savetheearth | [Closed] It's Liam's fault.

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[Closed] It's Liam's fault.

Who: Ariel, Åsa, Floweregg, Isabela and Liam
What: Ariel and Liam encounter friends during a surprise mafia attack
When: Thursday the 24th, afternoon going towards evening
Where: The seedier parts of Locke

Ariel had agreed after some pestering to help Liam go out to a homeopathic shop located in the seedier part of town for him to acquire a natural remedy for sunburns, even though she had mentioned that aloe vera to him a few times before. She and Liam had just parked the car in a more dubious pay by the hour parking lot with a few other cars and were walking towards the shop when Ariel noticed that it looked like they were being followed. Since this had been an unplanned trip out, she had forgotten to grab a hat for herself so the points of her ears was sticking up through her hair. The silly mistake had her muttering a few choice cuss words as she grabbed Liam by the arm and leaned over to whisper in his ear:

"I think we're being followed... "

At the very least she was armed, especially since the incident with Hjalti some days ago. She had the two daggers she had echoed back carefully hidden on her person beneath a somewhat baggy tunic shirt.

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Thankfully, this Elf at least was wearing a large olive green sunhat, doing his best to minimize the damage already done to his skin, so his ears were hidden. Liam hisses in pain as he's grabbed, his bad sunburn screaming at him from the contact. "...The hell, Ariel?!"

Then her whispered words sink in and he's quiet. He knew this was kind of a back alley place, but there was still daylight, and he hadn't expected any trouble of this sort.

Carefully he risks a glance back. Yep. being followed. Crap.

"Fancy running into the two of you here," came a new voice, but one that was familiar to the both. Isabela smirked at them. "Not that I'm sorry about it. Please tell me if you're shopping for salad ingredients you got more than lettuce."

Although cheerful, Isabela's sharp dark eyes glanced behind them. A subtle, tacit recognition that trouble was afoot. Hopefully her sudden presence as an ally would dissuade them.

Aiel might have been more relieved to see Isabela another time. Right now she was nervous and a little scared, thinking about what happened to Hjalti. She lets go of Liam's arm, belatedly aware that she was clinging to his sunburn and shoots him a sheepish look while quickly mouthing the word "sorry". Ariel could hear continued movement behind them, as the four or so members of the mafia continued to slowly close the gap between them.

"Uhm hey, what a surprise to see you here, why don't you walk with us. Right Liam?"

Oh, It was innuendo lady. Normally Liam would be a little uncomfortable around her, but right now he was pretty sure things couldn't get any more uncomfortable than being tailed by sketchy people. He doesn't even acknowledge Ariels'a mouthed 'sorry' before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, no, that's fine, we can walk together, that's totally cool with me. Since we're friends and all."

"Sounds like a plan. Don't think I've seen you down here before. I sort of enjoy the atmosphere, but it can be a little... rough," Isabela said seemingly blithely as she joined them. But the human woman was fingering a subtle bulge at her hip. The hilt of one of her many daggers. "But I like meeting good company."

A significant glance behind them.
"And I know how to deal with bad company."

Ariel flashed her a small smile. Since there was a larger group of them now, she hoped that they might be dissuaded from coming after them, but it seemed that they were undeterred. Ariel gave a small sigh as she tilted her head a little, trying to listen to their footsteps. As it was drawing into the later part of the day, there were fewer people out and about as the smaller shops were either closed or closing up.

"We wouldn't even be down here if wasn't for a specialty shop that Liam wanted to visit. I think it might be closed now, but I won't hurt to go looking. Right Liam?"

Isabela's confidence about knowing how to deal with bad company bolstered Ariel a little bit. She had practiced sparing in armed combat only once with Killian so she was unsure of how well she would actually do fighting with the daggers that were under her shirt. However she felt it might be best to mention that she too was armed, in a way that wasn't too telling to the people behind them.

"I've got two friends who might be able to help as well." She made a quick gesture tapping where one of her daggers was to emphasize her point.

Liam was rather oblivious to the weapon code talk, unfortunately, so he's still about the same level of freaked out as before.

"Dude, you agreed to take me," he says sourly.

