Kitsune Kaper Kapture - RPLOG
Participants
Date
13/2/478
Log
It is late evening outside the city jail and a small contingent of guards is waiting at the doors. The officer in charge, a heavy clanned bull with a sergeant's insignia on his shoulder frowns around, alternately at the darkness of the evening and his men, who seem a rather strange assortment. There is a remarkably fat wombat, a mouse who is swimming in a uniform obviously too large for him and an okapi who stands unusually tall. The bull look awfully nervous about all this.
"Why so timid?" Comes a voice as Lucasiel approaches, the metal-shod feline heard before she's seen. "We will be fine." She's without her axe today, but far from unarmed, and coming to a stop near the guards. "Do you expect outside trouble?"
Yvls makes his way onto the scene with a large cloak draped around him covering what else he might have brought to the party. He studies the situation for a bit and decides that it is worth staying, bowing his head politely to the contingent. "Need extra escorts, then? We're safe, I promise."
Angus tightens his weapons belt, making sure his rapier is secure. "So how long do you think your ship will be in dry dock?" He asks the shark beside him curiously, flashing them a smile before he notices that they where here at the jail. "Good evening." He greets the sergeant, ears flicking as he eyes the situation.
Despite the lack of ice, the mad Mare arrives in an impressive spray of snow! (Chalk it up to a blend of air and water magic.) After the flakes settle, Dupree can be seen standing in a pile of ice-dust, and looking uncommonly...well, brutish. Strapped on her head is a protective leather cap, and she wears a bulky sweater-and-hose uniform with her name stitched on the back, and some thick leather gloves. Most uncharacteristic, though, is the look on her face--a big, dumb grin (with a couple of teeth blacked out by stage makeup) and a hint of bloodlust in her eye.
"Hah! You call this a goon squad? Not an enforcer among the bunch!" she laughs, banging the blade of her L-shaped stick on the ground.
Serana blinks as the horse makes her entrance "Well..." he gives the mare one final glance before returning his attention to the fox "She's probably going to be spending a couple months, if no a year or two in the docks. Crew's either been sent home or they're finding jobs amongst the citizens of Firmament. As I had expressed before, she was badly roughed up." the shark responds, flicking his tail some as he eyed where he was a bit curiously "Another Jail?"
The bull, to his credit, only starts a little when Lucasiel emerges from the darkness into the ring of torchlight around the prison. "Good," he rumbles, "You're here!" He looks around at the arriving Freeswords with a habitual looking frown, which deepens when he sees Angus, but relaxes when he sees the nobleman's scars and distinctive markings.
"Can't be too careful," he says, "We're transporting one of those crazy shape shifting foxysunes!" He nods at his motley assortment of odd guards. "No canines allowed in the guard contingent, specially no foxes," he explains, "Then I had to pick some fellas who were pretty distinctive so the fella who got away the other day can't go imitating none of us!" He looks around solemnly to be sure everyone is listening before he goes on. "Prisoner hasn't told us nothing about her partner or how she broke into the jail and sprung him," he says, recognizing a couple of the freeswords as those who helped out before, "We got her all trussed up, so she ain't going to do no running, but her partner is still out there. Fella from the spook squad is supposed to take her into custody, but we gotta her across the city to his place. Any questions before we get the prisoner and go?" The bull has left out a lot of details in his hurry to get moving, but who can blame him?
"I..." Dupree stalls, scratching her leather cap with the blade of her stick. "Run that by me again, coach.
Lucasiel glances amongst the others before nodding at the bull. "Ahhh. So that's where we're taking them," she murmurs, mostly to herself. "Well, we shall certainly get them there. Just make sure you keep a full perimeter around them so that nobody gets close. I would like to take up the rear, so I can keep them in my line of sight at all times."
"Seems like we have enough men here. I'll just take the front, then." The lynx scratched at one of his large, tufted ears in a disinterested fashion. "Can I ask why he was in jail? Just so I know what I'm dealing with. Know thy enemy, know thyself..."
Angus crosses his arms as he notices the bulls frown, relaxing as soon as the situation is revealed. "You're dealing with a Kitsune? Well this is going to be intresting at least." His ears flick as he looks around to inspect the others, before speaking again. "I'll keep my distance away from the prisoner since it seems I'm the only fox here."
"I..." Dupree stalls, scratching her leather cap with the blade of her stick. "Run that by me again, coach." She frowns and furrows her brow...then sucks on her teeth for a minute. "No, wait, scratch that. This is all too complicated. Who do I hit?" she enthuses, 'hugging' the stick for a moment while she cracks her gloved knuckles for emphasis.
