nysalogs | hangman is coming down from the gallows [closed]

[ The deflection is obvious and telling. If the young woman doesn't want to talk about her condition, that probably means that she was infected at the market. It's a good thing that 76 isn't that concerned about catching anything, or he might have cut off their conversation right then and there.

Not that he wants the questions to become about him, either. While he could let her assume that he's a dirty old man looking for a good time in the red light district, he knows that his current look doesn't really lend itself to that.

He shakes his head. ] Not exactly. I'm on the lookout for any of the people connected to the attack. [ It's the truth, plain and simple, but that's the point. Someone looking for a fugitive probably wouldn't expect them to be so forthcoming about their intentions. ]

[Nice try buddy.]

[Still, he's willing to let this guy go with just a cursory pat down and a look at his face, maybe a once over of the rooms on this floor. Maybe he really was just looking for a bathroom, but a guy's gotta make sure. Something else is nagging at him though, and Cayde narrows his eyes at this guy for a moment. It's that sense of familiarity he can't seem to shake.]

Don't I know you?

[She's sure he's already put two and two together by now, and her attempts at being covert have become awash. But...her deflection does seem to work, at least it veers into something she is willing to dig deeper into.

And is less about her sneaking around and changing colours unintentionally.]

You are? Are they known to come here?

[ And he'd been so close to being in the clear, too.

76 still makes an effort to salvage this, shaking his head and shrugging one shoulder under his cloak. ]

Must just have one of those faces. Or you've seen me hanging around downstairs.

[ That second part isn't untrue. This is where he'd first picked up the job that's gotten him into all this trouble, after all. ]

Yeah, I can't actually see your face.

[jack pls]

[Cayde puts his hands on his hips, leaning his upper body forward as if to try and get a better look at him, and then suddenly he's got it.]

I've never seen your face!

[GOT IT]

You're that guy-- sounds like he drinks a big glass of cement every morning. Wearing that mask. [He gestures up and down at Jack] You've usually got that jacket? Y'know, it says--

[wait]

Ohhhh.

! [ He's being shuttled out before he really understands what's happening, but that's — this guy...

Alarmed that he is, it's true, he also doesn't make any cry to draw attention to the man beyond his own initial startled outburst. Which was more a result of Allen, well.. reacting before he thinks. But at the veiled kind of threat and brusque brush off, like that's that and forget anything else anyone is saying.. ]

[ Something hardens in his expression at that. Even for one so young, and 76 will find his wrist grasped. Not ungently but firmly, as Allen will mean to pull his grasp from his arm and there is a strange amount of force he has behind

Especially because he also won't let go, either. ]

I'm sorry, but I can't do that.

[ It's polite, wintery so, but quite clipped as well. With a flash in his eyes of something much calmer and far more wary now. ]

Everything that they're saying happened — [ It's a careful, conflicted. A small storm of different emotions and as much uncertainty as certainty.

If he tries to pull his grasp from Allen's regardless of whether or not he succeeded in breaking his own arm free -- it doesn't matter. He clamps down now and won't let go with surprisingly inhuman tenacity. ]

Why...?

Hell no! [He doesn't have that much faith in humanity or any equivalent higher lifeforms.] And I ain't stupid enough to try neither. It's still bullshit. When I find that shady bastard, I'm gonna-

[He stops short as the next question hits him, and even mostly covered by the cloak, the tension is visible- a cloak can't hide the agitated swishing of his tail.] I was... pretty close to where that bomb went off.

Given that they were moving explosives through the city, I don't know where else they would have done their dealings.

[ That's the sort of thing that needs to be done on the down-low. Of course, he knows more than he's telling Allura, given that he'd also picked up the job from the Shady Man in one of the brothels here. Still, even without that knowledge, it's not a difficult connection to make.

Not that he needs to drag someone else into it. ]

If you're looking for a bar, I can point you in the right direction.

[ She should really be home in bed, but he isn't about to lecture her. ]

[ The sense of panic creeps up 76's ribcage toward his throat as he has to listen to Cayde have this revelation out loud in the middle of a semi-public hallway. It's true that they're the only two here, but who knows who else might be listening in? The walls here are thick for obvious reasons, but it's still enough to get under his skin.

As much as he wants to shove Cayde against the wall and tell him to keep his (glowing) mouth shut, that isn't going to help him keep his cover.

He's bristling, but his voice remains low and calm. ] You never saw me here. I'll leave. Deal?

[ He'd really wanted to ask around downstairs and see if anyone could tell him where to find the man who'd given him the carriage job, but it isn't worth getting the royal guard called on him. ]

[This is true; if the underbelly of Olympia could be pinpointed, it would be this District here. Why she hadn't started here first thing was...well, perhaps due to a sense of propriety, and also knowing one of her close companions already patrols this area.

She looks up at the stranger confused when he brings up the bar, already forgetting her cover.]

