3887/An Intruder at the Boutique

An Intruder at the Boutique
Date of Scene:	08 March 2016
Location:	Tomoeda-865
Synopsis:	Just as Tomoyo was closing up, Yari slips into the Boutique to make off with some very dangerous gems.
Cast of Characters:	Tomoyo Daidouji, 691

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Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The sun has nearly finished setting on Tomoeda, the sky becoming tinged with dark blues and purples of the coming night. Tomoyo's Boutique is starting to close up for the day, the tailor's four bodyguards having arrived to pick her up. They're all downstairs right now, the girl finishing up some final bookkeeping.

    Her shelves are packed with materials, but there is nary a precious gem to be seen on them. A sign at the desk explains that such materials are available, but are kept in a more secure location, before listing what is on offer. On that list is a curious name:

    Basilisk Eyes.

    A curious gem from another world, they are generally spherical with amber hues and invariably, a thin black core, almost like a lizard's pupil. Tomoyo had acquired them from a slightly shady dealer, unaware of a curious property of these gems. Namely, that if allowed to soak in citric juice, such as that from a lemon or lime, the gem would dissolve into it.

    The resulting solution makes for a powerful muscle relaxant. Even a small amount into a cut on the chest could be sufficient to relax the heart to the point of cardiac arrest. For this reason, Basilisk Eyes are a controlled substance on their home world.

    And yet, some are being kept in a locked cabinet, upstairs in Tomoyo's Boutique. And a second-floor window has been left slightly ajar. Such things are common. Who would ever try and commit thievery in a peaceful town like Tomoeda anyway?

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
Yari isn't one to do anything in half measures. She staked out the small shop for two days prior to tonight after being made aware of the rather rare ingredient. A tailor's shop for Elites ran by a young girl. At the end of it all, she's not expecting much. She's never heard of 'Tomoyo Daidouji' as any kind of great fighter.

Thus, she's come as a thief rather than assassin. A cloak covers her midnight blue kimono as she silently leaps from low rooftop to rooftop in the quiet town, vaguely reminded of her own homeland...if set several centuries forward. She has little problem navigating, and soon enough, she quietly lands upon the roof. A glance to her magitek gauntlet, and she starts to scan for heat and magical signatures to get a layout, and any potential guards.

Then, shoving a kunai between two shingles, her tail curls around the hilt and she flips upside down to hang over that second story window. There's already a lickpick in her teeth, when she notices that it's unlocked. Her eyes narrow. Is this girl /asking/ to be robbed!?

A quick flip later, and she's gently pushed in the window and landed on the sil, slipping within. It's here that she begins looking for secured places: drawers, false floors, chests, peeking under the bed, and eventually, she'll come across that cabinet. Yari's thorough, so she'll hardly find it at first. Every movement comes with a near-silent breath, the rush of adrenaline and fear even on this job hitting her as she gets to work.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    As Yari slips through the window, the first thing she would probably take note of is the stairs to her right, leading down to the first floor. Obviously, to be avoided. This floor is quite packed with equipment for the tailoring of clothes. Multiple sewing and embroidering machines, a couple of looms, adjustable mannequins, even a vat for dying materials. There is also equipment for materials other than cloth, such as table saws.

    The cabinet is located on the opposite wall from the windows, wood with glass windows to peek at what lies within. Multiple kinds of gems resting in foam casing, the Basilisk Eyes in plain view. The lock is a terribly simple one, no doubt giving to that pick within moments once Yari tries. There they are, seven in total, just ready to be taken.

    And then. A footstep behind her.

    One of the bodyguards, the one with long red hair, has ascended the stairs, with a level of stealth that might impress even Yari, especially considering the thick soled shoes she wears. She looks to Yari, her expression blank, her eyes hidden behind those shades. And then, she speaks, loud enough for her voice to carry down the stairs.

    "Call the police. We have an intruder."

