressence. Thus, the next time Riina had seen daylight, was at the beach by the fishing hamlet, surrounded by all of Gwrtheyrn's comrades. After having been locked securely in a crate for a little more than fifteen hours. Horrible trip, that she was fortunately far too drunk to have noticed in full. The dismay that she had felt was probably quite on par with the dismay that Gwrtheyrn had expressed at his missing shipment. It was not a pleasant first meeting, nor a pleasant introduction to the Wharf.
From there, things hadn't gotten much better. Riina wanted to go home to the city which she knew, preferably bringing her box with her the whole way home. To get home, she'd probably have been able to get aboard one of the trains illegally. To get home with the box, however, she needed a legitimate ticket. Probably even some storage space. Which, naturally, cost a fair amount of money. Money which Riina simply did not have. Normally, the girl would be doing her best to steal what she needed from some unfortunate bastard. Though, in this particular circumstance, stealing was almost impossible. Wearing nothing but rags, which consisted of different dresses sewn together haphazardly, she was rather easy to make out in a crowd. Standing out like a sore thumb. On top of that, she wasn't familiar with the area, which meant that getting caught almost certainly led to an altercation with the local enforcers. Enforcers who knew their way around the city expertly. An altercation where Riina would have no means to escape, due to a simple lack of knowledge of the city's layout.
So in an uncharacteristic move, the girl had decided to do manual labor in the hopes of earning enough coins to get out of there. It was during this work, that Riina had encountered an enforcer doing his worst to a poor afflicted kid. It was when this abuse reached a level which seemed borderline fatal, several of the bunny's ribs breaking and an ear being pulled off violently. The display of horror was gruesome, his shrieks of pain unbearable. Riina had reacted instinctively at that point. Springing into action, Riina had smashed the enforcer's head in almost immediately, surprisingly the much larger man. It had been violent, furious, to the point where the enforcer's life had almost ended right there on the spot. The other enforcers had arrived to find Riina exhausted, wandering towards the kid, trying to show him some compassion. The kid ended up dying, his lungs filling with blood from the broken ribs. Right there in Riina's arms, as she was doing her best to take care of him. Due to the cruelty towards this afflicted young man, the trauma which Riina had suffered from witnessing this horrific display, plus the fact that she was acting heroically... Riina had received an alternative punishment. Due to her attempt at healing the wounded kid, she had been appropriated instead. Essentially, the girl had been pushed into the corps to work off the debt. It allowed the enforcers to make sure that the story did not run rampant, while simultaneously showing the world that Riina had been punished for her actions. A minor punishment for what had actually gone down, but a punishment none-the-less. Riina was to function as a corps medic for the period...
Now, for Riina, the problems were mostly solving themselves. Except for still lacking money in a general sense. So in the few hours Riina had to herself, between working for the enforcers and being questioned about different happenings, she was out looking for a solid way to earn a little money. The wharf wasn't a place that she knew all too well, so the jobs she could receive were rather limited. Thus, she simply had her cat ears out for information. Staying around the most commonly travelled places. It was in one of these areas that Riina heard a woman, looking for someone who was adept at tracking... So, despite looking like a drowned street kitten, Riina approached Synelle. "Excuse me, miss." Riina started, briefly taking the time to catch the other's attention before explaining herself. Riina hadn't bothered introducing herself, simply stating why she was there. "I heard you were looking for some assistance.. I must admit I am not from the Wharf, but my eyes are sharp. Even in the dark, I will notice even minute details." Riina's amber eyes looked into Synelle's. The girl was very obviously an afflicted, with traits that could only be considered feline. If Synelle was paying attention, it was also rather clear that what had seemed like a black belt wrapped around her waist, was in fact a tail. The kitten ears on her head were pointed directly at Synelle, giving the other female all of her attention.
Her feelers were planted and the bait was spread. And sure enough, in this city of fishers, laborers, and opportunist a bit was gained. Not just one either, but multiple. See, Synelle's words not only caught the attention of a little black cat, but another man of sleazy disposition. Money attracted all kinds and hearing that Synelle was willing to part with some attracted not only those willing to do honest work, but those that wanted to steal a quick buck. So while Synelle spoke with one person, the two approached her at nearly the same time. And as timid as she seemed, the kitten was quick to the draw to speak first. The other guy? He was slower, not because he wanted Synelle's attention, but because of the opposite. If he could steal from the maiden while she was distracted it would make his theft even easier than ever before.
