RP:Tuna Surprise

Part of the The Dust Up In Cenril Arc

Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc

Summary: In the very early hours of the 'morning,' when it's still really night, Eleanor and Leoxander show up at the nail salon to pick up the “tuna surprise”: the red dirt bomb that Hudson has made and hidden in a tuna shipment. El and Leo deliver the bomb to its intended target, a local deli, the hangout spot of the Larket mob, and rescue a baby tiger in the process. The bomb successfully detonates, and the deli is blown up. The trio, baby tiger in tow, head back to The Office to celebrate successful payback.

The Witch-Run Nail Salon in Larket

It's technically morning but still dark. The deli is deserted, it's closed on this day out of respect for the gods. Larket organized crime: religious men, all of them. Everything has been made ready for this the night before. In the nail salon's lab, Hudson had rigged up one simple but effective explosive, to be set off by someone - a Leoxander or Eleanor - lighting a fuse. He'd closed the nail salon under pretext of renovations, and also because they'd had to buy an industrial quantity of tuna to hide the bomb inside, just in case. It's not exactly a product that arrives discreetly (it smells like tuna) or is normally required in the course of Huds' alchemy. It's also messier than anticipated. Hudson has put on his alchemist's googles - a bit like ski googles - to merge explosive with tuna delivery. He thinks he's got it, the 'delivery' is out the back door in the alley for Eleanor and Leoxander. For his part, he's trying to scrub the smell of tuna off of his forearms in the back room of the downstairs when this scene opens.

Leo was a little late. He had a distinct limp in one leg, but had recovered enough to go on with the plan. Considering there... was... an actual plan. A bit bruised and sore, the lycanthrope was still managing a quick recovering from his brawl, letting Eleanor lead the way to the witches 'nail salon' since he didn't know where, or what the hell a 'nail salon' even was. Black leather jacket was bound shut in the front, his bow left safe but the usual harness of blades concealed beneath. And the usual bottle of liquor in hand, nursed from like it was water to keep the ache from his mind. Almost before the building was in sight, his sensitive nose caught scent of the tuna and crinkled under the black mask that didn't help much with the smell. "Bloody hell..." He murmured to his companion, quietly. "Is he serious with this?"

Eleanor didn't want to be seen in Larket, and a bird like her often did; the shades of cerulean and azure were concealed beneath a thick ebon cloak with sleeves that was pulled tight and secured around her waist by a simple black leather belt. She had ditched her usual Grecian-style stiletto lace-up boots for rugged leather knee-highs. With each step, her hips seemed to move a little more than they should, suggesting her chakram and wand were attached to the belt that was underneath the cloak. The hood of the cloak was pulled low, but her diadem was secured across her brow, the pentagonal turquoise gem dull and inert. Without much in the way of words, she led her wolf into the Stone City, ducking down streets and remaining as confined to the shadows as she could, but before rounding a corner she suddenly stopped, her nose wrinkling. "He better be," she voiced to Leo, her tone low and semi-muffled with the enchantments hidden on her skin out of sight. She drew in a fresh breath and crossed to the nail salon, but rather than unlocking the front door, she went around to the alley that the back door opened up into. El cursed in her native tongue at the rank stench that pervaded the area. "Ye better clean thes up guid, Huds," she warned him once they were within speaking distance. "We cannae afford tae hae it come back tae us reit noo."

Hudson hears movements in the alley and moves out quick to investigate, flicking his wrists like a dog shaking its body -- he gets tuna-scented water a bit inside but he'd rather not chance that some random ruffians make off with the tuna surprise. It's just Leo and Eleanor, thank the gods. He pushes his goggles up onto his forehead. "I'll clean. And chill, I bought the tuna in Cenril when I came over this morning," he says to Eleanor. "As for who might have motive to blow up that building, well, pretty obviously we do, but... guards don't know that, and everybody here's observing the outlaw code, so they'll say was vandals." He lifts his shoulder in a shrug. He reaches into his smock and withdrawing two corked-up potions, which he hands out to Eleanor and Leoxander. "If there's people who might see you. They're invisibility potions, works for your clothes and the tuna surprise if you're carrying it." He gestures at the fuse, "Light this, it's about five minutes I think. In time for you to get back here if all goes right." He exhales as if he were a proud parent presenting a child. "I got cigars and booze for when you're back for the fireworks."