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
She has to hand it to the owner of this place, she clearly knows her trade. And soon enough, Yari learns that her body guards are more than competent. Just as she spies exactly what she's looking for, up comes the red-haired bodyguard. It actually takes her a second look to spy the other woman. There's a brief smile.

Impressed indeed. A shame they're on the other side of a war. Just as the guardess calls out, Yari flicks a pair of kunai from her sleeves. Wordlessly, she chucks them at the woman's legs, trying to dig them in just under the knees. They're poisoned at that: a rather mild one meant to numb the limbs and senses, eventually sending their target into a slumber if they can't resist. She's not here to kill anyone, but this woman is clearly trouble.

"It would be best for you and your young charge that you just let me take what I need. Now sleep." She offers to the body guard, her hand fanning out a good five kunai in her hand, even as she moves for the cabinet. Her tail sways as she starts to use it to work on the lock. Difficult work, even for such a dextrous limb, doubly so given she's distracted! But the police would be trouble, and she's not here for a shootout.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The bodyguard had been reaching into the coat of her suit when the poisoned kunai came out! She tries to dodge to the side to avoid them entirely, but one manage to rip her pants and nick her leg. Given how she seems to slump right after, she's clearly a normal human, not even really an Elite.

    But, she doesn't go down right away. And the sound of footsteps up the stairs promises immediate reinforcements.

    As such, the woman decides to try and use this to her advantage. She rushes at Yari, leaps... and attempts to grapple her! To wrap her arms around her and grip her wrists to lock on. At the very least, her unconscious form would be quite a burden, even if only for a few moments.

    And now, everyone else has arrived. Three more bodyguards, all women. One has short rust-colored hair brushed to her right. Another had gray hair in a bobcut, and the last has long black hair. All three are wielding collapsible batons. Behind them is Tomoyo herself, looking on with shock and concern.

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
How stubborn! Yari finds herself with a much taller opponent grappling her, and for the moment, the redhead succeeds! She's slammed to the ground with an 'oomph'! She uses all of her anti-grapple techniques she knows, using her legs and back to try to shove her off, but it quickly becomes clear that she doesn't have the leverage over the taller woman! Instead, her tail sneaks out a needle, and then tries to jam it roughly into the woman's neck before trying to knee her in the gut! Another non-lethal toxin on the needle this time, and then she's roughly trying to push her away.

Yari doesn't bother with banter, instead noting the group at the staircase. She does the smart thing: chuck a smoke bomb at the trio!

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    In her sluggish state, the bodyguard doesn't have much going for her except the height advantage! So she does her best to abuse it, but she's not exactly prepared to deal with an extra limb. The needle goes into her neck, making her go limp enough that the knee is all that is needed to get her off.

    And now the remaining three have smoke to deal with! Coughs ring out from the cloud, as well as the strangled cry of Tomoyo. "Please, sto*cough*op this!" There is also the sound of footprints backing away from the smoke, so it seems that Yari has bought herself the time she needs!

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
POMF! Between a tail and a smokebomb, Yari's free, and there's one guard down. The rest seem too busy coughing to bother her, and only the proprietess herself has the wherewithal to actually say anything! Really, her concern for her own guards is something to respect. Rare is it that the rich and powerful care so for those who keep them safe!

But the ninja doesn't waste time, going to work on the lock quickly. Not a few seconds later? It pops open, and she grabs the Basilisk Eyes. Stuffing them into her kimono, she looks back at the fallen guard, even as she rushes to the window she made her entrance in.

Respect where it's due. She reaches into her sleeve, and pulls out a small vial. It rolled across the floor to land next to the incapacitated guard's shoulder.

"Pour that into hot steeped tea. She'll live." Offers Yari, before she moves to leap out the window, and towards the nearest roof to escape if no one stops her!

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The other guards had backed off, yes. But they certainly had not backed down. Certainly, their opponent seems stronger than they, but they are devoted to their charge, and won't be bested so easily.

