A Branch of Friendship - Steampunk/Ninja RP

[Draco]

This is a RP that takes place after the events of the Mage/Steampunk and the Pirate RP.
It will mostly be a Steampunk and Ninja RP, but others guilds are free to enter if they really wish.

=====


The day began like any other, the normal routine, at least for a ninja. People got up, some trained, some go meals, some meditated, and most people had their own routine for when they did things, but most were similar. It was quiet until all around the dojo and the surrounding area messenger ninja collected people for a special meeting.

In minute Draco was stepping into a garden with the Ninja Elders. The last time he was summoned by them, he was sent on a mission to watch the pirates. His memory was a bit fuzzy on the details of it, but from what he remembers, they weren’t up to anything dangerous, so they weren’t a threat. Who knows what they want of him now. He glanced around the garden as other ninja, some he knew, some he didn’t know, and some he has seen around but never spoken too, were slowly filling the garden.
The Ninja Elders sat on some stones waiting for people to arrive. When they were satisfied they stood up. One coughs and steps forward.

“Ninja, we have something important to tell all of you. For as long as we can remember we have watched over the country from the shadows. We occasionally take offers from other residents of this land, and we occasionally watch as others handle things, but this is not one of those times. We have two missions at the moment that are important. The first and possibly the most important is an assassin.”

“Wait,” Draco speaks up, “You need an assassin? We haven’t done a job like that in many years. You can’t expe-“
The Elder holds up his hand, silencing Draco.

“As I was saying, we are dealing with an assassin. Scouts have been watching him from a distance for many years now. He has been quiet for many years, from what we could tell. Every now and then he seems to disappear and we are forced to look for him again. He has recently appeared again, in the city of Brassport. We believe he has been hired for a job, and it may be important. We wish for you to stop him. Find out what he is up too, and put a stop to it.”

The Elder looks to another Elder and nods his head. That Elder steps forward now and begins to speak.

“This brings us to our second mission. The city of Brassport. It is new to our lands, and very few outsiders have really entered and reported info on the city. We believe this is just because people are afraid to visit. We wish to create a base of sorts there, and study the city and its people. We will send a message to Toshiro who has been living there for some time. He will arrange where you will stay. You will leave as soon as possible, this afternoon at the latest. Draco, as much as it may be a bother, you will lead the group.”

Before Draco could say anything, the Elders disappeared in clouds of smoke. An envelope full of information on both missions is all that remain.

---

Days later, it is night, and the group walk the streets of Brassport looking for Gil’s Shop, where Toshiro stays.

[Lizzie]

Candy stuck close to the ninja group as they moved through Brassport. She was slightly nervous, but she felt safe with the others...

Of course, the girl had been excited when she heard of the prospect of going to Brassport. Besides living somewhere else before the age of three, she had never really left the dojo. And that had been years ago. She was older now. And so, she had begged and begged to go with them to Brassport. She didn't really know what they were doing, but she didn't care.

Candy twirled her hair around her finger. She wasn't going to go near anyone from Brassport yet. She was going to look, though, oh yes.

[PFA]

Peffa ((AKA ninja!PFA, the name stuck)) wasn't sure what to expect of Brassport. She had always heard of it as this mysterious city of alchemy and unique steam-powered contraptions, which had suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere. She was hoping the locals would be friendly, but part of her was expecting it all to be really... odd. She wasn't sure why.

And then there was the assassin they were supposed to be finding. From the sound of it, he had gone inactive previously, but something had brought him back into business. Did this mean he was coming out of retirement? If he was a retired assassin—with the scouts specifically keeping an eye on him, no less—that must have meant he was really good at his job. Were they really ready to handle this guy? Was he going to be as elusive as the ninja were supposed to be?

Peffa wasn't sure, but she knew that taking the mission would be better than staying at home with more training. There was only so much training she could do at the dojo; it was about time for some actual experience.

"So... I assume we have a map to where we're going, right?" Peffa asked the others, taking a look at her surroundings. She really had no idea where they were.

[Draco]

Draco takes out a folded piece of paper and unfolds it.

"All I have to go on currently is this map Toshiro sent telling me where to go if I wanted to visit. I think the place we're going is just around the corner."

Turning the corner they see, yet another building.... But this was the one they needed. Darn buildings all looking alike. Stepping into the building the group walks to the front desk where a young woman sat looking bored. She looks up at them.

"Uhhh... Are you here for Mr. Maxwell?"

Draco scratches the back of his head.

"Sort of... More for Toshiro then Gil."

Leena reaches under the desk and takes out a large book, and goes through the pages. She stops at a page tittled, 'A Group of Ninjas Arrive to the Front Door Looking for a Co-Worker, and what To Do About It,' and reads it.

