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Frenzied Scheming; [Cordelia]
Topic Started: Tue Jan 17, 2017 8:17 pm (182 Views)
Tanya
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The shifting shadows cast by Balefire's lanterns must be as much a deterrent to crime as the brutality of its Sheriffs, Tanya reflected, trying to calm herself. She hadn't anticipating being back in Balefire so soon, but her situation in Cascadia was becoming increasingly tenuous. Despite Miss Greenhorn's best efforts, dozens of her backers had abandoned Life Eternal during her long absence, and the number of bounty hunters who came after her even as far away as Cascadia had driven her security costs through the roof.

For a moment, the foolishness of diving straight back into the source of all of her troubles almost made her turn back. She had to consciously stop her feet from carrying her out of the alley. Life Eternal needed the money from this caper too much for her to back out now. Her dreams of cashing in on her status as a folk hero had evaporated as Cascadia's increasing crime problem made the citizens less tolerant of outlaws, and she didn't have the money to run a publicity campaign against the perception of her as a terrorist. But with a few thousand notes, she could turn the tide of public opinion and start making money again. She was certain of it.

Though it would be nice to have a way of getting that money that didn't involve getting turned in to a group of Sheriffs with a serious grudge against her. And it would be even nicer if she didn't have to wait in this dingy alley for an unreliable ally, jumping every time she thought she saw someone passing by. She tightened her clothes around herself, not as a defence against the cold - for few of her limbs wee still capable of feeling cold - but to reassure herself of the protection they afforded her by making her practice of loitering in the shadows of Balefire's backstreets more likely to be overlooked.

It had taken her long enough to make contact with the ally she was meeting. She couldn't use any of her contacts to refer her for fear that their involvement could be traced back to her, and she couldn't ask anyone outright for fear of tipping her hand too early. All communication so far had been thirdhand, cryptic, and brief. The message she'd sent her contact most recently had contained only the address of the alley and the time they were to meet, both encoded with a cypher she'd sent in an earlier message. Aside from that, she knew only that her contact bore a grudge against Balefire, appreciated money, and had the skills necessary to attempt a breakout.

Balefire's enormous clock began to toll the hour. Tanya jerked back at the first stroke; relaxed at the second. By the third, she was tense again, this time with anticipation. It was time for her contact to appear.
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♥Cordelia Brooks
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The last time Cordelia walked into Balefire, she hadn't known her own name. She'd owned nothing but the clothes on her back and a slip of paper telling her where to go, and then a little bit of unexpected luck intervened—as fate would have it, she ran into an old friend, someone who was willing to house and hide her once the law caught wind of her reappearance.

She did not remember committing any crimes, but that did not absolve her of them. Rather than rot in prison or take her chance in court, she ran, leaving behind the home she had once lived in and any answers it could have given her about her life. She resented the lost chance—perhaps if she'd gone straight there, her memories would have returned at least in part. It was a slim chance, but like so many things in her life, it had been stolen from her.

As she walked down the streets, she drew her cloak around herself—not to protect herself, but to ward off the chill in the air. The only sound was that of her footsteps against the ground. It was a quiet, lonely night, which bolstered her confidence. She walked with a great deal of pride; her shoulders were squared and her head was held high. Mere months ago she would not have dared to show her face in Balefire lest it result in her immediate capture. But mere months ago, magic had not crackled inside of her; where once she felt the gaping hole of its absence, she now enjoyed the pleasant hum of its presence.

Had it not been for the return of her magic, she would never have responded to the first cryptic message she received from someone in need of an ally. It very well might have been a bounty hunter's ploy to ensnare her, turn her into the sheriff and collect the reward.

Now, she dared a bounty hunter to try her. A bounty hunter was not enough to frighten her, and neither was a little old warrant. She considered altering her appearance to ensure an undisturbed journey to the prescribed meeting place, but decided against it. She wanted to meet her contact honestly.

The giant clock tower tolled the hour, and Cordelia approached the alleyway the final message directed her toward. It sat between two decrepit buildings, which Cordelia could not imagine anyone inhabited. The alleyway was deep and filled with shadow, and, quite aware that this might be a trap, Cordelia rested her hand on the dagger at her belt.

Inside the alleyway stood a woman.

"Evening," she said. Her voice was low, cautious. She glanced around furtively, but, seeing no sign of trouble, stepped into the alley and closer to the cloaked woman.

