May 06 19:32:20 108 PA - It's Chaos, Not Sleuthing!
From Chronicles
May 06 19:32:20 108 PA.
MERCHANT'S PLAZA and POINTS BEYOND
The Merchant's Plaza continues to bustle. The Sunday deals are sometimes even better than the Saturday deals, and so many people have been brought out to see the wares. All sorts of carts are set up in the center, and the more expensive businesses along the periphery are flashing and bashing, whatever they have to do to draw the eye to whatever it is that they're selling. "The Best Little Hairhouse in Town" is not surprisingly busier than before, though there are two beings outside the door. They may have initially looked like identical twins, but a closer inspection - though still from a distance - would show that while they are roughly of same height, similar elf background, one of them is clad in more armor and obvious weaponry than the other. They keep stopping potential customers. Some continue in, some turn around. Of those who turn around, they usually complain the same thing as yesterday. Basically they can go in without magic, or they can politely hit the road and find somewhere else. Sorry, new store policy.
Valeriya has been loitering in the market square for some time now. Much to the chagrin of many a peddler she has shrugged off despite hours perusing the wares. Eventually though one must get to the point and now would seem to be the time for Valeriya. So that in mind she walks towards the salon with a casual gait and expression.
Valeriya's surface thoughts are myriad. But mainly she has been wondering all day why a salon needs two guards at the door. She is still wondering that as she approaches. Breifly she ponders how much a salon could pay its guards. This leads to a thought about how much it might cost for them to relax for a bit.. Her emotions are calm and collected, nothing really stands out. No anxiety or nervousness.
The more armed one advances, his hand out. "Hey, hey. You having a good day, ma'am? You should know that this is a no-magic shop. New policy. Happy to have you in, happy to kick you out if you try it inside. I'm sure it'll change in the future, of course, so if you need to be going, please remember us again in the future." The other one, a female, simply stands by and watches.
Valeriya pauses, her expression allowing itself to show curiosity as she looks to the guard that spoke. "Oh, that’s an interesting rule. Understandable in a way though. Did some mage throw a fit inside or something?" She asks idly but genuinely interested as her thoughts don’t deviate. "And what do you mean by no magic? No body with magic can enter? No magic items? Or no magic using?" She asks for further clarification. Her thoughts show no intention to violate the rule without further understanding.
The armed elf answers the questions in reverse order. "No magic use, ma'am, and we'd ask that you surrender any magic items to us. They will of course be immediately returned to you upon your departure. Nothing racist, or any other -ist, just no actual use of magic for now." He shrugs and offers, "We're only hired to enforce the new rules. No idea why the owner put them in place though. Still, I'll say that it didn't look to me like anyone had run amok. But you never know, right?" The other elf just smiles back pleasantly, apparently having nothing further to add.
Valeriya nods in agreement. "Yeah insurance likely cleaned up any mess that was made before you got the job." She notes, considering her options momentarily. "Guess I can't take concealed things in." She thinks before shaking her head in decision. "Well I do have some magic items but I'd rather return them home then leave them to you. Could be dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to handle them. Before I go though might I ask how many people the new policy has turned away today?"
The otherwise silent elf speaks up, in a quiet tone. "Perhaps one in five. Most people are willing to accept it. After all, is there really any need to be using magic when getting your hair done?" The armed male nods. "Pepper has a point. But I understand if you want to come back later. We've had a few people do that already."
Valeriya nods and feels relieved by that figure. "Ah then I'm not the only one paranoid (or packing heat) then." She agrees as she turns to continue on her way and dispose of the unaggreeable items. Her pace south will be fairly quick, taking her into the crowds before long. The fact she's only heading around the block isn’t mentioned.
The two security guards really don't care what people do when they leave, so long as they don't come back to cause trouble, and so as Valeriya moves off, they go back to their business with others who approach.
Making a loop Valeriya returns to the shop from the backside unseen. Magically fading from view before rounding the last corner she stops there to get a clear look at the back side of the Salon from afar.
The rear area, the huge parking area is littered with vehicles, just as it was before. So many businesses back on the area that it actually takes a little time to find what someone might assume is the correct door, making that assumption only through memory and counting, as there is no further indication on it, or many of the other doors, as to where it goes. It looks quite sturdy, not even having anywhere to visibly insert a key or turn a knob. Just a handle that could be used for pulling. Here and there are some rickety ladders that lead to the variable-elevation roofs, though this business itself has no directly attached ladder.
