{ o1 video / action for Orlea }

[the_ninja]

[The man on the feed is looking distinctly pleased with himself as he stares into the camera, a strange glint in his one visible eye and a vulpine smile playing on his lips. Eagle-eyed viewers might notice that the poster behind him appears to have been put up the wrong way round- until they realize that his scarf probably shouldn’t be sticking straight up in the air and, in actual fact, he’s the thing that’s upside-down, not the world around him.

The Ninja is perched on the ceiling of an underpass in both a boast and a cheerfully shameless “screw you” to gravity. No wonder he seems so smug; he’s showing off.]

Some of you might be content to sit around and wait for something to happen but that’s not really my style. [chuckles softly] I’d rather stay sharp and be ready for the storm to hit when it inevitably does. In the meantime, my services are available to anyone who needs them.

[It's been a few months since he was active as a shinobi before a law enforcer and, whilst it hasn't dulled his skills any, even he's surprised by how eager he is to return to that life. Trying to fit back into the role of a peacekeeper and policeman without Soldier somehow feels wrong- or maybe it's just that he doesn't quite trust himself to play nice without his influence keeping him in line.

The Ninja pauses briefly before putting his head to one side, smile broadening to a challenging grin.]

... if any of you can keep up with me, I might just be impressed.

[ooc: Additional action option! The Ninja’s going to be following people around all day out of curiosity for practice so if your character’s in Orlea they might find themselves with a ninja stalker.]

Comments

[Video]

[never_go_back]

[Kodachi looks thoughtful. She's had her own little experiences with ninjas, so she's intruiged. Have a teenage girl in a black kimono.]

Well now, is this an open challenge to a game of tag? That.. Actually sounds fun.

{ video }

[the_ninja]

[Playing tag with a kid wasn't exactly what he had in mind but he's never been one to turn down a challenge- he's not sure his pride would allow it.]

I don't play for fun, I play to win. [a pause] ... but I'll indulge you if you really think you're up to it.

{ video }

[never_go_back]

[She titters behind her hand]

Intriguing; why does it have to be one way or the other?

And if that is the case, would you also indulge me in a little wager? Perhaps if I manage to capture you, you become my servant for a week?

[the_ninja]

Maybe I just take competition very seriously; I really don't like to lo-

[The Ninja stops abruptly, blinking at the girl on the video in surprise. Well. He hadn't expected that.

... what is he so wary of anyway? She's just a kid. As if to try and negate that hesitation, he tosses his head proudly and fixes his smile back into place.]

Interesting. And the same conditions would apply to you if you fail to catch me in say... under half an hour? You seem confident- I wouldn't want to patronise you.

[never_go_back]

[There is something delightful about bringing the ninjas lecturing to a halt like that, but Kodachi keeps a friendly smile on her face.'Interesting' he says.]

Is it not?

[And yet.. When he presents his terms, her cheeks pinken.]

Oh my.. Well you are certainly a man who knows what he wants, aren't you? Very well, I shall agree to your terms. Will the field of battle take place in Orlea?

[the_ninja]

[Of course, he only realises how that sounded too late. There's a brief moment where he gives himself away by looking embarrassed before he laughs it off, obviously either hoping she won't have noticed or pretending it didn't happen.]

Not exactly what I meant but I'm standing by it anyway. We can discuss the details when- [not "if", when]- I win. Orlea's fine by me- there's a small park nearby that might suit our needs. This place isn't exactly rich with open spaces like some of the other districts are.

[never_go_back]

[Hmn.. Win or lose this could prove fun; but she doesn't really have any intention of losing either. But that's mostly because she's a dirty cheater.]

Of course it isn't~. [Said in a 'wink wink nudge nudge' sort of way.] Very well, I just so happen to be in Orlea today and I believe I know which park you speak of.

Shall I meet you in, say, twenty minutes?

{ video --> action }

[the_ninja]

Twenty minutes... just long enough for you to realise your mistake in challenging me but too short a time for you to back out. Don't keep me waiting.

[And with that, the feed cuts out. He hasn't got far to go to get to the park but he'd rather get there at least ten minutes before her and get an overview of its layout. It's hardly the match of the century but that doesn't mean he should treat it as anything less than that- besides, any and all practice is worthwhile.

When Kodachi arrives- if she dares- she'll find him balanced somewhat imperiously on the top bar of the swings, arms folded. He just can't help showing off when he gets the chance; hubris has always been his greatest flaw.]

{ video --> action }

[never_go_back]

I wouldn't dream of it. See you then!

[And oops, he showed up fifteen minutes early, which didn't leave Kodachi any time to leave any traps since she arrived five minutes early. And she does (wearing a black cloak) with a surprised expression.]

