RP:The Watchdog and the Crustacean

Summary: Leoxander is hired by Eleanor to track down and follow Kreekitaka to collect information about his routine. After nearly two days without much activity, the Uyeer finally closes his shop and gives the pirate the opportunity to earn his gold.

(Note: This scene follows RP:The Oracle's New Watchdog)

Along Vibrance River

Kreekitaka was just closing up shop for the evening. Uyeer don't need a lot of sleep, but Kree was getting towards the end of his wakecycle and needed to rest before the hallucinations started. That could be embarrassing, as he'd previously discovered. So the shop needed to close for the night. All the things were put away, the curtain was sealed, the gate shut and latched. Kree walked down the steps of the place and started walking off towards the Vibrance to rest--he'd managed to come free of the scorpion he'd been fused to previously, so he was now simply a crabperson like in the picture.

Leoxander had been watching this creature for a while, whether he realized it or not. He was beginning to wonder if it ever slept at all. The clicking and clacking seemed never ending, and that scorpion part still set the lycan on edge. Still outside the shop, he watched from the shadows as Kree moved down the steps, noticing the change in his appearance. A slight tilt of his head to crack tired muscles in his neck, and he dared to creep closer, intending to follow him wherever he intended to go.

Kreekitaka wasn't aware of the lycan's following him around, credit to him for stealth points! It's very hard to sneak up on Kree, given his extremely wide angle of vision, but Leo managed to find the one blind spot to creep behind him thanks to the water tanks Kree had once again begun sporting on his back. So, most likely unmolested, he crossed over the bridge towards the Vibrance and began to strip down for sleep time--discarding the water tanks, and then his kilt. ...Uh. You don't want me to describe what's under there. Like. You really don't. It's nasty. Fortunately, it's not visible for long. Kree stashes the stuff in a hole under a stump--well-hidden, at least if you weren't watching him put his things there--and then slips into the water, folds up his limbs, and latches onto the river bottom.

Leoxander was fortunately doing this for hire, so he might have cringed, but he witnessed the undressing of water tanks and... kilt. Hopefully those water tanks would be left above the riverbed. If that was the case, Leo would wait a good while before creeping forward to try to inspect them. He was dressed in an assassin's face mask and a shadowed hood, enough to keep his identity discrete. But reflective eyes took a glance through the surface to where the creature bed for the night.

Kreekitaka 's water tanks were indeed left above the riverbed and their examination would be uninterrupted. Each was made from a large conch-like shell, with a rubbery siphon that allowed the water inside to flow up and out in a slow, steady trickle. The insides, should he pry inside the contraptions, would be lined entirely with a green pond-scummy slime, leaving the surface of whatever water was still inside them a filthy-looking green. Wouldn't want to drink out of it, but apparently it's safe for Kree to breathe. Kreekitaka also left his utility belt there. Now that would be interesting to go through. (It has business cards with his logo, several different threads and needles, measuring tape, a pen, note pad, and a larger compartment with fabric scraps.)

Leoxander didn't seem to concern himself with the interest. He picked up the utility belt and made his way out of the area for now, though he probably would not go too far. It was clear that the crustacean was roosting for the night, and he had enough information to wait in the near until the creature stirred again.

-- Later that evening. --

Leoxander had taken some time rifling through that utility belt, copying down the information off one of the business cards, sifting through the note pad for anything written that might come in handy or spark some interest. Everything was replaced exactly as it had been, black leather gloves preventing the scent of his sooty fingerprints as it was set back down in the place he had found it during that time the crustacean slept. At the other side of the bridge, Leo was waiting for as long as it would take for the creature to resurface, forcing himself not to sleep beyond closed eyes in a conscious wolf nap, only taking some bites of dried beef here and there to keep up on his energy. So far, it had been a very uneventful mission.

Kreekitaka had, in his notebook, mostly just designs for dresses, body measurements and contact information for several customers. There may have been a few slightly more disturbing things in there--at least if one was familiar with economics. Several businesses were written there, along with how much he estimated they were worth and money he'd invested in them. There were a few which he was close to outright buying out, and several he'd simply made deals with to provide cheaper materials. The number of allies all over the continent that he was slowly amassing might be a little intimidating. The business card had his name, the locations of his shops, and a brief description of his services--tailoring, armorcrafting, fine imports--as well as his trilobite logo. Kree woke up after about an hour or so and climbed out of the river, quickly retrieving his items and redressing himself.

