Solo Whispers and Shadows

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

2 Spring, 516AV

"Take the 'easy' job," Sisas mutters to himself as he gathers his things, Rikit - his war dog - sitting with his head cocked nearby. The Dhani absently gives his dog a scratch between the ears, and Rikit leans into the touch before Sisas withdraws it, returning to packing. This was supposed to be a relatively simple job, just wander around Sunberth and listen for information relevant to the employer's interests, but of course, like just about everything in Sunberth, it wasn't actually that easy.

Turns out, the 'relevant interests' was information about a couple of people who had been hanging around The Simpering Seacrow, a local cafe with ties to the Night Eyes, the local gang that usually just made their problems... Disappear. Sisas wasn't entirely certain why he had been recruited this time, but the pay was good and he wasn't going to complain. Hell, maybe the actual gang members who were better at being inconspicuous just wanted him to be the obvious target of suspicion so the people he was supposed to watch never saw the knife in the back coming. So long as Sisas wasn't required to put his own life in danger, the Dhani was more than willing to do what was necessary to get paid.

Snapping his fingers to get Rikit's attention, he pointed at the ground on his left side. "Heel," he orders, and Rikit moves into position, matching his gait to Sisas's so that his shoulder is always level with the Dhani's hip. "Good boy," Sisas says, shouldering his pack and grabbing his naginata, making sure that his bracer with spring-loaded blade is secure and double-checking that his tamo daggers are in place in their sheaths on either side of his hip. Satisfied that he had everything he would need, Sisas left his tent, securing the closure behind him. The Dhani used his naginata as a walking staff, bladed end facing towards the sky, as he strolled through Sunberth with Rikit at his side; those, combined with the daggers clearly hanging from his hips, was usually enough to discourage the weaker-willed would-be thieves from messing with him.

The day was relatively nice; not warm enough for Sisas's preference, but not enough to have an adverse effect on his reflexes and mind the way it might possibly have had were he to be in his viper or Dhani form; he had no intentions of shifting or of giving away the fact that he was a Dhani, however. Only one person had ever known that he was a Dhani, and she had been one herself.

Sisas spots a young woman moving closer to him, walking at such an angle that she would intercept him with a bump, no doubt intending to slice his money pouch from where it dangled on his belt as she pushed off of him. Sisas almost snorts; Amateur, he thinks scornfully. When the woman - girl, honestly - is close enough, all Sisas does is sweep the end of his naginata out and trip her up enough to send her sprawling to the dusty road as he continues on his way without looking back. Pickpocket of the day thwarted, he thinks to himself, and then wonders how many more he might run into before the day is done.

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

The answer to How many more pickpockets will I need to thwart today before reaching my destination? turns out to be two; one, Rikit scares off with a snarl and lunge when the boy attempts to come at Sisas from the left side, and the second is not dissuaded by being tripped onto his face, and when he comes at the Dhani a second time, Sisas whips his naginata around so that the blade comes to rest against the other's neck, pressing into the skin hard enough to leave a line of blood. "Come for me again, and I will finish the swing," Sisas hisses; the man pales when Sisas presses the blade a hair deeper into his neck, and retreats hastily enough that he trips once again, rolling a good distance before disappearing back into the crowd. Sisas watches him retreat with a sneer on his face, and when he's certain the other man is gone, he gives Rikit a reassuring pat on the head, signalling to the war dog that the threat is gone for the moment. Rikit's hackles lay flat once more and he stops snarling, though he is - as he always is when they travel through crowds - still obviously alert for any sign of danger.

It takes another quarter of a bell for the Dhani and dog to reach the Simpering Seacow, and Sisas nods at a few of the regular patrons that he recognizes; he doesn't come here often enough to be considered a regular himself, but he's been known to stop in every once in a while. He approaches the counter, resting his naginata against it as he fishes two silver mizas from his pouch. "One Sunberth Shanty," he requests, flashing Linellia a winning smile; the woman rolls her eyes, a slight smirk playing about her mouth as she produces one of the requested bottles.

"One Sunberth Shanty," she announces, trading the drink for the required coins. "Thank you for visiting today; may you have a productive visit."

