synflux | ( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

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( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

WHO: Every Outsider interested!
WHAT: Catch-all log for cleaning up (or making more of a mess of) Neo Tokyo's crime scene! Refer to the OOC post here for details. Neo Tokyo's current social and political climate can be found under the World / Setting section here.
WHERE: Neo Tokyo, Japan.
WHEN: Nov 2024 & onward.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug use, threats and coercion … whatever else that happens where crime and criminal activity are involved. Please mark for other CWs if necessary!

From the month of November and onward, Outsiders can find recruitment posters around the base for a specialised subsection of an anonymous Neo Tokyo security agency! Feel free to assume that's where most of the directives come from.

Current quests relating to this player plot can be found under < STREET FIGHTER > and < RISE AND THRIVE > on the QUEST BOARD.

People are free to use this log or their own for open and closed starters. However, if you'd like to contribute to the quest chain or setting changes, please remember to eventually submit your links and a summary under the associated quests! Otherwise, go wild!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[They sighed and slipped the rest of the way in, closing the door behind them.

It doesn't matter. Get in, get out, get back to base... and hope no one found out they were going this far with this mission. The bar had seemed on the up-and-up for the most part when they looked it up earlier, but they'd also seen a server room when they slipped back here earlier--something that they could have assumed was normal in Neo Tokyo, with all its technology, if the bar itself didn't seem to be.... decidedly low-tech.

They were definitely going to have to slip into that room and take pics on the way out.]

Let me guess, you're following those subliminal message leads too?

What.

[ He said, as he slipped away from the door, and slipped the knife back into the hidden pocket he kept it in. Just like that it's like he was never armed in the first place. ]

No, I don't have any interest in that.

[ He slid back around to the desk, and looked at it again. He wanted as much unimpeded sound as he could get. In his hands was a small bead that looked to be easy to tuck under a surface, if needed. ]

You didn't get the information from LILITH about this place?

[Dryly:]

I didn't have any interest in that.

[While they would have preferred to keep their distance as he worked on... whatever it was he was doing, an investigation was an investigation, and so they pick up the papers Silco was just looking through, skimming through and only pausing to take snapshots of anything suspicious to go through later.

...It was probably better to answer his question for real, isn't it? Just in case.]

...Some strange message an advertising agency was broadcasting was traced back to this place. Well, this area. But the server room kind of makes it obvious this is the spot.

I take it there's more going on here than just that?

[ DANTE!! Silco's eyes looked up to him, and it's an odd look, the way the ridge of his brow dips over that unblinking eye. It makes him look odd, and a little (lot) unpleasant. His lips twitched into a half-smile, the kind of thing that was just barely there for a moment, before it was back down to his distinct frown. ]

So it seems neither of us are getting in the way of each others plans, then. Perfect.

[ He moved on to the small knick-knacks, before finally picking up a little odd structure, and placing the bead in the middle, where it would be concealed by the metal housing. Just something to spruce up the place, but without a computer, and the papers being... well. Just odds and ends, this seemed the best plan. It would be something, at least. ]

Something more, yes. They're potentially linked to the Sapphire Room — a local gang. I'm looking to get more on them, to work on taking them out.

[ A tight smile. As if to say: 'go on, I dare you to say something about that.' ]

...Right.

[The "hard criminal," as Vergilius had put it it, working to take out a local gang. They're sure it was for entirely selfless reasons. But it also wasn't really any of their business what he did with the remains.]

Well, whether they are or aren't, they're doing something suspicious, that's for sure.

[A pause. They went back a few pages, snapped another picture, then finished the pile.

They glanced back in the direction of the server room, grimaced, and with great reluctance finally asked:]

Do you have anything with you to look into electronics?

[ His fingers drug along the desk, before he tugged at a drawer. It didn't move. He fished into his pocket to pull out a few lockpicking items. Yes, of course he had those on him. ]

With a server room that looked like that? Certainly. No bar here keeps their technology on site.

[ It's offhand, even as his fingers swept one piece into the tension point, and then he tap, tap, tap — in.

It's almost like they expect the archaic locks to be harder these days. ]

At least any of the ones that I've been in.

[ He opened the door, and started pulling things out. Data storage, disks, drives, etc etc. No more papers, but there might be something on those. He moves to the next. ]

Such as? I'm not an...electronics person. Not really.

[ Bugs? he can plant those. But... look at him, Dante. He's picking locks. ]

[Meanwhile, they're an amnesiac who relies on others when it comes to that sort of thing. Silco's in good company with this one.]

I'm... not really sure. At least with the servers. But...

[They reached into their pocket, pulling out a drive.]

I did bring this with me.

[It wasn't anything special, just a blank drive to copy files onto. But this is exactly why they brought it.]

