The Box

Jever sits quietly on the metro going by every stop people and creatures alike boarded and left. A few individuals just had to stare. More amazed by Serena then anyone else. Being shy of 4 feet tall hardly anyone saw a gnome sitting around focusing on the mission ahead. Signing onto this mission meant more then just the money it meant new friends to work with that could have an impact in future business deals down the road. Lot was hinging on this job.

Arriving in Shinjuku security is tight. After it was abandoned mysteries abound to what lies in this ghostly part of town. Jever has had dealings once or twice ever in this part of town and the last one had been a decade. Very little has altered except for maybe the decaying of the buildings. Very much an uncomfortable region of town.

Jaw drops to the floor getting off the metro to meet a Reptilian creature that says that he is on the team. Looking around to see anything strange going around him. Jever says "Oddly enough I could believe you. Can you prove it however that you are on the same team and this isn't some test for us?"

**********************************

Clanging of bells as the door opens. A store busy with humans and creatures alike bustling along . Upstairs is where the girls live and make their money for information. Main floor is primarily a bar with bamboo flooring, and dark colored walls. It had an American Western mixed Japanese design layout feel to it. In the back is where the store where anything one requires is located at. From weapons to food supplies. It was a small family owned business. Owned by the Kurosawa family an old name in Japan famous for dealing with the in crowd and the fringe crowd of society. If you were respected and dealt with them on more personal levels they would allow you downstairs where thousands of secure vaults lie full of artifacts and funds that the government doesn't know exist. It was the perfect way for the underground black market works.

Jever walks to the back meeting the daughter who is nearly thirty in human years sitting browsing her tablet. "Hi, Kim your parents back yet from Egypt? I seek Tango art kimono bow buddha." Words to gain access into the vaults for him at least.

"Welcome Jever, my parents are in Sudan studying the Black Pharaohs ancient creatures" Kim responds pleasantly "Will you be going upstairs also?"

Jever shrugs "Depends how busy your Aunt is and what information she can provide me." He takes the stairs downstairs where the lights turn on revealing a long hall of safes. He begins to search for his vault. His double is on the other side of town exploring Shinjuku and gathering information. Best thing about illusions is not knowing which is real unless you have certain abilities.
 
Having no car herself Luna was used to taking the train by now. Though normally she just walked where she needed to go. It was good exercise after all. Kept her ready for when she needed to run down some poor bounty she had been sent after. Sitting with her head tilted back and her eyes closed she looked quiet relaxed. But her twitching ears and nose were still on alert for any trouble.

When they finally finally got there she gave the lizard a curious look as well. Jever had already asked what she was thinking so she just crossed her arms and waited for the answer. Until she felt something wash over her. Making her whole body tingle for a moment. With a sigh she looked up at the building. "Oh great, a job for some magic type again..." But then remembering who she was with she gave Arcana and Jever and apologetic grin. "Uh, no offence."
 
From the time that the group left the metro to when they found themselves in front of their destination Arcana felt eyes were on her. That in and of itself wasn't new, she turned heads everywhere she went; the cafe, the club, even the few people on the metro openly gawked at her. She'd become so accustomed to it that she barely registered it anymore.

This was different though. Veiled eyes in dark rooms regarded her, and the entire party, from the shadows. Instinctively her blue-eyes scanned the streets for that particular shadowy figure who always followed her and Arcana let out a quiet sigh when she spotted him. Luna and Serena at her side gave her some comfort, and Jever... well there was something off about Jever, like he wasn't all there. Or there at all. She wasn't surprised that the Tai Hou hadn't come. This didn't seem like her place in Shinjuku.

While she was constantly watching the shadows on alert, it was her ears that she trusted most in this situation. Quiet as they were she heard footfalls and people moving in the darkness and consoled her unease with the knowledge that she might at least know where an attack was coming from if it did. That was when the reptilian figure stepped out of the darkness.

"I'm told you're to be my fellows for this job..."

With a shake of her head Arcana muttered, "Our little group seems to be ever growing."

Luna uttered a comment that she seemed to be at least somewhat apologetic for and Arcana granted her a dismissive look and them moved to the door. "Look guys, we can stand here and make introductions all night or we can get to it."

As she reached the handle and pushed the door open she turned to the new arrival, "Hi. Nice to meet you, I'm Arcana, that's Jever, Luna, and Serena." she said motioning to each of them. "You probably have a great name and I'd love to hear it I'm sure but right now it's late, I'm a little cranky, and I also want to find out what I need to do to get paid for this gig so..." with that she stepped inside and proceeded to where they were supposed to go. "I'll either leave you to introductions or you can follow me!"
 
