RPGWW

by **Endesu** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:50 am

Jikuro turned, apparently somewhat satisfied with the structure of the inn.

"Well, one key objective will be to secure the room against potential encroachers, as stated. Particularly against you know who."

She paced a bit. "And let us not forget takings shifts to observe the area and catch any suspicious activities invading our room before they become a major problem."

"... other than all of that, we should be fine to rest."

by **Idran1701** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:14 am

He nods.

"You seem t' have more experience wit' this sorta thing, how d'you suggest we secure i'? You have some kinda magic t' use for it, or jus' settin' up some blockades an' whatnot?"

by **Endesu** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:24 am

Jikuro lifted a finger in the air as she spoke. "I was considering taking some of the wood up and boarding the doors and windows. Do you think this would be a problem?"

by **Idran1701** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:36 am

"...I think th' owners'd prolly want t' have a word or two wi' you, yeah. They don' usually tend t' appreciate folks tearin' up their floorboards.

Trust me on tha' one."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 5:38 pm

"Oh... well... do you think they'll accept payment in return? Reinforcing the premises is a key concept here. Remember who we're dealing with; the slightest defense will benefit us immensely when the time comes, and the time will come."

She paused for a moment. "Unless you have a better idea..."

by **Idran1701** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:26 pm

Frowning, he reluctantly shakes his head, glancing back at the front desk.

"...Not 'zactly, no. They mi', I s'pose. An' if i' comes down t' i', I'd rather ge' banned from another place than ge' killed by thi' friend o' ours."

by **Kelne** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:20 pm

Kelne snorted in response, "Please. I have better things to do with my time than stand around waiting for you lot to crawl out of the woodwork. Which is more than I can say for you."

All the while, he continued gathering up energy for decisive strike. If he could stall the idiot by chatting, so much the better.

"I mean, honestly, have you people no lives of your own? No goals beyond vengeance for events which were mostly your own fault anyway?"

by **Endesu** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:45 pm

Jikuro nodded. "Well, see if you can work out a deal with them. I'll be preparing for the task in Room..." She paused as she glanced at the key. "... 101. Don't take long." She dashed off, leaving Greg to attempt to negotiate with the innkeeper.

***

The woman snorted and let off a belly laugh. "Ah, son, yer more humorin' than a sack a' rottin' taters. Nah, the lot of us don' really give a shit about y'all. 's jest a work thang. We were hired to take y'all out, an' thas' wha' we intend ta do. Persona' grudges an' whatever the hell else y'all folks got involved in 're inconsequential."

Her arms folded. She didn't look as if she were about to attack, so apparently her defense was still down... "I reckon ya won't go down wi'out a fight, though, so I'll give ya tha' much."

by **Idran1701** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:52 am

"Talk t'...bu'..."

Shaking his head and chuckling a little as Jikuro dashes off, he turns the key over in his hand, plotting. After a minute or two of thinking, planning, discarding, he settles on a plan, and heads back over to the innkeeper, beckoning him over to the far corner of the counter, furthest from the other customers.

"'Ey, one othe' thing...wasn' sure if I shoul' bring this up, bu' my companion thou' we shoul' fill y' in now."

by **Endesu** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:59 am

"Oh? Certainly, sir, what is it?" The innkeeper's expression was curious but betrayed no knowledge of their intentions. Hopefully Greg had a good plan in mind.

A few folks were filtering in to join some of those already within the building. One in particular slipped in as silently as possible, looking up for a moment at Greg as he talked to the innkeeper before merging back into whatever crowd formed.

by **Idran1701** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:44 am

"Yeah, well, th' thing i'..."

Looking around, he lowers his voice, slipping into a very proper Baronian accent.

"We're here on a matter of minor international...urgency. Very hush hush, you see. I thought it best to not inform you, but as we may be in need of a bit of leniency on the behalf of you and your staff, my partner thought it best to inform you. Now, obviously, we aren't quite allowed to make you privy to the full details of our attendance here, but suffice it to say, your aid in this matter would not go unnoticed."

As he speaks, he does a quick Strong Feelings check over the innkeeper, pausing here as he waits to see the staffer's reaction to his claims.

by **Endesu** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:56 am

The innkeeper's expression shifted to one of partial incredulity, as he appeared to be pondering just what Greg was hinting at, and if he was bullshitting or not.