He wasn't about to take the sole blame for this, especially considering that he really couldn't control that other people liked to be thugs in their spare time.

He takes a deep breath to calm himself. "It could still be open. Let's go check?"

Isabela nodded.
"Can't hurt to check. Just remember to smile for the security cameras. Most places around here have them. Can't imagine why. And, if afterward the company still is lacking something to be desired, we can call our friends. Make it quite the little party," she said with a cheeky grin, nodding to Ariel. Even if Liam was dense as a brick, she liked knowing that it wouldn't just be her dealing with this.

Ariel could see that Liam was still nervous and in desperate need of a distraction so she decided to go with an obvious one in the hopes that it would help him, even a little bit to focus on anything other than the people tailing them.

"Yeah, What street was the shop on again Liam? I can't remember the name of it or it's street." She had no idea if it would still be open or not, but she was praying rather fervently that it would be. Suddenly she wished Killian was there as well. Isabela seemed confident enough but Ariel had no idea of just how good a fighter she was. With Killian she at least knew he was pretty skilled. Her only hope was that Isabela would be good enough so that Ariel herself would not need to do more than brandish her daggers threateningly.

"I'd like it more if it was a party of friends honestly. A big party."

"The shop? Oh... right."

Normally Liam would pull out his phone to double check his information, but that might just be an invitation to get his phone stolen. Instead, he concentrates and thinks back to the website he checked earlier.

"It's called The Doctor Green. Don't remember the number... I think it's Mulberry Street, might be the next cross street."

...He hoped.

Edited 2014-07-24 18:06 (UTC)

"I know it. I've been past it before," Isabela said, swaggering her way into the lead.

"And don't worry. We've got more friends close by than you might think," she assured Ariel. Well, there did seem to be a very faint clanking coming from her. Just how many knives and daggers she actually had on her was anyone's guess.

"well then, lead the way." At least Isabela knew where it was. Ariel just nodded and followed her lead, trying her best not to get too panicky what with them being followed in what was clearly starting to be a threatening way. They seemed to be closing the distance as well, enough that Ariel was worried about continuing to talk about their plans.

If they didn't reach the shop soon, they might very well have to fight. Figuring that she should clue Liam in on the fact she and Isabela both were armed, she muttered in sindarin: "Worry not friend, we are armed and prepared to fight". It was highly unlikely any of the mafia goons knew that language.

Liam glances at her, slightly surprised, and likewise whispers back in Sindarin. "You both carry weapons with you at all times? How strange."

He now wished he had some kind of weapon himself, but a bow would probably be useless anyway. Besides, he didn't really know how to use it, other than what he'd seen in movies.

He slows just one step, so that he's more behind Ariel, as if trying to block her from the sight of the guys behind them. The feeling of wanting to protect her was strong. He'd rather get hurt himself than see her get hurt, and the thought brought about a strange calm.

As Isabela led on and rounded a corner, it didn't take long for her to stop.
"Aha, here we are. The Green Doctor. Looks like we've got about five minutes to get whatever you want in there. Though, you know, I've always been curious about this place's dumpster. Just imagine what you could hide in there and no one would know because of all those organic smells."

She grinned cheekily up toward the wall.
"Smile, we're on camera!"

The mobsters hang back a bit when the group stops in front of the store, whispering among each other, and then one of them - apparently the leader - grins and dials a number. Elven ears can pick up a conversation that centres around the owner surely not wanting a visit from them, yes they always paid in time but there are other inconveniences here, and how annoying those cameras are, and shouldn't they be closing already... And almost the moment that the conversation ends, there is a click from the Green Doctor's door and the sign inside the glass door is flipped over to "CLOSED".

Out of the three, Ariel was the only one who heard the conversation with the mafia which causes her to glance back, just in case... The snick of the lock turning however confirms her biggest fears as she quickly looks back at the door with closed sign in prominent display.

"Isabela, the friends you were talking about, I think we're gonna need them. I don't think anyone is going to help us."

Having said that, Ariel turned towards the mafia thugs. Her face was set with a look of determination, though she did not pull her daggers free just yet. After all Hjalti had said that they only got violent with weapons after he decided to pick a fight.