"You look a little tense," she said. And then, beginning to smirk, added, "Waiting for someone?"
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Tanya
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Fighting back the instinct to whip around and drop into fighting stance, Tanya kept her reaction to a glance over her shoulder and an unhurried acknowledgement. "Oh, hello. I have been waiting for someone - a prospective business partner. Might that be you?" She approached with as much confidence as she could muster and held out her left hand. It was jet-black and twisted space in ways that made it uncomfortable to look at, even for her. "Either way, it's good to meet you."

If the woman took her hand, her handshake was cold and firm. It got firmer when the other woman tried to let go. Tanya could feel the ethereal force in her arm try to exert itself to take the energy and memories from this interloper. She forced it back, for the time being.

Pulling her associate close, she dropped her voice to a low, urgent whisper. "My name is Madame Tanya. I am a zakona. I am waiting for someone tricky enough to successfully disguise themselves as a bounty hunter and trustworthy enough that I can count on them breaking me out afterwards. Is that you?"

If the woman turned out to be a passing witness rather than the contact Tanya had been waiting for, she could simply let loose the ethereal taint in her arm, wipe the unlucky passer-by's memory, and send her on her way. That would be easy enough. It would be harder if she was the contact Tanya had been looking for.

Her free and tensed in anticipation, its claws digging into her palm almost deep enough to break the skin. None of her staff knew where she was or what she was up to. She couldn't afford to tell them without implicating them in her plot via the Principle of Collusion, and she wasn't willing to make her staff into zakona again. If the break-out went south or her partner betrayed her, there would be no other help coming from the outside. Even the friends she'd made in law enforcement would have no chance of getting her out, not with the bounty on her head. And breaking out herself would be nearly impossible now that the Sheriffs knew about her abilities.

She cut off that line of thought before it went any further. Prepare for failure, but expect success. She focused on the woman across from her, waiting for an answer.
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♥Cordelia Brooks
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With a wary gaze, Cordelia eyed the woman in the alley. She was not sure whether she was meant to meet a man or a woman—the cryptic notes had never mentioned a gender, only a time and a place. The offered hand manipulated the space around it in a way that caused Cordelia to squint and reconsider her decision to come. If the law of Balefire wasn’t after her, then someone else—an enemy from her past who she couldn’t remember, didn’t even realize existed—might have sent for her.

She took the woman’s hand, and felt her stomach drop at her inability to pull away. Cordelia’s jaw stiffened, and her eyes filled with a cold fury instead of fear. A trap, then? A surge of panic rose within her, and then dulled. She could handle a trap—she’d spent her entire life handling traps.

But as the woman—Madam Tanya—began to speak, Cordelia realized that this was, indeed, the person who had sent her cryptic messages. Tanya wasn’t a trap so much as she was trying to ascertain Cordelia herself wasn’t a threat. Smart.

Is that you?

After letting the question hang in the air for a moment, Cordelia focused on a place beyond Tanya’s shoulder and disappeared. When she reappeared, it was in that spot.

“That can be me,” she said. “My name is Cordelia Brooks. I’m a zakona, too. I can get you into the prison—and more importantly, I can get you out. If you want trustworthy—well, I can say I’ll stick to a plan, at the very least. Can you say the same?”

They both had quite a bit to lose if this plan went south. They were both wanted by the law. Cordelia could imagine a number of ways in which this scheme might fail, but could also envision its success. It all depended on how willing they were to trust one another.

“Let’s put it this way,” she said. “I won’t leave you stranded in a prison cell, if that’s what you’re worried most about. I’m here to teach the Balefire officials a little lesson. This is far more to me than reward money. Is that what you’re in it for? The money?”
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Tanya
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When the woman slipped out from her grip, Tanya spun and fell into a fighting crouch, but her opponent didn't go on the attack. Instead, she introduced herself and confirmed that she was Madame Tanya's contact. The alchemist straightened up and nodded curtly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cordelia. Whether or not I'll follow a plan depends on how good the plan is, but in this case I don't think we'll have any trouble. I've been considering this job for a long time."

