Dreams slips in, guided by the Lunar, and wishing heartily that this was over.

Well, she doesn't want to kill me yet it seems.  Lets keep things that way, Xurizu thought as he moved on down the alleyway.  Whilst not getting shot was high on his list of priorities, just a little higher was drawing any pursuit and attention away from the warehouse and his friends within.  Still, he thought, as he suddenly broke left down another alleyway between warehouses, hopefully breaking contact with the sniper from the roof just briefly, they're looking for a man in a cloak.

He glanced up and down the length of the alleyway.  Some people in the distance, groups and loners both.  No-one looking though, good.  Xurizu doffed the cloak, and removed one of the tonfa from his belt, wrapping it in the cloak and then 'hiding' it inexpertly in amongst some crates by the side.  It wasn't me ma'am.  I didn't steal nothin' from the temple.  Search me.

Not that he was actually going to try and brazen that out.  Instead he took another moment to make sure that the second tonfa and the gem were both concealed about his person.  And then with a blink inducing flicker, there was no longer a man in the shadows, but a cobra disappearing between a gap in the brickwork.
[Private to GM:
Okay, so Xurizu's plan here is to break contact briefly, leave his cloak and one of the tonfa there so it looks like he'd tried to steal something from the temple, then has ditched loot for later retrival and so he doesn't get caught with it.  Then assume totem form and slip into the warehouse through some small hole rats and things use.]

Xurizu's quick thinking saves him the trouble of having to deal with the sniper OR the contingent guards coming his way, at least not initially. In totem form, the serpentine Lunar slips into a hole in the nearby wall and curls up to wait. Fortunately for him, they are not looking specifically for an Anathema, much less one in a snake form -- only a shifty, rather thin person in a cloak.

While Xurizu waits he hears footsteps and voices approach. Several male, and a couple female. "This is all we've found," says one woman. "It appears to be clothing and gear from the temple. But we've not intercepted the suspicious individual. That may mean he is hiding nearby... or he slipped past our perimeter."

The hard voice of a man who is apparently their commander lets out a quiet curse and grumbles about vagrants. "We can't have too many of these people slipping away. Anyone of them could end up fattening the ranks of the Freerunners. They're really starting to be a thorn in our side. All right, Luceid, coordinate with the checkpoint guards. I really don't think this man could have escaped the notice of the Silencers, but it's in our directive to be thorough. Speria, have your group spread out and search the area, including the warehouses."

The footsteps and voices start to disperse. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: you rolled well enough that no one's caught you in the vicinity. However the sniper woman also rolled well, so while she did not SEE you she is very confident you are still in the area of the warehouses. That's why they've now called a search. Now, you can wait as long as you want... if you wait till they move on, then you will entirely miss returning with the group and will have to solo RP your way out in a different thread. If you try to slip out now and into 3876, you'll have to roll stealth, but this time it'll be Dex+Stealth since you're on the move.]

---

OOC: Loremaster will be taking over for the people inside warehouse 3876 as the smuggling operation was his plan.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:28, Sat 25 Apr 2009.

The workers do not stop their loading procedures as Dashu speaks his words, the team seemingly unperturbed by the arrival and instead continuing their work as scheduled. The woman that spoke earlier does take a step towards them, however, leaning over one side of the platform to take a look at the group. She wipes her hands with the rag she is holding, looking at the the three with an appraising eye.

"You're right on time. You're as cautious as he said." The woman says, a smile appearing on her hard features. It is short lived, however, as she regards the trio carefully, her gaze jumping from one to the other in turn while she seemingly ponders something.

"Though..." She pauses again, as if to reconfirm something. "I was told there'd be four of you, and now there's only three. What's going on?"

Nanaret, having only heard of the plan second-hand, is content to let Dashu start off with the talking. Her purpose, for now, is to guard Dreams, and until she feels confident that the foreman is not faking in order to capture them, she remains alert.

She listens to the initial exchange between Dashu and the foreman. A password phrase? Is that the extent of their security here? She certainly hopes not.

"Excuse me," Nanaret speaks up in Spring Dew's voice, still grasping Dreams firmly by the arm. "May I ask what four you were expecting? We would not want a case of mistaken identity, after all." She smiles politely, stepping deeper into the warehouse with the Zenith to observe the work of the loaders. Did they show surprise, panic or hesitation as she came nearer? Were they competent at their jobs or merely faking the motions?

