Looking for Lost Stolen Jewelry

Job Description:

Job Request:  Here

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Anastasia grumbled, having already accepted this job in the past.  No, the same morons from before didn't learn their lesson from the last time.  Oh, no sir they didn't!  However, unfortunately the base of operations has changed and the pawn shop is owned by a new owner.  Jobs like this is starting to become routine and quite laborious in it's repetition.  Ana felt more confident in her abilities this time than she did prior when she was using song magic.  She is to be met up with Nao and Ashelia this time; hopefully now with a group of friends that won't abandon her -- Thanks Axos.   Life had been a bit rough lately, having spent all of her money on George and the development of her new armors and weapons.  Speaking of, her teammates hadn't seen her new digs yet.  Anastasia waited by the same fountain in the center of town, once again.  She told her teammates to meet her there before they set off on their mission.  While standing by the fountain, she simply skims the horizon once again for the same nutjob from before.  She was most certain that the same runner was working for the new group.   With a quick sigh outward, she looked around, still waiting for her group to appear. WC:  215 / 2000 Short post is short.  Will pick up once we find the Street Urchin

Rolling

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

Job Description:

Job Request:  Here

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Finding nothing, Anastasia simply cleared her throat and kicked her feet while sitting on the fountain.  The last time she sat here, she waited for a while for Axos to come around.  It has been a while since she had seen her dear friends.  She wondered if they changed at all or if any of them did anything interesting during the time she went home to do research and development with her father, Ivan.  Certainly, her leaving was rather sudden and she didn't tell anyone about it until later on through letters; she'll have to apologize for that.   A little song was hummed by Anastasia to herself.  The song was one of her old spells that eventually lost it's magic due to her changing her focus onto manipulating pocket dimensions to properly use Requip.  While she missed her song magic a bit, she doesn't regret the change in tone her magic took.  Team Four Star, after all, needed an offensive presence.  They couldn't continue to rely on Tammy to join them -- she was, after all, a member of the Blue Pegasus.  While she still harbors quite a bit of resentment for them, she's quite over it now.  It's best to leave the past in the past sometimes; to let old dogs die.   Normally, she would have brought Sasha with her, but Sasha was suffering from a massive tooth ache.  This was also one of the reasons she took on a job.  She needed the funds for medical appointments to fix Sasha's teeth and get him back and ready for action in the next job.  But for now, he's hanging out in the Myrmidon and keeping it safe from any pesky critters or people that are far-too nosy for their own good. WC Total: 508 / 2000

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

Seemed like Nao was constantly going after thieves and miscreants who would dare decide to take jewellery  despite living in a world where people could just create rare and priceless  jewels… He didn’t understand why people were actually trying to take something that could be so easily reproduced by mages, and that they were probably not really worth all that much. But a heist is a heist…something about this job seemed really familiar… as if he had done it once before. Maybe he had done something similar, but it had been a long time since he had done it.

He had grown up since then,, despite not growing either vertically or in volume in his waist. But he had grown stronger in his magic, and he had grown smarter with his abilities. He had even gained a pet griffin, who could change its age when he wanted to, and he had unlocked new found abilities that would help him in the future.

Nao would sigh softly as he walked through the streets of this very familiar town… he was pretty sure he had been here before, but something seemed like de ja vu. Hargeon town was a place where he had done a job before, but what was it that was making him remember that he had done something similar before? Whatever it was was bothering him. But he would try and make a rendezvous with Ana just like he would with all missions recently.

The novice mage would walk through the town like he knew it off by heart. Of course he knew it off by heart, because with every path he could take he remembered. Every face, every detail, every neighbour and stranger would be recorded down in his eyes like some kind of security camera attached to a solid-state drive. He could recall things incredibly quickly, and every step would only help him further his memory of a location. This time it would be this town, and maybe next it would be the home of a famous person he just happened to assist? Or maybe it would be the magic council, or a palace of a king. Either way his eyes would remember everything that was ever mouthed… he just needed to learn to interpret the movement of the mouth into words. It might be a bit more difficult in foreign languages, but all he would have to do is just read a book on a language, and he would be able to remember every detail.

