Author: CodeNat, Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:41 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah's displeasure with Natsumi's decision to sleep outside was quite obvious, even if she did not vocally express her misgivings. Being the outsider that she was, Natsumi had long preferred nature to human company, but, even so, she could understand where the corsair was coming from. Carliah existed in a world where women had to look out for each other, lest men take advantage of them. Her behavior on the ship – especially her purposeful eroticism – was evidence enough of that truth. She was good at what she did because of those experiences, even if they also made her a prisoner of her own machinations.
 
Yet Natsumi, no matter how accommodating she was trying to be in order to ensure a smooth operation, could never be like Carliah. The two women were from separate worlds altogether, bound up in their own realities.  Where the corsair could easily use her curvaceous figure to seduce men into doing what she wanted, the druid could only raise a brow in muffled discontent. She watched the lewd scene in silence, waiting for it to be over and already mentally swearing that she would never lower herself to such a level just to ensure a smooth trip.
 
Thankfully, her disgust was soon to pass. The situation quieted substantially once a small portion of the crew started walking back down the gangplank. In tandem with their departure, Natsumi was able to drop her pensive expression, and to listen to her partner in crime once the focus of conversation was turned back.
 
"That nervous, huh," the druid asked once she heard Carliah's hushed – yet valid – complaints? She gave a grin in response, having already known the answer before it was given. "I suppose I could sleep in the same quarters if it will make you feel safer, at least for now."
 
Indeed, while Natsumi still wasn't fond of the idea of sleeping in the captain's cabin - or anywhere on the ship, for that matter - , she deemed Carliah's peace of mind to be worth more than a small piece of her pride. That said, there was still another option available to the pair, and one that Miss Yamauchi was quick to offer up.
 
"If you deem a method of intimidation to be an effective recourse at this point, however," she continued, "we could just skip the whole waiting to find out how trustworthy the crew is and, instead, scare them into submission. By saying that, I mean I could easily show them something that would get the point across: that the last thing they want to do is cross us. But… having a dragon show up on the outskirts of a city or demonstrating how I can punch a hole in their ship large enough to sink it would, admittedly, have unintended consequences."
 
Under normal circumstances, the end of Natsumi's proposition would have been followed by her silence as she waited for a response; but one of the departing sailors had decided to make the setting abnormal. He was the last one to gather up the nerve to leave, and passed by the young woman while reaching out his hand just as the fox girl was finishing her suggestion. He tried to cop a feel at that point, to grab Natsumi's buttocks for a taste of something he could never reasonably have.
 
Unfortunately for this lecherous soul with loose hands, however, Natsumi's tail was far quicker than his hand. She lashed out with lightning reflexes, grabbing the man by the leg with her tail, taking his balance, and then tossing him overboard into the waters below. The resultant splash in the harbor waters was audible enough to get the crew's attention, as was the man's coughing when he resurfaced from the brine.
 
"I suggest you think long and hard before trying that again," the woman said without even turning around to recognize the result of her reflexive action, "because, next time, I'm taking your arm instead of soaking your head."
 

Apparently, and for better or worse, intimidation was going to happen whether Carliah wanted it to or not.

Author: Carliah, Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 10:38 AM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah winced as Natsumi insisted on sleeping outdoors. Luckily, she had been abusive enough to firmly position herself as superior to the crew who were observing, but sleeping outside still seemed like a very bad idea. Undermining Natsumi's authority now would be a bad idea, however, so Carliah got around to the business of asserting her own. "I want to take a thurough inventory before we depart. If half the stories about the Muerta Sea are true, we'll need some extra things." She shot a glare at one of the junior members of the crew, who hurried beneath deck - presumably to get an inventory list from the ship's quartermaster.

While the kid was belowdecks, fetching the list, the crew began to murmur. The Muerta Sea? A few of them seemed to be dreading the idea. Carliah was prepared for this contigency, however. In fact, it was nessecary to get the information out sooner rather than later, or the risk of mutiny would increase dramatically. Carliah jumped up to a mast, using its climbing holds to get above the rest of the crew. She hung with her body rather low, meaning the closest sailors could see under her skirt - also planned, for sailors tended to be lecherous, and this should make her a bit more popular.

