RP:Rooftops And Robberies

Summary: Upon receiving word to meet Meri and Callum at The Rebel Room in Cenril, Lanara disguises herself as an elderly woman and heads to the warehouse. Once there, the trio hastily takes the stairs to the roof, and leaps from one rooftop to the next. Their destination? The building that holds the best vantage point of the Cenril Bank, so that they could verify Khitti's research and get a good look at the location that they plan to raid in the coming days. After a few minutes of plotting how to best enter the bank, diffuse the magical flame barrier, break into the safety deposit boxes, and securing a safe getaway, the group agrees that their plans are flawed, but it's better than nothing. Lana needs the rose quartz skull to ascertain that she's proven innocent at her upcoming trial, and she knows she has the best crew for this job as Meri is a psion and Callum is a storm mage. Will their attempts at the bank heist be rewarding or futile?

Part of the Magic, Madness, and Mayhem Arc

Meri :: The warehouse was the starting point for tonight's meeting. Word would be discretely sent to all parties to be involved, this time those parties are Callum, Meri and Lanara. Getting in and out of the gallery without being seen was likely to be an easy endeavor for Lanara, the foot traffic and customer base that Meri pulled in to her business was not nearly as much as the foot traffic the bakery saw. Meri has a far easier time locking her doors without anyone being sorely disappointed -- artists could be so flakey, no? The warehouse gallery was oddly silent tonight, normally there was the sound of several sets of nails tapping against the stone floors. None of the dogs were here tonight, the kid was not here tonight, it was an adult’s only adventure. Meri’s attire was not entirely of the norm tonight. Sure, she was still sporting her usual pair of comfortable black pants, and big ol black boots...but her tattoos are completely covered for the blonde is also wearing a long sleeved black shirt and blonde hair has been secured beneath a black bandana. Once all parties arrive, well namely Lanara...as Callum is probably already here...Meri will lock the door and afford them the privacy needed for this conversation.

Lanara has a heavy heart as she meanders through the streets of Cenril, on her way to meet with Meri and Callum, at the warehouse. The witch had a lot on her mind, concerning the past, present, and future, all of which were looking pretty grim. She had an impromptu meeting with her sister which led to planning a funeral for their recently departed brother. Scandal had committed suicide, which likely wouldn’t have happened, were Lana in the lands instead of in a psych ward. Talyara confessed that there was some sort of connection between their family and a stranger named Natianara, and it’s been nagging at her ever since. There also were rumors circulating about a green skinned, Tuscan eyed, warrior roaming around Kelay and Cenril, and Lana wonders if Largakh is back from the dead. It’s not –that- surprising, given that she has died and returned on two separate occasions. Would he bring harm to her doorstep when he learned of the orphan’s fate in Gualon? She hopes to prove her innocence long before it comes to that because she cannot handle another ounce of drama in her life. Naturally, instead of avoiding trouble, she’s walking into it, as she arrives at the gallery where she hopes to plot the bank heist. Lana is thankful that Samhain is nearing, as all of the shops were selling costumes, and rather than wear that amulet or use a glamour potion, she could just wear a disguise and remove it whenever she felt necessary. Clad in a pair of black leggings, a black sweater, and a pair of flats, her posture is slightly hunched as she leans over a cane, and every so often she surreptitiously makes sure that her gray wig is held in place. Cinder, the tikifhlee was left at the apartment in Enchantment, likely clawing on the furniture. One Lana is within the warehouse; she removes the wig and tosses the cane to the side, waiting silently as the door is locked. Callum and Meri each get a faint smile and nod in greeting, as she awaits further instruction. This was their show, as Lana knew little to nothing about breaking and entering.

Callum was definitely here already and he too was dressed in black--he didn’t need the bandana though as his hair was already the right color! He was a little apprehensive about being up on the roof though. Those new werewolf senses of his were still something his was getting used to and the idea of being up there with all the scents and sounds of the city -and- the ocean -and- both the scents of both Meri and Lanara in his direct vicinity were going to throw his senses into overload. In an effort to try to combat this anxiety, he’d been drinking enough lavender tea to kill a whale and was now finishing up his last cup as Lanara showed up. The impending mission had him slightly pensive, that silver tongue of his on silent mode--not that he really needed to use that particular skill of his right now anyway--to allow Meri to do her thing. A nod and a ‘hi’ were offered to Lanara and not much else for the time being (the poor guy was still a little wary about the other witches, after all) before his ocean-blue line of sight shifted to Meri, giving her a nod to signify that he was ready for whatever she had to say.