    The cabinet is pilfered, the downed guard groaning. As Yari rushes and leaps towards the window, she is forced to pass through her own smoke cloud. And there's something waiting for her on the other side.

    The guards spend practically half their time in this store these days, and that has given them a clear knowledge of what is in stock. And what tailor would not have thread? What 'tailor for Elites' would not have strong thread?

    Two guards stand at opposite ends of the room, one holding a roll of thread, the other the end. As Yari leaps, they pull the length between them tight, to snag her in midair! The third stands ready before the window as well, barring her path, and ready to attack!

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
Whatever Tomoyo is paying her guardians, it's not nearly enough. The smoke is an excellent cover for thin thread, and as she leaps? Huuuurk! Yari's eyes go bug-eyed as she's wrapped up for a moment, caught seemingly! The ninja looks between her opponents, scowling, before she then looks up. An idea hits her, and she tilts her hand.

Several hand-seals later, and she manages to suck in a breath!

Fire bursts from her mouth, first aimed at the thread wrapping her up! Her kimino catches on fire as well, and she's burning just a bit already, but she aims mostly to catch that thread on fire! Before she can burn the bodyguards, she aims for the ceiling, trying to finish the fireball upwards to blow a hole through the wood!

She has little desire at this point to draw out a conflict that's grown sloppy in her estimation. This should have been an easy job!

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The bodyguard blocking the window rushes in to start swinging at the entangled Yari, but the fire breath makes her backpedal quickly! The smoke from the burning kimono and threat sets off the fire alarm and overhead sprinklers, bringing water cascading down from sprinklers.

    And then a burning hole is blasted in the roof.

    Thankfully, the sprinklers keep the flames from spreading, but it also soaks everyone involved. Yari, the bodyguards who are moving in with batons poised to swing...

    Wait. Where's Tomoyo?

    The girl emerges from behind Yari, having been put under a table by the guards as a precaution. The sight of her store being blown apart forces her out of hiding, a jade mirror in her hand. Suddenly, it crackles with electricity, and she stabs it at Yari's back.

    She might want to dodge this. Water + electricity = bad.

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
With smoke and fire, and then water from the sprinklers soaking everyone, the ninja is forced to contend with a with a duo of guards ready to swing at her! Rather than immediately jump, she makes a small leap, aiming a swift kick of her left foot to the wrist of one guard assailant, and her tail lashing out to smack the baton out of the hand of the other!

Where she any less quick, Tomoyo's plan would have worked.

Just as she lands, she leaps up in a backflip, trying to grab Tomoyo's wrist that holds the strange crackling mirror as she lands behind the girl! The agile ninja shakes her head.

"You're brave, girl. You should not waste that." Then, she'll try to wrench the smaller girl's arm into a spinning throw in an attempt to toss her bodily towards the guard at the windshield! Hit or miss, she'll then take the opportunity to leave, leaping up through the hole she created, quickly flashing off of the roof. Her exit is far more erratic. Just in case one of those bodyguards proves to have ninja in their blood!

After the performance of those she's faced tonight? It wouldn't surprise her.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The guards are fast, but Yari is much faster. The kick and tail lash knock the batons from their hands, but they're still willing to keep trying. Seamlessly, they shift into stances for hand-to-hand combat.

    But then Yari flips behind Tomoyo and has her wrist grasped. Immediately, they all seem to freeze up. Tomoyo looks to Yari with pupils slightly dilated from fear and surprise, but her arm is surprisingly steady. She's not trembling at all. The guards hold their ground, watching Yari with gazes that seem to piece through those shades to bore into the ninja. If she does anything to hurt Tomoyo...

    But then the girl is flipped! She goes limp in a way that suggests she's used to this kind of thing, and the bodyguards spring into action to catch her and cushion her fall. Keeping their charge safe comes first, which means Yari has a clear path to escape! Leaving the women behind with only distant sirens of police and fire engines to console them