"You heard right, the Muerta Sea is our destination. We're on the hunt for a very precious item. Mr. Rhodes here, who most of you will know quite well, has weighed his options and found the expedition worthwhile. Those of you who claim to have the balls to work at sea, stay. Those who'd rather admit that two women have bigger stones than you, feel free to leave. This is your only chance. There will be no whining, no pissing your pantaloons, no respite. If you don't have what it takes, leave. NOW."

Carliah's derogatory speech about the men's testicular presence aside, she struck a nerve with a few of the ones considering taking their leave. The bravest of the younglings and the most stubborn of the old salts all gritted their teeth, and stayed put. All in all, less than a tenth of the crew decided to leave, which was very good news. Carliah nodded at the remaining crew members - after, of course, the news had reached everyone. "You've got the guts, it seems. Now get back to work, we have much to prepare for." Carliah jumped down from the mast, just in time for a young boy to bring her a list of the ship's inventory. Carliah looked it over with a frown. "We'll need ten jars of wax, three barrels of tar, and some long spears." Carliah got her pen and scribbled it onto the paper, handing it to a senior-looking sailor before walking over to Natsumi, allowing the crew to work - and the two of them to speak in private.

"Alright, we need to figure out a thing or two. With Rhodes on board, he might incite mutiny, but without him, the sailors might just do so on their own. Can you control him?" Carliah didn't let Natsumi answer before pressing on with another concern. "And who's to say he won't try to have us killed at night? I think it'd be much better for us to share bedspace, at least until I can get the gist of the crew."

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:56 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

For a woman that had travelled the seas far more often than expected, Natsumi knew remarkably little about seafaring vessels. She knew where to hit them to ensure a watery grave and the general location of their valuables; but specific terminology and ship classes? Forget it. Such details were useless to someone like her that didn't use ships to navigate waters in the first place. Wings and beastly transformations were more than a sufficient substitution for such matters, and so ships were obsolete.
 
Carliah, clearly, did not share the druid's disinterest, though. She mired herself in the beauty of Rhodes' ship, proclaiming every facet she could locate on the vessel as it came into view. The blurb was a slew of mariner terms, each jargon term making Natsumi's head spin more conclusively than its predecessor.
 
"I have no idea what you just said, but I'll take your word for it," the young woman said while trying to keep her head on straight. "The things I know about ships could fill a thimble, as I never use them when travelling the ocean." Enthusiastic as she was, the seductive corsair continued her lecture by describing a superstition among sailors about always stepping with the right foot – something to which Natsumi could only respond with a mental scoff. She did as she was told, regardless of her feelings on the matter, but her internal mood was definitely one of reluctance given how little she thought of superstition in the first place. Her apathetic phrasing to come made this at least partially obvious. "I would think they'd still be pretty superstitious about a woman with wings, fox ears and a tail; regardless of the way she stepped, but alright."
 
Indeed, most sailors Natsumi had met over the years had regarded her as one of two polar opposites on any given day. On good days, she was an angel of the sea, a vision of prophetic good will that would guide weary sailors back to shore. On most other days, though, the lone Natsumi was seen as a terrible omen of things to come; a monster. How this crew would react given these two extremes remained to be seen, as most were too busy preparing for castoff to notice the two lovely ladies that had just boarded.
 
Some of those same crewmates did, however, notice the return of their boss, especially when Carliah brought up the idea of sleeping in the captain's cabin. It was not a completely unreasonable proposition, but one that both Natsumi and Rhodes greeted with a sneer. The latter's reason for his reaction was because he didn't want to give up his accommodations, while the former simply didn't want to sleep anywhere that Rhodes had been without thorough sanitation of the area.
 
"To be honest, I would prefer sleeping outside," Natsumi responded while turning her gaze to the scoundrel in question. "And the only way I would sleep where he normally does would be by thoroughly and completely burning the sheets. Since that's a waste of good fabric, outside it is."
 

Sleeping outside, especially when travelling to stormy seas, was surely absurd by any stretch of a sailor's imagination, but that was definitely the druid's intent. She preferred the wilderness to the confines of a cabin; because, in her mind, her place among humans had long disappeared. She would likely rest at the highest point of the ship given current conditions: a place where she could be close to the sky. All else was secondary in her mind, especially since the ship was soon to depart and there was little time for squabbles.