Nao arrived at a fountain in the town, and recognised the blonde haired figure sitting on it. Though she seemed a little different, less like a diva and more like… She had seen some shit really. He couldn’t quite give a reason why, but that was the thought that went through his mind.

He would give her his usual sheepish wave, as he walked over to her and sat on the fountain as well. He expected Ashe to arrive soon, but it seemed Ana was already looking for whatever they were looking for first.

”Not really such a bad place to be really, though I admit the last time I was here I remember there being a very expensive insurance pay out.” He remembered that a pony and their really weird companions smashed a building up, the last time he was here.

”Anyway maybe I should have a look around and see if I can find anyone who seems very suspicious,” and with that Nao activated his magical eyes. They changed from the dull brown they usually were, to a wonderful spectrum of colours that would change every so often. ”Now lets see…


Wc: 612/2000
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Status: Sparkly eyes @_@

The member 'Nao' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

"A pox." Ashe muttered irritably, quite literally cursing under her breath. "A pox on this city. It's almost as bad as Magnolia, except instead of irrepressibly cheerful people and parades you have loads of crowds and fish everywhere. Dead gods, so much fish. And the travelers aren't any better! You'd think people with some place to get to would want to actually get there instead of loitering about soaking up all that fish smell. If they wanted fish, all they had to do was go to the market."

Ashelia, you have been here before. You know this a nexus of both trade and travel, and experienced both firsthand as well. Why are you still yet surprised at every visit?

"I'm not surprised Vendrick, I'm-" Ashe clammed up as a couple rounded the corner of the back-alley street, shooting her a pair of suspicious glances before hurrying on past. She exhaled sharply as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I'm irritated, there's a difference. Just because I know this place is going to be a cesspool of fishy mobs doesn't mean I have to like it. Or even tolerate it, really. You're a king, you wouldn't understand. You're used to crowds. Plus you can't smell the fish."

Vendrick snorted. That aside, if you dislike the city so much, why are you here? There is little reward to be had for this job, and you are not so in need of funds that you need subject yourself to this.

The green-cloaked mage blushed slightly. "W-well, Ana was the one who suggested it, and it has been a while since we've seen each other, so I thought I'd make an exception just this once..."

The old king grinned. Oh, is that so? It is rare for you to show such passion for anything not related to ancient history! Is your affection for Anastasia so great that you would stomach the cities you hate so much merely for a chance to see her face?

Her blush deepened, prompting Ashe to backpedal furiously while looking for a way out of this line of questioning. "N-no, it's not like th-that! I m-mean, that isn't to s-say, a-ahm...Oh! Look there!" She spouted, pointing at a street urchin lurking in a shadowy corner of the alley. "Doesn't he fit the description Ana gave us?"

Vendrick let a very smug smile creep across his face. I am not sure, Ashelia, I confess I was not paying as much attention to Anastasia's words as you were. Perhaps you could remind me what she said? Word for word, perhaps?

"S-stuff it! You there! You're coming with me!" She shouted at the urchin. The boy immediately got spooked and made a break for it, but Ashe darted forward and knocked him over the head with her scabbard. The resistance knocked out of him, Ashe grabbed the grubby kid by the back of his shirt and dragged him along to the fountain Ana had mentioned as their meeting place.

"And not a peep out of you," she added, though it was difficult to say which of the two she was talking to.

Vendrick simply plastered what could only be referred to as a shit-eating grin on his face and said not a word.

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WC Total: 532/2000
Status: Flustered, Dragging around an urchin.

Running would be a tall order for the street urchin… more like tried to hobble away like he had only just recently recovered from a surgery on his legs. As he was dragged over to the rest of the group, Nao gave Ashe a small wave. It seemed like the boy had given up all resistance, until he started to notice Ana and Nao and tried to squirm out of the hold.

”Oh it’s this kid again? This is the contact we had to hunt down and find for the information huh? Looks like your legs are only just starting to recover from the breaks last time.” He narrowed his gaze, and studied the boy’s injuries before thinking to himself how he would try and get the information from the urchin.