Well, this wasn't good. Seeing Ariel turning to face the stalkers with such a determined look made him want to pull her away, and have her stand behind him. However, even Liam knew this wasn't a good idea. It was a strong impulse, but he held himself back.

There was not much he could do, with no weapon or ability to use it. Later, after everything was over, he'd allow himself to feel inadequate in his manliness, but first things first was getting out of this situation. He stands next to Ariel in solidarity and whispers to her in Sindarin.

"Do you think they will leave us if I give them the three hundred in coin that I carry?

Isabela eyed the mobsters, her lip curled halfway between a smirk and a snarl.
"Don't worry, Kitten. I've got plenty of friends with me. Hope those aren't good clothes. You might get blood on them before today is over."

Isabela put her hands behind her back in a seemingly-innocent gesture. But her fingers twitched slightly, ready to grab and draw her daggers at a moment's notice.

"So, who wants to say hello first?"

Considering that she was coming from work... they actually were pretty decent clothes. She just shrugs a little glancing to the other woman before fixing her gaze on the four mafia guys approaching now. "I'll just have to buy some new ones. Shopping spree?" She was speaking with a bit of false bravado, nerves aside.

Ahead of the m the mafia realised that they weren't acting scared or cornered and actually slowed a little to assess. The one who had made a phone call hung back, apparently putting their phone to good use, calling for someone else to show up. Enhanced hearing could barely make out the hushed conversation however so it was hard to say just how many extras he was calling in.

The other three guys were moving forwards now, closing in so that they were only a small distance away. Thus far no weapons had yet been made apparent, but that did not mean they were unarmed.

Whelp. It looked like money wasn't going to deter them any. They seemed to be after something else entirely. Liam wasn't sure he wanted to know what that something was, but he had a feeling it ended in some hurt.

When the other guys move forward, now he can't resist his earlier impulse to protect Ariel, and steps in front of her. Proooobably not the brightest of ideas, considering he was unarmed.

...oh, this was just getting ridiculous. Fine. They wanted trouble? Isabela was going to give them some trouble. This was their last chance to back down.

"Hey boys," she called out stepping forward, more than a little swagger in her gait. "You look a little lost? Ask nicely, and maybe I'll help you find it."

"Oh." The man's voice is a drawl, but it comes after a moment's hesitation - they were told that it might not be easy, but this confidence really worries him. "I think we already found what we were looking for.

...Annoying pests that should better stay out of our way, that is. You stink from a mile away." The others laugh at that and regain their confidence, fanning out into a semi-circle that slowly draws closed to the elves and the woman.

Briefly Ariel wonders if Liam has a deathwish with his sudden stepping in front of her. After all she is the one that is armed. Any chance to protest was taken away as Isabela advanced onto the group. Well at least with Liam serving as a shield, she could reach for her daggers without drawing too much attention to herself.

"Dudes were following us. We were staying out of your way before," Apparently Isabela isn't the only one with a need to mouth off. "But if you want trouble, you got it."

She isn't going to pull out her daggers just yet, but she is waiting for them to make the first move.

Liam is wondering the same thing himself. He knew it was a bad idea, but also couldn't help himself. His heart was hammering a billion times a minute in his chest just standing in front of her, so when Isabela steps forward and draws their attention away from him, he's very slightly relieved.

...Of course, then Ariel speaks up as well. He whispers to her in Sindarin once more. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, honestly, you wouldn't know 'being in the way' if I trussed you up and hung you from a doorframe," Isabela scoffed. "Maybe I'll just have to try that. Assuming any of you actually survive, that is. I don't think you'll appreciate it so much if you're dead."

She had the daggers at her back half drawn, ready to use them. Let one make the first move. Then, she'd slaughter them.

And now that the guy talked... he'll have to make the first step. Which he won't, because he's the leader and actually the only one who isn't genetically altered.

And thus all of a sudden the other three will attack, each of them going for one of the numbered.

It is that exact moment when there is suddenly loud angry... well, barking, if you are lenient, and a white fluffball is ~~rolling~~ shooting down the street.