Author: Carliah, Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:29 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah followed Natsumi and Rhodes to the docks. There were many ships in port - storms were still rather common, and many would remain in port for a few more weeks - but Rhodes' ship (luckily) looked like it could handle the weather if needed. Carliah whistled in admiration. "One hundred and fifty-five foot brig. Nice!" She looked over the ship and its crew - from a distance, it was impossible to see that the ship was used for illicit purposes, with the exception of the conspicous amount of arnament on deck. "A bow-mounted scorpion with another scorpion aft and mounted heavy arbalests on deck. Excellent." She looked to natsumi, grinning. "Since I'm guessing you're new to seafaring, let me explain. This here is a hundred, fifty-five foot brig-class warship, with caravel-built hull excellent for withstanding harsh weather. She's dual-masted with the aft mast as main mast. See how the hull curves with a slightly narrow spot at the aft end? That lowers the ships' speed but lets her turn much faster, excellent for maneuvering tight waters, like where we're going."

She went up to the gangplank of the ship, making a point of putting her right foot on it first. "Make sure to step with your right foot first. Sailors are a superstitious lot, and we don't want to spook them on their first day." Stepping aboard, the crew's real nature was a bit more obvious. On deck, she counted twenty, and guessed another sixteen or so beneath. They wore practical clothing of high quality - respectable - but she could see the outlines of sheaths where they'd concealed their dirks and shivs. Carliah guessed there would be other weapons below - cutlasses, or rapiers like her own. Luckily, there were other women. Probably there for the crew's pleasure more than anything, but that meant Carliah wouldn't be too out of place. Carliah walked over to one of the arbalests on the railing, inspecting it. It seemed a solid weapon, currently unstrung.

"I'll be fine sleeping along my fellow female crewmates, mr. Rhodes, unless of course our esteemed… client, would prefer some slightly familiar company in your cabin." She looked to Natsumi, gesturing towards the captain's cabin - which looked luxurious. While she was inviting herself, it would appear she wasn't all too insistent. Then again, something in Carliah's voice hinted to that it might be a good idea.

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:33 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

[OOC: You seem to be better at describing sailing related stuff, so I'll let you describe the crew. :)]

Sainthood was, according to Natsumi, a common fallacy. There was no such thing as a saint in the world of Revaliir, because the hard truth was that everyone wanted something. Human nature did not lend itself - nor did good health, for that matter - to unconditional selflessness. Natsumi herself was far from a saint, having dealt in the darker trades to get her position. Even her name was a black mark on the wizarding community of Wyllmochvar: a fact that present company would soon discover.
 
Before that point, however, preparations were made. Carliah mentioned the need for a trained hawk in the foggy climate of their destination: a sound suggestion if there ever was one. Natsumi could have provided herself as a winged scout, but decided to conserve the mana needed to do so in case she required it later. Luckily, Rauru was with her today and could be bribed for his services.
 
"I can handle that," the Ice Queen said while turning her gaze to the sky. She brought her hand to her face, waiting for Kino to assimilate the adorning glove into her skin. Then, placing her pale fingers inside her mouth, she whistled for her companion who was circling nearby. "I wouldn't consider Rauru trained," the woman said while holding out her remaining glove for the harpy eagle to land on, "but I can bribe him with food to help us out."
 
On cue, Rauru dive-bombed Natsumi and grabbed her gloved hand. He cocked his head to look at his foxy friend whilst assuring his balance, and then spoke to her in a series of squawks.
 
"I expect rotisserie rats as a reward for this," he demanded.
 
To which Natsumi responded, "I throw in some ferret too."
 
"Deal." Her harpy eagle placated, Natsumi and Carliah were ready to continue their dance. She did so by giving an ill-fated introduction, one that sent a visible shiver down Mr. Rhodes' spine.
 
"Good morning, then, Carliah and or Black Widow," the Ice Queen said after listening to the corsair's introduction. "And you were very close in your guess. I was born in Nisshoki but have travelled extensively between the continents in the last few years. I've been all across the Nyella Ocean, Canelux and Parvpora."
 