"Ok, go on up."

The group go on up to Gil's apartment. When they arrive at the door it's locked. With a little lock picking, they were inside and waiting for Toshiro in no time.

----

Elsewhere in the city, a dark figure stands in the shadows, watching a important business man.

"Kukuku..."

He takes some notes and disappears deeper in the shadows.

----

Gil walks into the apartment from the shop and begins to make a sandwich. All the time not noticing the ninjas who were standing around. He begins to eat when he notices something.

"This needs mustard."

Mustard appears in front of him before he could get up. He begins to use it, but stops. He looks around.

"Why are there a group of Ninjas in my house?"

Draco waves, "A messenger bird should have delivered you details."

A bird flies into the room and drops a message for Gil, takes his sandwich, then flies away. Gil reads and sighs.

"Toshiro is out right now, but he should be by later. So I guess relax or whatever you guys do until then. Or get to work, whatever. I'll help out with what I can after I finish this job."

He wanders off back to the shop.

[Jina]

Mayor Owen, as usual, had a problem. This time, it was intelligence.

Not his intelligence, of course, he liked to think he had a few too many sandwiches for the picnic. Instead, his problem was the intelligence of Brassport's militia, mostly the fact that it didn't actually have any. He was, technically, the leader of the militia, and while he left most of that job to the various generals, he did have a habit in meddling in thing just because he could, and he had come to realise that neither he nor his generals really had any idea what was going on.

But as usual, he also had a solution. He liked to call it his pet project. Officially, it would be known as the Steampunk Guild. A group of Brassport's best, brightest, and most conveniently placed, able to gather and interpret information, and then do something about it so that the militia wouldn't need to stretch their resources so much. He would be in charge of it, but that wouldn't as a surprise to anyone. In the chaos that had ensued after Brassport had been ripped out of it's own world, he had managed to put himself in charge of just about everything, and as much as he would have liked to delegate, there was nobody he trusted to do as good of a job as he could.

He would also have liked to have made finding out how Brassport came across worlds the first business of the Steampunk Guild, he couldn't. It would have to wait until the more immediate had been sorted out, like the underground anti-mage groups that needed to be held at bay.

But nothing could be done until the Steampunk Guild had been created. In the morning, messages had been sent to a number of people from all across Brassport, people he had hand-picked the day before. Now, the members of the new guild were sitting in the cellar of the Mayor's Office, waiting for him.

He opened the door to the cellar, and entered. "Hello everybody." He looked at the faces around him, sitting in the dim candlelight. "Sorry about the lighting, I'll organise making this place a little brighter. Anyway, you've all read the messages I sent out, and I can only assume that since you're here, you're willing to take part in this little project. We can do introductions and organisation later, for now there's the matter of an assassin who I think is somewhere in the city that needs to be discussed."

He took a seat at the large meeting table. "So welcome to the Steampunk Guild. Before I brief you on the assassin, any questions?"

((D'you reckon we should have an OOC thread for this? I'm not sure if the RP'll be big enough to need it, but who knows? At the very least it's a suitable place to give things a poke if they slow down.

Also, anyone in the Steampunk Guild can consider themselves invited to the Steampunk Guild. By which I mean, if you're part of the guild OOC, then IC you've just been invited to the intelligence service, and I highly recommend that you join, unless you have a very good reason why your character shouldn't. I'll be using it as a way to get everyone together and involved in the plot, rather than having everyone coincidentally stumble upon it every RP. x3))

[Draco]

((If we get enough people and if we move fast enough, maybe we could have a OOC chat. However, I don't really care for them too much, especially a lot of new RPs these days making them when they are just a few pages in >.> But if we get enough people, it may be easier then discussing stuff in the RP like this ))

Gil scratches his head as he walks around his workshop, he knew he was forgetting something.... He looked at the note given to him from the messenger bird. Then he looks out a window.

"The meeting!"

He runs over to a small air-bike, Leena's in fact, he was repairing it and finished a little while ago.

"She'll get it back, but first a test drive."

He hops on and rides off.

A short while later he arrives at his destination and runs through some halls and such. He runs into the meeting and falls into his chair, breathing hard.

"Sorry I'm late..."

He tries to catch his breath, and holds up a paper for Owen to see. He slides it down the table.

"A group of ninjas just appeared at my place. They're looking for the assassin as well."

[biscuityurble]

Gladys tugged her bolero slightly as she paced through the halls of the Mayor's Office, trying to find the cellar; as she walked, she lifted up the paper to the light, squinting at it as if to find and rectify a mistake. She was certain the meeting couldn't be in some dingy, underlit cellar; this was the Mayor they were dealing with, after all, even if he wanted somewhere more secure, there were always other rooms available than ... there.