The bar...why would I--? [Ah. Right. She blushes, looking away, and though her mouth is covered by the surgical mask, she's frowning at herself.] I...was actually not looking for a bar.

In fact, it sounds like you and I are on a similar mission.

[ It's not that 76 had underestimated the kid, exactly, but he had figured that he might be able to intimidate him into silence. That doesn't seem to be the case at all, when his own forcefulness is returned in kind. As soon as the kid pulls 76's hand away, he allows it. He isn't actually looking to hurt him, and while he doesn't like the way that his wrist has been seized, he doesn't make any attempt to jerk back yet.

He can feel the strength in the kid's grip, pressing in against the bones of his wrist. Definitely not a regular teenager, then.

As much as 76 might not appreciate people demanding answers from him, he also realizes that they've only been told one side of the story. He's quiet for a few seconds, almost unnaturally so, before he exhales. ]

I was hired to apprehend the carriage, yeah. But I was told that it was Wyver spies bringing the weapons in. The idea was to make sure those weapons didn't fall into the wrong hands. Obviously we were given false information.

[ Ana and McCree are no more guilty than him, and the fact that all of them are going to be hunted for this pisses him off. But it just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished. Here he thought he'd already learned that lesson. ]

[ Even with a confirmation that Rocket's sick with something, 76 doesn't give much of a reaction. He's pretty sure if he was going to catch the virus, it would have happened by now. His SEP enhancements make him a lot more resilient in the face of infections, so he isn't worried. ]

You'd think that'd be proof enough that you weren't behind this. Who would purposefully infect themselves?

[ All the same, 76 doesn't blame Rocket for not going to the authorities to make his case.

He sighs and leans himself back against the wall. It's quiet out here, so they probably have at least a few more minutes to talk freely. ]

Any luck finding the guy who hired us? I'm guessing he fed you the same story about Wyver spies.

[ At least 76 has managed to get this woman to tell him the truth, though he isn't about to pay her the same kindness. She doesn't seem to have any clue who he is, at least, which isn't that surprising. They'd once had a brief conversation over text message, but beyond that had never spoken. ]

You probably shouldn't be trying to hunt down terrorists while you're sick.

[ Yes, she'd denied it, but it's not like 76 believed that for a second. He tilts his head at the stranger. She's the sort of person who decided to join the guard, so he probably shouldn't be surprised that she's out here against her better judgment. ]

Is this something personal, or are you just a good Samaritan?

Yeah, but I ain't riskin' it. [He doesn't need to confirm it, but he does anyway. Word might get back to Evras, and if it does, he's not sure he can fight back. He's too woozy to aim properly and not strong enough to fight back. Things might be going slower because of his augmentations, but he's small. It's going to hit him hard and fast once things get going.]

The really shit part of it is I never met the guy. Quill made the deal, not me- but yeah. That's what he told 'em. And something about payin' extra if he saw some heads.

[He snorts.] What a creep.

[ It's a testament to Jack's experience that he isn't in a complete state of panic after his escape. Running around making himself look guilty isn't going to help anything, though. He's still expecting the Olympian guards to be on his trail, so he's done whatever he can to cover his tracks. That isn't something easily done when you're in unfamiliar territory, but the good news is that the Olympians are out of their element here too.

Before anything else, he knows that he needs to find Ana. She'd chosen to accept the Olympians' terms, and he respects that decision, but it does mean that meeting up will be more difficult if she's been outfitted with a tracking device.

With no way to contact her, Jack has to instead rely on his own instincts. Where would Ana wait to meet him given the situation? He's pretty sure she'd find an out-of-the-way place, away from most of the action.

When he makes his way up to the Old City, he knows this will be the place. There's something cold and harsh about this part of Wyver. The people here are scraping by, and that's reason enough for most people to avoid this area.

Jack makes it to the market, weaving his way through the stalls as he keeps an eye out for a familiar figure. She'll be here somewhere, he'd bet on it. Not that he has a piece of silver to his name, right now. ]

[ Ana doesn't know exactly when Jack will make his break for it - it's safer that way, and more practical for both of them. Since her own release, she's been caught up in moving and avoiding further suspicion, so her ability to help has been limited to keeping herself and her tracker away from him.

She shouldn't be worried. Jack can handle himself against a handful of guards. Still, it's a relief when she finally finds him. She's scaled her way to a rooftop as usual, her gun balanced against her knee. She's been coming to the same place at the same time these last few days, knowing Jack would eventually make his way to her.

She follows him for a few blocks, until he's reached an empty street, then makes her way to the edge of the roof and whistles - high, then low. She's sure that he already knows he's being followed by then, it's just a matter of being certain that he knows it's her.

She drops from the lower part of the roof, right into his path. ] Hello there. What's a boy like you doing in a place like this?

Edited 2017-10-19 21:08 (UTC)

[ The Gilded Cage. It's an interesting name, and not one that 76 entirely appreciates, given that he'd escaped from an actual cage not too long ago. There's not all that many people in the hideout right now, but there's enough for him to be paranoid that someone's going to try and turn him in.