So began the ill-fated revelation of Natsumi's past. Rhodes, like many of his colleagues, was familiar with the stories of blackmail surrounding Roderick's downfall and the sudden rise of one Natsumi Yamauchi. Now, dealing with her, he feared for his life.
 
"Natsumi from Nisshoki," the squirrely man asked? "I know who you are, and I'm surprised you didn't just kill me on sight."
 
Giving him a side glance, Natsumi only gave the impudent man a sly grin before saying, "If you're going to mention blackmail in the affair of your late friend or my promotion, I expect you to show proof. Failing that, I suggest you get a move on. You've wasted enough of my and Carliah's time." Her missing glove reappeared after this challenge, metaphorically marking the end of the soft-touch diplomacy.
 
"Fine," Rhodes said while eyeing the two woman that were threatening to tear several new holes in his body. "I don't want to have my guts splattered on the pavement or to be caught wearing crossbow bolt stilettos, so follow me."
 
Carliah's threat about puncturing holes in Rhodes' heels was an effective and needed cattle prod at this point in the journey. There was a significant chance of flight on his part, especially since he and his ilk thought little of Natsumi's actual combat ability despite referencing her title of Explosive Fist. Carliah, on the other hand, had the body of a duelist, and was much more intimidating despite her naturally seductive charm.  She would serve as a useful enforcer, or maybe even a captain.
 

In the mean time, though, one Julius Rhodes was allowed to lead the way to the docks. He trudged off past the corsair at the alley entrance, leading his small group to a caravel he had prepared for the journey. It would be revealed upon arrival at said vessel that the businessman had already hired enough desperate scallywags to crew the ship. As it were, Carliah and Natsumi were simply the last members of mad crew on a mad quest.

Author: Carliah, Posted: Mon Mar 7, 2016 2:38 AM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah watched the exchange between the curious fox-like woman and mr. Rhodes, drinking in every detail. The pieces started falling into place as the woman gave Carliah the rub. "So you're hunting a dangerous artifact, before the lawmen can make a botch of it," she said, unloading her crossbow and slinging it across her back. "That explains a few things. I won't claim to be a saint, but as long as you make it worth my while, I'll help you out."

She heard out the rest of the talk in relative silence, furrowing her neatly plucked brows at the mention of the destination. "Muerta sea… More than mist and jagged rocks to provide danger there, if the stories are to be believed. We'd do well to bring a bird trainer into those waters - a trained hawk can prove invaluable in such locales." Carliah had, of course, no idea where to get someone like that, and she was no good with animals herself. Nevertheless, Wyllmochvar was full of people with strange skills, so it shouldn't be hard to come by. Carliah was snapped out of her daydream when Natsumi introduced herself.

"Natsumi. You wern't raised close to Jasumin, were you?" Carliah didn't wait for an answer. "I'm Carliah. Just Carliah, though I've been called Black Widow before." She stepped aside to open the alleyway. "Lead the way, then. And mr. Rhodes… I assume you're not dumb enough to try to outrun Natsumi here, but I'll point out that I'm the quickest little minx you've ever met in your life, so unless she gets to you first, I'll poke holes in both your heels." She smiled sweetly, a beaming, charming smile that's surely seduced or terrified other men in the past. She flashed it to Rhodes first, but later to Natsumi as well, as a kind of silent promise that the Black Widow will be worth every crescent.

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Sat Mar 5, 2016 2:38 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

[OOC: Sorry for the delay. Feel free to describe the boat ride if it gives you more to work with, or even just the trip to the docks.]
 
Restful hands meant a calmer atmosphere, and a calmer atmosphere meant a more comfortable Natsumi. Though tensions had been high when Carliah first entered the alleyway, they seemed to die down when Rhodes' deception was revealed. The promise of coin certainly helped, judging by the pirate's incredulous response, but the important part was that people wouldn't be turning the tavern wall into a bloody mural. In the absence of that fiasco, Natsumi was free to explain more of the current situation to her partner in crime.
 
