[open] climbing out the back door didn't leave a mark

[scythersergeant]

Who: Shinoa and you!
When: About 4/4? Backdated to before Gilgamesh's rescue catchall!
Where: In and around a bar in a shadier part of Capablanca.
What: Shinoa narrowly escapes getting kidnapped, and decides to warn fellow Heroes about it. If someone wants to go in and beat stuff up make sure no one else fell for it in this particular establishment, Shinoa is all for it.
Rating: References to human trafficking, violence



[You don't hand a teenaged girl a drink and expect her to drink it these days. Considering that in this case you're a stranger, and that this is a shady bar, there's really no reason to take anything other than a 'no' for an answer.

But the bartender seems to disagree, because he's not taking Shinoa's refusal well. Shinoa stares down into the plastic cup she's holding, smelling innocently of grape juice, and repeats that she'd rather finish this outside thank you very much.

"Oi, I'm bein' hospitable!"

"Do you want the drink back? You can have it back." She offers the cup with one hand, while her other hand slides to a ready position across the handle of her scythe. Her clothes are not the standard uniform, but no one's pretending they're not uncomfortable about the Hero in the room anymore; it's just too hard to hide a scythe twice your (small, but still) size. She's not about to walk into this kind of place unarmed, though, which is clearly a good call considering how the adults to her left and right are eyeing her with a hostility that rather implies complicity.

"I'm a Hero and quite experienced with my weapon, for the record." Shinoa informs the bartender, and then marches out.

If you're also around the entertainment districts tonight, whether investigating for Blanc or simply taking time off, you might find a girl clearly armed and clearly uneasy circling a particular row of taverns. If you're recognizable as a Hero, she might pull you aside and point out a certain bar-]

Be careful about that place. I think they tried to drug me in there.

Comments

[mithrarin]

[Dust, being fairly recognizable as a furry Hero, definitely qualifies for a side word. And the moment she offers that warning, the Sen-Mithrarin's hand drops to the hilt of his sword.]

Drug you? That...

[...there are two possible reasons, actually. Neither is particularly palatable.]

...Maybe I should go in. See if they try the same on me or not.

[scythersergeant]

[Well, maybe there are native furries.....?

At Dust's suggestion Shinoa purses her lips and shakes her head frantically.]

Hey, be careful! What if they succeed? Are you armed? You'd better not go in there if you're not armed!

I'm just worried someone else might've fallen for it.....

[mithrarin]

Of course I'm armed! [Dust literally cannot imagine a world in which he isn't armed. He's already committing the greatest of blasphemies in this life by occasionally sheathing his sword.]

The only reason I want to try is because it'd tell us what they want. If they try anything on me, it's because they want Heroes.

[scythersergeant]

Ohh.

[Shinoa agrees; one must always be armed. His good sense and valid reason make her reconsider what had once been an absurd suggestion.]

Okay.... I'll hang closer to the entrance. If you need me, shout or something and I'll bust in?

[mithrarin]

[It shouldn't come to that, but -- well, Dust cannot on any level deceive himself about Shinoa's ability to protect herself, no matter the impression her physical appearance instinctively provokes.]

Right. And if it isn't Heroes they want...

[They're smashing up the place. Dust isn't going to stand for that.]

[Dramatically, because he can't help but be that way, Dust turns and stalks for the door, cape billowing out behind him.]

[scythersergeant]

[She wonders what Dust would suggest if it weren't Heroes these people want. Shinoa's never had to deal with these things, even though she knows trafficking is a grim reality present even back home.

But Dust is gone, so she just grips her scythes and waits for his return.]

[mithrarin]

[A couple of minutes pass before there's a crash of glass, a heavy thump, then a crack of breaking wood.]

[A heartbeat later, Dust comes out of the door, idly dusting his hands off.]

They wanted Heroes. [Or their fetishes are even more questionable than he had thought, but let's not go there.] Tried the same sort of thing on me.

[scythersergeant]

[Shinoa frowns.]

We should report this to Lisbrand or something.... but from what I've seen I doubt the military has the manpower to deal with this.

[mithrarin]

To put it mildly. If they had the people to deal with it we wouldn't be needed.

[Dust half-turns, looking back over his shoulder at the establishment. What he has to say is perhaps a bit too late after his brief flurry of violence in there, but nevertheless.]

But there's more than just them involved. There has to be.

[dualitea]

[ Hello, Shinoa. Henry had walked up to her with the intent of greeting her (and perhaps offering his escort), but what she says kind of throws all that out of the window. ]

You went in there? [ THAT'S SO DANGEROUS ] Did they do anything else to you?

[scythersergeant]

[SHINOA EATS DANGER FOR BREAKFAST and lunch and dinner, to be honest. Too much danger in her world, so little time]

No, I left when things started to get suspicious.

[dualitea]

[ THAT'S WHY SHE SHOULD SWITCH TO A HEALTHIER DIET. ]

Oh, thank goodness... [ He looks a little more settled now, but still anxious by the way he still looks around ever so slightly. ] Was there anything else you noticed?

[scythersergeant]

[NEVER until someone who can cook helps her, maybe. She can't make anything healthier by herself.]

Not really, I was focused on getting out. But it felt like the bartender offered me the drink after noticing my weapon- [She patted the scythe]- which, y'know, you'd have easier targets if you were just after girls, right?

If for some reason they're after Heroes.....