Just peeking over down two stories the two guards can clearly be seen. The one with the weapons quickly states, "Someone's using nearby, but I don't see anything. Pop it off." There is a momentary lapse in which the quiet elf nods a bit, then *BOOM* Valeriya is suddenly visible again for anyone who might be noticing that kind of thing. The guards below aren't yet, but they're certainly looking. There were others in the area who seemed to be instantly put off as well, though none of them seem to be looking at the salon's guards as any kind of source of the problem.
Valeriya recoils back at the dialogue between the two guards, smirking slightly. "Well outfitted, this guy must be loaded. She notes before turning to consider the rest of the roof and her options there.
The day remains nice and pleasant. Minutes pass, and no one arrives on the roof, save for one person very distant who is up, then back down, whatever necessary task having been done. Ten minutes pass by, and one listening might hear the two guards still looking around, communicating.
There are various small pipes sticking out of the roof, venting noxious fumes that go into the creation of modern hairstyles. There are two large air conditioning units and one air recycling and purifying unit. But this is 108 PA, so not many open vents and crawlspaces to be seen anywhere, on any rooftop.
Valeriya wouldnt fit into a crawlspace made in 1908.. Whatever her intentions for the vents they remain only intentions for the moment as she remains and focuses on the magic energy that canceled her own.
The magic eventually fades itself out. Things are as they were, the roof is still unexciting, the back door is flush and it doesn't appear likely to open, and the guards maintain their presence, though they have now simply returned to what they were doing before the first spell hit.
For nine minutes Valeriya pondered the spell which canceled her own, grinning like that cat that ate the canary when she finishes. But that done she will make her way back to the ladder, refreshing her invisibility before going back down.
Much like the rooftop, the parking yard continues as it was. Many vehicles, many people and all of them just going about their day.
Back in the parking lot Valeriya approaches the door to the back of the shop, showing no deterrence from its advanced security as she utters a simple yet alien phrase.
The door unlocks, and rather loudly too as all of the mechanical locks and slides disengage.
Valeriya frowns at all the noise associated with opening a simple door. "Fucking rich people." She mutters from behind her helmet as she opens the door and moves aside with it, keeping herself out of the path of the door way for the moment. Cautiously she peers around the door to see what awaits.
What awaits is a soldier, a soldier dressed in old-style Coalition armor with an old C-12 - raised. He's only about ten feet in from the door, but he seems to have no trouble seeing Valeriya's peeking around the corner.
He may be speaking over the radio, but the soldier is otherwise silent, and otherwise doing his job. He old weapon's trigger is yanked.
Valeriya growls as the shot blasts past her, shaking her head before focusing her will into a dark phrase. "Gonna wish you couldn’t see me jerk." She concludes as she becomes very monstrous and fearsome to those that can see her. Then a brief moment is taken to put some power into her armor.
The person in Coalition gear jumps backward, grasping the weapon like a child, and runs into the salon. Not far, just in. He looks side to side and then bashes in a side door of the back hallway. It's likely that others in the salon heard the shots and the crash of the door. Likely, because some raised voices and rustling movement can be heard coming from the front of the salon.
Valeriya mutters as she pulls her c-5, still loaded with tear gas from the last trip. "Always gotta do thing the hard way eh Val?" She notes as she fires a round into the salon to fill it with reasons not to further antagonize her.
The tear gas grenade flies down the hallway, takes a couple of neat bounces and ricochets along its way into the salon, where much screaming ensues, then sounds of tables and chairs being upturned as people cough their way outdoors.
Having now fully announced her intention to visit Valeriya switches her c-5 for her pulse pistol, then she will be ready to finally enter.
Nothing much has changed. People screaming, equipment crashing, tear gas billowing.
Valeriya makes her way inside, still cautious but not wasting any time either. She beelines directly for Pert's office.
If you can see through smoke, it's easy to find Pert's office. Not just through memory, but it's the one that the soldier dove into, and is now cowering in the corner, holding a now-broken C-12 in his arms like a security blanket. Out in the Merchant's Plaza, the salon called "The Best Little Hairhouse in Town" is suddenly chaos. Two guards at the front are doing their best to keep people inside as some kind of billowing gas comes out the door. Indeed, even those who haven't been indoors, simply near the outside are suffering from the effects of tear gas.
Valeriya makes her way through the Salon rather impassively, no concern given to the poor customers being kept inside with the tear gas. Guards to keep Val out where definitely good for business yep. Turning to Pert's desk she starts looking for confidential information.
More smoke. More firebugs? That ain't why Bella's walkin into the market but it's kinda hard to miss. Huh. Don't look like nothin's burning. Weird.