"I hope so, as well," Sisas says, tipping the bottle to the barmaid before gathering his things and retreating to one of the outside tables with a good view of the area. Translation, the Dhani thinks as he settles into a chair, Rikit flopping to the ground next to him, she knows why I'm here and who for; I guess I am the distraction for the Night Eyes this time. So long as Sisas didn't end up in the middle of a fight because of this job, that would be just fine with him. Sit around, drink a Shanty, observe the passersby and identify any loiterers, and attempt to keep their attention on him. Perhaps he'd do a bit of weapons sharpening once he identified the potential troublemakers, just to see how they'd react. His daggers were getting a bit dull, and he would need to clean the would-be thief's blood from the blade of his naginata.

Sighing and tipping his face towards the sun, Sisas cracked his neck before opening the bottle of alcohol, settling in to wait and watch.

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

If anyone had warned me how boring intelligence gathering would be, Sisas thinks to himself, blinking lazily in the afternoon sun, I probably would have chosen a different job.

It had been a couple of bells since he settled in at his table outside of the Simpering Seacow, and he had so far only identified one potential troublemaker - a young human, possibly Chaktawe(Sisas hated Chaktawe; had for years.), who wasn't hanging around the Seacow, but rather at one shop across the way; he'd arrived about a bell ago, and even from this distance Sisas could see that the boy was agitated. He couldn't stand still and was constantly fidgeting even as he spoke with the shopkeeper, who Sisas could see was getting annoyed when the boy apparently didn't show any real interest in buying anything.

Rikit had actually fallen asleep; Sisas snorted a bit when he first noticed. The war dog was supposed to be well-trained - and he was, Sisas had to admit; he even followed Sisas's commands and the Dhani had very little experience with animals - and yet here he was, falling asleep in the afternoon sun. Not that Sisas wasn't tempted to do the same - as a viper, he was the most susceptible to the cold, and he absolutely adored heat, especially when combined with direct sunlight - but he found it amusing that even his dog was utterly unconcerned about any potential danger.

Maybe that means there isn't any, Sisas thinks - but the thought has no sooner been completed that his attention is caught by the Chaktawe once again; he's just been approached by another human, this one an older female with rough, tanned skin reminiscent of leather. Sisas watches them intently, studying the dynamic in an attempt to gather more information.

The older woman reminds Sisas of a Svefra, though he could not say for certain unless he were able to get a closer look. He can clearly see that, of the two, she is most certainly the dominant one; she stands with her shoulders straight and carries herself with an air of confidence, voice a harsh, sharp report even across the street. In contrast, the boy clearly shrinks away from her, hunching in on himself and speaking softly enough that Sisas wouldn't know that he was speaking if he couldn't see the boy's mouth moving. Sisas could see only the back of the woman's head, but with the way that she gestured - short and choppy - suggested that she was either angry or trying to be inconspicuous. Or perhaps both, Sisas muses, drumming his fingers on the table as he contemplates the pair.

The Dhani nods when asked if he would like another drink, and when it's brought out he hands over the two silver mizas. The woman and the boy are no longer talking; rather, they're standing just outside of the shop the boy was loitering in.

And they're watching The Simpering Seacow, too intently to be an accident.

Gotcha, Sisas thinks with satisfaction. The boy had probably arrived too early, and made himself noticeable by hanging around the shop directly across from the cafe - as evidenced by the fact that Sisas noticed him. The Dhani smirked to himself, just slightly, as he cracked open the bottle of alcohol, taking a sip; he had drank the last one slowly, and would do so with this one as well. He didn't have the best alcohol tolerance, and he needed to be sharp for this, to make sure he picked up as much detail as possible.

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

The two continue standing in the same spot - a mistake on their part, for it makes them all the more noticeable - for another bell before they move again, this time coming closer; they've taken up residence in front of the shop next to the cafe, and now that they're closer, Sisas can see welts on the boy's bare arms - welts that look suspiciously like bee stings. Well, well, the Dhani thinks with a smirk. Fancy yourself more of a thief than a spy?

Trayto, the Eypharian tattoo artist, kept a few hives on the roof of The Simpering Seacow; it looks like the night before, the bees got to exercise their second purpose: deterring would-be thieves. Sisas had no idea why these two wanted into the cafe so badly, but that wasn't exactly part of this job description. His job here was to identify the troublemakers and then deposit the information in the pre-selected dead drop, to be taken to the Night Eyes who will deal with the problem themselves.

