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Stolen Memories [Career] (Cas) [Fin]
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Post by Cross on Apr 21, 2018 12:51:05 GMT
"Look I'm telling you he's turned into a mad dog. It ain't smart keeping him around." One thug growled out to his companion. Ravenna could hear two of them patrolling around the sixth floor occasionally pausing here or there to check some of the rooms.
"Don't spout that crap Hitori had it coming. He should have known better trying to sneak into that freaks room to take a look at the book he stole. If it really has as important of information in it as the Thief claims it's doubtful they'd just let random grunts like that asshole rifle through it." The second grunt grumbled out. The pair had taken to leaning a little ways from the door and in a moment Ravenna would hear the click of a lighter and smell cigarette smoke as they took a smoke break.
"Dude he stabbed a scalpel through Hitori's hand! Pinned it to the door of the room before he could even open it. I doubt they're gonna get the bloody spot off the wood any time soon. Heck they cleared everyone off the fifth floor while the Thief gives his report on what he found just to make sure some idiot doesn't try it again and gets a knife somewhere more fatal!" The first thug exclaimed clearly more then a little shook up by the whole incident. Maybe he just didn't like the sight of blood.
"Look man I know he's a private contract for the higher-ups, but I don't want to be anywhere near the guy. He creeped me out before with that creature of his, but at least with the way he ran his mouth you knew when you'd pissed him off. Now he's just all silent demon green eyes and you never know when those scalpels are gonna come out to play. It's fucking creepy man!" The same thug complained as Ravenna could hear his friend giving him some half-hearted reassurances. From the sound of things though it appeared the book and room Ravenna was looking for was on the fifth floor and currently unoccupied. A big handsized bloodstain after all should be an easy enough marking to figure out which door she'd be looking for.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 21, 2018 19:32:09 GMT
While listening for the patrol, Ravenna overhears some Yokai guards on their smoke break. They also seem to have their problems with this thief. He must be very talented if they are keeping him around after all of this. And apparently he threw a scalpel at a thug just for trying to look at the book? Why is this thief so obsessed with Cas' book of fairytales? It sounds like the thief's room is on the 5th floor, with a bloody handprint on the door. Also, according to the talk around the water cooler, figuratively speaking, the 5th floor has been abandoned for the time being while the Yokai higher ups sort this thing out with the thief.
There was also something else that caught Ravenna's attention. One of the thugs mentions that this thief has some sort of creature? It had to mean that there was a Digimon around. Is the thief a Tamer? Ravenna hopes that she won't have to take on this creature. Just from hearing the thugs talk about this thief, he apparently has an ego, and now he is prone to violence. Ravenna is really starting to dislike the thief, even though she hasn't even met him yet. The only other person that Ravenna loathes based on what she has heard is this guy Dante that her friend Misty has a thing for. Dante and this thief sound like they both are a little too in love with themselves. If she does encounter this thief, she's looking forward to maybe giving this Yokai a big kick in the gut, if she has the chance.
Ravenna heads down the stairwell to the 5th floor, glad to be away from the cigarette smoke. She enters through the door and looks around for the blood on the wooden door left behind. For all she knows, the Yokai have no idea that she is even here. The only one who really saw her was the guard at the entrance, but she was still in her crow form at that time. If everything goes smoothly, she just needs to enter the room, grab the book, return to the rooftop and skedaddle. Hopefully the room would be unlocked, or Ravenna might have to find another way in. Depending on the kind of lock, she might not be able to get the door open if there is a deadbolt or it requires a key card to open. Worst case scenario, she could Spirit Evolve and blast her way in, but that would alert the guards.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 3:12:56 GMT
The fifth floor is indeed abandoned, but for how long Ravenna couldn't be sure. It's likely she only has a short while at most to get in and get out before the Thief returns. The door though is not difficult to find. The thugs description of it is apt and the thin wooden office door is marked by a bloody smear as if someone was turning the knob with one hand and pressing on the door with the other to prevent it from making any sound when opening. Clearly just because they were silent did not mean they were not spotting by the dangerous Thief if the crimson smear is to be believed. The door is however locked though it's nothing more then a standard one often used in places of business and should take only minutes to crack. No sense investing in a superior lock for a door that could be taken down in a good kick. It's likely if the Thief planned to stay here for long he'd be replacing it or more likely this was only a temporary home for him given the Yokai's moving around.
