Zephyr Investigation Pt 2 - RPLOG
From Flexible Survival
Participants
Date
23/4/2017
Log
As a recap: Angus, Firecracker, and Otto are in a room with Ricardo, a mall rat who seems to be kicking back and taking it easy, cool as mall rats are wont to be. Arris, Zophah, and Ebreus are in a side room watching the proceedings via closed-circuit camera, likely unbeknownst to the rest of the team. Ricardo - who was being sought by Zephyr - has just made mention of the team looking for 'his girl', likely one of the mental mice, potentially one of the ones involved in the coordinated attack on Zephyr some time back. The team goal is to get Ricardo's help in finding the nesting ground of the mental mice, so that Zephyr can determine who coordinated the assault; it definitely wasn't the mice themselves. Standing orders are to gather intel about the location of the gathering point, preferably without jeopardizing relations with the mall rats, and report back for further instructions once said intel is confirmed. Astara and Fenris have already returned to Zephyr to report on progress so far, so the group of eight is down to six.
"You heard right." Otto replies as he nears the rat, his paws tucked into the pockets of his tunic. The rat was clearly looking to get right to the point, and this was good news for Otto. He was never one to mess around, and getting the intel as fast as possible would just be so great! "Or so I presume. We're after the lot that coordinated that attack on big Z a while back. Any information you can provide, we'll take right off your hands and be on our merry way." the canine flashes a charismatic smile, hoping for all the best. He felt a bit out of place among the rats, though he wasn't about to let that show.
Ebreus takes a few steps so that he has a better view of the screne. He seats himself. He looks over to Arris as she offers to pick up something from the snack bar, "I could use a soda. Root beer if it is available." he says. He removes the chicken and chese from his head and removes a piece from each to eat while he waits for the soda.
Zophah stands focused on the task at hand, knowing she isn't that good at negotiations. She watches and listens for any bit of infomation that would help, hoping the task would succeed quickly.
Arris hastily picks up a bottle of generic-brand root beer, a bottle of iced tea, and a bag of popcorn before following Rod into the room. From there, sie finds a chair in the CCTV room, curling hir fish tail onto hir lap and resting hir hands on hir fins politely. Seeing Rod following the last Agent into the room, sie leans into more of a slouch, crossing one leg over the other, passing Ebreus the root beer as sie watches the scene in the interrogation room.
Angus crosses his arms a bit, looking to Otto as he starts asking questions before he could, he quietly closes his mouth, and steps back a bit. Curious to see how Otto deals with the situation as his ears flick back and forth.
"You didn't say anything about taking off his hands before, Toey, but okay, I gotcha!" Firecracker stagewhispers to the coyote as she hovers beside his head, clearly loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear, before giving him a wink. She turns to the laid-back rat at the table and slowly flies over to him, speaking as she moves. "Alrighty, you heard my partner here," she says in a faux deep tone as she gets closer. "And I'd listen to him, see? Cause we're just tryin' to make everyone happy, right?" She gets right up in front of him before grabbing the collar of his shirt and shaking vigorously back and forth, "WHERE IS SHE?!"
Ricardo - Ricky, if you ask Rod - crosses his arms over his chest and smirks up at Otto. "C'mon, ese. You've gotta know it ain't that easy." He shakes his head and tells the trio. "Nah, man. See, Tina's a good girl. She's got a good heart, right? She's just mixed up in some shady shit. So if I'm gonna give you what you want, you gotta give me what I want first." When Firecracker grabs his shirt, and shakes him, his tail lashes behind him in agitation, and he tells her, "Hey, chica, hooves off the goods. One lady at a time." Peering at the others, he tells the group, "You gotta go get her for me, man. Get her away from that shit. When it all comes down, I want her safe in my arms, you got me?" Rod looks at the trio watching the show and notes, "Ricky's a good kid, remember. And he ain't wrong. I met Tina once. She's got, uh, a good heart. You gonna lend a brother a hand?"
Otto grabs Firecracker shortly after she starts shaking the rat, and tries to keep her off of 'the goods'. "Sorry bout that, Cracker here's a little volatile." the coyote snerks, then clasps his paws once the deal was offered. "We're not unreasonable, sir. I am a family man myself, so understand that I quite well understand your concerns. You can't get something for nothing, this is quite true, so unless the others have anything against your stated terms, you can consider the job as good as done." the coyote states confidently and looks back towards the others in the room.