Meri leads the both of them through her warehouse, up a couple flights of stairs until they our out on the rooftop of the warehouse. On the way there, Meri makes for some small talk, "I'd ask how we all are...Except, I think I already know the answer." She knew what news Khitti had to deliver to the witch sisters and she knew well of many of Callum's concerns, even if he has not voiced them directly. She went through being a new werewolf all the same. "We had a lot going on last time we met, and we never got to finishing planning things out....So that is what we are going to spend most of tonight focusing on." She had Khitti's research with her from last time, the one that noted the shifts the various guards took, the movements that they tended to take. All of the players did need to be appraised of these details...and then they needed to come up with some sort of plan of action. There was nothing overly impressive about the rooftop of the warehouse, Meri had at one point considered constructing some sort of green space up here...but as of right now it is quite bland looking. Which is great, they do not seem like they are going to be staying in this space for long, clearly...for Meri takes off running and leaps off of her building, jumping on to the next. This process would repeat until they found themselves on a rooftop that offered them a better vantage point. If Lanara and Callum have any concern that they might not make any of the jumps tonight? Don't worry, their resident psion won't let anyone splat onto the streets tonight.

Lanara wonders what Callum will hope to gain out of this endeavor, as Meri hinted that she is hoping for something shiny. Would the storm mage want something out of another safety deposit box, like his partner? Did she even have anything to offer that he would want? As far as Lana can recall, Cal was Catalian, he seemed hesitant about adopting two dogs, and he looked a little confused at Valrae’s resurrection. Maybe she could offer him some guidance, now that he was a wolf. Or some magical tutoring? No one did anything without hoping for some sort of reward, though she knows that Khitti and Meri are doing this primarily because they are her closest friends and don’t want to see her burn at the stake. “Are you two back together?” It’s the first thing Lana blurts out, once they surface on the rooftop, as she looks from the man to the woman, curiosity in her gaze. Before being institutionalized, Meri had given birth to Fleur, and the couple had called it quits. The psion was living with Khitti and talking about getting her own place, but clearly, they were back in each other’s lives. Of course the witch would be sidetracked by this notion, as she wonders if their engagement is back on and if Cal and Fleur had met. Thankfully, Meri interrupts her thoughts by running and jumping off the roof and onto the next building, like it’s no big deal. It wouldn’t be frightening to Lana, were she capable of wielding her magic, but the ankle monitor prohibits her from calling the element of air, and she’s not as in shape as she was six months ago. “Um…” She hesitates, tapping the edge of the building with the toe of her shoe, like a cat dipping its foot into a puddle. “We can do this…” Meri wouldn’t let anything happen to her, of that she was certain, but it was still a daunting task. Inhaling, Lana retraces her steps, sprints across the roof, and leaps into the air. With a thud, she lands, though it’s not as graceful as she hopes, and she brushes the debris from her knees and rises, only to see that the psion was jumping off of this one, too! It was going to be a long night, but after the first jump, the adrenaline is pumping and Lana finds herself less hesitant to follow after her friend.

Callum || Meri’d already headed off before Lanara asked her question and Cal was left to be the one to respond. Before the witch too went after the blonde, he’d give her a bit of a nod, as well as a ‘yes’. There wasn’t much time to talk about it now as they were jumping buildings like they were in some sort of action movie. He’d eventually head after the two and it… was a hell of a lot easier than it’d seemed. It was likely due to that newfound wolfiness of his because he was damn sure he wasn’t going to make it. The next couple of buildings would be tackled before he joined the two of them and he surprisingly wasn’t out of breath from the whole ordeal--this was definitely something he could get used to. What -did- Callum want out of all of this anyway? Meri -had- mentioned deposit boxes and whatnot, but for once he hadn’t really cared about that. (Okay, that’s a lie actually. He definitely does care about money. A lot. It’s like his other partner, second only to Meri.) The heist was something that’d get him out of the house in Sage though, regardless of whether or not his senses would be going haywire, and that had been enough for him in the moment when Meri briefly told him about it. When they actually get to the bank though? Well… that was likely a different story.