Leoxander hadn't bothered with anything fancy. He was dressed in the every day 'I'm-watchin'-yer-city' attire. Probably noticed a few times in the past few weeks, but he never did anything too suspicious - ...until now. There was just a step of a pause when Eleanor spoke three whole words in syllables he could entirely understand, but then she made up for it with her following statement. Good. He'd definitely miss her tongue. Pun intended. A glance grazed over the front of the building, and he did not smell metal and fire, so clearly his interpretation of what a 'nail salon' was, was wrong. Goddamnit. It was a nest for bloody women. He figured, though, no better cover than a chick spot and some tuna to keep him out of suspicion, but the smell was almost overbearing as he followed Eleanor inside. "Nine hells, man..." His eyes were watering and he was a damned pirate from the ocean. But that tuna churned up would definitely do them no favors, just as Eleanor had a point. He took the smock and the potion, but not Hudson's hand in any sort of slap or shake, this time around. "We might have to burn down two buildings tonight..." Leo muttered, moving through the building. And because his leg was sore, he might just find a seat in one of those salon chairs, sighing in relief. He'd get through the night, and be of some help. But just a brief rest. Whether it be after Hudson's explanation or within range to still see. "I ain't that savy with these timed fireworks." Blue gaze moved Eleanor's way to see if she was more familiar with the concept. He'd gladly provide the cover or kill.

Eleanor stared at Hudson, arcing thick blonde brows at him in irritation. "Cenril, Huds?" she growled at him, snatching the invisibility potion and quickly examining it, uncorking it for a wary sniff. Eying the alchemist with steely glass-green eyes, she added, "Ye better be feckin' kiddin' me." Why couldn't he have purchased the tuna in Larket? Or Kelay? Or even from some Fermin warehouse? No. It had to be Cenril. The spell-rogue sighed heavily, before moving now to investigate the "tuna surprise", noting its fuse, and the limited window with which they'd have to run like hell. It was certainly do-able though, El glancing at the runes inscribed in one palm almost thoughtfully before she turned to face Leo, moving over to where he was lounging. Undoing her belt, she unfolded the right-side drapes of her cloak, revealing a glint of crystal from her wand as she tucked the potion into a pocket, securing the belt once more. "Ye guid fur thes?" she spoke to him in low tones, side-eying Huds before settling her gaze on Leoxander again. She was willing to place the explosives, so long as he was actually able to cover her. Eleanor was placing her trust in Leo, but she knew he was good for it; she just needed him to believe he could do this to, as it would be their self-doubt that mucked this up. There would be no room for hesitation once they left the salon.

Hudson doesn't see what the issue is in importing tuna from Cenril. Evidently Eleanor knows some tuna people in Cenril, though. "I didn't know Cenril wasn't an appropriate tuna purchasing location, my bad," he says like a guy who senses that he's stepped in it. He watches Eleanor take stock of the bomb, his palm skating over his cheek. It's partially made of 'red dirt,' which he'd gotten in Frostmaw. The idea had occurred to him during one of his glum moments feeling sorry for himself over the demise of his relationship with Alvina. Maybe Larket law enforcement would connect the red dirt to the red dirt attack that had occurred in Frostmaw. "You literally just rock up and drop it off at the back of their joint, use the potions if you run into people. Come back here, kaboom, then..." He gestures at a wooden box that no doubt contains cigars, "we celebrate."

Leoxander gave Eleanor a sidelong glance at her disbelief. "Jus' might mean we're gonna have to take that vacation sooner'n planned, eh?" Leaning forward, he shrugged that smock onto his form an arm at a time, fastening it however it closed with intentions of ditching it with the 'surprise', in order to destroy it's evidence. A slight adjustment made certain weapons were still within reach, and that black mask was drawn up over the bridge of his nose, more for the smell than a disguise. "Le's jus' get this over with. Not too sure celebratin' here is the best idea. Not to mention, I'd rather wash this damn smell off as soon as we can." This coming from a grungy pirate that often smelled like dirt and sweat and burnt wood. Despite his limp, he did have the benefit of some extra lycanthrope strength, so while Eleanor handled the bomb Leo would move toward those crates of prepared tuna with a grimace in his eyes, and tucked the potion into the thicker 'scarf' fabric of his black mask for an easy bite of cork and vial if necessary. Stacking and lifting them into his arms with his face slightly turned away, he waited impatiently for Eleanor to take the lead with intentions of watching her back.... side.