Leoxander kept his position calmly. He was seated in the shadows, downwind, and the blonde hair over his eyes would mostly conceal if reflective lens caught an angle of light, though that gaze might easily be confused for some stray animal, whether it was nightfall or daybreak. Arms wrapped around his bent legs casually, he watched the creature resurface and considered what he had discovered. It was strange to think this alienesque creature with his plated carapace and pincer like appendages was a professional at creating feminine garments, a shark in the business world, no pun intended. But Leo had witnessed the alteration of form when the scorpion tail vanished, and wondered, waited to see if any other transformations might happen. He avoided being noticed as best as he could, and only if Kreekitaka started to make his way from that location would the pirate gradually stand to follow at a healthy distance.

Kreekitaka hadn't altered his own form at any point--it was all stuff that had been done to him. He grabbed his water tanks, refilled them in the river, then placed them on his back and made sure they were properly aligned, then considered his options. The store was still closed and wouldn't necessarily need to reopen for a while--so instead, it was time to locate something to eat. Fortunately, taverns tended to stay open at all hours and so, still without noticing he was being followed, Kree wandered on down to the tavern.

Leoxander drew the black fabric over the bridge of his nose as he passed by the river, glancing at the spot previously occupied by those barrels and belongings just in case anything had been left behind. True, his attire was a little suspicious, but it was easy to follow Kreekitaka at a distance given that strong ocean smell that Leo could track even through his bandit like mask. Only when he arrived at said tavern did he take it back down around his throat, closing his shirt to his throat to conceal his silver chain, unrolling his sleeves to cover his tattoos. The rest he didn't so much concern himself over; Leo was a frequent to a tavern or pub, and after a certain amount of time had passed he made his way inside the building and to the bar without so much as a glance toward the clicking and clacking individual.

Red Ogre Inn, Larket

Kreekitaka was, by the time Leoxander entered, already seated at a table and chowing down. Most of the time, he'd try to use a knife and fork, as he'd been taught this was the polite thing to do, however, whenever he felt reasonably confident nobody was looking, he'd occasionally just pick up a clawful of meat and place it between his facial crushers, which tore into it and ripped it into small pieces, then took those pieces individually down to his mouth underneath his face. It always just felt more satisfying that way. Tasted better, too--a good deal of Kree's taste buds were on those appendages and it was difficult to really enjoy his food properly without using them. The one who entered was given the briefest of glances--and then, after a pause, a longer double-take. By this point he'd grown used to people at least taking some notice of him, if not outright staring. This fellow acted as though he didn't even exist. Maybe he was blind? Maybe he'd been around long enough that he was no longer a strange sight to people? That couldn't be it. Kree returned to his meal but kept some of his attention on the male.

Leoxander felt the stare on him. He was being a bit obvious, but it wasn't as though Kreekitaka had gone completely unnoticed the first time around. The tavern in Xalious was where he had first laid eyes upon the crustacean, and although he hadn't done much staring, he did take the sight in. So it was a more casual, sidelong glance that wandered the creatures way as he worked his food down, and Leo couldn't find much reason to be disgusted as he picked up a poured tumbler of rum requested. He tended to eat with his hands, too, and he didn't have the excuse of taste buds on fingers, just bad manners. Taking down that drink in a swallow, his usual unfriendly nature came into play as he grunted a word at Kree - not a greeting. "Whut." As though the blue, sea salt smelling being were on the one being rude with his half stare. And absent glance was given to the plate in front of him to see what sort of appetite the crustacean had, even if that information likely wouldn't be very useful. Leo had an eye for detail.

Kreekitaka hadn't thought he was being that obvious about it--maybe it was the way he had his eyes aimed or something. Rather than feign disinterest and play it off as if he'd been looking at something else, however, he decided to own it, shifting his position to face the man more directly. "I simpyee... hmm, how TAH!oo say... usuayee garner more aTAH!ention from peepo who enTAH!er rooms I am in. You bareyee even gyanceDAH! in my DAH!irection. I am forceDAH! TAH!oo concyuDAH!," he added, tilting his head a little and clenching his facial crushers slightly in respect. "HHHTHaTAH! eiHHHTHer we have meTAH! before an' I simpyee don'TAH! remember you, or HHHTHaTAH! you've haDAH! deohyings wiHHHTH members of my kin before. Am I correcTAH! in some way?"