Serana frowns "He was in for some petty stuff, Robbery, some trickery. Scamming." He tilts his thumb to the bird "She tried to bust him out, thinking herself the good partner." he gives her a dark look "I honestly think we should break her legs, yeah we would have to carry her, but it would also make it harder for our feathery friend here to vanish with her partner, if her partner would ever decide to come back for her." the shark replies "He could just leave her to us, find himself a new kitsune to bed and enjoy."
"The first guy?" the Bull asks Yvls, then nods at Serana's explanation, "the shark there has the right of it. Con man and petty thief. Dunno why his lady friend was so fired up to get him out. Woulda just been a couple weeks of hard labor, then he'd be free. As it is, both of em are in big trouble for the jailbreak." He looks worried for a second. "Not to mention that it's damn eerie the way she can just change her face like that," he half whispers, "Scares me near to soilin' myself."
The sergeant waves to the tall okapi, who ducks into a low door. After a moment, he returns with a wheeled dolly, and a petite figure strapped to it. The crow woman is bound hand and foot and everywhere else as well! Her mouth is covered with a leather mask and a thick blindfold. Even with all that, she manages to look rather smug. "Just don't let anybody near the prisoner," the bull affirms as his men take up the nearest positions.
Lucasiel moves around to the back, to remain behind the prisoner and the rest of the group so that she may keep her eyes on anything that might happen. "They won't be escaping. With luck, maybe their friend will come to the rescue. Then we can catch them both. On your ready," she says, adjusting her helmet and making sure her sword is secure at her side.
"Ahh, they had a friend. And of course, a kitsune's powers are quite a thing to see. I almost wish the prisoner'd try an escape so I could keep the tricks learnt for future encounters...but perhaps the prisoner is too dangerous, given the escort." He slides his hand into a cloak to pull out his favorite small hand axe.
Angus did not like the look of that smug grin, before his gaze switches to the Lynx. "You may get more then you bargain for friend." With that said his hand twitches, and he rests it upon the guard of his Rapier, feeling that this will a unique escort.
Dupree gets up close in the face of the restrained Crow, looking her over close with a still slightly-bruised eye. "Hm. Tiny thing like you caused all that trouble?" She gives an equine snort of doubt, standing back up. "So...we're keeping this pest safe and looking for a Fox-fella who's not this one, eh?" she asks, a nod toward Angus to indicate that he's the "harmless" one.
Serana frowns "Should have just left her to bleed. Too much trouble." the shark growls glaring at the crow "You hear me, criminal? You're lucky guards have hearts." he humphs moving to the head of the pack "Shall we go? The quicker we get this pest off our hands the better."
The Bull sergeant nods to his men and the odd quartet starts to walk carefully down the evening streets with the Freeswords in a ring around them. After only a short walk, it becomes apparent that the group is heading toward Saints Square. The streets are not crowded, but at this time in the evening, they are far from abandoned. Beings are still going about late errands, many hurrying home from the market district and the academy. The Crow just sits there in her bonds as the okapi rolls her along. This might be an easy trip after all!
Lucasiel furrows her brow as the crowd on the streets rapidly begins to disperse, casting her eyes towards an alleyway off to the side. "Be on your guard," she says, dipping a hand under her cloak to pull her whip free, uncoiling its length. "There's something not right." She doesn't take her eyes off the prisoner, but she's certainly keeping that alley in sight.
Yvls is strolling casually along, not even seeming to think too much of the task given his smug swagger in his step.
Angus gives Lucasiel a quick nod in confirmantion, keeping in line with the rest of the group. His hand tightens on the grip of his rapier, his gaze switching to the alleyway for a few moments to see what happens.
Dupree is far too eager to take point and check people out of the way...but it's not long before there's nobody to shove. Something in the back of her mind sends of a little signal..."City streets aren't supposed to be this empty 'less there's something going on," she mumbles to the rest of the group, hoisting her L-shaped stick up to chest level and sending up a whirl of cool air around her, preparing for a fight.
There is a sudden flash of light and a loud BANG in the midst of the group, blinding everyone for a brief moment. When the blazing light fades, it takes a moment for everyone's eyes to adjust. By the time they do, the okapi wheeling the prisoner is gone! In his place is a grinning fox that at least some of the group will recognize as Miracle Manny, the con man!
Lucasiel
Lucasiel growls softly, bringing up a forearm to block what light the helmet didn't, and soon she's got her arm dropped and wrist turned, ready to lash at the drop of a hat as she sets her eyes on the con. "This has gone on long enough. Give up, or leave. I've got little patience for your games today."
Yvls hasn't been blinded by the light, having been in the front of the group. He turns around when he hears the bang though, and in his whirl both his sword and axe are both already whipped out and juggled into his hands. "Hmm? That isn't the prisoner..." He boggled, lowering his arms for a bit.