[Private to GM: 04:02, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,6,10,2,2,4. perc+excellency. I figured investigation, but I have none, so just rolled straight perception with excellency to double the pool. If Awareness would count, roll 3 more dice for me. :)]

Dashu glaces over at Nanaret and smiles.  He and Xurizu hadn't had much time to fill her in on all the details so her caution in this instance was understandable.  In fact, normally he would have applauded it.  He also knew that in giving the password to this woman, he had marked them as the group of people she was looking for.  He looks back at the woman and says "Our friend is drawing some unwanted attention away from us.  I'm sure he'll be along shortly enough.  Most importantly, we do have our cargo.  I do believe we're supposed to let you help us transport it."

Damn suspicious soldiers, came the highly unusual thoughts of the cobra currently concealed within the wall.  Still, at least they think I'm only a Freerunner, not an escaping Anathema.  Now, do I stay or do I go? Xurizu considered for a few moments, as the footsteps faded.  His tongue flicked out, tasting the air, the scents of the troops left behind.

Let's go, he reached his decision.  His tongue flickered out again, his body listening for vibrations.  And then, when he was sure that there was no-one close, no-one looking at his hidey-hole, the cobra slithered out and back down the alleyway he had moved along before, keeping to the shadows by the walls and the cover afforded by the crates and the rubbish that had been swept to the sides.  Then he went past the alleyway which led to warehouse 3876 and carried on down that alleyway.  He was going to continue on down past the warehouse that was his ultimate destination, and then doubleback on himself to get back, once he was clear of the patrols...
[Private to GM: Gonna spend 4m for 4 dice on the stealth roll.  Giving a pool of 8 + stunt + any bonuses for being snake, not human sized.]

The woman raises an eyebrow at Nanaret's question, but soon enough a grin crosses her features as she leans back from the railing. "Cautious, are we?" She asks, briefly casting a glance to the workers to oversee the loading procedures. "You must be Bryn. Word of your actions at the temple have already been sent all over the information network - people think you guys should get recruited." The woman chuckles, twisting the rag in her hands absent-mindedly. "We're workers, but that's not our only work. And, contrary to the average miner, we're pretty well informed... And cautious."

As Nanaret steps forward to look around, she catches a few signs here and there that show the workers are not simple workers. Here and there, she can see that some of the overall-wearing loading bay watchers are actually carrying weapons. They are not trying to conceal them at the moment, but Nanaret has no trouble imagining that they would be a lot more cautious were guards around.

With that new information in mind, Nanaret's glance is attracted to the top railing, high above the main floor of the warehouse, where a small office oversees the procedures. From there, she can quickly catch sight of a silhouette, likely an operation supervisor, watching the going-ons from above... He is in the perfect spot to see every corner of the warehouse and oversee its use - or to spot and shoot undesirables.

"Your friend's drawn some attention?" The woman says, several workers immediately looking up at the sentence. "That's not good. We need to get you out of here now, or things are going to get tense. That means we need to go through emergency procedures and load you guys up fast." She does not even need to give orders - already the workers seem to operate at a much accelerated pace, preparing some of the crates for transport.

"Get up here quick, we'll need to secure your transport arrangements before anybody comes snooping in here."

Dashu quickly follows the woman without any hesitation.  He did however, take a brief moment to explain to Dreams-of-Light their escape plan.  "Dreams, we're basically going to ship ourselves out of the compound in some crates.  We were told it won't be a comfortable trip but it should be effective."

"Bryn is one of my names," replies Nanaret in flawless Low Realm, "but you may call me Spring Dew now."

Then, briefly, she relaxes her perfectly postured stance and murmurs, in a more casual 'Bryn-like' tone, "But I do appreciate the vote of confidence." She straightens again, resuming the demeanor of the well-mannered Immaculate monk, though this time she releases Dreams-of-Light and lets her walk on her own.

Still holding the bundle of miner work-clothes and weapons under one arm, Nanaret follows the foreman to the crates they'll be stuffed into. She considers using her totem form to be more compact, but decides she would prefer to save that trick for last.

Xurizu slithers along...

The guards nearby him don't see him at all, though there's a close call or two when he's forced to dodge their boots, or freeze in a dark corner until they pass by.