Luna blinked a bit at Arcana's shift in attitude. Unsure what had caused it. She was right though. They should get to work. "Well, you heard the lady. I guess you are with us then scales," Luna added with a shrug at the newcomer. Then quickly followed Arcana inside. Glancing around the place as they entered for any obvious dangers or traps. There wasn't any reason there should be any but you could never be too careful.

Trying to catch up with Arcana she leaned in close to the woman. Not wanting who ever they were meeting to over hear. "Uh, is something wrong? Anything I should be worried about?" Who knew what kinds of problems magic users could have. She still didn't really understand it. Magic had always been confusing to her.

"Like I said before, always happy to help a team mate when I can," She ended with. While moving on deeper into the building to were the meeting would take place.
 
The building had clearly been looted, likely anything of major value had been taken. The wards incribed on the walls, however, were new. The ornate and elaborate nature meant a mage that had been schooled as opposed to self taught.

A few moments after they had entered, a flash of light occured, as a rune of flame burst into life. Fire and the smell of sulfer filled the air, before a creature stood before them. The woman who stood before them was stunning, if she were human anyway. With an hourglass figure, she was dressed in business attire, with the top two buttons on the white blouse unbuttoned to give a hint of cleavage. Deep black hair was kept in a deep bun, while her crimson skin and long tail marked her as something else. The horns, the claws, and the suit. This was a devil. "By the contract, I have come. What is your desire?" Opening up her eyes, crimson orbs scanned the room, before looking down at the circle with a sneer. "Oh. it's this one." With an audible sigh, she looked up at them. "So, you're the low lives huh? I am Bel, Junion Partner at Dewey, Chattum, and Howe. Pleasure to meet you. I'll be acting as your contact."
 
Some where else inside a dark some what run down apartment in Shinjuku, A woman woke atop a mattress on the floor, groaning as they grabbed at some bottles piled around the bed till they found one that was not empty yet, yawning and twisting the top off taking a drink of the flat warm soda inside. Her long white ears twitched bathed in a blue glow from the multi monitored rig that was set up in the room, maybe the only thing of value in the scarcely furnished apartment. After taking that sip she stood up wearing a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts she fell asleep in, and hurried over to the door to her apartment ears wiggling as she went, she peeked through the doors peek hole looking at the empty hallway on the other side, run down stain walls anywhere else one might wonder how this build was not condemned and every one evicted from it, but here in Shinjuku this was more of the base standard of living. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw she closed the steel plate back over the small peep hole before rechecking the 6 dead bolts she had on the door, ones that did not show on the other side.

Raiyukui's windows where even covered with metal shutters barely letting any of the night light in or any light that she would have on out. After taking care of some of her base needs she walked over to the large glowing and humming machine that been scrape the net for all sorts of information and updates from the ward's security feeds, ether street camera's or the ones of private businesses that she put backdoor's into, even a few places that though they had CCTV have been tapped by Raiyukui or others and offer her scraps of information. She sat on her chair butt on the chair knees to her chest holding a cup of noodles as she looked over a few of the alerts her scrubber saved while she was sleeping.

She looked at her credit's before sighing to herself she been sitting idle for too long, but fear for bite backs have been keeping her from playing for any big credit scores. She clicked over a feed, from a camera outside of this kinda famous 'club' most people called it but it had many secrets, secrets that Raiyukui only scratched the surface of seeing and exploring. She watched a fair recognized Bounty hunter she been listed as recently enter with some one else and a few others skipping the line, about one hour later they left again but with even more people this time, if she was not collecting a bounty something is about to be shaken up. Raiyukui though as she kept tabs on the group as they moved the best she could with camera's hidden through out the city.
 
"Well Shit." was the first thought that entered Arcana's mind after seeing the demoness appear. "Not just a demon, but a lawyer demon. That's like being double-fucked."

"You love being double-fucked. This should work out well then."

"SHUT UP!" she screamed to the entity in her mind.

"... I'll be acting as your contact." the demon finished.

Arcana looked around at the rest of the group that had joined her. The demon had appeared once all of them were inside so it didn't look like anyone would miss the meeting. Her eye caught Luna and for a brief moment she felt apologetic; the wolfkin woman seemed concerned about her, which was nice, but at that moment all Arcana wanted to do was get this briefing done with. That, and she wanted to get off of the street, although now she wasn't sure this was an improvement.