Meri definitely was already off by the time Lanara got off her question, it was not really intentional on Meri's part. She heard Lanara asking the words, but the blonde could not exactly slow her pace down to answer the question for she is mid-jump. Cal is the one who answers, so Meri does not slow her pace, she leads them to their destination. It's really no spot in specific, just some rooftop that provides them clear vantage of the bank they're meant to rob. Khitti's research is spread out on the rooftop in front of them, pinned down by a psion's certain abilities so none of the pages are carried away in a breeze. That was the last thing they would need, someone uncovering their research and piecing the details of what it might be for together. Were any of the three to take the time to study the guard's current position, and where Khitti said that guard would be at that given time of night...they would find her notes are accurate. They had reliable notes as to how the guards moved about during their shift, and there was a definite pattern to what they did. "So...There are a lot of ways that we can try and get this done. We could all try and break in during the night...But as we have already noted...Part of the bank's job is not just to store gold...or precious items...but to keep it secure. I think we need to think really hard on how we are getting in. I think it needs to be in a way it won't expect....And my first thought....? Is for Cal and I to rely upon these really snazzy cloaks that we have...." Meri looks to Callum, as if to ask if he would be so kind to demonstrate. "We'll enter the bank shortly before it closes....and hide. And then let you in once everyone but the guards has gone home for the night...?" Getting in was only half the battle. They also had that additional measure of security. "And then there was something about fire...." Oh what did Khitti say about the fire...Meri was drawing a blank. "A wall of fire that we'd have to get past, maybe it was?" Meri looks to Lanara as if to see if the witch recalls. "Obviously any other thoughts or ideas are welcome...I am not the brainiest of brains in this party...." Meri smirks.

Lanara nearly collapses when she hits the roof of their final destination, gasping for air, and slightly sweating from a mixture of fear and fatigue. Her cheeks are flushed, her hair is windswept, and she’s gulping for oxygen as she tries to explain her condition in a hurried whisper, “I haven’t danced, exercised much, or ridden my broom, in a –long- time! That was…” Dangerous? Foolish? Exhausting? “So much fun!” Even she looks surprised at her choice of words, but with the way her eyes are lighting up, her words are sincere. It had been a long time since she last felt this alive, and even though her shoes were scuffed and her pants had some small rips, the experience was invigorating. After a few minutes the witch catches her breath and she gives Callum a pointed look and a toothed grin, “That’s great news!” It was wonderful that Meri and Callum were a couple again, and since she’s the odd one out now that both of her friends are in relationships and have children, she’s betting that she will be on babysitting duty in the near future. The bank is viewed from this position, and Lana focuses on the windows and the doors, also making sure to spy the guard and compare the time to Khitti’s notes. The redhead played her part to perfection, as the book was filled with information vital to their plans. “Okay, that sounds great… While you two are in their, hiding, I can keep a watchful eye on the street, just to make sure.” What if the security guards changed shifts? Or if someone had to return as they forgot something at work? What if another was trying to rob the bank, such as them, on the same night? Lana doesn’t have a fancy cloak, but she has superior hearing and a good set of eyes. “Fire?” Khitti –had- mentioned something about flames, hadn’t she? If only the witch wasn’t so focused on trying to avoid her sibling at the bakery, she would have an easier time recalling the exact statement… A moment passes, and then another, before she has an ‘aha’ moment and excitedly chimes in, “Green and white flames! It was something about a measure that was taken to guard the safety deposit boxes… So I’m assuming the flames are some type of magical ward?” It would make sense to have the bank enchanted against –all- types of thieves.

Callum smirked at Lanara’s excitement about this whole thing, then looked at Meri when the psion started rattling off details. He’d demonstrate the shadow cloak as Meri wished; a necklace was pulled out from within the confines of his shirt, his thumb running across the disc-shaped medallion. Not a second passed before Cal disappeared from sight and showed up behind Meri, a slight jab at her side given as the shadow cloak faded and Callum reappeared. “It’s quite handy. I almost killed Josleen with a bit of lightning while we were hiding in these things,” the Catalian gloated. Yeah, he’s still proud of that. Sorry, Meri. Whatever smug grin that’d been on his face though was wiped away at the mention of fire. “Goddamn it. What the hell is with people and fire?!” Ugh. This was going to prove… difficult. A run-in with that cat-girl Karasu had proven to be fiery as well and Cal still hadn’t quite recovered from it mentally. The medallion was shoved away beneath his collar, sitting front and center underneath his shirt next to a now visible pentacle. Thankfully the damn thing hadn’t been actual silver because it’d really hurt to wear it now, what with him being a werewolf and all. The tiny bit of witchy jewelry was only visible for half a second before he’s readjusting the shirt and sighing heavily, “Regardless of the fire, and whether there’s anything even useful there in those boxes beyond Lanara’s stuff, we still need to grab things from as many other boxes as we can. It’ll be too obvious what we were there for if we don’t and they’ll come for her. What the bank might do to Lanara honestly might be worse than the punishment of a failed trial.” Look, banks were ruthless and Callum probably knew that better than anyone--for a while there he’d been their best customer.