"I think you misunderstand my role," she said while finally drawing focus upon the pirate. "I'm not an investigator, and this isn't a criminal investigation. One Julius Rhodes is already being hunted down by the executives of the city because he was dumb enough to associate with a slaver and not cover his tracks. However, the university that I work for as a freelancer has filed an injunction to delay his arrest because he's the only person that can point us to the last known location of a dangerous artifact that has to be contained or destroyed. The valuable I'm hunting is not something you can easily sell off or transport, so there's no worry about a lone corsair being a problem; especially when I'm assuring that individual gets her due." Briefly glancing at Carliah's 'novel' for a moment, the Ice Queen continued to the sound of her quarry's grumbling. "Pirates may be unreliable, but, in my experience, they usually listen to coin at least temporarily. Work with me and I'll ensure that you get paid a healthy sum. If not, I'll cut into your payday. Simple, right?"
 
Simple, indeed, for the young woman had no interest in being a true officer of the law today. She may have come into this situation as a sort of bounty hunter, but she wasn't being paid to track down lowly corsairs like the woman in front of her. There was no telling if either the "novelist" or the swindler knew about this truth; yet, at this point, everyone was so far entrenched on their path that motivations mattered little. Only the expedition mattered: a point that Mr. Rhodes took seriously.
 
"You two are going to need each other anyway," the weasel spoke with uncharacteristically grim tone. "There's beasts in those waters." He stepped forward from his wall, and looked at the two women that had accosted him. "I didn't mention this in the recruitment ad because it tends to scare seamen away; but The Drago was sailing off the northern coast of Abed according to its last courier pigeon to me. It was headed toward the Muerta Sea."
 
Although not as familiar to the general populace as Bakulaw Island, the ominous sounding Muerta Sea was regarded as one of the more dangerous areas in Revaliir by sailors of the area. Shrouded in mystery, it sat between two unnamed islands off the northern coast of Abed. A constant fog hung upon this setting, lending to its enigmatic, almost mythical, nature. Truly, the Muerta Sea was a place cut off from the happenings of the world; but one that had spelled the death of many sailors. Few explorers had returned from those waters, and those that did had often exchanged most of their crew members and sanity for modest piles of gold. So while it may not have been popular among land dwellers, the sea was infamous among sailors of the Nyella Ocean.
 

"Wonderful," Natsumi grumbled, being one of those frequent ocean travelers. "Well, I guess we should set off soon, provided everyone is still set. Name is Natsumi, by the way." The Ice Queen was ready to lead the pair to the docks, but she wanted to make sure of two things before doing so. First, she wanted to know the name of the corsair that would be accompanying her and Rhodes. Second, she wanted to make sure said woman wasn't having second thoughts now that she heard their destination. The last thing any of them needed was for one of the party members to suddenly jump ship mid-trip. That possible was impossible to completely eliminate, but it didn't hurt to take precautions. 

Author: Carliah, Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:56 AM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah looked upon the scene with a perked eyebrow. She could take barked directions and pointed insults, but she was not used to being, to large effect, ignored. Nevertheless, she hadn't been told to leave, strictly speaking, so she didn't. As the woman produced a letter - the fool didn't even verify it - the situation turned from awkward to outright painful for the man. If it hadn't been for his sleazy manner, she might actually have pitied him a bit. When the mention of hire was brought up, Carliah was positively baffled.

"Wait - you're going to take me, a corsair you just met, along with you for a criminal investigation, wherein the evidence are valuables and with me on home turf?" Carliah dropped her crossbow, out of surprise more than anything. She eyed the girl for some time, before putting the crossbow on her back, with a sceptical look. "Fair enough… So long as I get paid. For the record, I'd like to point out I am carrying a journal which is a work of fiction with me as the main character - writing is a hobby of mine." The lie was so blatantly obvious it was almost painful, but at least now she'd have her back covered to some extent should the contents of her journal somehow come to light. Paranoid, but Carliah only took the risks she'd profit from. "With that said… I suppose you guys lead the way." Carliah's look was still apprehensive, her left hand resting on the hilt of one of her swords. But she stepped aside, as if to let the other characters guide her.