This man, however, was an amateur. He wasn't exactly the stealthy or well-versed thief out there. Anyone with an eye for the odd would spot him, including both the kitten and Synelle herself. But being themanipulativee person she would, Synelle did not acknowledge it. A single glance out of the corner of her eye was all the man got before she turned away from him to face the afflicted girl. She'd let him try something, just to see how the girl that was attracted by Synelle's money would react. It was a chance to see just what kind of takers she was going to get in this seaside town.
"Well, hello there?" Synelle spoke up with a smile. Her eyes naturally shifted to the girl's extra features before settling on her yellow cat-like eyes. An interesting one for sure. It wasn't the first afflicted Synelle had seen. In fact, there were one or two among the mercenary group that she belonged to. Synelle knew full well how they were treated by those in the cities and how Emes were treated in general. Afflicted definitely got the worst of it, but Synelle had to play her part to be the convincing innocent maiden she was.
It wasn't hard to emulate the appropriate behavior. The woman she was speaking with glanced at the kitten with a look of disgust before she started to walk away. She mumbled something about bad company under her breath before scurrying away to go about her business. It seemed she didn't want to be seen around an afflicted even if she was previously helping Synelle about information. So Synelle had to make an obviously uneasy expression, as if she was anxious being around the afflicted. "Oh? Uh...hello," She added, changing her tone to a shakier voice to feign worry. As the girl spoke, Synelle took a step back again to sell the apprehensive nature of having an afflicted help her. But having a cat-like Emes was pretty perfect for her request, so she had to make sure she didn't scare the girl off with her pretend racism.
She took a moment to consider her help and then smiled uneasily. "I guess that would make sense. If you can to that it would be helpful." She said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "And you get to be useful!" She added, again selling to whole hate for afflicted thing. It was pretty gross but keeping her own cover was far more important. That said, Synelle was sure that between the money and the goal she had that the afflicted her would be eager to help. "I'm looking to go into the untraveled part oft he Depths. They are the tunnels between the Wharf and the Fishing Hamlet. If you can manage that it would be really helpful....uh? Do you have a name? I'm Synelle."
Post by Riina de Bastille on Dec 25, 2019 23:07:32 GMT
WORD COUNT: 801
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Riina was showing obvious signs of being agitated by the reaction she was getting as she approached Synelle. Of course, this was the reaction that most individuals had to give. Open disgust and dislike. Distrust and distancing. Riina reacted openly negatively, letting out a soft hiss at the woman who was turning around and walking away. The amber eyes followed the woman with nothing but disgust, before returning to Synelle. The other woman had stepped away, creating an amount of symbolic distance between the two of them. Then there was the brief moment in which the other looked over Riina. The responses, the notions, the words that were shared. The raven haired feline female knew precisely what this was. The understanding that afflicted typically had different attributes to regular humans. Synelle was viewing her equally like an animal as a regular person. Trying to weigh Riina's distinct differences from a regular human, figuring out if they were worthwhile in regards to scouting through the underground. Taking a short step backwards, Riina sighed softly, clearly and openly disliking where this conversation was going. If not for the words that Synelle was speaking, hinting of interest and a promise of money. That was the only thing keeping Riina from walking out on the whole thing immediately. Afterall, once money were exchanged, they weren't exactly racist. Synelle had attempted to manipulate Riina's viewpoints. To play a role, to induce emotions. Practically without fail, Synelle had managed to make Riina feel precisely what she had wanted her to feel. To think precisely what Synelle had wanted her to think. The way Riina spoke revealed precisely how little she appreciated the way Synelle was behaving.