Åsa runs down the street after puppy. She's not much better at looking angry than Floweregg is, but hey, she can try. She's been watching them for a few minutes, since she found the evening walk that she took Floweregg on to amuse her while Siiri's at work blocked by the group on the pavement. Other people might have crossed over and carried on, but Åsa wanted to make sure that they were all right first - and anyway, isn't that Killian's girlfriend? After what she's seen happening to people on the network, it pays to be weary, and to have each others back.

"What do you think you're doing? Leave them alone!" Like a teacher telling off her pupils, she skids to a halt in front of them, with her hands on her hips. Purple eyes, the only hint that she might be on the network, come to stop on the leader, narrowing in an effect that might be more threatening from someone a bit more intimidating. Where's Siiri when you need her?

Ariel is momentarily startled by a dog barking. Her attention had been solely focused on the mafia, so that she barely even heard Liam's question seconds before.

Åsa's sudden appearance further confounds her. The woman's fearlessness was almost one for the record books... except she wasn't very scary at all. Still, the mafia was now technically outnumbered, if the dog was being counted.

Ariel however was not so certain that stern words were going to solve this matter. She glanced to Isabela to make sure the the other dagger user was still ready to go before stepping around Liam with her daggers drawn and at the ready.

"If you want to make this a fight, it is one."

This was starting to get intense for sure, and at first Liam just stares for a moment as Ariel side steps him with her daggers out. He glances at the newcomer before looking between Ariel and Isabela.

He really wasn't sure what to do besides stand there with a wide stance, trying to look intimidating... and really wishing he had a weapon of his own. Even if he didn't have any real skill, he still knew that the pointy end goes into the bad guy.

The attackers halt for a moment in confusion, but then the boss yells a command and they go back to their attack... just that they're completely disregarding Liam and the dog now and concentrate on the three women. The one who attacks Åsa laughs, apparently considering her an easy opponent, while the other two are a bit more careful in their approach. The boss is talking hectically on the phone in the background.

...Floweregg, on the other hand, runs towards them, barking. It's just not stopping anyone, to her great dismay.

Finally a real battle of sorts. Isabela had a dagger drawn in each hand in the blink of an eye, the blades glinting menacingly in the sunlight. She didn't know the girl who'd run in along with the dog, but they didn't look armed, and that made them targets.

Well, not if Isabela acted first.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a dagger flying through the air. It whistled as it sailed past Isabela's fellow fights and sank with a sickening thud into the head of the nearest thug with startling accuracy.

"Any other takers?" she asked casually, drawing a third dagger into her empty hand.

When the dagger flew, past her, Ariel could only stare in surprise as it embedded itself into one of the mafia guys. She might have mouthed a few silent curses as she watched him crumple to the floor. Given the alterations they might have gone under, it was hard to say for certain that he was dead, but she was pretty curtain Isabela had just killed someone.

Obviously, the other two froze seeing their bro go down and in that moment, Ariel sprang into action attacking them. She wasn't going for the kill, not quite having it in herself to kill, she just went for driving the next nearest attacker off with her daggers.

For another moment, Liam is frozen in place. Was that guy dead now? Holy...!

Then he seems to steel himself. If things were going down, he wasn't going to let Ariel fight while he just stood there. However, he was going to need something pointy, considering what he was up against.

"Dude! Somebody throw me a dagger!"

Isabela wasted no time in whipping out another dagger. Hearing Liam's cry, she hesitated for half a heartbeat wondering if it wouldn't do more harm than good, but then again, who brought fists to a knife fight? Really.

With barely so much as a glance in his direction, she flung one his way.
"Catch!" she called out, and really hoped he was coordinated enough to not lose a finger in the process. That would be awkward.

She pulled a fourth dagger into her once again empty hand, and with a brandish whirled into action against the attacker closest to her.

Floweregg manages to evade the falling man just at the last moment and barks in surprise as she jumps out of under him, but a moment later she's back in action running towards the guy coming for Åsa to try and ...bite him? Something.

Ariel was not about to arm Liam with a dagger, so she shouted No way Juuuust before Isabela tossed one to him anyway. Worried for him, she glanced his way afraid that she'd see him clutching a hand minus a few fingers, which gave the guy she was fighting a chance to attack her with his own knife that he had pulled out just then. The swipe at her was vicious and swift, but not well aimed and it glanced off her ribs on the left side, rather than plunging into her.