Should Ravenna pick the lock she'd find herself in a relatively small 15x15 square room with a bed shoved into one corner with a small nightstand with an open first aid kit setting atop of it. A few messy and blood covered bandages could be seen in the trash nearby as though the Thief had been attempting to badly patch a few of his own wounds. The room is mostly devoid of decoration with only a dart board hung on one wall with a picture of a long black haired business man in a smart suit pinned to it with various scalpels as though the Thief was throwing the knives at it for practice. A worn old metal office desk takes up the other half of the room, a ragged dufflebag thrown next to it and sitting on it's chipped and scratches surface is the book Cas had mentioned looking only a little worse for wear then before. More concerning though are the few notes scattered and scrawled in an unfamiliar male hand nearby. At first they appear to be some sort of schedule, but a quick glance reveals them for what they really are. Dated and timed observations noting someone movements and their observations of said movements.
Then there are the drawings tucked carefully out of sight between the notes. There is nothing overt or inappropriate about the rough sketches Ravenna might be able to find, but the finer points captured in them are clearly the work of obsessive attention to detail. More importantly they are all clearly of the not-a-thief's client. The way the light catches her hair, the shape of her face half turned to stare with a distant sort of thoughtfulness at the stars, the fierce sharpness of her eyes looming above an unseen onlooker highlighted in bright contrast with blood, her tongue just barely peaking between her lips as the woman works in concentration. All of these scenes would be laid out before Ravenna drawn with the intimate and careful hand of an artist or mad man. Perhaps both. Either way the girl would have located the item in question she was set to retrieve and would need to make good her escape and quickly.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 6:04:03 GMT
It wasn't long until Ravenna comes across the door in question. The bloody handprint on the door was an easy giveaway. Ravenna would have to be quick about this. Taking out her locksmith kit, the track athlete turned Anti-thief gets to work opening the lock. It's funny, Ravenna never expected to be putting her lock picking skills to use like this. She is still an amateur, having tinkered around with picking locks as a hobby. After unlocking the door, Ravenna slowly opens the door, nervous that the thief may have already returned.
Ravenna steps into the room and closes the door. It was a lot messier than she had expected. Whoever this thief was, they were not a neat freak. Bloody bandages lay in the trash. Papers are scattered all over the desk. A book matching the descriptions rests on a duffle bag. There's a dartboard with a picture on it with a few medical scalpels sticking into the face. Ravenna didn't recognize the man, but what she doesn't know is that some of her friends know him. Between stealing Cas' book and throwing scalpels at the picture, this thief clearly has some issues.
It was time for Ravenna to grab the book and get back to the rooftop. She strides over to the duffle bag and picks up the book. Out of curiosity, she looks through a few pages to better understand what the thief is up to. She notices several pictures of Cas from different stages of her life. She also notices several drawings scattered across the desk. Not knowing if the thief removed anything from the book, she gathers up all the papers she can find, and sticks them in the duffle bag along with Cas' book. Once she feels that she has done everything she needed to here, she exits the room and starts heading back upstairs.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 17:34:36 GMT
The dufflebag was fairly light. If Ravenna bothered to look inside she'd mostly see a change of clothes and emergency gear, maybe a few essentials. It was clearly a bug out bag of some sort and the book, papers, and drawings went into it easily. Leaving the room all would be fairly quiet, but at the other end of the floor the girl would hear the tell tale sound off footsteps on the other stairs and the creak of the door. She would likely only have a minute, perhaps less to get back to the stairwell she'd come in from and through the door before the stranger, likely the Thief himself turned the corner. Perhaps even less time before he entered the room and discovered she'd absconded with his stolen prize and no small amount of his work.
If she was quick on her feet though Ravenna would have little trouble getting back through the door, up the stairs, and onto the roof once more. Though from beneath her she'd hear a muffled crash...as though someone had just upended a desk in their fury.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 18:13:54 GMT
Ravenna was so focused on leaving with the book, she hadn't even emptied out the bag before she put the book and the papers inside. As she goes to leave, she can hear footsteps approaching. This floor is supposed to be off limits. It was probably the thief returning. Trying to stay quiet, Ravenna takes long strides, getting to the stairwell as fast as she can without making a lot of noise. Once she reaches the stairwell, Ravenna hears the sound of a desk being knocked over. The thief must have returned and realized someone took the book.
Ravenna bolts up the metal stairs. Her element of surprise is gone, and now the only thing she could do was get out of here as quickly as possible. Ravenna reaches the door to the roof, and goes outside. She takes the chain from before and wraps it around the handle. Hopefully that would buy her enough time to flee.