She'd had some experience with ethereal beings in the past, and her most recent one had left a very sour taste in her mouth. So the appearance of this new demon didn't sit well with her. Tentatively she prodded, "Our contact for what? What's this job about?"
 
"I guess you're in the dark about the details. That's fine. It isn't like i'm going anywhere." She stated with an annoyed sigh. The demoness flourished her hand, as what appeared to be a photo appeared in her claws. Turning it around, it was a golden, ornate box. The design was old, likely thousands of years. The dents along the sides showed weathering, but the crown jewel, a deep azure beryl on the top was still in tact. "Your mission is this. My client, your employer, wants you to find this box, and bring it back here. In return, you'll get paid very handsomely for your services."

Taking a step forward, she hissed lightly as in invisible wall crackled, forcing her back. Placing the claw that had hit the wall, she suckled lightly in the singed claw, before tossing the picture forward, watching it hit the ground before moving away, clearly not fond of whatever that wall was. "The only other instruction was to not open the box. That about sums it up."

(Need a Silver Tongue check from one person, take the following

10+ Choose 3 of the following
-Pays well (Already Taken)
-A useful Relic (Magic Item)
-Equipment (Tech Item)
-Information (Intel)
-A big Gun (Temporary Weapon)
-Ally (Temporary Ally)

7-9 Choose 1 from the previous list

6 Gain Nothing Additional )
 
"Hi!" Arcana said as she tentatively approached the lawyer demon, encouraged by the fact that it seemed to be sealed behind a barrier. "Can I first say that I love your outfit! It really complete's that whole evil-professional vibe that you're going for. I mean really, GREAT choice."

She turned and regarded her companions in this endeavor who seemed to be giving her the go-ahead before returning her attention to the demoness. In her sweetest voice she tried to keep any sort of anxiety hidden "But in regards to this job I have a couple of questions. First, where might we start looking for it? And what kind of resistance should we expect when we find it. I mean if you can't get it yourself that must mean that there's some kind of opposition right? Is there a time limit on this thing because I really don't work well on a deadline. Just anything more that you could tell us about this job would be great, and I really mean ANYTHING. If this is going to be some sort of hostile dangerous excursion you really don't want us to be killed because then you're back to where you started, trying to find a new crew."

"Oh! And where did you find that skirt? It's to die for!"

((OOC: Roll of 6 & 1 +2 = 9))
 
The demoness raised a brow, watching as the half elf approached, friendly. "You know, I know you're laying it on a bit to thick... but being summoned into a cage, i'll take it." Bel sighed. "I couldn't say where it is, truthfully. I imagine whatever augering was muddled by wards and spells. So, if I were a betting woman... and being a devil, I am... i'd wager the Reliquary has it. They tend to be fond of such magical things." Putting a hand on her hips, a flash of fire once more burst into her hand, as she held what appeared to be a file marked neatly with Reliquary on it. But it was still within the circle, and reaching in would mean Arcana would have to risk the demoness. "As for the skirt, the law firm has a talented tailor. I would put you into contact, but... you'd have to come to company HQ for that." Giving a wide grin filled with dagger like teeth, it was clear where HQ was. The Nine Hells.

"I would offer you more, but i'm afraid they're quite secretive. But from my experience, they're like monks. Magic monks. I'd start to look for abandoned temples and monestaries... if you're asking me anyway. But, go on. There's more in the folder. You just need to go on... and take it."
 
Abandoned temple? There were a few of those in Shinjuku, Poisonhook thought, and many more in the hinterlands beyond. Something about world domination by corporations made people lose faith. But which ones might be home to crazy magic monks with precious boxes? He let someone else take the folder, focusing on this question instead.

(Intellect roll to think of likely abandoned temples: roll 3 + roll 3 + Intellect of 2)
 
Arcana's eyes darted from the demoness to the folder and back.

'Coy creature put the folder within arm's reach but not far enough for a quick grab' Arcana though 'At least not from me.'

She locked eyes with the demon again, "Now I'm a betting girl, and I'm going to say you want us to get at this box more than you want to get at one of us." then, with confidence, the half-elf reached in and grabbed the folder as quickly as she could. "Thanks for this."
 
With a smirk, the paper left the demon's grasp without fault. "Oh, I dunno. You look quite tastey, after all." Whether that was a pass, or a threat, who knew with devils. However, she crossed her arms under her chest, cocking her head to the side. "No time limit. Granted, the sooner you get done with it, the sooner i'm not stuck in this circle. So obviously, for me at least, the sooner, the better. "
 
Jever watches as Arcana deals with this demon. Watching the demon playfully deal with Arcana sent a cold shiver up his spine. Once she had the folder and the demon released the tension in the negotiations his body which had been freezing started to warm back up.