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:01 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

In the past, Natsumi had always conducted her affairs with the utmost secrecy. She would always stray far away from the public eye whenever visiting the centers of population, never revealing her mutations too openly. That practice, however, became more difficult with the addition of her wings, and had actually obsolesced once she took up an official position to overturn her former, questionable activities. She no longer needed to hide, and her boldness with Rhodes demonstrated that. It was, therefore, not a mistake brought on by naiveté or even a mistake at all. Rather, her brazen confidence was due, entirely, to, at long last, having the official authority to conduct an investigation without having to hide it.
 
The pirate's tempestuous interference was, as a result, not appreciated. Natsumi had seen her approach, smelled her as she was speaking to her target, but had ignored the eavesdropping until being threatened. The sight of the woman's crossbow being paired with her words after that transition definitely got the Ice Queen's attention, but not in the way the interloper might have hoped.
 
"Kidnapping," the University Seeker asked Carliah without even the slightest flinch? "On the contrary, I have been given legal dispensation to chat with Mr. Rhodes here who already has a warrant out for his arrest. I'm supposed to drop him off at the nearest guard outpost once our business is concluded, but preferably after he returns what he stole from the University of Wyllmochvar. You know? The organization whose seal I'm wearing and that plays a major role in politics for the city you're standing in?"
 
Rhodes, who had been largely silent other than a few grunts up till this point, took the opportunity to finally speak up once knowledge of Natsumi's intentions was out in the open. He feigned a sleazy smile, and exchanged glances between the two women in front of him, all while trying to weasel his way out of the current predicament.
 
"Come now. Me: a thief? I'm just an honest archaeologist who was going to hire this here lady to retrieve some artifacts for me."
 
Such words would have been a clever out under normal circumstances, as they were meant to turn the confrontation into a, "he said, she said," situation. In the absence of proof, it was only Natsumi's word against a seemingly, honorable businessman. Unfortunately for the "archaeologist," though, there was proof, and Natsumi summoned it to her hand for the sheer pleasure of watching her suspect's smug expression crumble into a thousand pieces.
 
"Right," she said while holding that piece of parchment to his nose, "and I suppose this letter from a convicted death row criminal talking about the ship I mentioned as well as your involvement – a letter that has been verified and documented by law enforcement, I might add – is just coincidence?" As expected, Rhodes' facade peeled off rather quickly as he realized he had been caught red-handed, and his confident aura from before turned to meekness.
 
"How did you get that," he asked? Natsumi could only respond with a self-assured smirk before explaining exactly how things would proceed.
 
"The late Roderick was never the type to go down alone. Even if he told you he would burn the evidence, he kept all of it. Anyone who sold him out was selling everyone else out, including themselves. That's just the kind of man he was, and he knew that the best way to keep a criminal organization in line is to make the stakeholders monitor each other." Tightening the straight-jacket for a moment, the druid continued."So I suggest you start talking, while pretending to hire both of us for your 'perfectly legitimate' salvage operation; unless, of course, you don't want that reduced sentence I told you about. The deal from the guard is that you either come clean, or they won't let you bargain anything." A small twist was all that was necessary for this message to be heard loud and clear, at which point Mr. Rhodes was finally willing to speak plainly.
 
"Fine," he shouted! "I'll pay you both. Just stop trying to break my arm!" Thus, the spell was released, and the suspect was allowed to stand. Natsumi was still keeping a close eye on Carliah during this whole engagement – or, rather, Kino was – and she was prepared to take the job and run if that woman proved to be too much of a nuisance.
 
For all her bluster, Carliah was one who didn't know the downfalls of threatening an unknown mage while they still had magic at their disposal. Natsumi would probably be wounded by the crossbow bolt if it was fired, but that didn't mean its wielder would get out unscathed. There were many ways for the Ice Queen to permanently end the Drago job without getting caught in that moment; and some of them even involved framing the interloper for murder. If this female pirate wanted a payday, her best choice was to play along.

Author: Carliah, Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 6:15 AM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Carliah didn't have to wait long. The man, after talking to another group of sailors - who turned down his offer - decided to pay his tab and try his luck elsewhere. Carliah quickly finished her wine and got up to follow, only to see the man confronted by a woman on his way out. Carliah was already on her feet, but still some distance away, and so she went largely unnoticed. Her prospective employer turned tail and tried to run, but the woman was versed in magic, and soon the man was tripping over his own trousers and trapped as his own coat turned into a living straitjacket, to the great amusement of the tavern's clientelle.