She cried out in pain and on instinct drove her own dagger deep into the chest of her opponent, just under the left collarbone. The knife bit deep and got stuck, making her have to struggle to keep a grip upon it.

She therefore was not focused on the actions of Floweregg or Åsa, but as the puppy was not under foot at the time, she could only assume the dog was being a ball of terror elsewhere.

Liam, not thinking as per usual, was about to give catching the dagger a try just before he heard Ariel cry out. He turns at the sound, and the dagger instead clatters on the ground a few feet away.

Seeing Ariel hurt made his eyes go wide, and at that moment he felt and instant cold type of calm. He wasn't about to allow anyone to hurt her any further, so he hurries to grab the dagger that Isabela had thrown.

When it was in his hand, for a second he felt a strange sensation, then automatically he corrected his grip on the hilt and held it tightly. He was ready to do this...

And it is that moment when reinforcements arrive - four more mafia members with knives, and one with a handgun.

The problem of the guy with a handgun is that everyone is too close together to shoot safely from the distance now, so he draws a knife as well as they storm towards the group of reincarnates.

Floweregg, having successfully made the guy stumble that attacked Åsa, is currently busy attacking his ankles in hopes of making him fall completely.

Åsa sees the blade fly, takes a moment to realise what is going to happen, and makes the decision not to look. Instead she keeps her attention fixed on the guy going for her, clenching her fists and preparing to fight. Still, she's also aware that she's come into a knife fight with no weapon... well, unless Floweregg counts. She's at least doing a good job of distracting the guy, good enough that Åsa feels brave enough to duck in while he's trying to kick the dog with a low tackle, aiming to knock him down. If she can take out the guy coming up behind him at the same time, all the better, but her true focus is on scrabbling to take the knife from him.

When reinforcements arrived, Isabela sent a fresh barrage of flying daggers through the air, knocking weapons out of hands and embedding themselves in heads and chests.
"Feeling in over your heads yet, boys?" she taunted as she sliced at those left standing.

Ariel was struggling thanks to the cut to her side. she did her best to ignore it while finally yanking her dagger free, just in time for another of Isabela's daggers to plunge into an oncoming attacker. Although injured, he wasn't dead and with a sort of cold lethality, she finished him off, stabbing him in the neck.

The one she had stabbed originally was not dead however a she'd managed to miss the heart. As she was distracted, it left her back open and the injured mafia grunt lunged up knife in hand, ready to stab her from behind.

Something inside Liam snapped just then, as if he wasn't himself any longer. All he could think about was that Ariel was in danger and that he had to protect her.

It was then without thought, and without hesitation, that Liam did what he did. He ran up from behind her attacker, grabbed the back of his collar towards him and slit his throat.

Without even pausing for a moment, he searches for the next attacker. Seeing Åsa struggling with her own thug, Liam rushes over to help while keeping one eye on Ariel.

Floweregg manages to trip the guy that was attacking Åsa and he stumbles, taking a step into Liam's direction to steady himself - but one of his comrades sees that he's now up against two people and rushes over as well from the other side.

There's too much blood. Åsa can smell it as much as see it, the heavy smell of iron reminding her of a memory that isn't hers but that has been haunting her for a while. She pushes it down, forces herself to concentrate just on those close to her than those who have... already been dealt with, because if she does, she won't be able to deal with it.

Swallowing and refocusing, she turns her attention to the man with the pistol. She's never used one before, but if she can get it off him, she'd be much happier if it was out of the picture. Deciding it's no time to play fair, she darts forward and elbows the second man approaching her and Liam hard in the chest, her knee coming up between his legs a moment later. It probably isn't too accurately aimed, but the movement is fast enough for her to slip past him while he's getting his breath back, and out to face the other man.

She doesn't pause to think; not while she has surprise on her side, and she tackles him bodily, one hand gripping the one that holds the knife, while she gropes for the gun with the other, not caring that her tackle has sent them both to the ground. As long as she can get that gun, she'll deal with the bruises and the scratches later.

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[Closed] It's Liam's fault.

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/slips back in here

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