When the Svefra and Chaktawe edge closer to the shop, Sisas brings out his whetstone and tamo daggers, laying them on the table conspicuously. The movement attracts the boy's attention, and Sisas holds his gaze steadily as he lifts the whetstone and lays it to the blade, running it along one edge and listening with a slight smirk to the sound it makes. Even at this distance, Sisas can see the boy's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows, and Sisas doesn't blink as he repeats the motion a few more times; he only looks away when the boy does, when he's elbowed viciously in the side by the older woman, who then starts scolding him. The street is busy enough that Sisas can't pick out individual words, but from the expression on her face, the Dhani would hazard a guess that the woman was mad that the Chaktawe boy had been staring obviously at a customer, as though their behavior wasn't already obvious enough.

Sisas ducks his head as he continues running the whetstone over the edge of the blade of one dagger, giving the appearance of having dismissed the two. It was a poor spy, however, who couldn't multitask; so while Sisas continued to sharpen his daggers, he kept one eye on the couple, watching as they talked with each other, voices hushed, interspersed with the occasional gesture. Definitely planning something, Sisas decides, keeping track of their gestures; they seem to be indicating the building as a whole for the most part, with a few gestures aimed at specific points.

The woman makes a sweeping gesture from the ground to the top of the building, expression angry, and Sisas watches the boy shake his head urgently, hands moving quickly about his face and torso. She just asked him about climbing the building, to come in from the top, Sisas deduces, reasonably confident in his conclusion. The bees must have given him a good scare to go along with his welts if he's this worked up over just a suggestion.

Finishing with the first dagger, Sisas returns it to its sheathe, pulling the other one closer to begin working on it as he continues to observe.

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

NoteI spoke with Anarkhos, who allowed me to use a lackey from the Night Eyes; the lackey does nothing more than give a signal, record what Sisas says, and then leaves. Sisas also does not receive a named amount of mizas in this thread as it is a job thread. And yes, Sisas does Rue's whistle here.

That evening, Sisas makes his way to the edge of the Tent City, seeking out the tent that had been marked as the place for him to meet with the Night Eyes agent who would take the information he had gathered and deliver it to the relevant parties. The tent is not quite on the very edge of the collage of tents that make up the 'city', and when Sisas finds it he approaches cautiously, naginata held ready in a defensive posture; he'd left Rikit behind for this part, in order to make himself less conspicuous. Sisas himself was an unassuming man, unremarkable in terms of looks - so long as he was in human shape - but Rikit, with his light brindle coat with white splashes along his legs, belly, and tail, stood out. Most times, that was a good thing. Tonight, it wasn't.

Sisas can make out the form of someone standing next to the marked tent; it's impossible to tell whether the person is male or female, or what race they are besides 'humanoid.' As the Dhani draws closer, he gives a short whistle, low and short before rising sharply, dropping, and ending on a long higher note. Then he waits before making another move, listening for the confirmation. It comes in the form of three short raps against something wooden, a pause, then two more. Satisfied, Sisas approaches, careful not to look too long or hard at the agent.

"I have the information," he says, turning his back to the agent just enough that he can only see the other from the corner of his eye. He assumes a relaxed stance, though if one were to watch the way he held his naginata, even as the blunt end rests against the ground so that Sisas can lean against it, that his grip was too tight to truly be called 'relaxed.'

The agent said nothing, but Sisas wasn't expecting a response, and continued, "There are two people involved; a Sssvefra woman and a Chaktawe boy." The Dhani's upper lip curls in distaste when he mentions the boy. "The boy attempted to sssneak into the Ssseacow by the roof last night; he was covered in weltsss from the bee'sss ssstingsss. The woman isss much older than him; ssshe is weathered by the sssun and sssea. They left the ssstreet thisss afternoon and headed wessst; I have ssseen few Sssvefra in the cccity, ssso I imagine ssshe will be easssy to find. The boy isss easssily intimidated, and cowed by the woman. I believe they will be found together."

Sisas can hear the sound of the agent writing; the Dhani assumes that they are recording what he has told them, so that the Night Eyes can find the woman and the boy and do... well, whatever it is that the Night Eyes do to those who threaten their interests. Sisas has been careful to keep his head down and be helpful wherever and whenever he can, so he doesn't know exactly what happens to those who anger the Night Eyes, and he prays that he never finds out.

