WHHH: A good plan, gone wrong.

[Nines]

It didn't take them long to enter town, Nines had an advantage in disguising himself as a normal citizen being a requip mage. Tori never actually wore the Magic Council’s actual uniform, and now that they didn't officially have one in the loyalists she was just as well off as him. The only thing that made the two look remotely suspicious was the fact she had a guild tattoo she had to make sure no one saw, and he had a bandage wrapped around his torso diagonally to cover his shoulder, and running down his arm covering all but his fingertips.

Nines pulled out the crumpled up notes he had written down to help him get to the detectives base. They were written in glyph, and unless you were him or knew him well enough to make sense of them, it was pretty much a jumbled mess. He grinned “Its actually pretty close to the main gate. Not to far away from here actually” he looked at Tori after saying that. “Happy to be out of camp?” he asked with a chuckle.

He felt it was important to ask, he didn't really get a chance to see her reaction to the new life in camp. He told her to head there herself and deliver a letter to someone who looked “Like they were running around with orders” it was a pretty vague request honestly. However the command structure of the loyalists was a mess, and under construction. Hence why he normally just did whatever the hell he pleased unless told otherwise.

He however prepared their wagon to make them look like traveling merchants, here to sell hunted game. That took quite some time, as he had to actually hunt game.

[Toril Tempest]

Toril’s morning had been rough. She’d stayed up too late reading her book, and had been groggy that morning. She remembered rubbing her eyes and scratching her belly as she laid in bed listening to Nines freak out at a bird. Fortunately, it had been long enough since then that she was fully awake, dressed in a set of blue jean shorts, and a white jacket with black highlights. Under the jacket was a black t-shirt with the words ‘Attitude’ on it. She didn’t really understand why that was a word a girl would want on her shirt, but it seemed like a halfway decent disguise comared to her semi-paladin attire. On her head was a ball cap that matched her jacket. Her hair easily covered the light blue Magic Council symbol on her neck, so unless someone went out of their way to move her long, thick hair, she should be fine.

Nines commented that their destination was not too far from where they were, before looking at her and asking if she was happy to be out of the camp. “Dear spirits I’m happy to be out of there,” she admitted with a nod that caused her long blonde hair to bounce a bit. Her brown eyes were relieved, yet serious. “I love everyone, I really do, but… gah it’s like a prison of its own. I like order to things, sir,” Toril adjusted the rings on her hands, walking contentedly beside him. Nines wasn’t the most organized man, but there was a certain organization in his unpredictability. He was supposed to be like that. The camp… not so much. “That said, I’m ready to play the part of helpful merchant's daughter, Dad,” she told him, getting into character a bit as they got close.

[Nines]

Nines chuckled he wasn’t going to tell her how he felt about that word. He started along the main road heading towards the detectives office, their wagon following along behind him. It was a small trip really, Nines stopped the wagon about a block away. “I can see the office entrance from here, I’m going to put the wagon here and set up shop.” He handed her the Detectives note. “Go in there and introduce us as who we really are. You're probably wondering why i'm saying be honest with her now, and the reason is because we need to know her reaction. Depending on that we can find out if she trusts us to help or not.” He turned and started messing with the wagon itself. “Lets see if I can remember how to make this look shop worthy.” He muttered reaching under and pulling one of the front two wheels off.

He continued to futz with the wagon, removing the other front wheel and letting it drop to the ground. That way it leaned forward but didn't roll. Presenting his finely hunted and carved game, and protecting it. He pulled two two by fours out and threw them up above his cart, sliding them into little slots in the side, and threw a cloth between them. The wagon was obviously designed to do this by nature. It now looked just as much a shop stall as any of the others, only less here to stay, and more mobile.

He grinned at the shop keeper next door. “My own personal touch, helps when you travel” he said to the man, who kinda chuckled.[/color]

[Toril Tempest]

Toril nodded to Nines as he told her to introduce herself as who she really was. She knew a couple of people had taken the job and were on their way, though originally word had said they were simple mercenaries, though only out of necessity. If word got out that a couple of Loyalists were traveling around Fiore, bad things could happen. She pushed the door open and saw a girl who was actually shorter than her standing at her desk. She was older than her though, and apparently some sort of private dectective. “Ma’am,” Toril greeted, a polite yet serious look on her face. She stood straight like the soldier she was. “I’m here about the contract we sent you the letter about.”