Ebreus accepts the bottle of root beer with a, "Thank you." he tears off another peice of chicken and eats it before sipping the soda. "Want some chicken, or chese?" he asks as he watches the interrogation. He facepalms when Firecracker speaks and touches Ricardo. He raises his head from his palm as Rod defends Ricardo and Tina. "Rod, have you ever heard the phrase: 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'? Ricky and Tina might be good people but the group Tina is with has done some terrible things. Ideally they'll be back here totally fine once we catch the mice." he replies.
Zophah listens and watches, doing the exact same thing. This sounds simple enough. Pull someone out to keep them safe. There is nothing she wants add, so she just waits and keeps focus.
Arris opens the seal on the iced tea. "So we just gotta make sure Rick's girlfriend gets out of this alright, huh? Hope he tells us what she looks like soon enough." Sie gives Zophah a nudge. "Still got those paralytic poisons on you? We're gonna need them." Arris takes a swig of iced tea, glancing down at it and swirling the bottle, before quietly remarking to hirself: "Hm. Could use more lemon."
Angus raises a brow as firecracker tries to pull off the tough act, amused at something so small trying to act tough as he turns his attention back to Ricardo. "You'll need to give us a description. Something to go off of you know." He answers matter of fact as he waves a hand around as he speaks.
Firecracker releases Ricky's collar, holding her hooves up in suggestion of her innocence as Otto pulls her away. "Fine fine, alright, let's make a deal then!" she offers, dropping down to the table to pace back and forth on all fours with her deepened voice. "We'll get your girl, but we need some things from you to make that happen, right Gussy?" she indicates the other coyote in the room with a forehoof before going right back to pacing, accenting a few choice words with a stamp against the table as she walks. Her words come out like orders as she speaks in that gruff tone. "Right! So here's what's gunna happen. You're gunna tell us (*stamp!*) where we're goin'. You're gunna tell us (*stamp!*) what we're gunna find there. You're gunna tell us (*stamp!*) who we're lookin' for. You're gunna tell us (*stamp!*) what she looks like." She swivels in place, stamping a hoof on the table once again as her faces the rat more directly, now in the middle of the surface. "Aaaaaand most importantly!" she raises a hoof accusingly at the rat, "You're gunna tell us what you mean by 'When it all comes down'!" She goes back to pacing back and forth, as she gets back to her regular rhythm, "Cause I think you're not telling us everything! And you wouldn't want to lie to me, would you? Come clean and maybe, just MAAAAYBE, I won't have to call in those guys from the other room to rough ya up a bit! You think I'm bad? I brought over a twelve foot tall, three thousand pound cat just to deal with rats like you if they wouldn't cooperate!" She stops her pacing to look hard at the rat, "So what'll it be? Fess up or meet Big Bad Ebbie?"
Rod glances up at Ebreus and answers, "You gotta be real, man. When Z gets a hold of the mice, it's gonna be a damn war zone. No surprise he doesn't want his girl in the middle of that." A moment of thought passes, and Rod adds, "Tina's tough, but she ain't THAT tough. And she's gonna look like just another target to them, feel me?" Ricardo doesn't seem to have taken Firecracker too seriously either, more worried about his clothing than any violence. "Can't miss her, man. Just head up to the northeast in a while. Look for a mouse kickin' a bunch of cat ass. When you think you got her, just tell her, "Tiny Tina! Ricky says to come home, baby." This comes in a sweet singsong tone. "She'll know I sentcha. Oh, and don't get on her bad side, you got me? Girl's got a temper." Ricky rolls his eyes at the miniature pony and tells her, "Listen, chica. When Z finds out where the mice are - I ain't stupid, I know you're with 'em - what do you think's gonna happen, huh? They're gonna fuck 'em up real good. I want my girl safe. You don't wanna deal, it's cool, I'll get her out myself somehow." Firecracker is slowly but surely ruining the bargain!