In his peripheral vision, Sisas can see the agent finish writing, and then, with a nod, puts away the implements. Sisas doesn't move as the agent leaves; he tracks the movement from the corner of his eye, but only until the agent is out of sight. Once they're gone, Sisas relaxes a little bit more, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before he straightens and begins walking back to his tent. His part of the job is done; he's gathered the information and passed it on. If the information bears fruit, then he'll be paid.

As the Dhani makes his way back to his tent, he spares not a single thought for the two people he's just turned over to one of the most mysterious and ruthless gangs in Sunberth.

And in the morning, there's a small pouch with coins in it laying in front of his tent.

[Sisas]

Text
"Snake-tongue"
"Common tongue"
Internal thoughts

NoteI spoke with Anarkhos, who allowed me to use a lackey from the Night Eyes; the lackey does nothing more than give a signal, record what Sisas says, and then leaves. Sisas also does not receive a named amount of mizas in this thread as it is a job thread. And yes, Sisas does Rue's whistle here.

That evening, Sisas makes his way to the edge of the Tent City, seeking out the tent that had been marked as the place for him to meet with the Night Eyes agent who would take the information he had gathered and deliver it to the relevant parties. The tent is not quite on the very edge of the collage of tents that make up the 'city', and when Sisas finds it he approaches cautiously, naginata held ready in a defensive posture; he'd left Rikit behind for this part, in order to make himself less conspicuous. Sisas himself was an unassuming man, unremarkable in terms of looks - so long as he was in human shape - but Rikit, with his light brindle coat with white splashes along his legs, belly, and tail, stood out. Most times, that was a good thing. Tonight, it wasn't.

Sisas can make out the form of someone standing next to the marked tent; it's impossible to tell whether the person is male or female, or what race they are besides 'humanoid.' As the Dhani draws closer, he gives a short whistle, low and short before rising sharply, dropping, and ending on a long higher note. Then he waits before making another move, listening for the confirmation. It comes in the form of three short raps against something wooden, a pause, then two more. Satisfied, Sisas approaches, careful not to look too long or hard at the agent.

"I have the information," he says, turning his back to the agent just enough that he can only see the other from the corner of his eye. He assumes a relaxed stance, though if one were to watch the way he held his naginata, even as the blunt end rests against the ground so that Sisas can lean against it, that his grip was too tight to truly be called 'relaxed.'

The agent said nothing, but Sisas wasn't expecting a response, and continued, "There are two people involved; a Sssvefra woman and a Chaktawe boy." The Dhani's upper lip curls in distaste when he mentions the boy. "The boy attempted to sssneak into the Ssseacow by the roof last night; he was covered in weltsss from the bee'sss ssstingsss. The woman isss much older than him; ssshe is weathered by the sssun and sssea. They left the ssstreet thisss afternoon and headed wessst; I have ssseen few Sssvefra in the cccity, ssso I imagine ssshe will be easssy to find. The boy isss easssily intimidated, and cowed by the woman. I believe they will be found together."

Sisas can hear the sound of the agent writing; the Dhani assumes that they are recording what he has told them, so that the Night Eyes can find the woman and the boy and do... well, whatever it is that the Night Eyes do to those who threaten their interests. Sisas has been careful to keep his head down and be helpful wherever and whenever he can, so he doesn't know exactly what happens to those who anger the Night Eyes, and he prays that he never finds out.

In his peripheral vision, Sisas can see the agent finish writing, and then, with a nod, puts away the implements. Sisas doesn't move as the agent leaves; he tracks the movement from the corner of his eye, but only until the agent is out of sight. Once they're gone, Sisas relaxes a little bit more, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before he straightens and begins walking back to his tent. His part of the job is done; he's gathered the information and passed it on. If the information bears fruit, then he'll be paid.

As the Dhani makes his way back to his tent, he spares not a single thought for the two people he's just turned over to one of the most mysterious and ruthless gangs in Sunberth.

And in the morning, there's a small pouch with coins in it laying in front of his tent.

[Anarkhos]

Pc name: Sisas

Skills: Observation-3
Intelligence-3

Lores:

The Simpering Seacow: Has guard bees

Working for the Nighteyes: Ask no questions, do as your told

Intelligence gathering: Less fun than it seems.



I like this thread. Keep up the good work. I couldn't give you any points in animal husbandry due to lack of content, but it is still a nice thread to read. If you have any concerns or questions please feel free to pm me. Also, be sure to go back into the grade request and change this thread to graded. Please and thank you.