"I'll make certain to be usefull if you pay well." There was toxins in Riina's voice. There was as much apprehensiveness from Riina towards Synelle, as Synelle was portraying towards her. Eyes narrowed, Riina's posture was the opposite of accomodating. The girl's tail had left the belt like position around her waist and was swinging lightly from side to side. Riina's ears were slanted backwards towards her head, like an angry feline who had been pushed a little too far. If the toxicity in her voice and the way she accented the 'be useful' part wasn't clear enough, the added body language made her stance absolutely crystal clear. Though, when Riina noticed the movement of another person, her ears almost immediately pointed forwards again. The tension from her crossed arms loosened. Curiously, she blinked a couple of times, as she witnessed him getting closer. It took a few moments before Riina realized what was going on. That low-life scum was trying to steal money from the arrogant, self-centered lady in front of her. Money that said lady was going to give to Riina. Ergo, by the processes of trade, he was trying to steal Riina's money. An action that was absolutely unacceptable.
Stepping forwards, Riina grabbed his hand, as his fingers were already in the way into Synelle's pockets. Hissing loudly, Riina pulled his arm back and stared directly into his eyes. The furious tension in her eyes made them seem almost neon golden rather than simply amber. Unlike anything Synelle had seen prior. "Listen here, shit head. That, right there, is my temporary partner. Which means, the money she is going to pay me, are currently on her. Therefore, you're currently stealing from me... ...are you absolutely certain you want to be stealing from me?" The sheer pressure from Riina talking, from staring him down, being all up on his face, was enough to begin making his facade crack. An unpleasant afflicted that close. Unpredictable and furious. Shaking his head, not saying a word, he was leaving as quickly as he had arrived. Empty handed. As he stepped away, Riina stepped back into spot. Standing, deliberately inside Synelle's comfort zone. Eyes were still glowing. Tilting her head sideways, Riina smiled softly. Trying to intimidate the other woman into behaving. Basically letting Synelle know that Riina was absolutely fed up with this shit.
"...If that is enough of a demonstration of my perception, how about we get going, princess?" Riina shook her head, clenching her fists, before taking a single step back. Allowing Synelle to have her personal space back, if only for a moment. Riina was not in a good mood at this point, and having to lower herself to this degree, to degrade her own feeling of self, just to get a small round of cash. It made her feel pathetic and disgusting. There was absolutely no way Riina could figure out that she was being manipulated. Everything was making too much sense for it to be anything but what it was portrayed as. Tapping her foot impatiently, she was waiting for Synelle to move forwards.
Synelle smiled as the girl responded. It seemed like she was going to take Synelle up on her offer, despite the attitude toward her. What wonders money could do? The girl would make a great mercenary. Of course, that was neither here nor there. Synelle had a plan and she intended to follow it through. And, like clockwork, the backup played its part. While it was purely luck on Synelle's part, she had hoped that the incident would occur. And sure enough it did. The guy that was eyeing her and sneaking up in a not so sneakily fashion attempted his theft. And like all-seeing tiger Synelle hoped this girl was, the afflicted pounced at the man to intimidate him. Her words scarred into his very being as she laid claimed to Synelle's payment and put herself between any that dared to try to steal it from her. Turning around, Synelle smiled. Whether it was for selfish reason or purely altruistic ones, she was played by the actions. Of course, Synelle had to be less obvious than that. Just as she wanted the kitten to play her role Synelle would play hers.
"Oh wow! The best guard kitty!" She exclaimed, much in the way a ditzy "princess" would do so. It was like having a personal bodyguard, which was what Synelle was looking for in this partnership. And while she could defend herself, the innocent play was the important thing. "That was wonderful. Scaring that bad man away." She added, to show that she was thankful for the girl's actions. At least this way her pretend racist had a justified reason for taking the afflicted up on her offer. Now she had a pass to be working with the girl without seemingly not normal. Though, how long that would last was to be determined. Once they were in the tunnels it was going to be harder to pretend. But at least at that point things would be easier to manage and the only eyes she had to worry about were the kitten's.