"Er... this may be very... 'hush-hush' as you say, but do you have any way to prove these claims, sir?"

His feelings appeared to riding right along with his expression; though he wasn't outwardly lambasting Greg as a fraud, he appeared to be seriously considering the possibility of it.

by **Kelne** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:11 am

"Mercenaries, eh?" Kelne said, "Well, I'm sure you know the first rule of merc work - Always make sure you live to spend your pay. Be honest, now. What do you think your odds of that are?"

by **Idran1701** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:01 am

"Yes, I can see where that'd be a bit of a sticking point for you. Part of the reason why I just wanted to skip the whole mess, not say a word. The only proof I can really give you is the fact that...well, what would we have to gain from this? If it's a con, it's an awfully daft one, eh? Especially considering that I'm offering you triple the normal room rate now, plus any repair fees that may arise upon our departure tomorrow, if it comes down to it. The only thing we're asking out of you and your staff is a bit of understanding should an incident of some sort occur."

It's taking a lot out of Greg to not glance back at that suspicious sort he knows entered not long ago, but for now, he's keeping his eye off of them, to keep from tipping his hand. With luck, things will go smoothly here, and he can head on to whatever idea goes through Jikuro's head next.

by **Endesu** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:56 am

"Oh, quite high, son. Quite high."

The sound of a rifle being clocked could be heard somewhere abovehead. Whether or not Kelne was familiar with the sound, the very sound itself was loud and threatening.

"'specially when there's more 'n one a' us."

***

"O-oh, well, if that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem, sir!" The innkeeper still had something of an odd look on his face, but the offeringof potential increased monies seemed to put him at ease; enough to apparently allow him to forget that extra bit Greg referred to as 'repair fees'. "Please feel free to utilize your room as it suits the two of you the best."

by **Kelne** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:15 pm

"Well, then." Fire exploded outwards from Kelne, driven by a great deal of energy. Used to being at what amounted to ground zero of a fireball, and shielded from the flames, Kelne was instantly in motion, springing forward and launching an underhand slice at his adversary.

The smoke and flame ought to obscure him enough that the gunman couldn't hope to get a clear shot, and he had no intention of letting them die down. At least until the need arose to take a breath.

by **Idran1701** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:56 pm

Smiling, he leans back, dropping the Baronian accent as he replies.

"Thanks, y've been a big help here. I'll be sure t' recommend thi' place t' all m' friends, a' helpful a' y've been."

Nodding to him, and sliding him a fairly sizable tip, Greg heads back to the room, listening for any signs of being followed as he enters.

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:14 am

The opponent facing Kelne had apparently been doing more than simply chatting - the moment his own attack went off, she generated her own bit of magical energy. It was little more than a simple ward, but it worked to throw off any potential damage from fire or smoke.

Kelne's attack seemed to catch her by surprise, however, and he dealt a fairly heavy chopping blow to her shoulder.

(-25 HP to Mercenary)

She had enough time to cast an angry glance at Kelne as she faded from view, causing Kelne's blade to almost naturally drop out of the now nonexistent body.

Almost immediately after, the frothing maniac from before reappeared in her exact position, swiftly bringing up his axe and attempting to bring the hard edge down onto Kelne's head.

(-32 HP to Kelne. 96/128 HP remaining)

The unseen gunman seemed to acknowledge there being no clear shot at Kelne; as such, no bullets were fired. Instead, Kelne would hear the solid thump of something from above striking the ground somewhere close to his attacking position. If Kelne had prior knowledge of explosives, he may recognize the tone of the unseen item landing being the same as the tone of a grenade....

***

The innkeeper appeared to swiftly pocket the tip, and to Greg, appeared to be so enamored by the money that he would not dare speak ill of his most generous patron to date. So, apparently that was taken care of.

There was no further sign of a suspicious individual, but said individual would most likely still be lurking somewhere within the hotel.

Upon approaching the room, Greg would almost immediately hear the sound of tools working away diligently... and quietly. Apparently Jikuro was hard at work... yet at the same time, had the foresight to utilize tools that would not greatly disturb the rest of the patrons of the inn... as well as help to avoid further unneeded detection by certain pursuants.