His thoughts were more on the double on the other side of town that was browsing Kurosawa's safes.

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Opening up the safe that held a portion of his possessions he sees a few sacks of credits he could bring out to buy anything he wanted. A few weak magical items he has picked up on jobs over the years, and some sensitive paperwork. He closed the door not wanting anything at this time. He heads back upstairs waving at Kim. His next stop would be her Aunt Akemi his main contact to everything going on in the city.

He walks up the stairs watching as a few prostitutes go by or enter rooms with their customers. It was a profitable steady business they had going in this shop. Her office was at the end of the hallway. Luxurious and magical very comparable to Tai Hou's place only more of a shroudy business then some high end club. He knocks announcing his presense. He opens the door to see her at her desk at the far end. Her windows to the city landscape were open allowing a gentle breeze to enter the room. Soft passionate sea colors cover the room. Not a image of the type of business revealed itself in this office.

"Akemi, so glad to see you" Jever responds to her.

Akemi "Something is off about you today Jever. I can smell it. What brings you here today?"

Jever sits down in front of her across the desk and begins the story of Tai Hou.
 
Arcana nodded at the demoness' last remark and, folder in hand, huddled back up with the others. "Alright, so we're after some box held by some magic monks." she said nonchalantly although internally she was near panicking.

She flipped though a couple of pages of the briefing glancing over some of the information. "Here's what I'm thinking. We take this folder back to the club and discuss this with the Tai Hou. She probably has some connections that can figure out where this thing might be. Then we can all try to figure out what we're going to need to get this thing done. Plus..." she said looking back at the demoness, "I really want to get out of here."
 
"Know the feeling, but I imagine your reason and mine are a bit different. Do I scare you?" She snickered, reaching into her vest pocket and producing a rather expensive looking smart phone. Flipping it on, she began to speak. "Yeah, I got here." She stated in an annoyed voice. "Well, they took the job. But the summoner put a binding circle here, i'm stuck." There was audible laughter, to which she rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I'm glad you think it's funny. You're going to have to handle my clients until i'm released." After a moment, a smile came to her face. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Not so funny now, is it?" Clicking it off, she looked back. "Are you still here?"
 
After deciding to head back to Tai Hou (Unless someone objects), they exited the building, leaving a rather annoyed devil behind. However, as they left, they could hear whispering. "They do look good...." It was childlike, giggly even. "The big one looks tastey." Another stated, from one of the other back allies. "The small one is bite sized..." While initially sounding a bit like cat calls, it seemed it was something else entirely. As the shadows took form, shadowy, almost children appeared. Their maws open, filled with jagged, darkness and long tongues. Children looking, but not children. Their bodies, composed entirely of shadow, seemed to twitch unnaturally. "They'll make a great dinner."

All at once, they attacked, their bodies twisting in a mock, human like manner, as they charged. Despite their smaller size, they seemed to have no fear.

What do you do?
 
"Bite-sized? No, he's not quite bite-sized, even if he is pretty small." Poisonhook drew his newly acquirred katana. "If you want bite-sized, though, I can cut you into little chunks..." He brought the blade up above his head for a split second, before cutting downwards, neatly (if bloodily) bisecting one of the crestures.
Roll of 7 + 1 Forward due to Synthetic Nervous System + Combat of 2 + First Strike, Last Strike bonus of 1 = 11, strike deals 5 damage (3 damage for Large Blade, 2 for First Strike, Last Strike).
 
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The creature was cleanly cut in two, the shadow standing in place, as gouts of black muck shot out, before staining the ground. And then, both sides of the creature grinned, as it began to reform up as if nothing was wrong. As if being cut in half was a minor issue. "Shishkabob this one." He grinned, holding its hand out, as finger tips became blades.
 
Seeing that the blade did little against the shadow beast Luna didn't even bother pulling out her gun. Maybe one of the mages could hurt these things but she was pretty sure her weapon was as useless as that sword. Now was the time to use her head. So that's what she did. Racking her brain for anything she could remember about creatures like this. Hoping some useful knowledge was lingering in the back of her memory somewhere.

(Int check, rolled a 9, +2 and another +1 for her trench coat)

Suddenly remembering stories she hurriedly spoke to the others. "I don't suppose anyone has any silver or salt on them? Lacking that we could make a run for a Torii but I really don't know how this magic stuff works."
 
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