Leoxander was staring, now. And for several silent moments to follow the question that he somehow decoded from the noise. Well at least this mark wasn't the usual or expected. The rogue rolled a shoulder and kept his bored demeanor in play as he looked back to pour himself another glass of rum. "Saw you at the Destrier. Seemed to know the crowd well enough. Guess I'm just not as memorable as some." A specific, sidelong look returned Kreekitaka's way before he finished off those shots in a swallow. Sometimes one had to be direct to get a certain tidbit of information. It wasn't the smartest thing to be directly conversing with this target, but his three days were nearly done and it wasn't his business what the buyer did with the knowledge. No one else had been able to answer, so far: "...What the hell are you?"

Kreekitaka rhythmically tapped his chest with a claw as his paddles rippled up and down--there it was, he knew the question had to be in there somewhere. "I am a maker of fine cyoHHHTHing," he said, -highly- amused by this for some reason. Maybe he was already slightly drunk from the mug he'd dumped in his water tank. "An' a DAH!emigoDAH!, HHHTHough noboDAH!ee seems TAH!oo beyeev me when I say iTAH!." Probably because it wasn't really all that true. As in it's only true inside Kree's own mind. "If you mean my kin, I am uyeer." Ah, there we go.

Leoxander seemed a little relieved as that last sentence came without the random clattering and chittering of syllables. He couldn't help but rub a hand no longer gloved in black leather over his face with a brief closing of his eyes. But the word was committed to his memory. 'Uyeer'. "You the only one aroun' these parts?" Yet another drink was poured. Perhaps he was lingering too long, but despite that he was hired for the job, he had to admit to himself that he had some curiosity of his own about the blue, armored being.

Kreekitaka shook his head, then made a gesture with his claw tilting side to side. "I am HHHTHe onyee one mos' are yikeyee TAH!oo speak wiHHHTH. Many of my kin speak no Common, or onyee HHHTHis much." He held up a claw only a little ways open, demonstrating a small amount of language skills. "HHHTHere are few as fyuenTAH! as I am." Oh dear. That's a scary thought, isn't it? "I have severoh in my empyoy aTAH! my shop, however."

Leoxander played the oblivious card, though he did wear an expression that looked a little concerned that 'commontongue' could get worse. He looked back behind the bar absently, letting a pause linger in to suggest he wasn't all that interested, but he casually kept the conversation going as he poured his last drink and sent the bottle back. He couldn't afford much more, for now. "Your shop. For making fine clothing. Hope you're in a good spot if no one tends to believe that's what you do." He attempted to get Kreekitaka to spill where that location was, though he already had his suspicions from following the uyeer.

Kreekitaka flared his paddles a little and climbed to his feet--who did this guy think he was? "How DAH!are you--DAH!oo you noTAH! see my--" he gestured down to his beautifully-embroidered kilt, but the words froze in his throat when he realized what happened. "--ah. You mishearDAH! me earyier. ITAH! is common knowyedge HHHTHaTAH! I am a maker of fine fashion. I meanTAH! HHHTHaTAH! mos' peepo faioh TAH!oo grasp my sTAH!aTAH!us as a DAH!emigoDAH!. I have performeDAH! TAH!asks which even HHHTHe greaTAH! heroes of ancienTAH! TAH!imes haDAH! trouboh performing."

Leoxanxder felt the hair at the back of his neck bristle. The lycanthrope didn't much appreciate when things got to their... feet, flared their... paddles and yelled offensively in his direction. The glare send Kreekitaka's way was definitely borderline feral as he calmly lifted that glass to finish his last drink. "Good for you, mate." He'd lingered too long, but had conveniently finished his indulgence so it was a good time to escape the conversation, possibly making it seem as though Kreekitaka's dramatic outburst had put an end to their introduction. A few coins were left as a stingy tip on the counter before he made his way toward the door. "Good luck with your heroes of ancient."

Kreekitaka let his paddles drop again as the man turned to leave. By the end of that little rant, he'd had them flared up more for dramatic effect than for any emotional reason--as a sort of keeping himself puffed up for his boasting about the things he'd done. Maybe he'd overdone it, or maybe the guy had simply gotten finished and was no longer interested in staying here. Regardless, Kree decided to slip back into his seat and resume his meal after he'd left, rather as if nothing had happened.