(Thinking) "Okay, I've got the book. Once I get out of here, I can check my phone and see if Cas sent me the address. Maybe the hard part is already over. My adrenalin is pumping, got to calm down."
The Psychic Human Spirit inside Ravenna's D-Tector speaks to the anti-thief.
"Relax, Ravenna. Control your breathing. You can handle this."
"Right. Thank you for your guidance."
Ravenna wouldn't be able to carry the duffle bag in her Psycrowmon form. She takes out her D-Tector and raises it out. Black and violet data begins to spiral around her.
"Spirit Evolution!"
Ravenna spirit evolves to Suzamon. She resembles her normal self, but is wearing a black and violet outfit with feathers on her shoulders and hips. She has two large black wings, and black and violet tattoos on her body. With the duffle bag over her shoulder, Suzamon takes to the skies. She flies away from the Yokai base, soaring past buildings. Once she is far enough away, she perches on a fire escape, and fiddles around trying to find her cell phone. She checks her phone to see if Cas sent her the address.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 19:10:59 GMT
An address would indeed be flashing neatly on Ravenna's screen and though it would take her a minute or two to figure out where said address was it was clear that the spirit user was close to Cas's location. Barely a block away really. Too close in Cassius's opinion as the scalpels flew sharp and true seeking to imbed themselves into the giant birds wings fouling them and keeping it from flight if Ravenna didn't tangle herself up on the fire escape in surprise and pain.
Should he hit his mark the Master Thief would slowly descend his lower face covered by a thin black fabric mask, the oni mask of the Yokai positioned instead over one of his shoulders like a shoulder pad it's white and red porcelain standing out in stark contrast against the black clothes worn by the lean muscular man and his dirty blond hair and bright almost acid green eyes. Slipping from the shadows as he scaled down the metal ladder of the fire escape from above he'd drop to the floor grate near Ravenna with narry a sound as he slowly straightened every movement that of the liquid grace of a predator. Eyeing the spirit user fury clear in his green green eyes the giant bird digimon might catch additional movement from below as the great bulk of a Seadramon slithered from beneath a sewer lid to peer up at the young girl with all the rapt attention of a creature expecting a meal.
"You have some things that belong to me." The Thief spoke his tone low and deadly fit to raise the hairs on the back of ones neck with it dangerous edge and his voice rough and coarse with disuse as he held out one leather gloved hand expectantly.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 19:33:20 GMT
Sure enough, Ravenna sees the address Cas sent her on her phone. The Spirit User recognizes the street. It isn't that far from here. However, before she can take flight, all of a sudden several scalpels fly through the air. The blades pierce Suzamon's wings in multiple places. Ravenna cries out in pain, when out of nowhere the thief drops in on her. He is wearing a mask over the lower part of his face, and an Oni mask much like the other Yokai, but on his shoulder instead.
Just like that, the thief has Ravenna cornered. The Human Spirit level leans back against the wall, looking up at Cassius. He is a lot taller than Ravenna expected, and his acid green eyes look like they could stare a hole through concrete. To make matters worse, Ravenna hears something coming from down below. She looks down and sees a sea serpent slithering up from the sewers. As if this wasn't bad enough! This must be the creature the thug mentioned, confirming in Raye's mind that the thief is in fact a Tamer. Ravenna shivers in terror at the sight of the Seadramon. Her skin starts to crawl, as her eyes bug out.
The thief says that she has something that belongs to him, and stretches his hand out to receive his bag back. It is clear that this man is no amateur. Ravenna is still new to both Digimon, and being roguish. Did she have any choice in the manner?
"Wait! I'll give you the bag back, but first I just have some questions. What's your deal with Dr. Cross? Are you like some kind of stalker or something? Just call off that creepy monster and let's talk this out!"
Ravenna hopes that by reasoning with the thief, she might be able to catch him off guard. Her wings are too injured to fly at the moment, making both fight and flight difficult in this condition.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 20:05:32 GMT
The Thief slowly cocks his head to one side as he considers Ravenna his eyes cold, calculating, and impassive. The gesture though is clearly not a natural one for him, likely recently learned or picked up somewhere, and damnably familiar. His outreached hand does not move even as the Spirit user scrambles back in fear though Ravanna might catch the minute twitch of his fingers in irritation at the young girl trying to stall him.