Meri :: The two magic users did not seem to have any suggestions for how they might deal with the fire, which was enough to make Meri pull a cross-eyed expression. Callum moves right past trying to work out how they might deal with the fire. He's worried about the goods. Which...was still something that they had to work out, so it's not like he was completely off topic in an invalid way. Meri embraces the subject and goes with it, "Which means we're going to want to have our getaway prepped and ready to go. Which is one more thing that Lanara can help us with while she is also watching the guards..." At least until they managed to let her into the bank to assist them. "We'll take as much as we can, provided we can get past the flames to begin with, and make a beeline for our horse-pulled cart...and escape Cenril all together?" She looks between both Callum and Lanara, trying to get a sense as to if they thought this plan was sound enough to work or not. "As for the flames...If the flames are green and white they are probably damn hot. I can probably separate the flames...using my telekinesis....But heat still radiates out from flames. That I can't shield against." It made sense. Heat was not something of tangible substance, thus beyond Meri's scope of influence. Much like cold.

Lanara finds her attention drawn to Callum as he demonstrates the use of the cloak, and her eyes widen in pleasant surprise. The device was nifty, he was truly invisible, and he moved behind Meri completely undetected! “Whoa… That’s insanely handy.” The comment about nearly electrocuting Josleen brings a genuine smile to Lana’s face, as she’s imaginging the little bard fried to a crisp, her long blonde hair sticking up at all ends, and of course the immense joy that witches worldwide would feel knowing that she had perished. “I may ask you for a repeat performance of that, should she be at the same place as us in the future.” Hell, Lana would be ballsy enough to attack Josleen without an invisibility shield, as she had done in the past, before she rose to queen status. Meri mentions the flames again and Lana thinks on it, as none had really offered a solution, save for the psionic abilities of separating the flames. The heat would still remain and deter them from their goal, unless they counteracted the enchantment. “What if… Cal? Are you able to wield ice magic? I know it’s not a typical element… But if you could somehow focus all of your energy on the flames that emit the heat, while Meri is containing the flames that hold the enchantment in place, and if you could use a chill spill to last long enough for me to pass through and seek out the skull, it should work! It’s basically just calling the element of water and the element of air… Uniting them by applying a cohesive chill spell… I won’t need too long to find the skull, as it will call out to me. But… I will need to learn how to pick a lock, or we will have to somehow get hold of a universal key… Or maybe Meri can use her abilities to unlock the box?” Would it be too difficult, if Cal and Meri were both focused on the flames –and- had to deal with opening a box that contained a powerful skull, while making this look like a massive bank heist, and making sure they didn’t melt Lana in the process? The witch doesn’t want to force her optimism, so she thinks about their getaway, and gives a slow nod. “I will secure a few horses from the sanctuary… I will slip a sleeping drought in Venin’s tea, she literally drinks a cup an hour, and she will be stone cold when I steal the horses. And the carriage should be easy enough to get, as there are always dozens lining the main road in Kelay. I will make a quick pass through there, tie the horses to a post, attach the stolen horses to our ride, and make sure to keep it hidden until we need to leave.” Lana had experience in stealing animals and putting Venin to sleep, that much is obvious. “So, what do you guys think?”

Callum was definitely avoiding the prospect of dealing with the fire. Gods… it was going to be up to him, wasn’t it? With Meri separating the stupid fire, Lanara’d have to deal with getting her stuff and stuff from other boxes. And where did that leave Cal? Frakking dealing with fire too, -again-. At length, he sighed. He resisted the urge to sigh again, but did it anyway once he’d made his decision. “I’ll do what I can to cool the flames with my water magic. Air won’t work on it because literally fanning the flames is only going to make it worse. And it’s weird-sounding magic flames and not even the normal stuff so I’m definitely okay with not making things way worse than what its already gonna be.” If his response about the fire wasn’t enough, he shook his head at Lanara, “I only ever learned things that’d further my botany or to get me the hell out of Catal--so storm magic and herbomancy. Unfortunately the Mage’s Guild is proving useless so far, as learning the rest of the elements and their subclasses is what I wanted help with but…” He just sort of gestured irritatedly towards Xalious, “The mages there are no different than the self-absorbed ones back home and I’m not really unsurprised by it. But--” he stared off towards the direction of that mage town still, ocean-blue eyes narrowing in thought. “--that does give me access to better books in their library. I’ll head there tomorrow morning and pick up one on ice magic. They know what I’m there for and won’t question it. I can try to practice in the meantime until we actually do this and hopefully Meri won’t literally eat me alive if I turn our house into a wintery wasteland.”