Eleanor huffed out a snort as she addressed Hudson. "It'll be yer heed th' Oracle wants if thes comes back tae Cenril, Huds, nae mine," she warned him with another arc of her left brow. But she eventually sighed, her features softening into more neutral tones before shifting celadon twins toward Leo, her nose wrinkling at his comments, a quick flash of amusement in the gaze she granted him, attention then shifting back to Hudson once more. "Whaur is thes place?" After asking this, she moved to take the bomb within her hands, testing its weight before looking sidelong toward Leo, and nodding. As soon as Huds revealed the location of their drop, she'd be moving toward the exit, wasting no further time in getting this mission over. The sooner the bomb was successful, the better, and she could get back to Cenril and other things.

Hudson knows that Leo has a point but had picked up the celebratory materials as he had been in a less terrible mood this morning, probably owing to some ill-advised itch-scratching in the late hours of the night following completion of the explosive device. "It's pretty foul," concedes Huds, sniffing the air tentatively. He wonders if the odor control products for the nail polish will work on the tuna smell. He'll sort that out while Leo and Eleanor go about delivering the tuna surprise. "They're not gonna trace it. I'll clean up and pack a doggy bag, we can party at the office. Alright." Pun intended. He grins and rubs his beard, and then realizes he's probably gotten tuna smell into it. "Alright," he winces, clearing his throat. He gestures out of the alley. "For directions," he begins, continuing with an explanation of the necessary turns and landmarks that would guide them to the deli. It's a pretty prominent place, but they'll want to cut through the alleys to go in and drop off the explosive at the back. "You got it?" he waits for some sort of paraphrase of the steps before nodding that they're ready. "Good luck," he tells them.

The Mob-Run Deli in Larket

Leoxander was going to be damn careful not to litter bread crumbs, or tuna splatters, as it were, along the road. Despite that directions are given, it is afterward that the rogue reminds Hudson and informs Eleanor. "I know where it's at." He had scouted the area before, for his fellow wolf man, and had also tracked Blut nearby that fateful day for revenge. A nod of reassurance, his demeanor calm, perhaps calmer than Eleanor's but not only was he all too glad to get the job over with, he didn't have the worry of this so-called Oracle, who seemed to be a pretty respected figure in the spellrogue's life, from what he could tell. A shoulder pressed open the back door to the salon unless El was helpful enough to hold it open for him, and off into the night with the deli's delicacy he went, nocturnal eyes doing twice the work scanning the alleyways and corners ahead since his sense of smell was useless, clouded by the foul odor of spoiled fish. It wasn't a long walk, directly, but because of their less conspicuous path, it might take a few minutes before they'd round the edge of a neighboring building to see the target standing at a distance on the block. Lights were dim, doors closed, but there really hadn't been a lock that the pirate had come across that he couldn't pick. Just a moment to hesitate, listening, he and his partner surveying for any sight of a guard or waiting trouble.

Eleanor sent Leo a curious when he announced to her that he already knew where it was, but she said nothing; after all, it was pretty common for them to not share everything with each other, and it hardly seemed a point to push. Without hesitation, she moved to hold the door open for them, cupping the explosive to her side with her free hand. Once they had departed the nail salon, Eleanor wrapped herself in silence, each step deftly avoiding loose cobblestones as she joined the wolf in the shadows and side-streets. Within moments, they had arrived, the spell-rogue pressing herself flush to the stone facade of the nearest building before gazing past Leo. She lacked the nightvision that the lycanthrope possessed, but she had a preternatural sense for magic thanks to the gem in her brow, and she let it scope out for wards and arcane traps in and around the deli itself.