"Counter offer. You give me what is mine and perhaps I won't kill you." He growled out his irritation clear in the dark rumble of his voice even if his masked face remained impassive. The only sign he'd even heard the Spirit user's attempt at bargaining being the slight jump of a muscle in his left jaw that could be seen even behind the mask when Dr. Cross was mentioned. Of course he knew the woman by a much more casual name as he carried the marks of her fury on his skin like a brand for his own arrogance. The mere mention of her seeming to cause the mans eyes to burn with maddening emotions it was doubtful Ravenna could place even less himself. Something torn between hate, obsession, respect, and love flitting through his gaze in a blink of an eye before his eyes hardened to a razors edge.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 21:03:53 GMT
It is clear that the thief is not messing around. The man didn't so much as flinch, maintaining a stoic position. It was only when Ravenna mentioned Cas that the thief twitched. It seems that she has no other option but to hand over the bag.
"Alright. Just calm down. I'll give it back."
Suzamon takes the duffle bag off her shoulder and holds it in her hand by the straps. She cautiously steps forward and reaches her arm out. While she is handing the bag back, her hand brushes against his. His leather glove is cold and smooth. Much like both the thief and his serpent companion.
After handing the bag back, Ravenna takes a couple steps back until she is flush with the wall. She stretches her hands down and outward, placing her palms against the wall. She was having great difficulty hiding how nervous she is. She had already felt the touch of his blades pierce her wings. It would be much worse if one were to puncture her flesh, even while in her spirit form. The thought of a scalpel slicing into her neck runs through her mind. Maybe she isn't cut out for this line of work. Had she been headstrong in thinking that she could outsmart a thief? One who is skilled enough to have stolen the book from Dr. Cross in the first place.
Ravenna nervously manages to speak up, her legs quivering as she feels the vibrations of the fire escape as Seadramon slithers higher. The Champion level hadn't even used an ice attack yet, and already Ravenna could feel a chill.
"So, you're going to let me go now, right? I won't tell Cas it was you who stole the book. But if you don't let me go, I just might. She must have really done a number on you. Whoops, no offense! Ha ha, ha..."
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 21:32:11 GMT
The Thief took the bag with an air of casual and deadly nonchalance as he undid the ties letting his eyes drift to inspect the contents as he mentally took stock of the various papers and pictures ensuring it was all there. It was clear he did not think Ravenna any serious threat or perhaps he felt confident enough to take his gaze off her given the serpentine eyes as big as dinner plates watching her every move. Ready to strike. Ready to feast if she so much as twitched wrong towards the Seadramons Tamer. Extracting the book he redid the ties of the dufflebag before slinging it over his shoulder as those acid green orbs of his pinned her to the wall with a glare at her comment as he weighed the novel of fairytales lightly in his hand. Taking a moment to flip through the pages to ensure himself it was all there and using the book itself to prevent Ravenna from seeing him slip something...extra among them. The Spirit user would certainly make the perfect bait for the good Doctor, but Cassius was not ready to face Cas just yet. So he would turn the girl into his unwitting messenger instead. Closing the book with a sharp snap he smiled.
The gesture was mostly hidden by the mask, but Ravenna could likely pick out the curve of his lips beneath the fabric and the way his eyes seemed to light up with nearly manic glee sharp and as ready as a whetted blade. It was not a friendly expression. "It's funny isn't it. How such a small thing can bring about so much trouble." The Thief rasped out letting his words hang between them in the open rapidly chilling air as the Seadramon inched ever closer.
"Not unlike it's owner I suppose." Cassius drawled out his words as pointed as the gaze he pinned her with only ceasing Seadramon's approach with a wave of his hand when the Digimon was so close that Ravenna could feel it's icy breath on the back of her neck.
"Take it girl. I've gotten what I wanted and I know you won't breath a word of me to Cassandra." He spoke with casual confidence as he offered Ravenna the book. Should she take it though the Thief would step close looming over her threateningly as he narrowed his eyes down at the small Spirit User.
"Because If you do... not even the good Doctor will be able to save you." Cassius threatened in a low dark rumble murder bright in his eyes. "Though I'll delight in watching her try."
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 22:20:22 GMT
Ravenna complies with the masked thief. It was as though he was holding her at gunpoint, but instead of a firearm, he had knives and a sea monster. Cassius goes through the bag, ensuring everything is there. He then thumbs through the book to check it as well. Ravenna couldn't tell, but he slips something in between some pages. Only a twitch on his face gave any indication that something was up. Ravenna's comment had earned her the thief's wrath, as the Spirit User cowers in terror.