This was the point at which Otto just covers his eyes with his right hand's thumb and index finger. "Oy vey..." he sighs quietly and listens attentively to what the rat was saying, hopeful that all was well in the end. "No no. No need for that." Otto suddenly waves his hands defensively, grabs Firecracker by the tail and pulls her up and off of the table. "My friend here is just reeeeeeally enthusiastic about our job is all." he snerks and bounces the pony a few times by her tail "A little TOO enthusiastic some might say." he adds before releasing her. "Rest assured, Zephyr Inc. has every intention to keep the good relations with the Mall Rats, and as such we are EXPECTED to show a LITTLE RESPECT." he glances over to Firecracker, before returning his gaze to Rickardo. "We'll relay the message and bring her back safely. That's a gentleman's promise and a work contract if you wish it to be, so long as we get what we want upon our return. As for what Zephyr does once the perpetrators are uncovered, well I can' really make any promises there. The most we can do is ensure the one you care for is returned to you." That said, the canine adjusts his cuffs and looks towards the others "Unless anyone else has any more questions?"
Ebreus looks to Rod and nods slowly as Ricky speaks during the interrogation. "I understand. There'd be hell to pay if harm came to my mate." he says. "I'm sure you can be real too, you said she's tough. Is there anything we should know about her Ricky ain't likely to say?" he adds.
Zophah shakes her head at Firecracker's antics. This was no time for playing. But at least she has a phrase to tell Tina so everyone doesn't get into trouble. Should be easy, if no one messes it up. Still nothing to add.
Arris rubs hir snout and face as Firecracker begins to give the rat some choice words, taking another swig of iced tea. "Which one of us agreed to let Firecracker do the negotiating again?" Sie stands up, putting down hir bottle and making for the exit. "I'll go remove her from the interrogation room." The gator exits the security room, speedwalking back to the interrogation room and poking hir head in. "Oi, Firecracker. Rod tells me they're hosting a free pie-eating contest down over in the lobby. Go show 'em who's boss."
Angus shrugs his shoulders as Otto looks at him. "I don't work for Zeyphr, so." He answers, leaving it at that as he watches the pony get bounced, shaking his head at her before hooking a thumb at them. "ALso don't stick me in with this lot man, They don't make straight jackets small enough for them."
Firecracker is quite easily lifted and bounced by the tail, hanging upside down in Otto's grasp as her wettened heat is made quite apparent now that her large, poofy tail isn't covering it up. Even as she is bounced, she continues to stare hard at the rat, and even still more after she is placed back on the table. When Arris comes in, her ear flicks towards the gator and she starts to slowly walk the length of the table, still watching the rat with her slitted amber eyes. "You're lucky I'm needed somewhere else, Pally!" she says gruffly to the rat as she moves, leaving a wet little trail of drippings behind her before she hops down to the floor. "You finish up here, Toey," she calls over to the standing coyote without taking her eyes off Ricky as she walks backwards towards the exit. "I'll be watching you," she threatens the rat, lifting a forehoof to point at her eyes before training it on suspect, still walking out on three legs. "But for now, I have some pies to eat... No one eats pies like Firecracker!" she finishes as she makes her exit, slowly sliding out of view in the doorway.
Ricky looks up to Otto and Angus, choosing to completely ignore Firecracker for the time being. "Arright, man. We got a deal." Fistbump, hand-clasp, palm-tickle, pound it out - how many 'shakes' can Otto get right? He'd better know at least six different ones. Regardless, Ricardo returns to taking it easy, giving the team a chance to do their jobs. "Hey, do a brother a solid and keep that thing on a leash, man." he mentions, pointing at Firecracker. "She's loco, in the not-cool way." CONDEMNED. Declared definitively not-cool by a Mall Rat. Ouch. For his part, Rod looks up at Ebreus and shrugs. "Mostly just what Ricky said, man. Don't fuck up, don't get on her bad side, watch for a mouse kickin' ass. Oh, and don't surprise her. Kinda got a hair trigger. We cool?"
Otto does indeed fist-bump Ricardio, nods and simply says "Dope." turning tail, he waves at the others to follow and heads out of the room. They were to head to the upper levels and move northeast until they bumped right into Tiny Tina. Hopefully she would be as easy to find as Ricardo made her out to be...
Ebreus nods, "Don't sneak up on Tina, noted. Yeah, we're cool." he says. He rises to his paws and walks out of the room adding, "Thanks for helpin' Rod." He heads toward the room Ricky was lounging in, intending to meet up with Otto's half of the group partway between the two rooms.
Zophah makes her way out the door, intending to 'get the show on the road' as it were. She's starting to get bored with nothing to contribute, which is just making her heat all the more apparent to her.
