Tanuki Tricks and Noodles - RPLOG
Participants
Date
23/6/2014
Log
Even as the evening approaches, the sun beats down on the pavement of the city. That's probably -why- the canopy was erected in the first place. Sitting behind the stand and dishing up a few bowls of noodles for anyone arriving to answer the call was a female tanuki dressed in a simple brown robe. Aside from her, the street was vacant, not a feral in sight on this particular stretch of road.
Fenris saunters happily up to the little canopy, bowing before plopping his plush butt down on a seat and accepting a bowl of noodles. "You are the one who called for help, Miss?" he says to the pretty Tanuki working the stand. He felt so much more open and helpful since embracing the Tanuki way of life. And had an unquenchable hunger for Asian food, but that might have just been the new addition of his round tummy.
Morten wanders up through the street, quickly running up as she notices the scent of food~ she walks up and waves "Howd-...Fenris?" she blinks, blushing a little under her fur "Well-... hello again, your not the one who called right?" she asks before turning to look at the Tanuki woman "Oh hello!" she smiles, waving a paw.
Technetium approaches the stand, a small positioning unit in hand. About 2 meters away from the stand she turns off the unit, and sticks it in one of her back pockets. She takes a seat, but doesn't eat any of the noodles yet. She gives a slight nod to both Morten and Fenris, although the nod seems to betray a corrosive motive behind it. "Hello, madam. You had called?" She asks politely, unfocusing at times to interpret notes from her comm unit.
Eager to remove himself from the torrent of solar rays, a silver lion strolls down the street with a slight hint of haste. Nothing like a heavy mane in California heat, and the black tuxedo around his body doesn't help either. Eventually, he makes his way towards the other group members and dips into a deep and formal bow. "Greetings, ladies and gentleman," he claims in full and proud baritone. "I do hope everyone is well in the tail end of the afternoon. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dio and I have come to answer your call."
A long howl is heard before a jackal shows up on all fours, it slowly get up on his bipedal form, looking around for those who arrived before him, the jackal is wearing only a old looking egyptian skirt, and an ankh necklacd "So... This is the place? Huh... I did expected something worse than this..." he says before adjusting his clothes
"Oh? I there are thee of you... I wasnt hoping to have more than one tanuki here... Anyway, who was the 'nuki who called for help?" he takes a seat, looking over the three raccoon like creatures, and slowly over the others two residents, his eyes locks upon the feline mutant. How could such a /person/ wear a touchedo in days like those? It would simply get all damaged and dirty.
The tanuki woman claps her hands together as she looks over all the arrivals. Other tanukis, to boot! This was likely to be interesting. "Ah, good! I am delighted to see so many people respond in a timely fashion. Yes, I am the one that was asking for help. Please, feel free to help yourself to a light snack while I explain." She takes a step back and sets out a counted number of waterbottles to go with the meal before speaking again. "When I arrived, some uncouth individual took something important from me. A box. More specifically, what the box contains. I am not familiar with the layout of this city, or its inhabitants. That is why I come to you! Or rather, asked you to come to me. I would like my box back. I can give you little assistance, save for telling you the direction he went in."
Fenris smiles at Morton, sensing his. . . well, not his lover, because they weren't really that. They were all but strangers, really. But they were certainly bound in a way deeper than the ne tanuki could fully understand. He could feel Morton's embarassment though, and he reaches out to squeeze the other tanuki's hand for just a moment before turning his attention to his bowl of noodles. "What sort of mutant stole your box Ma'am?" he asks around mouthfuls of noodles as he shovels them into his mouth with a set of chopsticks he has produced from somewhere. He gives a friendly wave to Dio, recognizing the dapper lion from previous missions.
Morten nods to Fenris, smiling shyly as he squeezes her hand, she smirks but stays quiet, moving to the noodles and happily taking a share as she tucks into it happily, ears perked as she explains what she needs and the others arrive and talk, looking at them before tucking into the free noodles provided.
Technetium gets out a small, spiral bound notebook, while also procuring a pair of wooden chopsticks, planting them inside of the noodles. She flicks the top open on the notebook and pulls out a pencil, preparing to write/sketch. "Please decscribe the box in as much detail as you possibly can. Knowing what the box looks like will help us find it. Alot." She says.