[ Look at how successful these two can be when they set their mind to Something. ]

Hm.

That's something. I think.

[ He's doing his best. He doesn't even know how to use a computer. ]

That means you need in the server room, doesn't it?

[ He's still rifling. Pulls a gun out, pulls the clip of ammo out of it, and pockets that, puts the gun back. He doesn't need it, he just doesn't want to be shot by it.

His purpose though, seems to be done. The last drawer is empty — a remnant of the old way of doing things, when there would be files. People tended to keep them in their implants, something called a cloud? Man, he didn't know. ]

[A nod]

Yeah. To see if there's a normal computer in there for one.

[They're already pocketing the drives Silco found in the drawers. Hopefully there's something incriminating on one of them that they don't have to bring them all back with them to sort through. Last thing they want is to steal some person's family vacation photos.]

But I want to get some pictures of the place, too.

Keep me out of them.

[ He says, idly, shuffling the last of whatever was on the desk back into the drawers. Everything nearly exactly where it was before. He narrowed his single good eye, tipped his head, and adjusted one other thing on the surface. His intention was to leave nothing askew, nothing to catch the eye.

For the anal retentive among them. ]

Well, I have what I want.

[ He starts to move toward the door. ]

I'll only wait so long for your photos, if you want me to pick the server door lock.

[ look how nice he is.

waiting for a whole minute.

✨cooperation✨ ]

[And if they didn't need him to pick the lock...

...No, he'd probably slip away just fine. Even they can tell that as much of a slimeball as this guy is, he's a practiced one. It didn't even look like the place was touched (now-missing drives aside).]

I won't be long. Not unless it turns out there's something else strange in there.

[They move to the side to let him go first, then follow after.]

[ You can take the crimelord out of the undercity, but you can't take the undercity out of the crimelord. Unfortunately, Silco's had nearly half a century of experience at this, and he isn't exactly stupid.

Blind, sometimes, sure, but not stupid. Dante's assessment is, unfortunately, very astute.

Besides, he's helping! ]

Hm. Very well. I do hope LILITH will recognize my contribution to my possible detriment.

[ He cracked the door open, first looking down the hall, before he started moving toward the server room. his fingers found the lock, and he started working it. ]

Keep an eye out, will you? I need a moment.

[ It's really not going to take long, his own set of picks just right, as he started to work, his black eye focused on the lock before him, before it gives with a soft click. ]

[Much as they'd like to tell him to keep his comments to himself, Dante elects to turn to keep watch rather than reply. He's opening the door for them, and they didn't even need to ask him to do it. It won't last forever--their luck never does--so it's better to take advantage of it where they can.

And as he works, they notice something.]

It's getting quieter out there.

[Which means they aren't as distracted as they were before.]

Hm.

[ He'd followed Dante inside, intending to just take a quick look around — why not, after all? — but he noticed the same thing, and he wanted to avoid any and all possibility of getting caught. So what did he do? He didn't quite close the door, he turned the handle and gently closed it most of the way — so that it would hopefully not catch attention, but so that it didn't latch either, intending to let it sit there and softly hold its place.

He moved deeper into the server room, moving behind a rack to make sure he was concealed. His eyes drifted from the (admittedly) very confusing machine, to Dante. He doesn't speak it, but he mouths: ]

Quiet.

[ he can only peer with one eye, but he's focused on the door, trying to watch for movement via the smallest shred of light through the door's gap ]

[They don't need to be told twice.

Dressed for the cold as they are, the combined heat of every server in the room makes for a somewhat uncomfortable experience, only amplified by a hiding spot that puts them somewhere the cooling fans will blow onto.

There are worse things, of course. There's almost always something worse out there.

This time, "worse" happens to come in the form of a shadow passing in front of the door. And then another shadow. Lingering.

Their gaze locks on the doorknob and they find themselves holding their breath, hoping it doesn't move.]

[ This is a problem.

Someone coming in is going to be an issue. Silco backed off from the door, let Dante keep their gaze on it, but his steps are silent, keeping to the edges of the room. He moves, hunched over like he's afraid that he'll still be seen, but his unblinking eye remains on the door, edging, step by step, until he's against the wall next to the door.

His fingers tuck into his coat, and start to slide a wicked looking knife from a holster under his coat.

He tipped his eyes to Dante, as if to say hurry, before it's back to the door.

The shadow is pausing, and their head tipped back, to speak down the hallway. 'Hey, did you get something outta here?' ]

[Not good. If they can just find the computer in here...!

Dante winds their way through the server room, offering up silent thanks to whatever IT professionals have put this place together that they managed to keep their cords in order well enough to keep them from being tripping hazards. They keep low, for the most part, ready to hide behind one of the servers if they have to, but they get up on tiptoe to try and peer over one of the servers once.