Except, as usual, it was no mistake, and as Gladys reached the door, she paused and sighed before turning the handle and stepping in. If only Ethomie was here too...

Gladys had barely walked in when her eyes immediately blinked, readjusting to the sudden lack of lighting. As the darkness grew less so, she became aware that several people were already present, and so was the Mayor. She gave a quick yet sufficient curtsey, tinged with a polite, somewhat fixed smile, and handed over her piece of paper.

"I apologise for my lateness," she said as she shut the door. Her heels echoed around the room as she searched for her seat. "I struggled to find the entrance." She fell silent as she found her seat, and she promptly sat down, with Gil on her left. She paid no attention to him though as she leaned forward slightly, so as to see past him and at the Mayor.

[Deleted]

The cool evening breeze brushed over Sarinon’s skin as she stood silent and gracious to greet the rising moon. It was almost full, and it shone beautifully on the white marble balcony setting everything aglow. She breathed deeply, and with a sense of quiet joy she had not felt in a long time. The last few months had been trying and had taken their toll on her. She was beginning to see health once more, but she knew the illness that had once ravaged her body was still lurking somewhere. And yet, for all the world she could care less. Sarinon had the very thing she had longed for since she was a child running homeless on the streets of Brassport.

She had her brother.

When Mr. Featherstone and the Sheeple had bought her safely into Brassport, they had found quite an uproar. She, of course, had been unconscious at the time, but Sarn had filled her in on the important parts. When she had awoken, it was to a much more peaceful city – a city that now called mages its allies and friends. Oscar had told her the Sheeple had smelled revolution a mile away and had sworn to aid it in whatever way they could, and they hadn’t seen hide nor wool of them since, although some scattered reports of strangely accented, cowled figures trotting the streets were not uncommon.

When the alliance between the mages and Brassport had been finalized, Sarn volunteered to be a member of the contingent sent to live, work and aid the city, Everyone knew, however, that he had little or no intention of remaining true to his duties. He left Mage Manor and the Kingdom for his long lost sister, and no one really blamed him. The two of them had seen each other once in the ruined City Hall, and once again, he had seen her unconscious in the back room of a seedy inn, so when they finally had a chance to reunite under something close to normal circumstances, Sarn had decided he didn’t want to be away from her again for a very long time.

He was currently off on official business, however, and so the Lady watched the skies in case she could catch a glimpse of him returning to her home where he now lived. Instead, her reverie was broken by footsteps behind her.

“Who is it?” she asked, turning to peer into the blurred gloom of her vision.

“My Lady, I am a messenger from the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Brassport. His Lordship wishes your presence at a gathering in his offices. I am to escort you should you decide to attend.”

“Is this a social gathering?” she asked dubiously.

“No, my Lady. It is a meeting of the most prominent citizens who seek the betterment of our great city,” replied the messenger.

Sarinon smiled wryly. “In the middle of the night?” she said, not really expecting an answer. “Very well then, show me the way.”

[Draco]

((nudge, nudge, nudge))

The ninjas sit around waiting for some time before Toshiro returns home with several bags and boxes. He stares at the group with a surprised look.

"Why are-"

Draco interrupts, "The messenger bird was late, only just got here."

Toshiro blinks and looks at the group, setting the stuff down.

"I would give you the letter, but Gil ran off with it earlier. Long story short, we're looking for someone and can use a base of operation."

Toshiro sits down, "It would have been nice to know ahead of time. I guess if Gil doesn't have a problem you can stay here for now, but if you want something else later we're going to need to talk with the Mayor or at least find a open building or something."

He thinks for a few minutes, trying to remember if there were any vacant buildings nearby or not. "Maybe talking with the Mayor," looking around he notes who showed up, "So they sent all of you for one person? Who is it?"

"A assassin. Scouts say his last sighting was in the city. The Elders believe that he was hired for a job. We need to find him, and find out his target."

Toshiro shakes his head, "That will be harder then you think. The city is pretty large. I haven't even seen all of it. As for the people, there are a lot, and a number of important people. We may need to see the Mayor."

----

The scene around the City Hall is quiet, nothing was moving except for a few random rats, a couple swinging from buildings on small strings.... However there were no people in sight, and it was still quiet. From the rooftop of a neighboring building, a figure emerges out of the shadows to reveal a figure with red bandages wrapped around most of his head. His mouth forms a thin smirk as he stares at City Hall. He takes out a small piece of paper and makes a quick note before he slides back into the shadows and disappears again.