Then the lieutenant (Speria?) says something that makes the king cobra freeze a moment. "Intersection's all clear. All right, start checking the warehouses... Narat, Liedra, start on '70s even; Xian, Tir, take '70s odd..." The voices become more distant and difficult to hear as Xurizu picks up the pace and widens the distance.

The group inside 3876 can hear a pair of footsteps approaching from outside. Fortunately Mockingbird's people are well prepared, but it's going to be a close call, and they have no way to know what happened to Xurizu from here.

[Private to Ledaal Xurizu: I decided to penalize the Awareness rolls of the guards and Silencer instead. I was making it a -2 die one but I think I'll make it -3 for the Silencer as you're smaller and she's at a distance. So she doesn't actually see you (I subtracted the rightmost die).

You'll probably want to cue your coming back after the guards check 3876 and leave. Assuming that's what happens :)]

The warehouse workers now toil at a much increased pace, preparing two crates that the group understands will serve as their transport for a short while. Quickly, two pairs of warehouse workers pry at the underside panel  of the crates, revealing a false bottom - a trap door that will close above them, allowing the workers to pile up implements on top of the fugitives.

"Get in. Now." The foreman lady utters, casting a quick glance towards the door. "Sorry for the shitty conditions, but that's the best way we have to ship people who don't want hassling. We'll make it as quick as possible."

The woman physically ushers the group towards the crates indicating the bottom sharply. "Hop in on the double, we've got no time! Two per crate. We'll leave a space for your friend so we can hide him in later. If we make it this far. Now step in, don't move, and stay quiet!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:52, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

Nanaret answers THAT call immediately, helping Dreams-of-Light in one of the crates first before slipping in with her, curling up in as compact a position as possible.

"I hope you are not claustrophobic," she whispers to the Zenith before the false bottom is placed over them.

Then she just concentrates on keeping quiet, while listening carefully to the sounds outside the cramped crawl space she and Dreams are stuck in.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:34, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

Dashu follows suit, climbing into his own box as quickly as possible.  Good thing that he considered Xurizu a friend because this was going to be very tight quarters when the Lunar arrived.  He thinks for a moment that maybe Xurizu could change into his snake form in the box, but the Night Caste quickly decided that would not make him more comfortable.  Once inside, he too quickly focused on remaining completely still, trying his hardest to breath as shallowly as possible.

A tense, heavy darkness closes around Dashu, Nanaret and Dreams once the false bottoms are placed on the crates and the cargo loaded on top.

The Exalts hear the sounds of laborers continuing to work, the foreman keeping up the rhythm as they continue to fill boxes and load them up on the conveyor belt, the whir of heavy machinery used for lifting large loads. They become distinctly aware of the space above and around them becoming increasingly dense, as boxes are momentarily piled around and even on top of them.

Then comes the creak of a door being open. A stern female voice speaks. "We are looking for a suspicious individual that may have stepped into this warehouse." She goes on to describe a figure with the features Xurizu had at the time he was spotted: lanky, pale and dark-haired, wearing what looked to be a stolen Immaculate cloak.

The voice continues, "Have any of you seen a person matching this description?" The sound of boxes being loaded and shifted continues, along with two pairs of footsteps that stride purposefully into the warehouse, spreading apart to start examining the workers and the area.

Outside, assuming Xurizu stops to look behind, he notices a half dozen guards starting to spread out and examine the warehouses. Most of the buildings appear to be empty, as the guards step in and back out in the space of seconds. However, two have moved into 3876, and are currently lingering there.

The currently snake-sized Lunar could potentially start doubling back already, by taking the next parallel street the guards are not concentrated on. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: I won't make you roll again though technically I'd consider this another stealth move. So just pose what you'll do to try to get back into the warehouse.]

---

OOC: Dreams' player has told me to abstract or NPC her for the moment due to her being busy in RL.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:21, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

The workers do not pause at the arrival of the soldiers, instead working on fulfilling their 'deadline'. To any outside onlooker, they look very much the consummate professionals, taking care of their tasks with utmost dedication and hard work. The lady foreman does step forward at the soldiers' arrival, however, and listens intently to their interrogation, nodding her head at several points to let them know she is paying attention.

Once the description is over and the questioning begins, however, the woman shakes her head apologetically. "Wish I could help, officer." She begins, her tone even but still deferential. "But no man like that stepped into this warehouse. This platform's right lined with the door too, so I'd notice if someone walked in." She furrows her brow then, considering what the soldiers just told her.