There's very little in his desk beyond personal notes about which prominent customer prefers which kind of sucking-up. Otherwise, he's largely a paperless man. There are a few small PDA-style pieces of equipment laying around, but other than that and a replica of an ancient 'Princess' telephone (complete with cord). It wouldn't appear that it's likely to be any secret compartments laying around either. An up-front guy in a digital world.
Valeriya grabs the PDA's for later examination and continues her search, broadening to include any scheduling of any sort. Certainly his employees will need to know if he's going to be out for the day.
Bella stops from wherever she was going. It's something to watch. Not lots to see but smoke maybe. But it's something different. For here anyway. "Wha's goin on?" Askin people that're maybe runnin' 'way. Maybe help maybe not.
In Mr. Plus's office wall is a flip-down wall calendar containing pictures of various types and numbers of kittens doing various things. The dates are marked here and there with various types of slish, slash and other geometric shapes, including happy faces and fish. However, none of them stand out as anything special among the bunch. Outdoors, the two guards are looking to run in as the gas is beginning to dissipate, but people are still running. "GAS! SOMEONE'S TRYING TO DESTROY THE SALON!" and variations on the theme.
Pfft, If Valeriya was trying to destroy the salon she would have brought fire globes. Nope she's only very interested in an appointment. A very particular appointment. That in mind she collects the calendar before pulling her c-5 back out.
Fire'd be way more fun too. "Damn. Somebody musta got their hair messed up bad." Bella dunno why anyone'd wanna smash up a salon elsewise. Wait. Guards for a salon?
At this point, shouting is coming down the hallway. The form of the armed elf roars around into being, quickly followed by the other. The armed one is ready to fire, the other bringing up the rear quickly, but both are hesitating for just a moment. The armed one says, "Same taste as before."
Val needs more time, such is why she has more than one tear gas grenade. Popping another one off she moves to the front reception to look at the appointment book.
The first, armed guard screams out and yanks out his large pistol, pulling the trigger in Valeriya's direction.
The other elf just sort of looks and gestures as the woman. She may be hacking and coughing, but manages to get out a few words.
Valeriya ignores the guards, putting the c-5 back in its holster as she collects the appointment book. "I doubt anyone's going to keep these now.." She notes to herself before considering which exit to leave out of.
Bella backs up a step. Since there's shootin' in there. "Fack." Ok. Now she's peering into the smoke 'n stuff more. "Ya know. 'S justa hair place..." Maybe it's to die for to some people but wow.
The better-armed guard yanks on the trigger again, but even though the gas is already beginning to clear up, it's more like spraying things around without aiming.
The other one manages to get off another burst of words as a clear piece of air whips past. A hand is directed toward the front of the store, where Valeriya can be barely seen, outlined against the incoming light through the front glass.
Valeriya mutters as the sticky carpet wraps up her feat, shaking her head slightly. "Too little too late." She notes as she leans down to focus on the carpet and unravel the magic that made it.
The stuff's clearin' up. Just not enough. Bella steps in to see what all the goin's on're goin on 'bout. And then there's more shootin. She'd say somethin but then people'd maybe be shootin at her too.
The male elf, the armed one, screams as he sees his companion's head get vaporized. "Someone call the cops, murderer, burglar!" The magical sticky carpet had disappeared as soon as she died, and he rushes toward Valeriya with two swords upraised, slashing with both.
Valeriya smirks as the sword slices off a tiny bit of her gross armor before she recognizes the vague flailing of a blind man. Turning she makes for the front door to be on her way with the goods. Someone mentioned calling cops, that’s never good for business.. This will probably take her past Bella, though she has no words to share until fully escaped.
Bella blinks. Now't she can see stuff looks like the pointy ear guy can't. And swords choppin' at somebody covered in weird shit. Runnin' past. "Ok." Whelp. That's enough she guesses. Bella gives the weird one a weird look. Then she's backing out.
The man is screaming, "I can taste you, I'll find you, you bitch!" as he wipes at his eyes. Other than calling for Kingsdale's citizens to do the right thing and take down a villain, and speaking into a communicator, he's out. However, the KDPD has reacted quickly to this one. Perhaps they already had officers in the crowd due to the large Sunday gathering. They're moving toward the place of activity, the hair salon, and a siren can even be heard in the distance.
Still invisible to most people Valeriya doesn’t worry too much about the authorities just yet. Though she's careful enough not to walk into one. Slinking off she moves on prizes in hand. Hopefully they will be worth all the hassle of getting them. Not to mention the aftermath..
The crowd eventually quiets down, even as the police muddle around. Whoever the perpetrator was, he or she got away with it, though the surviving guard is obviously giving a full account of the situation.