"I think you are perfect for the job miss. I'll take you on." She added as a formal acceptance of the girl's help. Mission completed as far as Synelle was concerned. Now it was time for the next step. Getting to the tunnels was a pretty easy task. it was how the two parts of the city were connected, so everyone was allowed there. Stepping closer to the kitten, Synelle adjusted her umbrella so that it was covering the both of them as a vain attempt at cooperation. She had to do so in such a way that it seemed like she was still keeping her distance despite being under the same umbrella. So Synelle held it in such a way that they were both on one edge of it. And while the physical distance that given them was nearly nonexistent, the emotional distance could speak absolute volumes. "Pale Rock isn't too far, but that much is obvious, yeah?" She spoke up as she started to walk toward the mountain. It was the featurette of the city and could be seen no matter where anyone was within.
The walk there wasn't long at all and Synelle was happy to answer any questions the girl had on the way there within reason. More importantly, she never did introduce herself, so Synelle would attempt that one more time before they got to the base of the mountain. "What should I call you?" She asked, trying to "attempt to" sound nice. It was an odd double layer of speaking, but at this point Synelle was used to it. She could hear and see the girl's disdain for her. It made Synelle curious on why she was working for the money like this. Surely there was much easier ways to do things right? Then again, if Synelle hadn't been found by her new family she would have likely been in the same situation. "Oh and I'll give you some now, for the thief!" She added, as if she was giving charity as she pulled a few coin from her purse and handed them over for the girl to take.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Dec 26, 2019 0:32:54 GMT
WORD COUNT: 733
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Shaking her head from side to side, Synelle was fortunate. Fortunate that Riina had so little faith in individuals she had yet to have the displeasure of meeting. A pompous little princess who couldn't protect herself, despite how obvious it had been that she was mere moments from getting a mugged. A pompous princess that relied on the intervention of a street kitten to avoid having her money pocketed by a lowlife. It was downright sad. Yet, it also caused the cautious kitten to have a ton of questions begin building up. Searching through a cave was one thing. To be tasked to do so while escorting a princess was another. There was a personal thing at stake here. There was a risk, especially for someone who couldn't properly take care of themselves. It made Riina suspicious, yet the girl couldn't tell exactly why. So far, all that seemed out of place, was the princess wanting to go visit a setting that most certainly wasn't welcoming of her type. Riina would do a little digging, just to make sure that nothing fishy was going on. First, however, a couple of things needed to be made absolutely clear. Riina was not going to be some kind of bodyguard for this woman. A bodyguard was someone who would fight and protect. Riina, while an afflicted with a unique skillset, couldn't be expected to fight someone carrying a weapon. Taking one down from behind in a surprise ambush, possibly. Facing them head on, on equal footing, would be a stupidly risky strategy.
"Not much of a fighter type, sorry hon. If you're looking for something else than a pathfinder, you should be searching for a mercenary. I can help you find what you're looking for, not strike down some twat." With the way Riina spoke, with the way she behaved, she was playing her own little game with the operative. Riina had heritage. Riina was worth a lot of money if brought in to the right people. Thus, keeping her own agendas and whereabouts hidden had become second nature. Being a former noble, living as a street kitten hadn't been an immediate transition. After several years however, Riina felt she had gotten good enough at it, that no one would be, realistically, looking through her guise. Now that the type of relations they'd be having with each other was established, the time for digging had begun. With the umbrella raised, the two of them began moving forwards towards the destination. As they began moving, Riina ignored the questions towards her for now. Cautiously unwilling to share more information until she got a little control over the situation. "...So tell me, princess Synelle, what makes you want to go trekking through some lousy old caves?.. There some kind of treasure down there?" The question was fairly innocent. Enough that Riina could've asked it out of sheer curiosity. However, if Synelle was sharp, there was an undertone. Namely, Riina challenging the other female to lie to her. Almost as if it was a dare, with the amber eyes looking at her the entire time.
Then, the hand was held out towards Riina, offering her some coin for her actions with the thief. Accepting the coins, she flipped them in her hands, before holding them out to Synelle, for the other girl to reclaim them. "As you can see, I have no pockets. If you don't mind, I'd like the payment in full at the end. Either that, or please provide me with a pouch for the coin." Riina was completely direct in her way of communication, not revealing much of anything. Aside from the fact that she was in every way an urchin. "...and if you really want to call me something, you can simply call me kitty. Seems to have worked out so far, doesn't it?" Riina said in a calm, quiet tone. They continued to move towards their destination. Riina made no notice of having absolutely no idea of where they were headed. The Wharf had only been her temporary location for the past week or so. There was still a whole lot of things she didn't understand about this city. As long as she could do the job, get paid and get out, that would be more than adequate enough.