Oh! .. Am I late?

[She takes a moment to study his body language. He seems to be aiming to impress; yet his expression is stern. Perhaps stroking his ego may lower his guard?]

Wait, what are you doing up there? Aren't you worried about falling?

[the_ninja]

[For a moment it seems as though her plan might not work- he's busy looking her up and down, sizing her up and not giving much away- but then he pauses, that familiar grin making a return. Bulls-eye.]

I was made to balance on the narrowest of beams and the thinnest of tightropes as a child- this doesn't even scratch the surface of my capabilities. [he laughs] It doesn't seem fair to expect you to match me.

[Alright, he's probably overdoing it a little but it's been a while since he was able to fully flex his ego's metaphorical muscles and if that means indulging in a little hyperbole he'll roll with it. Soldier's so good at keeping him in check that he doesn't often get the chance.]

I'm impressed that you showed up, though.

[action]

[smallskull]

[Maybe the Ninja is still perched on the underpass, or maybe he has already begun his stalking. In either case—]

What are you doing?

[Wait, where did that child come from? Go go superhuman presence concealment.]

[the_ninja]

[In fact, she just catches him putting the device away. Her approach is so unexpected and quiet that the sound of her voice startles him into the offensive and he drops from the ceiling, every muscle in his body tensing for a fight. He catches himself at the last moment before hitting the floor, landing like a cat with very raised heckles- and then he catches sight of the owner of the voice. And she's probably less than half his age.

The Ninja's frown turns from annoyed to bewildered- how did a little girl slip past his guard?!- and he skips her question altogether, launching right into his one of his own.]

... how long have you been there?

[smallskull]

[She can easily recognize the stance of a person prepared for a fight, and she automatically slinks backward in reply, her own posture becoming more guarded. Direct fights aren't her forte, but if he attacks her...]

[But no, he doesn't seem like he's going to, so she relaxes again. Even though he doesn't answer her question, she replies to his obediently enough.]

Um... Maybe a couple of minutes.

[She had been tailing one of her own marks when she saw him hanging upside down, so naturally that drew her attention.]

[the_ninja]

[He has to repeat that just to make sure he heard it right:] "Maybe a couple of minutes".

[Her reaction wasn't lost on him either- was she flinching away or preparing to fight?

... why is he even considering that possibility? It's far more likely that he simply got careless whilst he was broadcasting that little message, missed her coming into the underpass and then spooked her by nearly dropping on her head. Perhaps he's just being overly sensitive; there's something uncomfortably familiar about the situation that he can't put his finger on and he's throwing him.

Regardless, his tone softens and he stays kneeling so that he doesn't tower over her.]

You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, kid. [smiles a little] But good job- you managed to catch The Ninja out.

[smallskull]

I don't know, I didn't count...

[She relaxes more when he smiles and his tone softens, though. She doesn't return the smile, but she seems more at ease, and her voice is stronger when she replies again.]

Um...! Sorry. I didn't mean to. [She just didn't think things through when she turned her presence concealment off and spoke. She blinks at him, her expression curious when he introduces himself.] "The" ninja?

[the_ninja]

Forget it. I didn't mean to scare you either so we're even.

[... it's hard to fixate on the hypothetical when she's so damn cute. Part of him wants to cut straight to the usual "where are you parents" line like he might any other child but he holds back for now; she's already shown that she's certainly not just "any other child".]

That's right- and people call me that because I'm the most important one. What about you, junior? Got a name?

[smallskull]

Oh! Really? [Her curiosity only intensifies at that reply, her eyes widening slightly.] Why's that? How did you get to be the most important ninja?

[She hesitates briefly when he asks for her name. There's a part of her that wants to give him "Assassin" in return, so that she matches him, but she realizes that doing so isn't wise.]

Mm-hm. My name is Rasha.

[the_ninja]

[That hesitation isn't lost on him but he doesn't pursue it or even indicate that he noticed it- not that he automatically assumes that she's lying. Any kid would hesitate before telling a stranger their name and even if she wasn't being entirely truthful, he can't hold it against her.]

Really. I was the strongest of all the fighters in my clan so they made me the leader and then everyone else found out started calling me "The Ninja" too.

[He pauses, then, after a moment's thought, holds out a hand to her.] It's nice to meet you, Rasha. Now, how did you sneak up on me like that? You're not in trouble, I'm just curious.

[smallskull]

Oh...! I get it.

[She nods to herself. In fact, she probably understands better than one would expect a child to, seeing as that was more or less the same way the name "Hassan-i Sabbah" was passed on.]

[She edges closer when he offers his hand, only a little shy when she takes it. She's on guard in case you decide to pull any tricks, mister...!]