As the woman dragged the man out, the various scoundrels in the place started hooting crude compliments and insults to the woman and man respectively. As the woman dragged the man out, Carliah followed suit. A sailor called after her. "Don'chu leave too, miss, we need some fine ladies 'round 'ere!" Carliah turned and smiled ever so sweetly. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but I wouldn't let your ugly mug touch me if I was a corpse." She made a mock courtsey and spun around, following the other woman, to the sound of howling laughter from the sailors - including the one she just insulted.

Stepping out of the tavern, Carliah slinked to the corner, leaning on it casually to avoid suspicion. Her eyes were fixed on various stalls selling junk of various kinds, but her ears were solidly focused on the conversation around the corner. "I see you at least remember the seal you used to wear. Unfortunately, the fact that you ran from it means you know you've been a bad boy. Rest assured that I won't be the one to render judgment, but cooperation in my investigation may lead to a lighter sentence. How this unfolds is entirely up to you, and whether you help me find The Drago." The man didn't seem to eager to respond. Carliah wondered what seal they were talking about. She grinned, deciding that if secrecy was this woman's game, the best way to get in on the action was to uncover the secret. And the best way to do that was shock and awe.

She turned the corner, drew her crossbow, and approached the two. "Kidnapping a man in broad daylight, then take the interrogation to an alley?" Her stride was confident and very feminine - radiating an odd womanly seniority. The fact that her crossbow was ready to fire at a moment's notice only added to the image. "This investigation of yours is either very 'off the books', which in this place typically mean 'illegal' - or you're not familiar with these kinds of things. That man over there is offering some handsome work." She fingered the crossbow playfully, not taking her eye off the young magician for a moment. "That means that whatever you're doing, you're getting in the way of my payday." She smiled ever so sweetly, before letting forth a giggle. "Want me to yell 'black ops'? Word travels fast around here, you know…" Carliah's crossbow remained firmly trained on the girl in front of her, the pirate smiling sweetly as she awaited her response.

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:11 PM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Even with Roderick's imprisonment and subsequent death sentence for his crimes against humanity, his legacy remained in existence. Several, illicit operations continued on in the shadows of the world, bearing the fingerprints of the late department head of Magical Artifacts at Wyllmochvar University. They carried forth their schemes with the utmost determination, even in the absence of a kingpin to hold everything together. The only difference now was that these dealings had become about personal greed as opposed to collective power, the middle management now seeking to elevate themselves above the chaotic aftermath.
 
Unfortunately for these individuals, however, the University had become well-aware of their situation after evidence of Roderick's treachery came to light. The higher ups began assigning staff to track down the interlopers and shut down their operations. These trackers were given authority to confiscate any university property that they found during their investigations and were told to work with law enforcement whenever possible.
 
As the newest addition to the university payroll, Natsumi was chosen to be one such tracker. She had managed to persuade a hiring manager at the establishment to bring her in even with limited work experience, and was immediately assigned to a case in Wyllmochvar involving a lost, treasure hunting party. A former associate of Roderick's, Julius Rhodes, was involved as the prime suspect. He had been hiring shady characters in the Wilful Whaler - a tavern that was little more than a port of call for the less than savory travelers of the sea – recently, and it was very obvious that this choice of venue was not incidental.
 
Mr. Rhodes, being the squirrelly businessman that he was, knew he would have had better luck recruiting in more reputable guilds; but, because he was trying to hire expendable people, he chose to avoid them. He was hiding amongst his own kind, a thief disguising himself as an archeologist in order to convince some sap of a pirate to recover something that didn't belong to him.
 
His disguise could not fool the Ice Queen's gaze, though. She stuck out like a sore thumb as she ventured through the docks in search of his hiding place, wearing only simple garments of black and silver. Her tunic was embroidered with the seal of the university, and her non-human features were no longer hidden under a cloak as they used to be. Her wings stood retracted on her back as she eventually found the tavern she was looking for, just in time to look through the walls at Mr. Rhodes.
 