[dualitea]

[ You could have asked him!! ... except he isn't all that good at cooking either. Having a Berserker for an alt personality kind of does that to you, you set your things on fire by accident ('accident'). ]

We're important people. That... tends to come with the status...

[ He draws his hands ever so slightly closer to himself, as a reflex to ward off whatever eyes might be on them right now. ]

[scythersergeant]

[Then that's not much of an improvement from Shinoa's own cooking skills!!]

If they're taking us for ransom or something, we should check it out.

[dualitea]

[ At least it's some improvement?? ]

Are you sure? Perhaps... we should go with more people?

[ He's looking uncertain, but it's mostly out of doubt out of whether they can fight their way out if necessary. All sorts of terrible things can happen inside a shady tavern... ]

[scythersergeant]

[Oh yeah, he's the one with the tiny dagger. This is a less than pleasant realization, and it makes her huff into the handle of her scythe as she leans into it. Here's a pouting Shinoa for you.]

Well..... would you rather we just stay here and wait for more Heroes?

[burnmydread]

[ It's definitely been an interesting few days. Capablanca is everything and not at all like they'd been told, although Minato is a master at taking most things in stride. After a mishap at the beach, he decides that heading further into town--one might guess to get something to eat, which is more than likely--is the best idea.

Of course, it's hard to miss a weapon like that, let alone its wielder who seems to not quite fit the look. Hm.

But--hey! She's cute. And Minato is all about cute girls.

He's most clearly a Hero based on his own garb, not seeing much of a point in pretending otherwise. (He did hear the warnings, yes.) Hands in his pockets, he plans to approach her but she beats him to the punch when she pulls him aside. ]

...To drug you?

[ Wait, what? ]

How do you know?

[scythersergeant]

[So Minato got off lucky for not even having to try a pick-up line today. Good for him. They even already have a very conducive topic to chat about, i.e. likely illegal proceedings. Shinoa's very engrossed in the matter, scowling with a backward glance to the offending establishment.]

I fed the drink they gave me to a stray when I got out. It passed out.

[It passed out pretty quickly. Shinoa's small, but she's nowhere near as small as the average dog.]

I'd say 'don't go in', but.... do you think other people have fallen for it? I don't know how long they've been at this.

[burnmydread]

[ He had a few ready and everything, but...he'll just save them for next time. Clearly illegal proceedings are right up there with, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

Wait, so some dog or cat is now asleep in an alley? That's too bad. Or maybe he should be jealous? Asleep is one of his favorite states of being. ]

...Well, back in the capital most people have been pretty willing to put heroes up or buy us things. So...yeah, it's possible other people have if we're used to getting things.

[scythersergeant]

[If you want to be induced into sleep you could always walk right into the establishment Shinoa'd just pointed out. It's not recommended, though.]

I've gotten a lot of shady looks when in uniform in this part of town.... what if someone else fell for that? There're crime rings in Capablanca, so it's likely that.....

[It's impossible to tell from what she's seen if victims end up with forced labor or body parts on some black market, or if there're victims at all.]

Do you want to check it out with me?

[Minato is scoring an unfair amount with this meeting! First the girl approaches, now the girl's asking him out! The outing could very well get the both of them killed, but who's quibbling over the details, right?]

[burnmydread]

[ He has heard about some of the more underhanded activity in the area, but he spent most of his time on the beach having to fight for his innocence with mermaids. (Not as fun as it sounds.)

Minato hums thoughtfully in response as he casts his gaze back over to the bar she'd indicated. It doesn't look unfriendly...but it doesn't look friendly, either.

Technically it should be his job, as a hero, to investigate, right? But it's more his job as a protagonist to agree to all expeditions, especially when they're offered by cute girls. So when his gaze settles back on her, he nods. ]

Safety in numbers, right?

[ All 170cm of him will protect you and your, uh...giant...scythe? ]

[scythersergeant]

[Well played. She's an important NPC where she comes from, dispenses the tutorials, but her protagonist sucks and doesn't listen half the time. He's getting better, but not by much.]

Yes. Let's check out the back of the place and see if they're keeping anyone?

[She nods, looking relieved she's got a partner, and indicates an opening from the street that squeezes into an alley beside the bar.

And don't worry, his 170cm just has to concern himself with self-protection. The giant scythe is to protect herself with! All, like, almost 2 meters of it.

[burnmydread]

[ Oh she offers tutorials? She must definitely be an important one. He also knows that those conversations aren't the best ones to power through, because you'll inevitably realize you missed something important in the middle of battle. Duly noted. He's learned from his mistakes. (Mostly.) ]

Sounds like a plan.

[ All shady bars have backdoor shady entrances, right?

If not she might be able to make one with that weapon of hers.

At her indication, Minato moves towards the opening, sparing a quick glance around to see if anyone else has gotten the same idea, before slipping through. The alley itself is dimly lit with just the sort of ambiance that one would expect when sneaking around.

And, you know... ]

...It sinks.

[ It also kind of smells. ]

[scythersergeant]

[She's so important. It's literally easier to get yourself killed than to get her killed when she's in your party. It's kind of disappointing that she has this sort of protagonist, has she mentioned that before (she has). So it's okay. She's set a low bar this time.

She flanks Minato's side as they enter the alleyway, falling a step behind him due to its narrow width. As the.... smell..... settles over her, she covers her nose with a hand. From what can be seen of her face, her brows are wrinkled in evident displeasure.]

Let's get this over with quick. Do you see a back door?