Uh-huh. It's nice to meet you, too. Um... [Her brow furrows together a little when he asks how she sneaked up on him, and again she has to ponder whether or not it's wise to be entirely truthful.] It's a secret.

[action]

[immortalcobra]

[Cobra doesn't frequent Orlea--preferring the taverns and brothels of Highcrest, or the advanced technology he's familiar with in Crystalden--but suffice to say he doesn't like to stay in one place for too long.

As a scoundrel and thief with a huge bounty on his head, he has every good reason. In this land the latter doesn't seem to pose as much of a problem, as his history has little meaning to people who don't know it, but his sticky fingers are still a bad habit. At the moment he seemed benign enough, casually strolling around the sidewalks... probably less so as he took his stroll around the perimeter of Orlea's nightclub. The sides of the building, the back entrance, the fire escape, the rooftop, how far away the next building was; he was carefully taking note of all these things.]

{ action } sorry, this is a little late!

[the_ninja]

[It's probably for the best that Cobra's managed to leave that less than squeaky clean past at home, otherwise The Ninja's motivations for picking him out to follow might have been something more sinister than casual curiosity. He's never seen him around before- not necessarily significant given how densely populated and diverse Orlea is- but there's something else about him that he can't place.

Most of his targets have had a specific destination in mind, no matter how roundabout their route might be but this man... he seems content to simply wander without purpose. Maybe he's just a tourist. Or lost. Whatever the case, it has The Ninja following him. It's only as he starts to circle the nightclub that things get more interesting- if he didn't know any better, he might say that his target was scouting out the place.

He moves to the second highest platform on the fire escape, the metal only giving the faintest of shivers as he lands. Right now he's conscious of how vulnerable the daylight makes him; keeping a distance seems wise, at least until he's figured out what he's doing.]

NO ME I'm a slow turtle I'm sorry.

[immortalcobra]

[Cobra would make for a poor thief if he didn't learn to recognize when eyes were on him for longer than the should be, but it was difficult to assess anything more. Whoever was tailing him wasn't easy to see. --Couldn't see, but he could faintly hear the presence of another in the distance.

Cobra kept his saunter as slow and casual as possible, alternating between stuffing his hands in his pockets or locking them behind his head. He whistles. He sticks his finger in his ear to clean it out. He does everything to make himself try to appear as uninteresting as possible, hoping his pursuer would get bored and leave, or better yet, become too impatient for their own good.]

Aaaahhhh...

[He rolls his head around his shoulders lazily, subtly using it as another opportunity to try and locate them.]

I've gotta' take a piss. Where's the bathroom?

[Hey, the night club has a back door up that small stoop. He starts to aimlessly bumble towards it.]

wow dreamwidth don't tell me about this reply or anything 8|

[the_ninja]

[Unfortunately for Cobra, trying to out-wait a man known for his steely patience might not be the best of plans and his attempts to lure The Ninja out prove fruitless. As he rolls his head, the flicker of movement from the top platform down to a lower one informs him that he hasn't lost his stalker just yet- on the contrary, he appears to be moving in.

... of course, he would decide to go inside. The Ninja's mouth sets into an irritable frown as he watches the man head towards the backdoor. He doesn't particularly want to follow him inside, not when the narrower space might get him caught, but he doesn't want to lose him either. Especially not when he's starting to get the impression that he knows he's being followed.

For now, the only move he makes is to swing down to the lowest level he dares to, the second floor.

Flecks of rust rain down as he lands. Damn it.]

DW stop being a butt

[immortalcobra]

[Ah, he picks that up. Cobra doesn't turn or flinch or move around; barely more than a pause and glance to the side for him to register the disturbance made. As tempted as he is to pull out the Psychogun and get a precise location, he thinks it might more fun to see how much further he can lure his follower out of hiding. He is "innocently looking for the bathroom", after all.

Cobra's hand goes for the doorknob

slowly

and

dramatically.]

Is it here?

[He turns the knob.]

...

[And jgiggles it a little.]

It's locked.

[the_ninja]

[So, is he putting on this show for his benefit? How flattering. Still, it seems to be working because as Cobra reaches out with painstaking slowness, The Ninja finds himself leaning right forward. Will he open it? Won't he? The tension is killing him here.

... of course not. The Ninja's head falls against the metal railings with a faint, dull thunk.

But it's pretty obvious that he's already aware of him and, on top of that, unless this guy makes a habit of describing his movements out loud like an overenthusiastic narrator, he's being toyed with. He could admit defeat and back off gracefully... but he's never really known when to quit.

The Ninja drops down behind him to the sound of his scarf rustling.]

Well, it is a nightclub.