Further entrance into the room would reveal that she was indeed hard at work; already, many of the floorboards had been salvaged into suitable reinforcements on any potential windows as well as any apparent holes or faults in the infrastructure that she had found in the process of her work. It should be noted that there was still enough of a floor to stand on; she had, at least, left enough wood for that purpose.

Overall, the entire room looked largely different from before. Only the bed looked relatively untouched. It had been set aside, towards the center of the room.

Jikuro, meanwhile, appeared to be working still on removing wood for further purposes in barricading, though it looked as if in this short amount of time she had already covered a sufficient amount of the room.

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:55 am

Glancing around the room, and looking amused both by his own success and her quick progress, he speaks up, stepping around her work as he takes a seat on the bed.

"...I'd ask if y' needed some help, bu' looks like y've go' i' well in hand y'rself. Ev'rythin's taken care of on my end. He wa' happy t' help, after a bi' more expense.

Oh, by th' way, we're from Baron."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:13 am

Jikuro paused and quickly mopped aside a good deal of sweat, looking to Greg as she did so. "Great, great, uh... Baron, right. Yep. That state. I certainly know all about it."

She looked uncertainly at Greg for a further moment, and then returned to work. "I should be done in a few moments. If my work here is precise enough, then this room should stand against attacks coming from any direction. Given who we're dealing with..."

Indeed, she appeared to be hoisting up less wood now, and doing more along the lines of finishing up her task. "If you'd really like to help, though, you can hold those boards there for a moment." She pointed to a neatly clustered pile that lay nearby... at least five or six, by Greg's visual count.

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:27 am

Nodding, he moves to do so, honestly a little astonished at the amount of work she's been able to do in so little time.

"Gotta say, y' work fast. You a time mage or somethin'?"

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:33 am

"No, no, I've just spent a lot of time... for a big company... doing this sort of work. I'm actually well-equipped to handle metals and the like, so dealing with wood comes fairly quickly and easily for me. A nice change of pace from the last several years, really." As she spoke, she proceeded to lift the boards from Greg's grasp, adeptly and swiftly nailing them into various spots around the room.

This continued until Greg was left with exactly one board. Jikuro left it in Greg's hands for the moment, opting to head for the door and close it. "You didn't have anything else you had to take care of, correct? I'll be sealing this door for the night, and I will not be opening it until a fair bit of morning light fills the skies outside."

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:42 am

He heads over to the door with her, holding it up against it for her.

"No' a thing, nope. Happy t' ge' a chance t' relax, even if jus' for a bi'.

So, y've had t' do thi' sort o' thing b'fore? Makes me wonder jus' wha' sort o' company y' work for. Some sort o' hired mercenary ou'fit? Bodyguardin', maybe?"

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:53 am

"Well... I did work for a company for some time. They were a fairly large company, as stated, and they did quite a bit of... research work. You could say that I was one of their leading... supervisors." She sheepishly turned to the door, nodding to Greg's efforts to hold the board of wood against said door, and effortlessly sealed the door shut with it.

"... but, yes, there we have it. I would say our room is secure for the night." She stood away from the door, inspecting it with a fine eye before turning to the rest of the room. "What about you? You don't exactly seem like the mercenary type... no offense intended."

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:06 am

"Eh, tha's pretty close t' right. I'm goo' 'nough a' this tha' I dun have t' do anythin' else for m' coin. Neve' really found anythin' I'm int'rested in tha' I coul' make money a'."

Heading back over to the bed, he lies down, a bit of anxiety draining from his face.

"Nothin' I'd feel ri' doin', a' least. Mos' legi'mate jobs're borin', an' th' illegi'mate ones, dun think I coul' stand t' do 'em for too long."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:10 am

Jikuro seemed to pause halfway while inspecting a wall, looking back towards Greg.

"So what do you do, then? Most folk are satisfied with a job to fill the daily grind. If you don't have something to focus on, some steady way to earn money, then what are your days filled with?"

Her thoughts immediately shifted to what she had been spending her days on these last few years, but she opted not to cover that topic.

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:25 am

He smirks as he looks a bit lost in memory, but soon drops the expression. Looking a bit thoughtful over what exactly to say, he seems to mentally shrug before he replies.

