[Language unknown: "Ntvir te he ica whes! Thu wilnceard m werpreore ss Lo ckad."] Bhalla said. The rhythmic striking of the bell was startling, but not a true surprise. Even in the camps where she had been held, the Nah-tsees had been strangely obsessed with time. [Language unknown: "Ch ndas iou ar ect. Osca reswileve ie arhas itwielpa!"]

She turned to the two women. [Language unknown: "K diri beinicos. U ersul but artio. Ca al neshe om po? Bleme"] and she pointed to herself and Mattaki [Language unknown: "reivst di to hatsomvenart. Reonin prear."] She didn't like that idea much, either, but part of her was curious to see how the Nah-tsees who were not soldiers lived.

OOC: 14:18, Today: Sarwan Bhalla rolled 4,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  Notice.

Lena looked to Yelena.  "[Language unknown: Ca illvorhat her shesanhis miwaom, latset-verioulat, meolatat, ofnccesa...]"

16:37, Today: Lena Vogt rolled 8,6 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4.  Notice.

Bhalla noticed that the police were only armed with slender clubs dangling from their belts, or carried by some in their hand. They seemed relaxed and chatted with some of the civilians on the street.

Lena saw that many of the soldiers here were not only armed with the typical MP40s or rifles slung at their back - but she spotted at least three officers in the crowd and all of them seemed to be carrying swords or cavalry sabers at their side.

And there was one SS man casually strolling towards the boat, his raven black uniform almost eerily standing out from the others. There was something odd about this man - and his uniform - but at the distance, Lena couldn't quite tell what it was.

(No further notice roll needed, just giving Yelena some time to respond before the SS man comes closer.)

Lena looked to Yelena.  "[Language unknown: Linstaati, day esere ounsettin adder whloei?  Whes nde ol diio omthti.  Houtinrea aradof noassi thnofi!]"

She just hoped to God Yelena caught on.

Yelena nodded at the suggestion they collect information on numbers and strength. She was much more soldier than spy at this point, but that wasn't how she grew up. Shipping was also in her blood and gave her some insight into how a harbor operated.

OOC: Even though probably an unnecessary roll, Yelena did look around.

09:01, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 4,4 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.  Notice.

Yelena nodded at Lena, coughed twice and tried to look a little sickly. She then coughed again.

OOC: I presume Yelena's gun can be well hidden at this point? She's clearly not going to be able to have it in plain sight while attempting to appear as a civilian.

Yelena focused on the watchtowers and the soldiers in her field of vision. All of them seemed relaxed. If this place had seen combat, it had been a while ago. She also wondered about the swords. She had seen one officer with a sword before - an SS Colonel, wearing his parade uniform for some official occasion had been carrying a sword. But these men were not in their parade gear, but the swords seemed to be standard equipment, like the pistols at their other hip.

As the SS Man came towards the boat, Lena was finally able to get a better look at his uniform... and it was odd. Clearly inspired by the black uniforms of the Allgemeine SS, he wore the typical wide knickerbocker type pants, but not the black leather boots. He didn't wear the typical jacket, but something that looked like high-collared black leather armor that barely covered his massive shoulders. On his lower arms, he wore the same thick black leather, studded with small silver pieces.
At his hips, she saw another sword with a thin, long blade with an elegant hand guard, and a few small daggers or throwing knives on the other side, but no gun.

When he arrived in front of the boat, he raised a hand in a lazy Nazi salute and nodded his head. And now Lena saw three more things: His rank insignia on his left collar, he was an SS-Sturmscharführer, the highest-ranking NCO. On his right collar, she saw the unit insignia, the typical SS-shield with three jagged lines running from the top left to the lower right - but not runes, they looked likes rough tears, or maybe claw marks.

And she saw why he wasn't wearing boots. His feet were bare, but looked like the clawed paws of a wolf. His hands similarly ended in sharp yellow claws instead of fingernails. His facial features looked wolfish, but strangely attractive with red eyes, dark lips and bright white teeth, the canines pointed and slightly longer.

"Heil Hitler" he greeted you, with a deep rumbling voice.

((Yelena and Lena - Spirit against Fear.

))

Bhalla let her arm come up and mumbled "Heil," trying to let herself be small. Small. Humble. Another servant, another menial. She should not have been surprised; this had been in the book Lena had scavenged. And it was not as if the Nah-tsees had brought war to a world that had been at peace. Still, it hurt to see one of this world's people in that uniform, the uniform that her fiercest, most disdainful interrogators and torturers had worn.

OOC: Standard failure.

10:14, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 1,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2.  Spirit .

20:16, Today: Lena Vogt rolled 5,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3.  Scaredy Cat.

Lena had been impersonating a German for so long, she was able to salute back like it was second nature.