Synelle smiled pleasantly as the girl spoke, much like an out of touch noble would. She wasn't trying for that persona specifically, but it seemed to be working so far, so Synelle leaned into it a bit. It worked out so Synelle wasn't going to try too hard to make herself believable. Instead, the rest of the trip was going to have to rely on Synelle's words. Her actions were clever, but tiring to keep up for an eternity, so keeping her tracker engaged in the job was the next thing. Synelle wasn't able to place the kitten's motivations beyond just needing money. And while that was fine for the most part Synelle needed her to stick around even if things started to seem unprofitable. Was this girl altruistic in nature? One could only hope. They were the best marks after all!
So with her first question came the first answer. And just like those that asked before, Synelle would tell the truth, mostly. Even when being truth things like tone and wording could convey very different things. And Synelle wanted to seem concerned. It was true, but she didn't want to convey the possibly grisly nature of what was going on. That was enough to scare away anyone, even a mercenary like herself. And yet here she was investigating this whole mystery and it was becoming more and more worrying as she went on. "I'm looking for a missing child." She said out loud, but in a hushed tone. She didn't want to advertise it around because the common response she got was to just leave it to the Enforcers. How easy it was for people that lived in safety to ignore those that didn't when they had authorities around.
"Some children have gone missing, especially in that little Hamlet on the other side of the mountain. I want to find them! Sounds like a fun adventure right?" She teased, playing up the spoiled girl wanting to do something for fun. And while Synelle was genuinely concerned just like the character she was pretending to be, she had to keep things lighthearted. Using her free hand, Synelle pointed over to the mountain. "I found some clues that said they would be in there. But I don't know the tunnels and I don't want to get lost." She added, explaining the reason why she needed a tracker and why she was paying for one. As she spoke, she placed the coin back in her purse and nodded. "Oh good, then you can use this money to buy yourself a pouch or purse. I could even help you pick one out!" She added. It was definitely odd for someone to not have something to carry things around in. Surely a girl of her skill could keep it protected right? It was interesting, considering she said she wasn't from around the area. What exactly was she traveling with. Maybe this kitten was more trouble than she was worth. Synelle have to watch her carefully.
But before things got too awkward, they had arrived. The path to the tunnels was just ahead and they were about to be free of the rain. Synelle put a surprised look on her face and picked up her pace. "Oh finally, freedom from the rain." She said in an excited voice as he made haste toward the tunnel and stepped inside. It was lit and the path was well traveled, as one wold expect of the tunnel that connected the Wharf to the Fishing Hamlet. Once they were both inside, she folded up her umbrella and shook it a little to get some of the water all. "I figured we should head down a bit and take one of the split paths that are less used. If a kid is hiding down here and hasn't been seen since they would be there right?" She asked, trying to see what kind of opinion the kitten had. If she was a tracker, this was the test to see how good of one she was.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Dec 30, 2019 19:26:02 GMT
WORD COUNT: 802
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Narrowing her eyes at the repsonses given, Riina had a bit of a conflicting understanding from the woman. On one side, she seemed genuinely worried. Like there could be something going on here, indicating to Synelle, that a child left on their own would be a bad idea. Well, generally, a child left on their own was a bad idea, but that didn't really say much. The conflict came in how Synelle began expressing it as an adventure, playing up to be a noble girl longing for adventure. Of course, again, this wasn't anything telling. Though, Riina made a mental note of it all. A noble girl, travelling by herself, looking for a lost child, considering it an exciting adventure. If it was genuine worry, there'd be no excitement, only disdain and worry. If there wasn't a genuine worry, paying money to be accompanied would seem pointless. The whole worry of being lost made sense, though. Tilting her head to the side, Riina glanced backwards at some of the people passing by. There were plenty of enforcers around, posted for simple guard duties, it wouldn't have been too hard if there was a threat to make one of them follow a noble to check it out. Scratching her head, there was something which didn't make immediate sense, though Riina couldn't quite figure out why, and as the money was good, she didn't have much of a reason to care.