”So you’re going to tell us where the jewels are, and you’re going to tell us now. Or I’m going to show you what real pain can be….” He frowned, as he stood a bit closer. The urchin gulped a little, but he didn’t seem to react too much to the threat. Looked like Nao’s bluffing and intimidate checks were terrible. It would seem he would have to step up measures.

This would be where Nao would begin to start using his magic, as he grabbed onto the urchin’s collar and gazed a horrific gaze deep into his soul. The urchin would see himself having his legs broken again, and again with ever rising hospital bills that would be impossible to pay with all the jewels in the world. He would see himself crawling with just his hands through sewers, and muck. The only solace in that the sweet release of death… only to find it never happen. Also all this happening just before his big break into the international Fiore football (soccer for all you ‘mericans) league.

The boy would wake up from the gaze in fear. Shaking in his boots, with cold sweat everywhere, and a warm patch of liquid down south (up to you to assume what). But he would just start crying, blubbering and pointing at the direction where the pawnshop from last time was. It seemed that it was the same pawnshop from the same job the last time they did it. The shame of this was that he figured they would probably be fighting the same guy all over again, and they would just use the same tactics.

”Looks like it was the same last place as last time. Same boss, same place, nothing new… Lets just this over with.” Nao just walked away from the urchin to let him compose himself, unless Ana or Ashe wanted to knock him out.

WC total: 1034/2000
HP: 100%
MP: 85%
Status: Pissed off.

If Ashe was to be honest with herself she was more than a little nervous to see Ana. It hadn't been that long since she'd left, just a few months, but the fact that she hadn't told anybody where she was going set Ashe on edge. It was a job however, and not a social call. That made things somewhat easier. They just had to track down the stolen jewelry and knock some sense into whoever stole it in the first place. Nice and simple.

Fortunately the street urchin seemed to understand Ashe meant business and didn't struggle much. At least, he didn't until Ashe turned a corner, revealing Ana and Nao waiting for her to show up. That got his attention, and he tried to squirm away only to come face to face with Nao's death stare. Ashe could only imagine what horrible sights Nao was forcing him to see. As for Ana...

Her much more energetic teammate bounded up and wrapped her in a tight hug, squeezing a surprised eep! out of the spirit mage. A blush spread across her cheeks as she noticed a familiar mischievous glint in Ana's eye. The last time she had seen that, well...Ashe mentally prepared herself for some form of perverted action upon her person. Surprisingly Ana seemed to restrain herself this time however, to Ashe's relief and somewhat less obvious disappointment. The job came first after all.

"Ah-ahem," she coughed, clearing her head of that line of thinking. "I do apologize for my lateness, I always have trouble with crowds. As for the boy, that was simply good fortune that I ran across him."

Nao continued on with his unorthodox interrogation, while Ana took the opportunity to scold the boy as well as hammer home her advice with a few kicks to the family jewels. Under that sort of attention it wasn't long before he let the direction of their target slip. Apparently it was the same pawnshop that Ana and Nao had been to before. After making another crack at Ashe's lateness, Ana admitted to having forgotten the exact location of the pawnshop.

"I can help with that." Ashe knelt down near the boy and murmured a command word, summoning a mass of black fog. Two sharp red eyes peered out from between her hands sizing up the urchin as she continued.

In a calm, steady voice she addressed the boy. "This is my friend, the Pursuer. As his name implies, he's very good at following people.  This time, he's going to follow you. Take us to the pawnshop, and don't even think about running. You won't get far with my friend following you." Ashe opened her hands and let the fog seep into and around the boy, the obvious fear on his face proof that the spirit had taken hold.

"Go on, we'll be right behind you." She stood, the spirit possession seeming to jolt the street urchin into action even more so than the threats had. With this the party would easily be able to find the pawnshop simply by following the Pursuer's black aura. Still, Ashe sighed a bit.

It would be nice if people weren't so immediately spooked by my spirits for once. At least it will be somewhat useful this time.