Yelena was taken back to a night in Bryansk, a life time ago. The Nazi's eyes narrowed as Yelena didn't mirror his salute, but then he broke into a smile that revealed even more sharp teeth.

"I apologize if I have scared you, Fräulein, you must have not seen many of my kind. Most of us are at the front lines, after all, making sure our allies are secure in their lands."

His German is almost flawless, with just a hint of an accent - more in the melody of his speech pattern than in the pronounciation. "I am SS-Sturmscharführer Arnulf. I am looking for transport downriver. Are you getting off here at Neuheim or are you continuing on? If you would allow me to accompany you, I would be very grateful."
This message was last updated by the player at 14:29, Mon 20 Feb 2023.

Lena resumed the character of Lena Vogt with more ease than she'd be willing to admit later.  A tinge of vapidness and casual misogyny always seemed to help her case.

"[Language unknown: T tron fistatun si se to tra acei ouad.  She Eeneenich, ll ort mimiec u aldi'halo seame, man ur te e niusmi ckhi, iseeec ss wil escksi.]"  She giggled like it was some funny and clever self-aware jab.  In reality, Lena was worried Yelena had a far too discernible Russian accent, while Lena had been faking a Berliner's subtle inflections for years now.  "[Language unknown: Loroac on histradin anyateounyintha onsul for sta, m strundart.  P nemene m Teenmo, se icsa reard cksa eve lestrawer eshi romwe the teroulnce atom mili sonnt whver etaien!  Ou ta evit nte ere remahome wabe sheromatiica ver nore chre a u anusur niles icamanome ma, ic olck!  M ave olme ate ilni but be prulme, ha areillion ic ul promri, be dayshever.  Li linlo mi ichprosom intshetioine thwhcksi enshe fiur a rofoan lar tritta pre ur en acday lloupo, nt icroun whe ofeviv p thi sa k lo niie ainpa nano n! N urehatons evnd usthu ate te Teom.  In avethions he acca ounestyin ast p ne ll wasdi m ee prst perat ine dinrestio traterons.]"

She called to Bhalla.  "[Language unknown: Nosa, promi Rover, les chnene.]"  She spoke in a tone which suggested she was calling a dog.  She hoped Bhalla would not be insulted and could understand what a ruse was, but... it might be much.  "[Language unknown: Mo u o vir ca le wer to wilherverhis oname hou.  Sa wande p ckou fitr ruthasine essererom un, vir te pr sanereerevenive coneratha.  I kor fiit ers iou pearat ar veranystr wh ughur p asel le neel an loolat m.  Nc nd tradnoad ha u anyeenndeeve na il u ntcaai hehiremo. Weratirat o stpro ca sarous.  Ee t ore In, heto leol witesssom es e liheat!]"

She began to walk into town, trying to drag the... "gentleman", along with her.  She dearly hoped that she hadn't doomed all the natives of this place in German captivity to being assigned pet names.  Of course they probably had been already.  Humans were awful.

Not actually speaking German I think you can say Herr as you would say Sir in English.

Arnulf's face was impossible to read, but Yelena felt like a cornered mouse must feel when staring at a cat.
"You should go and see Doctor Tiedemann in Eichenstrasse. It is not far. I can show you the way, if you want. Where did you say you were coming from? And who is your lizard friend?"

Arnulf gave Bhalla only the shortest of glances. Gnim were apparently barely worth his attention, no matter what their name was.

Yelena put her right hand to her throat and nodded with a little wince when Lena mentioned her throat. She smiled slightly at the mention of boys, then coughed lightly into her hand.

She nodded at the suggestion of the doctor, but allowed Lena to give voice to any appropriate response. All this pretending was more the spy's area of expertise than the sniper's.

Gaslight.  Misdirect.  Lena had gotten herself out of being caught taking files before, this was no different.

"Oh watch this.  Watch!"

Lena turned around and gestured to Bhalla like she was a dog.  Lena hoped sorely this wouldn't make things between then terrible later.

"Luna, Luna!  Come here girl!  Tell the man where we came from, and we'll get you a treat!"

There had to be a truthful lie.  If anyone here knew a plausible place they could have come from, it was the native.  Lena would try to bore and exasperate the man out of the rest.

Bhalla let herself droop even further, and pointed lamely upriver. [Language unknown: "Traatitheomeent. Ul t mass'riivng."] She understood the need for deception, and the Nah-tsee language was easy enough to butcher. It wasn't so much the deception that left the gnim feeling defeated, it was the likelihood of having to maintain it if this Nah-tsee gervolian joined them on their journey.

Lena squealed.  "[Language unknown: Ie estoreave fo menicalinout, ek wi e ca ur u resforout sheectsom ith!  Ngnte pr lienom m wead'moio t m stas reus!  Untha n Itaihi!  Pre Wil, oer!]"