"...Well...I find m' fun here an' there. Playin' a few tricks, weavin' a few tall tales. Seein' how far I c'n strain people's belief...which, y' know, i' act'ally pre'y far here. Jus'...y' know, a bi' o' harmless fun wi' people an' all."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:29 am

"Hmm." She paused, perhaps considering what he had said. "I suppose that's all well and good... but what about further on? Is this what you're going to stay with for the rest of your life?"

"... I opted on the path I've taken some time ago, and it may not be the best of paths... it certainly doesn't offer the longest lifetime guarantee... but it may very well be a lifetime task that I desire to undertake. Can you say the same for what you're choosing to do...?"

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:57 am

"...neve' really thought tha' far ahead 'bout i'. No' really somethin' I coul' see m'self doin' f'rever, no. Bu' then 'gain, can't really think o' anythin' I coul' see m'self doin' instead. Really nothin' much I've found tha' I'm all tha' good a', 'sides this an' m' tricks. An' I can't 'zactly make money from those...well, I coul', bu' that'd be no be'er than stealin'."

He pulls himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard and looking a good bit more thoughtful than he has before.

"How'd you find ou' y'r good a'...wha'ever y' used t' do f'r this comp'ny?"

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:34 am

"... the person I used to work with, he was a friend of mine, as I believe I've told you." Jikuro responded, somewhat quietly, as she took a stance near the door, looking towards the ceiling.

"We were both raised by the same family... as children... and were brought up to follow the same tasks. Working with carpentry... metal... weapons... the like. I suppose you could say we were being set up for tasks ideal to our position in life, there. Nothing grandiose, but something stable."

"... that was before the company... the corporation... came along. Apparently, it was our abilities... and something else... that interested the Corporation enough to hire us on as employees..."

"There were... other things that we were involved in there, too... but I don't think I can talk about that." She hid her eyes, letting out something of a depressed sigh. "Regardless of what I might've said... thinking about it, at least your path, short-sighted as it might be, would near lead you into making decisions that you'd later regret. Right?"

by **Kelne** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:40 am

Hell. Kelne wasted no time getting away from the spot where he'd heard the grenade land. That gunman was going to be a problem. Time to confuse the issue a bit.

Abruptly, there were two identical mercenaries facing off against one another. Right down to the cocky grin and the choice of weapon. Unfortunately, dodging the grenade and bringing his ring of disguise into play had put him momentarily on the defensive. Still, he had a plan to get things going his way again.

Kelne stopped funneling energy into the flames. He'd need it for something else. Time to see how the mercenary coped without her little phasing trick...

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:54 am

"...Eh...there're one 'r two here an' there, I s'pose. But I try no' t' think 'bout 'em. Wha' mi' have been an' allat, y' know? Y' are where y' are, an' y' can't change i'."

Though from the look of things, he's trying to convince himself as much as Jikuro, he tries to keep up a cheery expression, giving her a smile.

"'sides, wha'ever y' di' 'fore, a' least y're doin' somethin' now tha's ri', eh? Y're here lookin' t' stop these murders, afte' all. Tha's somethin' t' be proud of, wha'ever y'r reasons for i'. Jus'...I guess jus' try t' focus on th' things y' can be proud of, is wha' I'm sayin'."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:31 am

Swiftly, the frothing mercenary whipped his axe through the remaining smoke, quickly clearing the air as he appeared to be deadset on permanently cleaving Kelne's head from his shoulders...

Until he appeared to gape directly at Kelne, at least temporarily confused as to how an exact double in terms of appearances has arrived.

"Ehr... Wha?"

Apparently, his attempt to disguise himself had failed the male half of this apparent dual-mercenary... as to how long that would last...

Kelne moved quickly enough to avoid the grenade that had fallen; it swiftly burst in a relatively contained yet still undoubtedly deadly blast, fueled with your standard immense amount of fiery energies.

The unseen gunman, apparently undeterred, this time threw what appeared to be several grenade-like objects into the clearing... they scattered, though none of them landed terribly closely to Kelne.

***

Jikuro seemed to sniff slightly, looking to Greg with an honest attempt at a smile. "Yeah... I suppose so. There's just been so much to keep up with..."

She walked around a bit more, stopping by another wall, but this time facing Greg as she spoke. "But... yes, I suppose we'll just both have to deal with the mistakes we've made... especially since we don't have any time to mope with a psychopathic bitch on our tails. Regardless of what I've done... regardless of what either of us have done... we'll just have to carry on with what's important, here."