"Fear not," Dio claims with bolstering pride as he reaches out to grab a precious container of glorious hydration. "I shall pay you back for this lovely gift; a respite and salvation from the hot and unforgiving California sun. We shall catch this dastardly ne'er-do-well before you know it and retrieve your precious property." Twisting open the top, he brings the opening to his mouth and takes a giant sip or two before wiping his muzzle off.
"Ahh. I needed that. Now then, yes. The investigation. Please divulge what information you have so that we may preform our duty swiftly. Each moment lost is potential for our foes to hide themselves further." Noticing Fenris' wave, the lion dips his head and returns the gesture before getting back to business.
Mackenzie raises an eyebrow to the tanuki lady "A box you say? Sorry if I'm being a bit invasive, but, what exactly that box of yours keep in it insides?" he politely thanks for the water, opening and right after giving it a small sip "It ia not that I'm curious to know what it is, but, we need to know if we will need to be careful, thought. We dont want to damage it content." he says with a kind smile.
Looking over the group, she turns a pensive eye to Mackenzie. "It's nothing fragile, so you needn't worry about harming it. Unless you try to trash it, anyway. Rattling it is fine. But don't open it. If you open it, terrible, terrible things might happen!" Quite ominous! And vague. "It's a long box. With a handle on it. More of a case than a box. Black, and sturdy. Kind of slender, too. I have a feeling you'll know it when you see it." She turns next to Dio and Fenris. "It was a large fox. Male, by the looks of things. They took off down the street and to the left. I chased after them, but they had ducked into one of the buildings. I didn't manage to see which one, but I would imagine it was one of the larger ones. Easier to hide in."
Fenris stands, adjusting his newly acquired bamboo hat. "We're on it then!" he says happily. He has done everything happily for the last couple of days. Somehow, in the short interval since he sat down, the round tanuki has polished off FOUR bowls of noodles! He waves and starts walking jauntily down the street in the direction the woman pointed.
Morten shakes her head, "You know, while they go off and look for your chest, perhaps i'll stay behind and keep you company... incase those crooks return eh? can never be too sure about the bad sort" she nods, finishing her meal and quickly collecting another "So i'll help hold down the fort, you lads n lasses march on!" she smirks, waving them off before leaning back and happily relaxing.
Technetium sighs, flips the notepad cover closed, and takes a bite of the noodles. "Is there anything else you can add? Any clues as to why this box is so valuable to other people? Any signal to the intelligence of the fox?" She asks in a rapid fire fashion, trying to extract as much information as she can without interrogation. "By the way, nice cooking on the noodles."
While the client continues on, Dio drinks down the rest of the bottles contents with a relieved sigh. He settles it back down on the counter-top, smiles, and nods his muzzle. "I understand, though it sounds like you wish for us to reclaim Pandora's Box with a warning like that," he says with a jolly chuckle. "When the job is done, perhaps I shall partake in these noodles as a form of payment. But for now, let us depart before the sun falls too far." With one last wave, the lion departs along with Fenris to begin the investigation.
Mackenzie nods to the tanuki "I see... I would rather ask what could be of so /terrible/ about that, but I'll just retrive your box" he gives a small wink to the tanuki and turns his gaze to Technetium "So, 'nnec are you comming along? If we stay here any longer they will claim all those noddle before us" the jackal chuckles and gently pats the fennec's back "So? I dont think they will wait for us." he get up and gesture to Technetium to follow him before he starts follow the lion and the other tanuki.
The tanuki woman gestures after Fenris and Dio. "Yes, you'd best get going! There's not a whole lot more I could say. But they were intelligent, yes!" A wave is given as she calls after the lion. "The noodles will be here!" Morten gets a quiet nod as she settles back to wait.
Around the corner, the street in question that had been mentioned was fairly lonely, the occasional feral glancing out from an alley before moving on, not wanting to tangle with a full group. Most of the buildings are in varying states of decay, and only two of them particularly stand out. One being an office building on the left side of the road, and what looks like an old fitness center on the right.
Fenris looks back and forth between the two buildings, his ever present smile never wavering. He does not seem too concerned about ferals. "Well," he says, "Let's let chance decide!" He unslings his spear and sets it on end, waiting to see which way it falls to decide which building to explore.
Technetium mutters to herself
Technetium mutters to herself "Intelligent, huh?" Seemingly subconciously, she pulls out a laser pistol from her internal coat pocket and flicks the charge switch. "Ultimately, we will end up exloring both, you know? Murphy's law dictates that our first choice will ultimately be incorrect." she notes to the rest of the party.