"I'm not the expert here, but I'd think if someone was to try to sneak around, they'd try to avoid the actual loading warehouses, 'cause there's almost always someone in there. Sometimes people sneak into the warehouses up north along Hangman's road, 'cause those are mostly used for storage and such." She shakes her head, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Hope that's not the case though - I'd hate it if it was someone trying to steal supplies again. That's always such a pain - we always end up having to do full inventory lists of the warehouses they break into. You'd think they'd put up sentries eventually, but well..." She cuts her sentence, although she seems rather agitated at the thought now.

"In any case, sorry I can't be more help."

"While your suggestion is appreciated --" not really, considering the deadpan delivery! "-- we're expected to be thorough, and our spotter is certain our target has not left this area."

The footsteps continue. Now and then there's the sharp clack of creaking wood as boxes are open and carelessly shut. "Tools... spare parts..." says the guard unseen by the Exalts. "More tools," adds a male voice from further away.

The female guard exhales sharply, close enough at this point to the crates Dashu, Nanaret and Dreams are in that they can hear the rush of breath clearly. "All right. Carry on, Foreman Leona. We may have more questions for you and your workers later, so we will be checking your schedule for a proper meeting time."

The guards' footsteps leave with another creaking of the door, and proceed further down the street to 3878.

---

OOC: Ok, so Loremaster and I aren't just filling the thread with narration, we'll move you out as soon as Xurizu arrives.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:20, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

Well, crap, thought the snake as he saw people entering the warehouse that was his ultimate destination.  I didn't think they'd throw their net quite so wide.  Oh well, no use worrying for the moment.  Either they'll be fine, or I'll have to do something very stupid, and hopefully surprising.  His tongue flickered out once more, tasting the air, the scents of the city around him as he felt the trembling of the ground beneath his feet, the footsteps of the citizens and soldiers around him.  He was waiting for the right time and when it arrived, he took it, surging forward to cross over the next intersection and then making his way down the shadowed edge of the next street along, outside the current searches of the troops.  He was searching for the backdoor of Warehouse 3876.

He found it in the form of a large loading door, one which ... yes, didn't quite close tightly enough.  Enough to keep out a person, certainly, but a snake?  Xurizu flattened himself out and pushed his way through and then slithered into the darkness between crates.  So far, so good.  He waited there in the concealing darkness for a few moments.  Enough time for the soldiers to leave the vicinity of the warehouse.  Then he waited just a little bit more before he removed himself from the hole, found a space large enough that he could transform and adopted his human form once more.

Then he straightened, slowly and emerged from the shadows, palms held spread to show he was unarmed.  "My apologies, for any trouble I might have caused," he said, softly.

The sudden appearance of the man does startle a few of the workers - after all, even though they are all genuine warehouse workers, they are all also agents, and keep a very close watch on their warehouse at all times. To have someone come in so quickly and silently throws them off guard for a moment, and Xurizu can even catch a flash of weapons on some of them as they first see him.

Leona steps towards the end of the railing as soon as she hears the commotion, and she immediately raises a hand to quiet down her people. "Stand down, dammit! Don't lose your wits now." She says, looking straight at Xurizu. "It's just a visitor." She peers at the man for a moment, almost as if gazing through him. "It's the last one." She confirms, after her little observation.

She nods to Xurizu, and quickly signals him to step up to the railing and come closer. "You're late, pal. And we'd better hurry. When the soldiers don't find you in the area, they'll double check, and we'll all get a collective kick in the ass from it, all of you included. So we'd better make that deadline and get you out of here." She signals to the box where Dashu is hidden, and the workers remove the box's contents, and reopen the false bottom. For Dashu, it is a breath of fresh air as light and a soft breeze wash through his small hiding place, if only momentarily.

"Get in, quick. It'll take only a couple minutes to finish loading the transport and get out, once you're all hidden. We'll make this as quick as possible."

With that, they usher Xurizu into the box with Dashu, and immediately start to reload and - as uncomfortable as the notion is for the hidden Exalts - seal the box.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:11, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

Xurizu made no sudden moves as the weapons are drawn, just carries on walking forward, palms still spread.  He nods to the foreman as she confirms his identity, an apologetic look in his pale blue eyes, for the difficulty and danger he has put them in.  He hurries over to the indicated box and climbs inside, nodding to Dashu as he hunches down in the small space.