Madame Tanya nodded politely at Cordelia's reassurance. She replied coolly and evenly, without any bluster, but a wisp of ethereal smoke curled up along her arm and her mismatched eyes shone menacingly. "I'm glad to hear it. But I hope you won't take offense when I let you know that, on the off-chance that you get cold feet partway through the job, I have a great many contacts across Chaon and if you betray me I will have every one of them hunt you down and tear apart your body for grafting materials. I tracked you down before and if need be I can do it again. Don't betray me." She kept up a pleasant demeanour as she delivered the threat, her tone scarcely different from the one with which she warned the customers at her shop not to exert themselves too much for a few days after getting a new limb.

After a short pause to ensure that Cordelia had understood, she resumed speaking. "Oh, but I haven't answered your question. Well, I suppose when it comes down to it, it is mostly about the money. I don't deny a certain degree satisfaction when I think of getting one over the Sheriffs, but there are certain projects I have underway that need funding and most of my backers pulled out when I was declared zakona."

She waved Cordelia on, walking down the alleyway. "Come on. Better not to stay in one place for too long." She reached into her bag and drew out a sheaf of papers. "These are the floor plans for this neighbourhood's prison. There's a few possible avenues of escape. I've marked out a few of them, but you're the one breaking me out - I defer to your expertise."

She passed over the papers for her ally's perusal.
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♥Cordelia Brooks
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At Madame Tanya’s threat, a single brow rose coolly. Unworried and unafraid, Cordelia cocked her head to the side, and a slow smirk slid across her mouth. “A great many contacts,” she said, “and you chose a stranger to help you with this job?” Perhaps because Cordelia was the best fit—or perhaps because Madame Tanya was bluffing about just how many people she knew.

“You’re not the only one capable of hunting anyone down. I could eat you alive. Let’s call it even then, shall we?” Tanya would use her for grafting materials, and Cordelia would use Tanya—or any of her various contacts—for food. They were both zakona; who but the rest of the underbelly would miss them? And was it really missing, among fiends such as themselves?

As they left the alleyway, Cordelia snatched the papers from Tanya’s hands and flipped through them quickly. Then, with a more discerning eye, she examined each floor plan, each marked exit, and nodded slowly as she formulated a plan.

“These two would be best,” said Cordelia, pointing to two options on the floor plan. “It’ll depend what cell they put you in, but these two exits aren’t as finely secured. I’ll disguise myself to turn you in, and come back in a couple hours when the prison is a bit quieter. I’ve got a portal gem that’ll get me back in without any commotion. Then all I’ve got to do is break you out of the cell—I’ve got the right tools for that.”

She passed the papers back.

“Let’s hope they put you in a cell by yourself,” she said. “If they don’t, it’s up to you to make sure your cellmate won’t be an issue. Knock them out, if you’ve got to. I’m not rescuing everyone.”
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Tanya
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Madame Tanya's lips slit in a long grin. Her teeth glinted. "But a trustworthy stranger, of course. I've received confirmation that Balefire's spies have records on everyone they know me to have worked with. Better not to be accompanied by anyone who might be on that list."

She nearly laughed when Cordelia mentioned eating her alive. Her regenerating flesh was already a regular food source for any number of Life Eternal's employees and volunteers. All the same, she kept her expression solemn. There was no point engaging in pointless blustering. So long as Cordelia understood that handing Tanya in and making off with the reward money wasn't the easy option, she'd done all she needed. There was nothing to be gained from antagonizing her ally further. "Even. Make sure they don't try to skimp on the bounty."

Tanya took the papers back, then stepped up against the wall and wrenched out a loose brick. She jammed the papers in the hole, then pulled a jar of white liquid from her bag. Replacing the brick, she sealed it into place with a thin coat of the liquid, which hardened rapidly. She rebottled it and looked over at Cordelia. "Here, take my bag. Bring it back to me when you break me out; it has several potions that should make our escape easier." She passed over the bag of alchemicals.

Stepping back, she shook herself down and prepared to see the inside of a Balefiren prison for the second time. "All right. Are you ready? Know all you need to know? Then bind me and let's get going." She held out a pair of cuffs, a length of metal cord, and a neck brace. Stepping forward, she her hands together behind her back. "Tie my legs together at the knees and make sure you fit the neck brace on me so that I can't turn my head. Last time I was arrested here I chewed off my own arm to escape. They need to believe there's a reason why I couldn't do it again."

She stepped forward and gestured with her eyes. "The prison's five blocks down and three to the left. When we get close, I'll start struggling. Be ready."
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