Cassius makes a comment about how something so small can cause so much trouble, then what really surprises Ravenna is he compares Cas to the book in that regard. What sort of trouble? Even more surprising, the thief offers the book back. He says that he already has everything he needs from it, and makes some very deadly threats if Ravenna were to speak of him to the doctor. Ravenna nervously inches forward, feeling a chill crawl up her spine as Seadramon glares up at her. Ravenna reaches forward and grasps the book firmly in her hand, before taking a step back. her eyes never leaving Cassius' green eyes.
"Don't worry. I won't mention anything about you. I'll say I didn't even see you. Don't hurt me, I'm just a college student, trying to make some extra money is all."
Maybe Ravenna's fight to survive would reach Cassius deep down. He too has overcome his own battles struggling to make it in the big city. If his new attitude didn't sever his empathy entirely. Ravenna is on edge. She just wants this scary Tamer to leave her alone. Whatever happened between him and the doctor, it had driven the thief mad. No wonder his coworkers spoke so poorly of him, besides his skills as a thief. Ravenna's heart continues to race, and her hands start to twitch. Seadramon could strike with an ice attack at any moment, and she wouldn't have enough time to dodge. All she can do is hope that the thief has other plans in mind, and won't cause her harm.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 22:36:58 GMT
"Good..." Cassius rumbled out his face once more impassive as he steps towards the edge of the fire escape leaping over the railing easily as Seadramon shifts to catch his Tamer on it's head as the Thief balances there holding the Spirit user's gaze. "Remember this encounter next time you think to cross me." He warns as the champion digimon lowers his Tamer to the ground leaving the Thief to step off onto the alley below as he turns his back on the girl. Only pausing for a moment to glance over his shoulder with a narrowed gaze.
"And come find me when you're ready for the big leagues." He adds derisively before tossing out the underhanded offer even as he turns a corner his Digimon following close behind. With the pair gone the air grows noticeably warmer. Thankfully other then fouling her wings and feather Ravenna is not terribly hurt and the scalpels are easy enough to remove their careful placing hinting at the Master Thief's deadly accuracy.
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Post by Ravenna on Apr 22, 2018 23:06:20 GMT
The thief is true to his word. Having received his possessions, the Tamer jumps back onto Seadramon's head. As the duo take their leave, Cassius warns Ravenna about crossing him again. Ravenna notices a change in the air as Seadramon slithers off.
Catching Raye off guard, the thief suggests she should seek him out if she wants to join the big leagues. What exactly did he mean by that? Is he offering to train Ravenna to become a better thief? Ravenna doesn't want to go near that creep again, let alone spend time with him. Still, the chance to lean from an expert? She could use his advice to become better at retrieving items. Ravenna is conflicted. On one hand, she wants to learn, but just look at who she would have to deal with. Based on whatever happened between Cas and the thief, it probably wasn't best to seek him out.
Safe for now, Suzamon slumps back against the railing. She couldn't fly very well with the injuries to her wings, and it would be hard to remain undetected. The book might be too heavy for a crow to carry. One by one, Ravenna pulls the scalpels out of her wings, flinching in pain. Suzamon powers down, and Ravenna returns her normal self.
(Thinking) "Wow, that could have been worse. And I got the book! Not exactly how I was hoping my first case to go, but I will take the W."
Ravenna heads down the stairwell, and starts walking towards Cas' place of practice. She arrives at a place one would not expect a doctor to work out of. Ravenna approaches the door and nervously knocks, anxiously awaiting to give Cas her book back. While her heart rate had slowed down, she is still on edge from her encounter with Cassius and Seadramon.
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Post by Cross on Apr 22, 2018 23:35:10 GMT
The clinic is a small two story building with a large high fenced in backyard. Through the front windows Ravenna can see a small living room that has been converted into a waiting room and after ringing the bell it wouldn't be long before Cas ambles through the door that the girl can see at the back of the room. This time Cas is wearing a standard Doctors coat as she spots Ravenna and smiles quickly opening the door for her.
"Oh Ravenna it seems you were successful!" Cas murmurs her eyes bright with joy as she spies the book in the girls hand as she waves her in.
"Let me get you the rest of your payment." The little woman chirps cheerfully Cassius's comments seeming strange and out of place when concerning such an amicable Doctor. Stepping back through the door leading out of the waiting room Cas returns shortly with another envelope which she passes to Ravenna.
"There you go you're full payment. How did it go?" She asked with a curious and startlingly familiar tilt of her head. The exact same natural quirk Ravenna had seen Cassius mimic not moments before and likely where the unstable Thief had learned the gesture.
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