Meri gives a shrug. "It...depends on numerous factors. I was ideally hoping we'd have some space to move past these flames...that the deposit boxes might be kept at a distance from them? To prevent...the contents inside the boxes from being damaged by heat themselves?" But maybe the bank has thought of ways to negate that. "I can usually influence a couple objects at once...But when you need to me to do something for a prolonged period of time, or with particular finesse...the more I am able to focus on just that one thing...? The better. So in my case? I will say we'll see when we get there. That being said...." Well if Lanara was going to go into the bank as well? They may as well put her to good use. "Maybe Callum will feel like he will be able to focus on his part and picking locks...but...You've better get some serious practice in. Because I am not sure there is really such a thing as a universal key. Like thieving life would be so much easier if that were the case....Trust..." It did not seem like they had their plan completely ironed out. It did seem likewas still plenty of room for hiccups, especially when it came to the flames and the lockboxes. But, it was what they were going to have to work with given the team that they did have. "So if we've got a plan in place....Break?" And by break, Meri means that they would have to go back the way they came -- jumping across rooftops back to her gallery where they could really then break.

Lanara :: As Callum finishes speaking, and its Meri’s turn next, they’d notice that Lana is silent for a few moments as though she were deep in thought. Their plan to rob the bank was going to be very difficult to carry out, she may end up dying in the process, and she was putting her friends at risk. She wasn’t one to shy away from danger, usually, but this time the stakes were that much higher as it wasn’t just –her- life that was on the line. Chocolate hues look watery in the moonlight, and the city is quiet, save for the whirring of the gentle breeze at this altitude. “I can’t thank you both enough, I know that I’m asking a lot… I know you have a beautiful little girl, and that we could get caught, or injured. I’m not unaware of the risks that are involved, but please know that I’m in your debt, and forever grateful.” Lanara pauses in her speech, before turning to Callum, “It pains me that you’ve gone untrained for so long… I was born with empathic abilities and my magic was unpredictable… I was sent away to an academy to learn how to control my powers.” She leaves out the part where she turned her grandfather into a squirrel. “About a hundred years later, I sacrificed my empathy, to save my sister’s life, though my animal empathy remains.” Lana swallows, feeling that she’s getting off course, “I have dabbled with quite a few witches, covens, and guilds in my many years… And even though I have gained a mastery level with my magic, I still find that there are things to learn… And to teach those that weren’t fortunate to have the schooling, or experiences, that I did. Part of being a witch is the will to heal, to help, and to teach others how to safely practice, is it not? If it’s alright with Meri, and if you’re comfortable… I would be willing to teach you a few things, as would Talyara, I’m certain.” Once she receives a reply from Cal, even if it’s that he needs to think on things, she would give a curt nod and return her attention to Meri. “You’re right. The boxes are likely a few feet behind the magical barrier, so maybe if the flames are separated enough Cal can unlock the boxes, while I grab the skull and ready the horses. We may not even need any opposing magic!” Lana extends her hand and gives the psion’s a squeeze, a look of pride in her eyes, “Thank you. And yes, a break sounds great.”

Callum || Unfortunately Callum had the same line of thinking when it came to the plan and the heist itself: too much room for error. But, that bit of safe-stealing they’d done with Eleanor hadn’t gone completely to plan either (sorry, Meri). It was just something they’d have to deal with in the moment and take things as they presented themselves. “Meri’s been through worse, surprisingly. She does deal with that redhead on an almost daily basis.” Yes, he meant -that redhead-. The one who was babysitting right now. A frown planted itself on Cal’s lips as Lanara told both him and Meri a little bit about what happened to her in the past. The offer to teach him prompted a look of uncertainty and he side-eyed Meri for a moment with a vague amount of concern, “I… will think about it. That offer had been made before, and that particular person let me down, so it’s a bit of a sore subject.” He did offer her a faint smile though, a silent way of showing his appreciation, “I know it’d likely be much different than you but… you know how stuff like that goes.” Trust was becoming harder and harder to come by as of late and unfortunately Cal and Meri were well acquainted with it. He’d nod eventually, shifting his attention back to the task at hand, “We’ll be able to better judge what’s going on in the bank once we get there.” If Meri and him could break into the naga palace in Alithrya, then surely this must be a piece of cake? “And a break sounds good. We should probably go rescue your sister from dealing with two magical children at once.” The thought of Dominic and Fleur getting into magical hijinks once they got older turned Cal’s stomach just a wee bit. Look, he’s more focused on parenting in the present than in the future, okay? It’s for the better really. Think of all that money he’ll lose when Fleur’s ready to go to whatever sort of college she decides to go.