Angus averts his eyes as the light goes off, rubbing at them after to try and help clear his vision. He draws his Rapier, giving a bit of a huff as he moves into a combat ready stance. "There is no point of this, just lay down your arms." He states calmly as his eyes dart over the situation.
Fox? Check. Not Angus? Check. With those criteria fulfulled, it takes little time for Dupree to launch herself bodily at Manny, stick held parallel as she throws a cross-check at him, with a flap of her pegasus wings to give her a boost. The job of the enforcer wasn't to ask questions or negotiate or think it over, after all--it's to hit the man Coach told you to hit!
The grinning fox does not try to escape, but he does not surrender either. He just stands there, grinning until Dupree slams into him full force! He seems awful weighty for such a scrawny looking guy! The fox is thrown to the ground, leaving the bound crow to slip to the ground, where she wriggles ineffectually against the straps tying her to the dolly.
Lucasiel narrows her eyes, then moves to stand over the crow, one foot placed atop her to make sure she stays put. "Hold. That may not be him. Keep on your guard. It might be a decoy to throw us off. Don't take your eyes off of him, just in case, though."
"Hmm. One of the more well studied kitsune tricks involves playing with the senses...maybe mister Manny here is just the guard...with one partner fooling our eyes and another fooling our ears." Yvls offers, still keeping a careful eye on the situation.
Even as Lucasiel voices her warning, laughter bursts from all quarters of the empty street as a plethora of foxes in various outfits come bursting from alleyways and doors! There must be at least six of them, all identical aside from their outfits. Each of them makes some kind of rude gesture before dashing off!
The sergeant's two remaining men scramble after a fox each, calling out that they will catch the perp, even as the sergeant calls after them to stop. Looking back at the fallen fox reveals the poor okapi guard, seeing stars on the ground.
Angus flicks his ears as the trick is revealed and the foxes disperse in all directions. He whips his head around, waiting for the real attack to start as he moves closer to the crow while shouting at the sergeant's men. "It's just a ploy to distract us, none of them are the real kitsune!"
Dupree is already, quite literally, on her guard--she currently has the Okapi guard pinned beneath her stick. "Wait--wha--huh?" she asks dully. "Oh, damn! You looked like Manny for a--"
The Mare halts herself mid-sentence as a glut of foxes suddenly overrun the square. Even after she pauses and rubs her eyes with the heavy leather gloves, they still appear to all be Manny. "Either I've taken too many pucks to the head lately, or something awfully strange is going on. Oh! Er, sorry, man," Dupree adds as the Okapi seems to have recovered enough to give her an icy glare. "Lemme help," she mumbles, getting to her hooves and offering a hand to pull the poor Being up.
Lucasiel nods slowly, taking in the scene before snorting. "Fine then," she mumbles, coiling her whip back up and stashing it under her cloak. She draws her sword, instead, stepping fully over the crow and bringing her legs together to make sure nothing would be snatching it out from under her as the tip is lowered towards the avian's neck. "If you want to play games," she calls, bringing the edge of the blade dangerous close, "Then we're going to up the wagers. I'll give you a few seconds, you don't get to know how many, to come out and surrender. If you care about your companion at all, it would be wise to comply." She's confident in her poise and the weight of her armour to keep her standing, too. She doesn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
The scrambling Manny's suddenly vanish. "No!" comes a strangled cry as a disheveled looking fox staggers from a nearby alleyway, far from the other, illusionary foxes. "Please," he chokes, falling to his knees, "Please! Just don't hurt her!" The scruffy fox holds his empty hands out in front of himself in a gesture of surrender. "Don't. . . Don't hurt her!"
"It's more worth it if the cat hurts her, really." Yvls chimes in. Finding it necessary to share information around. "Both of you are getting jail time anyway. And she'll get three times as much as both of you put together for harming an innocent." The lynx puts his weapons aside as he watches the illusions chase the guards off, sensing something amiss and not dropping his weapons yet.
Angus lets out a soft sigh as he sheaths his rapier, scowling at how the situation had played out. "I am rather curious as to what in the name of the creators is going on here." He taps a foot against the ground, watching the fox to make sure they didn't pull anything.
Since nobody told her not to, Dupree is still in enforcer mode, and with a deft motion, she tosses her stick to the ground with a clatter and sheds her gloves. Wind at her back and wings beating, she charges the fox, grappling with him and reaching to pull his shirt up over his head, to blind him and give her the advantage.