It's then that they see it, on a desk in the corner: a laptop, plugged in, still running.

Between the cloak and all the humming fans of the electronics in the room, their chime of triumph remains muffled.

And they rush over, unplugging the laptop and detaching its various peripherals, deciding to just go ahead and take the whole thing with them by stuffing it in their coat.]

[ Silco's eyes dart toward Dante, watching them slip further back. Well, he wasn't inclined to do anything to help them, but he also wasn't keen on actually getting into trouble.

'I don't know, maybe? I went in there earlier to get the cameras back up. Just close the door and get over here.'

Silco breathed quietly, the knife in his hand. It's steady, it doesn't tremble. He holds steadfast while Dante starts detaching the laptop, before the door clicks shut, and the man on the other side of the door starts moving back toward the office.

His fingers slip the knife back into the loster, and he looked back at Dante, before he mouthed: 'Done?' ]

[They catch his eye and nod, even as they awkwardly shuffle the laptop around in their coat. Trying to find a way to keep it from falling through while looking natural is proving difficult.

But it's fine. All they need to do now is get out, slip out the back, and make it back to base.

They motion to the door with their head and hurriedly make their way over.]

[ Silco held up a hand, waiting. As soon as Dante stopped moving, he held his hand on the door, and listened.

The soft 'click' of the door down the hall closing was an indicator that they went into the office.

He waited one, two, three additional seconds, to make sure that nobody came back out, before he started to open the door, silently. He peered around the jamb, to make sure that there was nobody there. It was empty.

He tipped his head, to let them go first out. He hadn't seen them come in, so it's possible they knew of a different entrance.}

[Sure, send them out first. They're sure they'll make a great human shield if someone finds them. --thoughts that are swiftly sorted into the "think, don't say" category. No point starting an argument here and now.

They slip out the door, grimacing as they realize the door of the office they'd just come from is now wide open and occupied.

It's fine though... It's fine. The two of them just need to remain quiet.

Another motion, to the left, and they make their way half-crouching toward the back door of the bar. Ideally, it should still be propped open.]

[ What a disingenuous thought, Dante! It's not like Silco is used to hiding behind muscle and refuses to go first if at all possible. It's not like he's living the life of prioritizing self-preservation!!

(He is. He would never admit it.)

Silco followed, his eyes tipped toward the open door. Shame, he'd been hoping that they would just leave it closed. They hadn't, thankfully, as they passed, the two were huddled together, engaged in some sort of conversation, and they were both passing by as quiet as they could.

Silco didn't know about Dante's ability to sneak, but at least he knew how to be quiet and careful, a boyhood of thieving and stealing his way through the streets of Zaun. He paused, letting them continue to the door, his fingers always hovering over his holster, and the knife. Just in case. ]

[Down the hall. Around the corner, last door on the left.

The two of them don't even need to worry about the office, being clear on the other end of the hall as it is. Just a little more and--!

There's a clatter the moment Dante, keeping as close the wall as they can, rounds the corner and bumps into a side table, sending the kitschy lamp atop it teetering and tottering dangerously back and forth.

They reach out to grab at the base, but nearly drop their precious laptop cargo in the process, and its only with the help of an awkwardly raised knee and a precarious balancing act on their part that they manage to keep the lamp from falling to the ground.]

[ Silco's head whipped, first down the hall, and then at Dante, precariously holding the lamp on a knee. Who kept lamps these days?

There's a murmuring sound from down the hall, behind the door. Silco hissed out an oath under his breath, something incomprehensible — but it certainly is a curse — before he reached out around Dante to grasp the lamp and pick it up, and set it on the table. He isn't quiet this time, before his eyes slide to the closest door, and then to Dante. ]

'There' —

[ He mouthed as he opened the door and slipped in. It's dark, and smells like cleansers. A janitor's closet. ]

[In this specific situation alone, Dante trusts Silco to know just where they're supposed to go in order to not get caught. And so they reluctantly slip into the closet after him, trying not to bump into or knock anything on the shelves over.

Luckily for them both, the flames on their head aren't hot enough to cause any sort of reaction or discomfort with the various chemicals bottled around the two of them, but even cloaked they manage to provide just enough light to see by

Their mouth moves silently as they grumble to themselves, text-to-speech deactivated and their usual ticking completely muffled by the cloak. Even in the low light the words "never doing this again" can probably be made out.

They stop as they catch sight of a shadow beneath the door and hold their breath.]

Edited 2025-02-20 06:36 (UTC)

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MY TYPOS..............

It's the typos' world... We just live in it.

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ah THERE'S a failed stealth roll

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KAjfquW6AF0/maxresdefault.jpg

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