The woman took a puff of her cigarette she’d been smoking, and Toril suddenly realized that the room was thick with the smell. She had to resist coughing. “You look a little young to be a mercenary,kid.” She told Toril with a hard look. She obviously didn’t believe it. She appraised Toril’s posture for a second. “Who are you really? Some novice wizard? And where’s your partner, if you have one?”

Toril was already going to tell her the truth, and her greeting only reinforced the fact that she needed to. The letter had fallen apart rather quickly to the woman who gathered the truth for a living. Nines had told her as much might happen earlier. “Ma’am, I came here to tell you the truth. My name is Tempest. I’m a junior paladin of the Magic Council, and I recently lost my home and my position to traitors who hurt my friends and family. That part isn’t important right now, however. The truth is, we’re here to do what we can to help despite what anyone says, and if you’ll work with us, we’re more than happy to do what we can.” She spoke with confidence when she did speak. Toril was a quiet, intelligent girl, but between Nines and her training, she knew better than to be timid, even when she felt it.

“Dark guild,” Asuka put quotations around the words using her fingers. “Might be a little bit strong. But I have a client who’s brother who was ruffed up by a group of thugs. My client wants the gang roughed up enough that they clear out, if you get my meaning. I will give you this job if you want to take it. I thought you Council types were against vigilanties.”

“With respect, Ma’am,” Toril told her, remaining professional as possible as she often was when she was on duty, “My friend and I are vigilantes ourselves now, according to those in charge. Like I said, we’re just here to do what we can.”

“Then meet me across the street from this location.” She told Toril, not wasting any more words as she handed her the location on a sheet of paper. Toril only nodded as she took it before slipping outside.

“Dad!” she called out, slipping back into character as she saw Nines. “Miss Yamazaki left this for me to give to you.” She told him as she slipped him the piece of paper, standing in front of him closely like an adoring daughter might do around her father in a strange place.

[Nines]

“Oh neat, thanks dear” Nines replied with a smile, patting Tori on the head. Shops closed around eight Pm at night, as the air would become too cold for people who weren't traveling to remain outside. So he distracted himself with running the shop, and distract Tori with food, and errands, like scouting the area around their meeting location, and making a map of it. Sure she wouldn’t be able to make a map of the apparent headquarters that the Dark Guild used, but he didn't need one of those, he would work with it as it went.

The money they made from the shop Nines hid within the wagon itself. Which was easily converted back into a wagon, and had parked it inside the bank itself. If it was stolen, he was sure they would tell him.

Nines headed to the area to catch up with Tori who left before him. Most likely due to boredom, he was wearing his magic council armor, with the cloak down and around him, the hood up, to cover his hair and as much of him from onlookers. All they would see is a Magic Councilmen wearing white, and walking in what looked like a hurry.

He had business to deal with.
First part was meeting up with Tori and actually discussing the plan.

[Toril Tempest]

Toril had spent most of the day doing what Nines had asked, including eating some rather good food they'd packed. Toril was a lot younger than Nines, but she'd managed to eat most of the food compared to him, somehow. Maybe it was all the walking, she wasn't sure. She'd been a bit embarrassed to realize that after the fact, though thankfully Nines hadn’t made any jokes about it. She’d mapped out the area the best she could, though she wasn’t much of an artist and it looked kind of terrible.

That evening, it was getting cold, but Toril had her jacket on, and a hoodie on under it so that she would have a hood to put over her ears. Her hair was in a ponytail, which was stuck down the back of the hoodie, so that only her long, dark blond bangs stuck out. Her hands were in her pockets, and she shivered slightly due to being idle for the last half hour or so.

“Sir Nines,” she responded when he finally arrived, glad she didn’t have to call him dad now that they were done with the stall charade for now. “I drew up everything I saw as best I could. I’m not much of a professional though. So, what’s the plan?”

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