The fox's eyes go wide when Yvls seems to be encouraging Lucasiel to hurt the crow. His disheveled red fur and the dark circles under his eyes seem to indicate that he has not seen much in the way of rest since the breakout the other day. "I-I-I'm sorry," he stammers, "I won-" he is interrupted as he is tackled by Dupree and tied up in his own shirt!
"Hold!" Lucasiel calls out towards Dupree. "He has surrendered. No more games. Come forward. Slowly." To her companions, she nods. "Keep an eye on him. No tricks. If you are earnest in your surrender, this will go a lot better for you. You put up a good chase, but this ends today. Just come along quietly. If you try anything funny, I can't promise she won't be harmed. If you do comply, she will not be touched."
Yvls watches earnestly. The other two have taken charge. And he is busy noting their personalities for future team assignments...
Angus eyes Lucasiel, waving his hand to dismiss the situation as he turns to Dupree. "Dupree, calm yourself will you? There is no need to start breaking bone when they have already given in." His ears flick a bit as he steps up beside Dupree to examine the fox better.
Dupree sneers at Lucasiel. "Who died and made you Coach?" Nonetheless, she abides by the feline's orders, dragging the bedraggled, shirt-wrapped fox back over to her and the rest of the escort gang. "You want 'im? Sure. Have him." With that, she unceremoniously releases her grip on the shirt, hip-checking him in their direction.
Her face contorts into a rather nasty scowl at Angus's comment, fake-blacked-teeth showing. "Calm? What, ya play for the other team or something? Coach put me out there to send a message. I send a message. I ain't here to play patty-cake!" she spits.
The battered prisoner looks rather the worse for wear. It looks like whatever he was doing to put on his little show here has taken more than just the fight out of him. With the illusory foxes gone, the officers are quickly making their way back. The bull sergeant stomps over and gives Dupree a slap on the back. "You did just fine pal!" he says enthusiastically, apparently not noting that Dupree is a woman under her gear, "We oughta get you for the inter-regiment lowball tournament! We could use a bruiser like you!"
Meanwhile, the fat wombat and tiny mouse guards are helping the pummeled fox over to where his partner is lying on the ground. The okapi is back on his feet, but it looks like his eye is already swelling.
"Sorry, partner," the fox says to the crow as the guards prop her back up, "Not much use without you to make the plans." The crow can't actually say anything, bound and gagged as she is, but there is a sort of sad mirth in her eyes.
"Good work, Freeswords!" the sergeant says, "Let's drop these two hoodlums off and we'll get you paid!"
Lucasiel pulls her sword back up and slides it back into its scabbard. She never intended to hurt the crow, but her bluff worked, it seemed. She hops off the transport and rolls her shoulders. "Thank you for not making this any harder than it had to be. You two really should have just given up the first time. You would've been in and out of prison faster than you knew, but... Well. This is a mess now."
"A mess only for him." Yvls corrects. "She'll be out of jail as originally planned given that she didn't exactly try to escape. Well, nothing you can prove anyway, given her current condition. And she'll wait the extra few months for his attempt, and they can go find another happy ending that really shouldn't involve cheating and thievery." He rattles off. How annoying!
Angus scowls for a moment, an idea forming even as he keeps his thoughts to himself. "Yes, lets just hope they don't try anything." He looks to the others once more, giving Dupree a curt nod as he steps away from the caught fugitives.
"Hah!" Dupree calls to the sergeant, returning the slap on the back with a stiff punch to the shoulder. "Can't say I'm familiar with that game, but if it means bustin' a few heads for the sake of sport, count me in!" she replies, giving a broad grin with her "missing" teeth. She also offers a smug look to the two teammates who doubted her ways. They could scoff all they want, but she was the one getting the commendation here!
The rest of the trek is uneventful. It seems that the fox managed to divert traffic around that lone street corner just long enough for his attempt to free his partner. After a few more minutes of walking, the strange party, including the newly acquired prisoner being frog marched along by the sergeant stop before a small, but pleasant looking home just off of Saints square. The mouse guard hurries up and knocks at the door which is summarily answered by a grizzled old fox in a formal guard uniform.
"Ah yes," he puffs, "We were expecting you." He looks over his shoulder. "They are here Sirus," he says, "And you were right about the partner. I suppose I owe you ten crown." Another fox, this one younger and sharply dressed all in black. He gives a knowing smile as he looks over the group.
"Very good," he says simply, "Mister Foxglove and I will take care of your prisoners from here. You are to be commended for your efforts." He nods to Angus, "Glad to see you out and about, cousin."
The sergeant snaps a smart salute. "Yes, Sir!" he shouts, then marches the fox through the door, the okapi following with the crow right behind. They emerge a moment later without their charges. "Good work again!" he says, "You can pick up your pay from the bursar at the barracks. Thanks for your assistance!"