Then again, this is a place that isn't supposed to be found, or to exist at all. With any luck, it will also be treated like a neutral zone of sorts. Someone already got the reward for capturing him the first time. He doubts that the Olympians will want to pay for his head again, so that's reason enough for everyone to leave him alone.

There's a lot of people who want to speak with the man in charge, and so 76 has no option but to wait his turn. He stays out of the way as much as he can. Even though he's been able to move more freely here in Wyver so far, better safe than sorry.

He's got his visor on again, though, and it glows red in the dimness of the room. Everything about his body language says 'don't approach,' but that won't stop some people. ]

[ Truthfully speaking Crowley is unsure if he'll stay for the duration of the waiting time, let alone to get a question out of the man who supposedly knows of every in and out of this world. If only because there's truly no reason for him to rush, he's still got all the time in the world and even without immortality on his side the obvious questions would surely surface in due time.

So obviously his interest begins to waver, becoming detached from his initial intentions and instead searching for something else that might prove to be entertaining.

And that happens to take the form of 76—presenting an intimidating aura about him that demands distance, one that Crowley promptly ignores. ]

Oh? You're still kicking it? [ OBVIOUSLY. ] You truly got more lives than any cat I've come across.

[ They're strangers. It's obvious how inexperienced Ann is with speaking her mind — fighting for something in the civilian sense. She brings the boots as cover, but uses them as weapons. ]

A-And you didn't meet with the city guards? Someone that would take care of it?

[ She's so angry, mainly because she could still find herself lied to. They're practically strangers, but Ann is so desperate to find adults who aren't pieces of shit.

And she was beginning to think she found one. ]

What are you going to do, just hide until they stop looking for you? They want your head by now!

[ While 76 doesn't know this Quill person, he remembers the name being said as part of the announcement when the rest of them were thrown under the bus. He makes a mental note that Rocket and Quill are allied on some way. ]

I took the job on my end, but my partner still got dragged into it.

[ If Ana hadn't been involved, maybe 76 would have been able to accept his own fate. McCree had picked up the job separate from them, so he assumes he spoke to the same guy.

He bows his head and shakes it. ] 'Creep' doesn't even cover it. With all the people hunting him down, I'm guessing he's already fled the city, though.

With the amount of patsies he's got who can barely walk the street without gettin' accosted? Nah, this guy's probably arrogant as hell. Maybe he's not hanging out at his usual haunts, but I bet he's watchin' us all scurry around like rats. Once the focus shifts to him and not us, then he'll get out, but for now, we're the best entertainment in town.

I know the type. We've got a real short window, but we have one. [If he had framed one or two, maybe sure, but this dude had a shitton of people fingered for that thing. He has time to observe a little before he has to get his affairs in order.]

[ It's years of experience and ingrained instinct that make him aware the moment that there are eyes on him. That sensation of being watched is enough to make him uneasy, but he knows that it could be Ana, and that she would be good at staying out of sight until the right moment.

The whistle is all he needs to confirm that, and he immediately relaxes as he watches her jump down to meet him. It's not exactly a flashy entrance, but his mouth momentarily curls anyway. It's good to see her, after the chaos and confusion of the past few weeks. ]

Trying not to get re-arrested. You know, the usual.

[ Jack can't keep up the casual joking for very long, as he approaches Ana and leads her further into the alley. ]

We probably shouldn't meet up much until your tracker duty is over. [ He drags his hand through his hair, mussing it out of place. ] I gotta look into getting a new phone.

[ It was probably only a matter of time before 76 would run into a familiar face here, as he expected there were other refugees who were both curious and innovative enough to find their way here. He's not exactly thrilled that it happens to be Crowley.

He hasn't spoken to him since they first landed on El Nysa, but given that blood donations had been an accepted practice in Olympia, he can only assume the vampire had been able to stay well-fed and hadn't resorted to anything unsavory to get his fill.

76 crosses his arms and lets out a low breath when Crowley approaches. ]

They never actually called to execute us, you know.

[ Besides, he definitely doesn't go down easy, even if that had been the score. ]

They want us captured. They haven't said anything about executing us. Yet, anyway.

[ 76 wouldn't be surprised if that changes as the tension builds and the native Olympians become more and more panicked. If the sickness spreads, then that's going to make people desperate for some sort of justice. It would be easy to use them as scapegoats.

It's not like he can really expect a teenager to understand his reasoning, but he may as well try. He leans himself back against the wall and crosses his arms, watching Ann closely. ]

If I turn myself in, I doubt they're gonna believe me. They just want someone to blame, at this point. I would have left the city by now, but I want to track down the guy who gave us this job, same as everyone else.

[ He wants answers. He doesn't appreciate having the wool pulled over his eyes like this. ]

hangman is coming down from the gallows [closed]

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1/2 I'm sorry, irl drowned me for a while

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for ana

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for crowley

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