hangman is coming down from the gallows [closed]

[personalwar]

Who: Soldier: 76 (personalwar) & others
What: Catch-all log for October event! 76 is a fugitive, but that isn't going to stop him from digging for information. Part 2, escape and Wyver exploration!
When: October
Where: All around the dark shady parts of town, primarily in the Red Light District. Part 2, all over Wyver territory!
Warning(s): People may be trying to bring him in, so expect possible violence, language, etc!

[ This is a closed catch-all for me to put starters for any plotted threads. My plotting comment is here if you would like to do something! ]

Comments

for ann

[personalwar]

[ On the run, again. First he had to bury Jack Morrison, now he has to do the same with Soldier: 76. Maybe having a name at all had been a mistake. This is why he hadn't wanted to tell those from home about who he was; here he goes, disappointing them again. Ana and McCree have been dragged into it with him, but all of it goes back to that job he'd accepted. He'd been the one to speak with the Shady Man, not Ana.

Not that anything can be done about it now. Jack doubts that anyone would believe their side of the story, even if they were to come clean with it. Maybe fellow refugees (some of them, at least) would be sympathetic, but it's the Olympian empire that would ultimately decide their fate, and he has no reason to believe they'll be merciful.

So he has to go dark again. First thing's first is changing his appearance. It's ironic that showing his face is actually what will make him harder to find, but he's seen the wanted posters, and all of them depict his visor. His clothing is the next most recognizable thing about him, so those have to go next.

He finds his way into a clothing store on the outskirts of the market district, not too close to where the bomb went off. It's a quiet place, tucked into some side street, and the person behind the counter doesn't give him any strange looks when he walks in. So far, so good.

He scans the offerings and grabs for a black cloak with a hood, turning it over in his hands. This should help him to blend in while also allowing him to hide his face...

When he hears the door open and someone else walk in, he purposefully doesn't look. No need to draw attention to himself. ]

[burglarize]

[ Fate was kind to them. If it was any other person, 76 may have had to make a run for his life. Ann wasn't so personally involved in this besides the urge to protect the civilians and her friends.

76 was far from a friend, but he was helpful. Kind even. She knew he was no-nonsense but the sudden influx of him being involved in the tragedy going on? ...It seemed likely — he was skilled in finishing an objective, after all. Fearless in her eyes.

So, when she spots him, she keeps her distance. The anger and bitterness boils over, confused by the maskless features. He's really old and if it wasn't for the way his white hair thins and sprouts — she wouldn't have recognized him.

He's settled and she enters quietly, looking at a brilliant festival dress and instead speaking to no one — lucky for them, their merchant seems to be busy in the back. ]

... I'm not going to turn you in. Not yet.

[ She doesn't sound like herself. ]

There's changing stalls in the back. Go there or I'll scream.

[ ???? ]

[personalwar]

[ It's only after Ann speaks up that 76 turns his head, just enough to catch a glimpse of her in his peripheral vision. Shit. She recognized him immediately, and the moment that he opens his mouth her suspicions will only be confirmed. He's got a pretty distinct voice.

She hasn't alerted the shopkeeper, she hasn't screamed (yet), and if he takes her at her word, she isn't going to rat him out. But chances are that she wants some kind of explanation. Not that this is necessarily the best place for it.

There's not much space to argue, though. A teenager screaming that they've found a criminal will draw immediate attention, so he can't risk that. If he plays his cards right maybe he can talk his way out of this.

So he nods, just slightly, and disappears with the cloak in his arms to the back, where the fitting rooms are.

He sighs to himself, and waits. ]

[burglarize]

[ The thing about Ann Takamaki — she can improvise in her mind. She thought she handled it well, played it cool despite how conflicted she felt. He was a stranger — but he had done two kind things in turn for her already. Her teenage emotions, still defensive on how adults have betrayed her in the past, jumps to conclusions.

Ann lingers for a few more minutes, clutching a pair of boots she grabbed off a table — they were far too big for her, but it was the first thing she could clue in to grab. Around five minutes later, the door of the dressing room creaks open and Ann immediately hurls the boots in his direction.

A frantic, hushed voice follows: ]

Tell me that wasn't you. Tell me you broke the shitty track record of adults ruining the world.

[ SHE'S very angry, furrowed brow and if he didn't see her in action before, maybe he wouldn't take her seriously. But, her fists ball in either side of her hips, anger bubbling inside of her. ]

[personalwar]

[ Even with the knowledge that Ann can supposedly set things on fire, 76 isn't intimidated by her anger. This would hardly be the first time that he's had someone upset and disappointed with him.

He's not sure why she brought the boots with her, probably just to take away some of the suspicion of her wandering back here. He manages to catch one of them, while the other flops to the floor. With a sigh, he sets the one in his arms down on the small bench in the changing room.

Somehow he doubts this will be the only person he has to explain himself to, but he's already exhausted. He squeezes the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. ]

When I took the job, we were told that it was a Wyver carriage trying to smuggle weapons into the city. The idea was to apprehend them and give the weapons to the authorities to deal with. Obviously that wasn't the real story.

[ In other words, he was used and he's not happy about it. ]

[burglarize]

[ 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!

[personalwar]

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. ]