Hudson watches Eleanor and Leo make their way away from the salon with the payload between them. Once they're out of sight, he wedges the alley door open to get started on airing the place out. Without the explosive, it's really not so bad. He makes use of all the odor control products, they're remarkably effective, but he goes a bit overboard and the salon ends up smelling very stridently of patchouli. ......Meanwhile, at the deli, it's deserted, as advertised. It's too early in the morning/night of the holy day for these guys for there to be anything happening. The lock to the back of the deli would yield easily to Leoxander. Inside, it's a deli. There's a room sealed with ice, to keep the sliced meat and cheese and other products cold, and a kitchen, to prepare things like tuna salad. It would seem there's not a lot of value here, these wise guys have got warehouses for that. This place is a meeting place, it's symbolic, like the Office, that's why it's the target. There is however one surprise. As Eleanor and Leo presumably make their way inside the darkness of this wholly average deli to drop the bomb, there's the sound of paws striking the floor, scurrying toward them. And then, the sound of a chain link leash reaching its full extension, stopping the creature in its tracks. Maybe Eleanor can't see her, but Leo probably can: it's a small white tiger, she can't be more than a few months old. Her eyes gleam in the darkness, but she's very skinny and sick looking. She's here because she's attracted by the smell. She makes a noise that can only be interpreted as a polite request for tuna and sits on her haunches, cocking her head expectantly.

Leoxander did have to set those crates down near the door to free his already gloved hands, a small leather case drawn from back pocket while his concentration went from the streets to the lock. Trusting Eleanor to keep watch at his back, it wouldn't but two oddly shaped pins and a specific twist before the snap of metal marked success, and he withdrew his tools from the keyhole to replace them cautiously, carefully open the door. He was about to pick back up those tuna filled boxes when something prickled the hair at the back of his neck, and although the odor of tuna lingered in his mask and in his brain, he slowly drew that fabric down just barely off his nose to twitch his nostrils a bit. Most of the food smells were muffled in their respective cases or cold boxes, but it isn't the smell of food or even coffee beans that he is immediately aware of. One thin blade is drawn from belt, not to be used for a weapon but to lodge it into the edge of the strike plate and latch, in order to keep the door from shutting behind them, as they would need a quick exit from the bomb. But just as he was about to take a step inside to investigate that strange but somewhat familiar animal smell, he heard the rush and the extraction of claws on the floor, raised an arm to both shield Eleanor and prevent her from following. Rather than see some huge beast lunging for the attack, Leo lowered his line of sight to the half grown feline who licked it's chops hungrily, but didn't seem all that determined to maul the two criminals for the kill. Confusion registered in a squinted stare, but he didn't have much time to puzzle over this unexpected twist. "Hell..." He spoke just above a whisper. "No way that things gonna leave us alone with the cargo we brought. One of us is gonna have to.... hang onto it." It wasn't a baby, but not an adult, either. Leo wasn't sure that bribing her with that terrible smelling fish was a good answer, either, though it might easily remove the problem of a tiger on guard. Still, it pulled some sympathy to the surface, seeing it in that scrawny state, and he looked over his shoulder at Eleanor to see what she wanted to do. Hudson hadn't mentioned this.

Eleanor kept watch as Leo worked, breathing a shallow sigh of relief as she heard that familiar click and in they went, her wary gaze sweeping the alleyway and streets. When she turned though away from the jarred back door to face the darkened interior, she heard the slow clacking of claws approach, and she moved forward, setting the bomb on the nearest counter beside the door. Unlike Leo, she was not above giving the cat a sampling of their goods, and she pinched some away from Leo from under his outstretched arm, ducking under it to move forward, bold, quiet steps taking her nearer the youthful feline. Crouching down so that she was level with the creature, she reached out with her right hand holding a piece of tuna, while her left hand moved beneath the robes, withdrawing something from the belt beneath the cloak. Tentatively, the tiger crept closer, its eyes quickly honing in on that chunk of fish positioned on the tips of the spellrogue's fingers. Looking from the food to El and back again, it leaned forward to sniff, then dragged its coarse tongue across her hand. Eleanor made her move. Withdrawing her left hand from the belt, she produced a faintly-glowing length of rope, and lunging forward, her right arm moved to wrap around the creature's neck, holding its jaw closed, head pinned to El's chest as she pulled it to her, her left arm making swift work of reaching over its shoulders to bind the front two paws with that enchanted rope. The creature naturally struggled, kicking at her with its hind feet and tearing at her side and ribs, and El looked up at Leo to hiss, "I've got it, tie up its back legs, will ye?" It was clearly not the first time she'd tried to hogtie a beast, but this particular one was now thrashing against her hold, its fierce back claws drawing another hiss from the woman.