Clearing her throat, the kitten began replying, her voice and tone being fairly serious. Afterall, if she herself had lived in the Wharf a few years back, Synelle may as well be standing there trying to locate where Riina had disappeared off to, as one of the nameless children. "Nothing fun about looking for children in a cave. Frankly, if I didn't think the enforcers were completely incompetent, I'd have adviced you seek out their help instead... but, I can't deny that sticking it to the enforcers is it's own reward. The twats.." Riina stated, matter of factly, before a little smirk emerged on her lips. In the horrors of the world, one needed to be able to crack a joke every now and again. Following Synelle into the passage and out of the rain, all the while making sure her voice carried just enough to agitate an enforcer with the incompetent remark. An enforcer who couldn't leave his post to put Riina in her place. Winking at him slyly, she rolled her shoulders a few times, as it warming herself up.
Continuing to listen to Synelle, the girl shook her head. As a street urchin herself, Riina knew quite well how living on the other side worked. How to escape those that came looking. How to seemingly vanish into thin air. "If the child is hiding down here, without starving to death, they'll know the passages far better than either of us could hope to during a small investigation. Like we're trespassing into a home. They know all the nooks and crannys." Riina stopped for a few moments, looking to Synelle, while her ears were pointing in a completely different directions; At the enforcer, listening as to whether that twat may decide he wanted to try to follow Riina anyway. The feline amber eyes watched Synelle inquisitively, trying to gauge her reaction to Riina's response. For being a street urchin, Riina seemed... too refined. Too calculated. "We'd be finding nothing, except clues of children living in the area. So I think that's where we start. By looking for clues of activity in tunnels that should've been stale and desolate. At least, if we find signs of life, we can conclude it's not some grim conspiracy, ehehe." Yet another joke, though with much more grim undertones. Riina then quietly began going off the path travelled by most. Crouching down some to get closer to the ground, she began inspecting for signs of recent travel. Foot prints, dust that had been disturbed, scents that one could attribute to humans. Such as rotting food, clothes, sweat, or even the place the children would use as a bathroom.
The dark didn't seem to bother the kitten much, as the torchlight behind them failed to reach much further down. By stepping first, Riina also concluded that the stones weren't exactly the most stable footing. "Mind your step while walking down, it wouldn't be difficult to slip in this environment, and I'm not physically strong enough to catch you... Uh, on another note, did you bring anything to eat?... If not, I suggest we go get some. It seems like this could be quite a long trip." Riina paused for a few moments, looking back up at Synelle. In this moment, Synelle could see how the amber eyes seemed to have a borderline golden glow.
Synelle listened carefully to what Riina said while keeping a semi-clueless expression on her face. Her smile didn't falter too much until the girl brought up the Enforcers. That was quite the remark she made, especially with them being so close. It seemed like she didn't trust authority at all. Many people had problems with them, so that wasn't a huge surprise. What was surprising was that the girl made her disdain known to them. A mocking statement and even glances in their direction indicated a direction dislike. Synelle couldn't place if it was personal or indiscriminate, but there was definitely something there. It was an incredibly useful tool for Synelle. Knowing that this Afflicted did not like Enforcers and seemingly didn't want them around meant they could be used to scare her off. Synelle full intended to pay her, but if she didn't want the Afflicted sticking around afterward, or if she started to get wise to Synelle's true self she could use Enforcers or the threat of their presence to create some distance between the two of them. It was an amazing failsafe.
But that wasn't the only thing Synelle gleamed from her words. More than what she as saying was how she said things. Having spoken to all manner of people, Synelle could hear that her speech wasn't typical of someone living on the streets. Her sentences were too well formed and articulate. Did she perhaps belong to a group of some kind? If so, why was she working for Synelle out of the blue. Did the Enforcers have anything to do with it? Synelle didn't know, but she made a note to listen out for more clues as the kitten spoke. This was turning into an interesting mission all its own. How fun.