On hir way out, Arris drops by the back of the Pizza Jam, looking around briefly before picking up a packaged apple pie. Sie unpackages it before putting it down on a paper plate, before taking it and another bottle of iced tea out with hir. Joining up with Otto's group, sie opens the new bottle of iced tea and begins drinking.
Angus shrugs his shoulders as Firecracker is labled uncool, not really his problem as he turns around and starts heading for the door. "We'll find your girl, and I'll send her home with a bottle of whiskey for the both of you." He calls out over his shoulder before opening the door and heading back out to the main part of the mall, waiting for the rest of the group before heading out.
"Okay! Where's the pie eating?!" Firecracker asks Arris quickly, dropping the tough-guy interrogation act as soon as she is out of the room. Her wings spring to full extension at her sides and she gets right to rubbing her juicy thighs together with every step as she seeks relief from her rapidly-progressing heat. "And does anyone wanna eat my pie too?!" she calls out as she wiggles and wobbles after the others towards their next destination.
No member of the team is prevented from reconvening, the group given free reign over the mall...well, as free as any Zephyr agent gets, anyway. Even now, the other rats are too cool and disinterested to take much notice, swapping idle chatter with one another and taking it easy. A few simple supplies aren't enough to make a big deal over, though there is a subtle suggestion that Arris is being watched; there might be a fee if too much more is grabbed. The sun is still relatively high in the sky, but it looks like afternoon hours are setting in. (Thank goodness somebody installed a skylight in the mall before the nanite apocalypse.) Assuming that the group heads out, it's a bit of a trek to northeastern Fairhaven, giving the six some time to discuss strategy, opinions, theories...or just mess around.
No messing around for Otto. The moment the entire party gathers up, he relays the instructions he'd received and gestures for them to head out towards their destination. Once everyone gets moving, he goes on about what they can expect. "Ricky says his girl is quite the fiery one. Volatile, combat-savvy, likely won't look to kindly upon a pack of strangers out to drag her off somewhere. Not sure what we can really expect over there, he didn't spill about that, despite Fire's best efforts to squeeze info out of him about it. I doubt it's a set-up. The rats wouldn't risk pissing Zephyr off, eh?" he looks around, glance wandering between the various members of his team "Even so, keep your guard up, and if you see her, try try TRY not to provoke the girl, alright? We were given orders to maintain good relations with the mall rats on behalf of big Z and pissing off Tiny Tina sounds like a one way road to disaster. Still, weapons at the ready." It went without saying that all of Otto's arsenal had been long since primed and ready for action.
Ebrues smiles and says, "That whent well." once he meets up with Otto again and they make their way northeast. As they walk he says, "We're dealing with telepathic terrorists and the Mall Rats right? They might try to engineer a falling out between the two factions." After a minute or so of walking he comments, "'Tiny Tina.' Anyone know if the Mall Rats consider irony cool?"
Zophah makes no outward efforts, just moving along with everyone else. Her large fennec ears swivel to pick up the sounds of the city, an unconsious action born from necesity. At least it provides a good distration from her heat.
Arris glances over to Firecracker as they leave the mall. "They ran out of pies. I won the pie eating contest. I ate almost all of the pies. Except one." Sie holds up the pie plate over hir head, almost begging to be taken by the small winged pony.
As the group begins to make their northeast, Arris lets out a quiet yawn. "Got it, Otto. Uh, also, Ricky said that Tiny Tina would be over in the northeast, 'kicking cat ass' or something, right? Let's hope that doesn't mean she just beats up the Cat Town residents." A brief pause. The gator leans towards Zophah. "Hey, you alright, Zophah? You've barely said a word since we got to the mall."
Angus starts to whistle a little merry tune as they head out, unzipping the duffle bag hanging off a shoulder to draw out a well made Thompson submachine gun. Lifting the barrel to the air as he whistles he pulls out a drum magazine, slotting it in with a click before grabbing the bolt and drawing it back, his finger on the trigger guard. "I'm glad I don't work for Zeyphr honestly." He states once more, lowering the gun with the barrel pointed at the ground. "Because in all honesty someone is definitly trying to screw with their relationship with the Mall rats."
"W-wait up!" A voice calls from the distance behind them all, a generously proportioned foxtaur galloping up with surprising speed... well, Astara's made her way back, it seems. With all the extra bulk she carries, slowing down isn't the easiest thing for her to pull off -- the jiggling taur has to trot past them and circle back around, out of breath. "Sorry about that, had to... take care of a thing." Her face is blushed.