"Thank you," he says to the workers, just before they start to seal him in once more.  Once they are both sealed in, Xurizu turns to his friend and murmurs.  "So, want to be all alone in the dark with a man or a snake?" he grins.

Nanaret stays quiet for the remainder of the journey, though she feels a sense of relief when she hears Xurizu's voice. Good, we are all leaving together.

In order to let Dreams-of-Light more space to stretch out (as much as one can in a cramped cargo box), she decides at the last moment to shift to her much more compact totem form. Creepy little lemur she may be, but at least she is not poisonous or foul tempered. She remains hunched in one corner of the box, her luminous monkey eyes gazing through whatever cracks or crevices there may be in a crate of the size they are being transported in.

Dashu simply snorts at the choices his friend gave him and rolls his eyes.

Regardless of what Xurizu decides, the sealed boxes are soon on the move, loaded up by laborers operating heavy lifting machinery onto conveyor belts (at least that's what it feels like from the vibration of the floor beneath them), then into their transport outside. The Exalts cannot see it fully, but for brief glimpses through all-too-narrow breathing holes in the boxes; it is one of the few dozen beat up ancient hover carts -- formerly known as gliding chariots -- that still operate on Earth District to this day, dragging equipment and materials relatively short distances.

They have become rarer and rarer, as the Dragon-blooded are loath to give their best vehicles to the lower Districts, forcing most Earth District facilities to make use of conveyor belts or mining rails. And this particular chariot seems on the verge of breaking down. So it isn't exactly a smooth-going ride.

The old vehicle sputters and shakes all the way out the freight entrance. It pauses only once at the gate, during which Foreman Leona's voice can be heard, papers and banter exchanged.

Then... finally... the Celestials and their 'escort' are outside. It is quiet for some time. Leona gives a few terse orders, and the vehicle proceeds dubiously onward.

Perhaps 10 or 15 minutes pass. Then the transport thuds unceremoniously to a halt.

The lady foreman says something like: "Unload, rig it, move. Quickly!" Dashu, Xurizu, Nanaret and Dreams feel their boxes being hastily lifted by a team of grunting men and women each, and deposited on the ground. Gravity makes the experience quite unpleasant when the boxes are suddenly tipped to one side and the contents allowed to spill out. "Sorry. That's the best we can do. Now get your butts out of here. And watch out for the --"

*FWOOOOOOOOMM* A nearby explosion rocks the ground, along with the shriek of tearing metal.

"-- explosions. Go, go!" That's the last Leona says directly to the Exalts, as she and her men fake being shocked over the explosion. Someone else hisses, "Geez how much powder did you USE?" Apparently the faking is not that difficult with the conflagaration of flame that now starts to consume the old chariot. Regardless, the distraction is more than enough for the Celestials to make their escape and head back to what, for now, is 'home'.

---

OOC: ok, a last pose if you like, then I'll be posting a prompt for you in Mining Settlement thread by tonight (or tomorrow at the latest.)

Nanaret, in aye-aye form, nimbly picks her way out of the pile of mining tools that were on top of her and Dreams-of-Light, before shifting back into human shape. Kneeling in front of the knocked-over box, the Lunar (still Immaculate disguised) pushes aside the mound of tools and helps the true 'cargo' to her feet.

Though Nanaret might have liked to thank Leona, the risk of being spotted by sentries attracted to the explosion is too great. For all she knows, she may never see the foreman again... or the Conclave for that matter. I hope Mockingbird's people knows what they're doing. She reassures herself with the thought that if they'd been in the smuggling business this long, they ought to have multiple ways to protect themselves.

Holding the silent Zenith by the hand, Nanaret waits for Dashu and Xurizu to extract themselves, glances around to get her bearings, then starts moving swiftly in the direction of the mining settlement.

Xurizu elected to maintain his normal form, the better for acting should something go wrong, though by the time the crates were tipped out, he was regretting it somewhat.  For a start, maintaining his human form left him free to clench and release the smooth, hard stone in his pocket over and over, wondering what it might contain.  He was almost relieved when the explosion went off, which allowed him to banish the thoughts and instead concentrate on the task in hand.

Quickly extracting himself from the tools, he held out a hand to Dashu to help the man up and then he nodded to Nanaret, and walked with her out of the wreckage of the chariot.