That said, her advice was sound. Who or whatever was using these tunnels had to know them well and would be able to avoid them if they just wandered around randomly. But minute clues and things left behind were the way to proceed. So Synelle nodded to the kitten. "You're so smart! Let's do that!." She exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Maybe he left behind a note for us too!" She added, giving an intentionally silly suggestion to keep things from becoming too competent. That and Riina little jab at the Enforcers made Synelle chuckle. She raised one of her hands to cover her mouth as she did. It was something the upper class seemed to do often, so it was important to sell even that little detail.
"Oh, and that's why you need a purse! You can fit all kinds of things in there!" She added as she stuck her hands into her own purse. "I have some snacks. But nothing like fish or catnip. But I also have these!" The girl pulled out the base of a small torch. Small enough that it wasn't safe to hold for too long once it was lit. She attempted to try and light it using one of the torches hanging from the wall. But doing so was just going to cause her to seem like she was going to burn herself. Again, it was another ploy to show her helplessness and keep her partner's guard lowered. In reality, the flames weren't going to be a problem for Synelle. She could prevent major harm from the hat by cooling the flames a bit with her Vel. Sure, it would still hurt and burn, but it wasn't going to scorch her. The idea was to get the kitten to stop her and take one of the torches from the wall instead. But if she didn't Synelle's hand would just get close to the flames before she dropped her little torch base and quickly drew her hand back from the fire and feign a small burn injury.
And while the little game played out, their first clue was going to come to them. A hint that Synelle wouldn't have been able to pick up, but one Riina definitely would. A smell that lingered in the air and one that would cut down on their searching time significantly. It was the lingering but faint smell of blood.
Post by Riina de Bastille on Jan 29, 2020 15:18:40 GMT
WORD COUNT: 558
TAGGED:
TAGGED: Fluffy
Oddities. Usually rich women didn't exactly carry snacks and torches in their purses. On the flipside, it was precisely what a dunce of a rich kid would do when coming out into the real world. Reading up on things that could be practical and stuffing them inside their purse, instead of getting themselves some proper trekking equipment like a backpack. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Rin seemed all the more frustrated at the situation. Though, she needed money to get home, so if babysitting this little missus was going to be her ticket home, then that is simply what she would have to do. At the very least, Synelle was agreeable. Listening to the input that Riina had, without being annoying or frustrating about it. Practically speaking, it was like Riina was down here doing the investigation while having Synelle simply tagging along. It meant that Riina was, for the most part, free to progress with this little investigation in whichever way that she saw fit. Not too bad, not too bad. For a few moments, Riina eyed the other female. Everything considered, Synelle probably wasn't all too bad. There were many of her kind that would've rather spat Riina in the face than let her investigate, let alone calling her smart. A curious individual, for sure.
Stepping further down, Riina's eyes reflected what little light was in the darkness. The yellow irises darting around, looking for any kind of activity. Bending down, the girl stroked her hands over the rocks. It certainly seemed like these passages were used on occasion, though it wasn't anything remotely indicative of children passing by here often; Nor it being a place that saw lots of activity. It seemed more like a tunnel that was used occasionally. Whenever it was convenient or neccessarry. Immediately, Riina's instincts told her that it could be a route smugglers used to get things to and from an alcove in the rocks. A little place where small rowboats or the like could dock with people and wares to enter the city completely unnoticed. The lack of wind made that seem less likely though. Of course it was still possible, but if the rocks were facing seaside, there ought to be something like a breath of air through the caves on occasion.
Closing her eyes, Riina sniffed the air a couple of times, having intended on searching for the scent of salt and brine. While there most certainly was salt and brine in the air, the thing that stood out to her was a light metallic scent. Sniffing continuously, Riina tried following the scent for a couple of steps, until her eyes found the source. Small splatterings of singular drops against the rocks. "Blood." Riina concluded in a soft tone. Trying to trace the blood to its further location. It seemed to start nearer the entrance and then disappear into the depths. Though, since it had somewhat dried, Riina couldn't be sure where it originated nor where it ended. At least not with any certainty. "Small splatters. Could be an abduction, the blood being the result of someone having hit their head. Alternatively, it could simply be a kid with a nosebleed."