"I do not understand this "law"," Dio responds to Tech while looking at the buildings in question. "There's nothing stopping Lady Luck from shining on us and letting our first choice be the correct one. Regardless, let us simply investigate the fitness center first. If anything, I could use some equipment to take back home."
Mackenzie shrugs "Nothing to worry about, after all, there is nothing that a group of four cant handle, and lets be honest, a lion isnt exactly the less intimidating ever... Right? So, the fitness center? All right." he says taking a small, but yet, odd knife from a quiver that was hiden by his skirt. "Who volunteers to take the first step inside?" he asks.
The spear and voices have largely decided! The fitness center would be first. Whoever approached it first would likely find that the door was unlocked, and the glass front showed nothing immediately dangerous within. Of course, the building was dark, as was to be expected. And without air conditioning of any kind, the air was kind of musty and muggy, but at least it wasn't in the sun any longer.
Fenris retrieves his spear, glad to see that chance and the voices of his companions were in alignment. The pudgy tanuki doesn't bother waiting for a plan, but saunters directly through the open doors of the fitness center with his spear in hand. He glances around the abandoned equipment with a contented smile and walks ahead, making way for the others.
Technetium sighs and shakes her head. "Sorry, just being a bit pessimistic. Let's move, stay quiet though." She moves to the frame of the door, holding her laser pistol downward. She moves in the door quickly, doing a quick sweep of the area with the laser pistol. "I don't like this. Too dark, too quiet. Check behind you, and stay vigilant."
Before venturing into the unknown, Dio reaches back and unstraps the riot shield hanging there and brings it to his front. "Hopefully any ferals in there haven't been training, eh," he jokes with a soft chukle before making his way inside and peering about the room. "Let us investigate the area and find some clues. Do remember that our foes of the hour have been deemed intelligent and could've created some traps for us to stumble into." Ears twitching and nose sniffing, the lion peers about and attempts to find any sort of clue that could assist the investigation.
Mackenzie wasnt paying too much attention on the fact that they could be walking into right feral's den. It could be due the fact that they are together in a group, or maybe because the jackal knew that he simply couldnt be killed so easy. "Hhmm... Well, the building reminds me of the museum... Dark, quiet, and empyt." as he steps in right after the three, his eyes get a shinning bright, that was there all the time, but just noticed now in the deep dark.
How dumb, the jackal didnt waited for the group, venturing himself deep into the building, it was easy to spot him, he was almost like a glowing dot in the darkness that fills the place.
From off somewhere behind the group, a tall tigress comes rushing towards them. She's wearing what looks like Zephyr-issue body armor, with a flamethrower slung over her back. "Hey, Techie, sorry I'm late. I was kinda... asleep when you texted me." She looks around at the group, or a least those that haven't already stepped inside, and gives them a smile. "So uh, what's going on here?"
The group's caution pays off. Or seems to, at least. The exercise equipment is largely left untouched. Things like that aren't always the easiest to move around and run off with, nor are they the most important thing to be looting when the world has gone to the dogs. In some cases quite literally. There's not a trap in sight, in the main room of the gym, though Mackenzie, in their valiant march, ends up stepping on something that gives a faint click as its pressed down.
Fortunately it's not a trap, but a weighted disc that had been laying on the ground. Two doors line the walls, one of them shut and marked as leading to the supply closet, while the other is an archway leading towards the locker rooms.
Technetium sighs, investigating their options. "Which way? We could always go to the supply closet then turn around. The closet's bound to contain useful chemicals, or even hidden boxes.." She says, ripping open a small pack of pine nuts to snack on.
Dio sniffles in the air investigates the area. He walks around, attempting to find any clue he can until he stops and draws a temporary conclusion. "Someone has certainly been here recently. I can smell it. However, I don't think there are any ferals present at the moment despite it being a nice place for a nest, but you never know. However, this contradiction is curious. Abandoned, yet the scent lingers. I wonder if we can follow it?"
Grace looks from Techie to Dio, who appear to be investigating the room. And that jackal guy, and a Tanuki that smells a lot like Fenris. She assumes he is Fenris. She walks up behind Techie, and taps her shoulder. "Hello? You here me, Techie?"