[xiphoniii]

Xiphon III steps outside, and takes a deep breath, grinning. "Ah, I love the smell of steam in the morning!" Stepping off his stoop, he begins plummeting to the earth, still plenty happy, not a worry on his face. Looking up at his airship moored to one of the taller buildings, Xiphon clenched his toes, and and activated the steam jets in his Boots of Awesome, leveling out and flying down a road, a few feet above the ground, headed towards Toshiro's place. He owed him some brass.

Patting his pocket to make sure it hadn't fallen out, he sped around a few corners, and skidded to a midair halt a few inches over the ground, in front of Toshiro's door. Adjusting his hat and smirking a little, Xiphon III called out loudly. "Yo! Toshiro! You inside!? I've got your stuff!"

[Deleted]

((Written in conjunction and with permission from Scar regarding Oscar))

The streets were warmer than it had been on the balcony as Sarinon and her guide moved through the still night air. They passed the occasional night goer, but the place was relatively deserted, and she couldn’t help but wonder at the Mayor’s strange choice of meeting hours. Her guide, she sensed, was nervous and ever so slightly jumpy, but she deemed it unwise to ask. Likely, she would find out soon anyway.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed when she was hailed by a familiar voice.

"Why if it isn't fair Lady Sarinon! What good fortune has decided to grace my dreary night stroll with a face as lovely as yours?"

She paused for a moment, peering at the outline of the figure who had stepped out in front of her. “Mr. Featherstone,” she said, smiling. Her attitude towards the Gentleman Adventurer had warmed since the events of several months prior. When she heard how he had cared for her from an unbiased source, (Sarn was not to be relied on any topic that involved Oscar) she couldn’t help but be a little gentler with him. Though she knew his type well, and was extremely wary of him. “I was on my way to visit the Lord Mayor, sir. We really shouldn’t tarry.”

He bent down to take her hand, planting a polite peck before slipping his arm around hers in one swift movement. "Why of course, milady! It would be my pleasure to escort you with all due haste to the Lord Mayor's humble abode. Milady is indeed fortunate for I know a shortcut barely a few streets away and I, Oscar Featherstone, Gentleman Adventurer, would be only too pleased to escort a lovely lady such as yourself."

Before she knew what was happening, Sarinon was being swept away by the inexorable guidance of Mr. Featherstone’s firm grip. She attempted to say something, but nothing occurred to her, nor was the situation as wholly unpleasant as she supposed it would be. There was no harm in letting him escort her. She smiled warmly at him and the two began making light banter.

It wasn’t long before they reached the City Hall where a clerk greeted her and directed them to one of the passages that led to the callers. This was altogether strange – a secret meeting in the middle of the night in the underground vaults.

“Excuse me, sir, but you are not permitted to enter,” the clerk said to Oscar, who had already pushed past him with his lady in tow. The gentleman detached himself from Lady Sarinon and turned with an air of extravagance, ready to stun the clerk into submission, but Sarinon laid a hand lightly on his shoulder.

“All is well, Mr. Bracen, Mr. Featherstone is escorting me.”

“Very well, my Lady,” Bracen bowed courteously.

The two descended the steps together. She wasn’t sure why, but something told her the company of a Gentleman Adventurer was a good place to be on this night. They reached a door, knocked and entered.

[Draco]

Toshiro excuses himself when he hears Xiphon call for him. He walks past Leena on the way out.

"You can remind him that we have a front door you know.... I mean, it's not that hard."

He waves to her and heads outside.

-

Back in Gil's living area the ninjas were standing around waiting. When Toshiro returns he takes out a map and rolls it out on a table.

"Now I'm not sure where you can make a permanent base yet, but you may want to search around this area."

He places a few pins in multiple places.

"This is pretty much the rich district. So until you have better details, we can't really narrow it down. Maybe when Gil returns we can get a few things done."

[Rosalie Dylas (Maddy)]

Celia hadn't said much since they had left the dojo, she hadn't really had anything to say. Or maybe it was the nerves. She would hate to admit it, but she was nervous. Nervous of this new city Brassport, nervous about her first assignment, and just nervous in general.
She twirled her hair as she listened to Toshiro. Setting up a base... rich district... Gil.
She simply nodded her head, not bothering to look at the map she assumed he had gotten out. No need to pretend. It would do her no good to adjust her eyes to where the map was, all she would see was black.
Blind.
It wasn't an ugly word, she didn't care if she was called that, or looked down upon for it. Celia didn't mind the people thought her weak because she was blind, or thought she could never be a good ninja. She disregarded all that. Someday she could prove them wrong, she knew she could, if she just kept working at it.
Celia remained ever silent, still not having anything to say.