She chuckled a bit. "And to think, we wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken up the my job offer for a ridiculous sum of money."

by **Kelne** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:50 am

Kelne wasted no time retaking the initiative, bringing his disguised sword around in a nasty cut to the midsection. Once again, it was loaded with dispelling energies. If the merc tried that little phasing trick, the magics involved should be nicely disrupted. At least, that was the plan.

On the downside, the illusion on the sword hadn't held up as a result of those same magics. Still, no plan was perfect.

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:06 am

Chuckling himself in return, Greg nods to Jikuro.

"Eh, guess ev'rythin's got t' start somehow."

He seems a bit lost in thought for a bit, but soon makes his way off the bed, grabbing a chair and heading to a nearby corner of the room, smirking to her.

"I'll take firs' watch t'night, why dun y' ge' some sleep f'r now. Y're th' one tha' almos' died, afte' all. I'll wake y' up in a few hours."

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:52 am

Kelne's ploy worked in bringing him the initiative, as he managed to deal a cut to the merc's stomach.

(-18 HP to Mercenary)

However, much of the intended damage was blocked off at the last moment by same merc, who, apparently realizing part of what had occurred, screamed in rage and simply brought his head down to Kelne's, aiming for a full-frontal face-ram.

(-15 HP to Kelne. 81/128 HP remaining.)

At the same time, the apparent 'grenades' that the gunman had thrown down all burst simultaneously. However, these weren't explosives made for attack. No, these were 'flashbangs'; items that emit a blinding light with their explosion. And though Kelne may have had enough time to partially block some of the light, a fair deal still entered his eyes, effectively partially inhibiting his vision. Not good.

***

"A philosopher and a gentleman. Nice to know that that's what I've hired." She smiled a bit again, and then, finally, nodded. "After today, I could use some rest. Just make sure not to let me sleep too long..."

With that, she set herself down on the bed, and was quickly out, likely due to lingering fatigue from the day's activities.

And so Greg would, in a sense, be left alone. He had a bit of time to think to himself, now.

Or, if he was so inclined, he could snoop through her sack, which had been set to rest near the door.

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 12/16/06 12:27

by **Kelne** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:07 pm

Oh yes, that gunman was going to pay. Kelne could only hope that the merc had had her vision disrupted as badly as he had.

With the phasing taken out of the equation, he went on an all-out attack, sword constantly in motion and moving in unpredictable patterns. He had to finish this fight quickly, and move on to the gunman.

by **Endesu** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:15 pm

The merc's vision had been affected as well, but he most certainly hadn't stopped. Instead, he appeared to be snorting rather loudly, and heading directly towards Kelne. One could guess that, having been blinded, he was relying entirely on scent to track him.

(-30 HP to Merc)

Kelne's series of attacks seemed to catch the merc offguard, and through his very limited vision, he could almost discern a series of wounds already decorating the body of his opponent.

However, the merc he was facing proved just as capable, apparently relying on his sense of smell entirely for aim, and ultimately smashing into the former tyrant with a fist to the gut.

(-25 HP to Kelne.
56/128 HP remaining.)

The unseen gunman above could be heard loading his rifle rather loudly once more, and a series of shots could be heard raining down over the area. Due to some lingering smoke, his aim was off, but a random bullet managed to drive its way into his arm.

(-5 HP to Kelne.
51/128 HP remaining.)

by **Kelne** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:00 pm

Time to end this. Scent might tell the enemy where he was, but it was notoriously unreliable when it came to spotting incoming hunks of sharpened steel.

Granted, his own vision was none too good just now, but he could make out the merc's general shape, and that ought to be enough.

In a repeat of his opening move, back when the infernal Infinity goon had first charged him, Kelne stepped forward and drove his sword at his heart.

by **Idran1701** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:10 pm

Smirking at her, he waves off her claims of gentlemanhood, keeping an eye on the room as she drifts off. And...yes, he's a bit tempted to go scrounging through her stuff, but for whatever reason, she seems to actually trust him a bit. He's not about to go breaking that over something this small.

For now, he just draws his sword and waits, thinking about what they spoke of, and keeping watch for that tricky assassin. For a few hours, at least, until he feels about to drop off himself.

Who is online