'There he is,' the woman thought while cleaning her boots on the nearby grass. She adjusted her pants while thinking on how to approach the archaeologist, but eventually had that decision made for her when he decided to get up from seat. She watched patiently as he paid his tab, and then waited for him to open the door in front of her.
 
"Hello, Mr. Rhodes," Natsumi said once her target came face to face with his hunter. He immediately tried to run, turning tail as soon as he saw the seal on her chest, but he didn't get far before an animate object spell turned his clothes into restraints. Natsumi easily walked through the barrier to drag the contorted man out after that, much to the amusement of his fellow patrons.
 
"Ye should be grateful, ya lucky bastard," howled one particularly boisterous man among their ranks. "I have to pay women like that to be that forward with me!" The winged fox didn't pay attention to this compliment, and simply pulled Rhodes out before dragging him around to the side of the building. Once there, she propped him up against the wall, and spoke with candor as well as a piercing stare.
 
"I see you at least remember the seal you used to wear. Unfortunately, the fact that you ran from it means you know you've been a bad boy. Rest assured that I won't be the one to render judgment, but cooperation in my investigation may lead to a lighter sentence. How this unfolds is entirely up to you, and whether you help me find The Drago."

Author: Carliah, Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:10 AM, Post Subject: Items of Intellectual Interest [P]

Strolling through Wyllmochvar's busy harbour, Carliah looked rather out of place among the city's merchants, mages, and respectable, scholarly ladies. While the women here mostly worse dresses, robes, or artisan's clothes in bright colours, Carliah was strolling through in her black leather boots, black skirt, black evening gloves and the black corset she wore over her white shirt. Another thing that was out of place with her was her arnament. Weapons were a fairly rare sight - many of those who could hold their own in a fight in this city used staves or wands - so her dirk, twin rapiers, and crossbow stood out like a sore thumb. The pitch and stride of her walk, too, was a dead giveaway: Most women here were pragmatic and proud, their walks fairly neutral depictions of how a person gets from A to B. Carliah was far more enticing in her walk, swaying her hips and swinging her arms so as to turn as many male heads as possible. Even the city's psions seemed a bit distracted, and Carliah loved every moment of it. She was not here to turn heads, though - she needed money.

Walking past a pier, Carliah spotted a group of sailors. Obviously foreign by their clothes (and their smell - they had been to sea for a while), they were speaking in the odd patchwork language of international sailors, borrowing words from various languages to communicate with as many as possible. Carliah stopped by a merchant's stall, pretending to browse the wares, and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"… Odd man, lost artifacts dug up somewhere on an island. Said he was looking for skilled seafarers and fighters. Should we sign up?" "I don't know about you, lads, but I am perfectly happy on a merchant cog. My missus would have my hide if I went out on any adventures." "What? Come on, hearty - we could at least check out the job, treasure hunter gigs pay well, you know!" "No, Greg, we both all know that any gigs that pay that well has to be dangerous. And we're not really fighters, just sailors." "Oh, come on! We can at least head over to the Wilful Whaler, have a look, and get a drink." "Fine, fine. But let's unload our cargo first."

Well paid, high-risk jobs? Carliah liked what she was hearing already. She asked a local where the Wilful Whaler was, and was directed to a relatively large harbourside tavern. As she opened the door and stepped inside, she smelled the smell of high-end rum, high-end food, and low-end scum. Most of the people in the tavern we outlaws, she could tell. Pirates and bandits came here to waste their money on the better things in life. Carliah ordered a glass of wine and a fancy sandwich-like meal, and sat in a corner of the tavern to scan the area. What she saw was a whole bunch of people who'd sooner die than do any honest work - in other words, people who were bad at taking directions and following orders. Carliah didn't have that problem - money was money - and she spotted three or four people who might be of a similar inclination. Then, after a few moments, she spotted the man she was looking for, the one who was hiring. He was talking to a small band of sailors, who were shaking their heads and soon leaving. The man didn't seem to care, much - no doubt he didn't like them any more than they liked him - he just sat there, waiting. Carliah decided to grab him when he left the place, for a more private word. And so, she waited.