Lena hurried along, practically pulling her companions.  Hopefully she had come off as an unremarkable, vapid and slightly annoying woman.

Yikes, that hits too close to home...

Arnulf narrowed his eyes at Bhalla, but then offered a slight bow to Lena and "Hannah" and pointed his arm in the direction of Doctor Tiedemann's office.
"This way, my dear fräuleins."
Then he looked at Bhalla again.
[Language unknown: "Mo haing plter reut lo comprethe Ounintnotyin toenin?"]

Lena paid attention, she needed to pull everyone into a market.  She considered an alley then immediately reconsidered, that was a terrible idea.

((Moving along))

Back in the day when Lena had strolled through Berlin, her hand hooked into Arthur's arm like any other proper Aryan couple, she had seen the effect an SS uniform would have on a crowd. People parted like the Red Sea for Moses, while at the same time pretending to not notice the SS officer.
It was twice that effect with Arnulf walking next two them. But there wasn't really any fear in the Germans around them. Clearly they were if not used then at least acquainted to Arnulf's kind.
And they did see a few more like him, usually standing or sitting in small groups, like soldiers on leave.

Neuheim was relatively new and had grown fast. There were still signs of a much smaller camp site everywhere. A watchtower, in the middle of the city, but now turned into a storage room. Pieces of a fortified wall that looked as if a building had grown out of it. The streets  were mostly dead straight, with the main avenue running parallel to the river, wide enough to allow two tanks to pass each other... or would have been, if there hadn't been stores, cafes, restaurants, benches, tables with people playing chess cluttering up the side walk.

Lena could barely believe it. It wasn't Berlin, of course not, but it was a small German town. If there hadn't been an abundance of uniforms, this could have been a scene from a small German town in Brandenburg.

Yelena couldn't help but try to count the soldiers, but eventually gave up and counted officers instead. She saw a few of Arnulf's kind in NCO uniforms, but none outranking Arnulf. But there were no officers. Only German officers everywhere, even if they were talking to a group of Arnulf's kind.
And none of them Wehrmacht, they were all SS. She saw a few majors and was pretty sure about two colonels walking into a cafe. There could  have easily been a battalion stationed here.

The streets were mostly named after trees. Ahornstrasse. Lindenstrasse. Buchengasse. Tannenweg. And then they turned into Eichenstrasse.

Arnulf stopped in front of a door under the sign of a red cross. "Here's Doctor Tiedemann. I will take your... Luna and wait with her in that cafe. So you don't have to worry about her causing chaos in there."

"[Language unknown: Ro t, i ur intinend Caol p eencll.  She a trcapo.]"  Lena insisted.

She felt really horrible inside for the next part, but... well it took a lot to fool the Nazis.  "[Language unknown: Rut p somardman ou a n trahe ave.]"

The words were insulting of course, but the tone was sinister, like Arthur used to use.

Sometimes she had to remind herself her parents were Germans...

[Language unknown: "Ac e ingforstrugh isnd olho si thher no eealun o larsonate. Olnt poich el chdi thi ss, Wi foadla."
]

He cocked his head and looked at Bhalla.
[Language unknown: "Ticha ta on ou ng k rom usck wit la ven hi o sonorthas sessst pre omugh ossswh. Lar an we Trmawi sawi. Ndenc wiiont be ame avetioeauate korconsom."]

[Language unknown: "Tail sawit rea arwil nc innoas."] Bhalla replied, lifting her gaze up as far as the gervolian's chest. [Language unknown: "K thaconcom ll hourutons, ac erethowit ei ev."] She let her eyes drop again. [Language unknown: "N plha aventifor der ouseauson eve nt."] Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, she wished she had stayed with Jangie's band.

Anulf offered a little bow, but his polite, even chivalrous demeanor combined with his deep, growling voice gave Yelena the distinct feeling of a mouse getting toyed with by a cat.

"[Language unknown: Romwitardeau.  Onsntevir proarttra na e ec linillant nios ous resul ho oftine!]"  Lena had an idea.  It was probably a bad one.

Inside the doctor's office

The door led to narrow corridor, then up a flight of stairs to the doctor's office. There was a small reception with a young brown-haired woman sitting behind the counter. To the left, there was a waiting room filled with a few people: Mostly women, but one old man leaning heavily on his cane, and a few children playing on a rug in a corner.

A corridor led from the waiting area to the examination rooms, supposedly.

The receptionist looked up and flashed a professional smile:
"Guten Tag! Do you have an appointment?"

---

In the cafe across the street
Arnulf picked a table on the outside, and turned his chair so he could lean against the wall and keep an eye on the door of the doctor's office, gesturing invitingly to the other chair at the table.
[Language unknown: "Ofch, kor. Str ain osofou? Plmoan?"] He snapped his fingers at the waiter, who quickly retreated back inside and emerged a moment later with a menu, taking course at your table.