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WC Total: 1079/2000
Status: A little sad, Pursuer cast on the Street Urchin

ao watched Ana deliver a kick to the urchin’s family jewels, making Nao cringe inside so much, tbat his own family jewels would have shrivelled up to the point that he may have also been considered a dumpster girl. He would have shuddered for a moment, before returning to his usual unenthused state that he would stay in. His eyes would still betray his usual stature, with its flowing colours as if there was a sea inside his eyes, and that someone had decided to dump a load of paint in it. Or maybe they were like two miniature lava lamps, but instead of one singular colour, they would instead be changing colour.

Nao would make note of Ashe’s ability to be able to follow someone with her spirits. It seemed very handy to have a ghost that could b e used for recon, though he did feel bad that the spirits all ha one singular purpose for Ashe, and not that they really had much of a free will. Did that mean when Nao eventually passed on into the green dream, that he could just be called back and enslaved by another person with the spirit ruler magic?

And suddenly the street urchin ran off towards where the jewellery shop is. Nao would nod and take pursuit of the boy to make sure that they were going to the right place, and that the pawn broker didn’t have much time to hide the stolen goods.

A few minutes of running, and Nao would have caught up with the urchin, before busting in to see a familiar figure behind the counter. And that familiar figure seemed to have sort of remembered Nao. Maybe the rocks that fell on him from before caused some problems with his memory, but otherwise it seemed that he recognised that Nao was threat.

”Alright then. You know we’ve been here before so just tell us where you’ve got the stolen good, and we’ll make this easy for you, and whatever crappy henchmen you have in this shithole.” Trying to be intimidating, Nao? That’s cute…

WC: 1381/2000

The member 'Nao' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

Rolling second dice, because I didn't realise. My bad!

The member 'Nao' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

The member 'Anastasia Isayev' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

As predicted, following the urchin to the pawnshop location was easy. The Pursuer ensured that he never ran quite fast enough to outpace them, and the black aura allowed them to follow without fail even when he tried turning multiple corners in succession. That said, Ashe had a feeling that they could have made it there without the Pursuer's aid. Nao seemed to have a passing familiarity with the streets that would have allowed them to get there eventually after simply following the trail left by the frantic street urchin. It didn't matter though. She had done it mostly to ensure he was too busy running paranoid from the party to try and bait them into a trap or pull some other trickery.

"Well, necessary or not, we arrived without any hiccups didn't we?" She muttered under her breath as they arrived on site.

You should perhaps explain that to your friend later, Vendrick answered. It may have been my imagination, but he seemed a bit off-put by the display.

"Hmph. It's not like I hurt him or anything. I only spooked him a bit. Why would he be worried?"

I cannot say. Still, it would be best to make sure your teammates are at ease with your actions. Otherwise there could be problems down the road.

Ashe sighed. "You're right of course. I'll talk to him afterwards. For now..." Ana turned towards Ashe, having accepted a large cannon-like weapon from her canine companion, and filled her in on the plan. She was to enter with Nao and wait for a signal, after which she would need to get out of the way.

"So we're expecting hostilities then...alright."

She nodded her acceptance and entered the shop a step behind Nao as he finished talking, taking careful note of the surroundings. The pawnshop seemed like a typical specimen of its kind, run down but with little to distinguish it save the very burly man behind the counter and cluster of thugs around the room. Ignoring the main target for now, she let her eyes meet those of the urchin from earlier as he peeked out from behind some boxes stacked in the corner.

"You've done well. Return to me." She murmured, more for dramatic effect than anything else. At her gesture the Pursuer's black fog unspooled from the boy and snaked back to settle in her hand, essentially a reverse of earlier. Like before this was simply a display of power with no real bite. If possible she'd prefer to end this with minimum fuss, but based on Ana and Nao's actions that seemed like an unlikely outcome. In either case the intimidation factor would probably be welcome.

With that in mind Ashe slowly drew her blade from the sheath slung across her back, taking care that the katana's uncommonly sharp edge didn't accidentally slice through anything. Letting it come to rest on her shoulder, she took a step forward to stand behind and to Nao's left.

"You'd do well to listen to what he says. There's no need to make this complicated."

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WC Total: 1592/2000
Status: Serious Mode Activated, Bewitched Sword Drawn And Ready.