Hudson has never cleaned this much in his life, Alvina would be impressed. He puts the booze and the cigars he'd bought in a crate for schlepping back to the Office, it's closing up at this hour so they'll have the place to themselves. It would never occur to him that these very serious gangsters are keeping a baby tiger as a pet. Said baby tiger's opinion of Eleanor has just skyrocketed, by the way, although it's very confusing that Eleanor has just captured her. She squirms a little, as Eleanor's post describes. Presumably Eleanor and Leo also remember to detach her from her metal chain during the process of subduing her. She continues to struggle even after she is bound, though she also begins purring for cat reasons that we'll never understand. Possibly related to the fact that she can still smell tuna and why is tuna present if not for baby tiger. She purrs so hard that she causes herself to sneeze wetly in Eleanor's hair.

Leoxander had always had a small suspicion that Eleanor had to have some crazy to her, but at least she was reaching her hand out to a half grown winter-tiger and not a half enraged lycanthrope. Then, of course, she was tethering it. So yeah, he liked his Mermaid and all, but while she was distracting the starved animal Leo went about with business, because they were really on borrowed time, here. He hauled those boxes in and stacked them side by side, and even went so far as to pick up that not-yet-armed device though he was a little extra careful in handling it. Rather than shoving it in the sea born goop, he altered the stack of the boxes so that the fuse stuck out and would not be wet by the shredded flesh, finally anchoring the third crate on top to make certain that stuff was due to explode... everywhere in a mix of shattered wood, glass, bologna, cheese and tuna. Their new specialty, 'Werewolf's Revenge', with a side of 'Spellblade Salad', of course. Finally, only hearing Eleanor's request in the middle of this task, he just approaches the feline and grabs his fingers around it's hind legs to hold them together, before snapping the chain at it's collar and attempting to hoist the animal over his chest and shoulder. He wasn't that fond of cats, but it was clear Eleanor was determined to keep this one alive, and it was really hard to deny that woman what she wanted. "Just arm it. Let's go. Pull the knife at the door on yer way out." She probably had a way to light the fuse, but he did wait a second to see, in case she went digging into his pants pocket for where he knew his firestarter to be. The tiger probably yowled or meowled in protest, or want for more fish, which was basically a Siren to tell the two to hurry the hell up and get out of there, already!

Eleanor offered no pushback when Leo bound the creature and hoisted it into his arms, leaving her to tend the bomb. Rising, she sucked in a breath, glancing down at the torn scraps of her cloak, already showing signs of blood from the feline's anxious scratches. With a nod to Leo, she approached the bomb, snapping the fingers of her left hand to summon that familiar blue flame, and, after exhaling, she lit the fuse. El quickly dismissed the flame with a shake of her hand and moved past the tiger-toting wolf with only a passing glance as she moved to the door. She removed Leo's dagger, and let the door shut again, before reopening it with the help of her portal-rune; it now opened into the nail salon, and she held the door open to usher Leo and cat through so that she could close the door and portal behind them.

Leoxander growled low at the beast that was soon slung over his shoulders like a deer kill, forelegs bound but back legs held together in just enough of a grip not to harm, him or her. He hadn't, and wouldn't... turn his head left to find out. Then, it was time to go. He got outside just before the door shut with another annoying mrowl from the child-animal he now had to carry back, and Leo was going to expect a leg rub or better from all this hauling of fish and cat. "Don-..." But he couldn't stop Eleanor from opening that portal. If an investigator came with some sort of sensory on magic residue, they would see exactly where the portal went. He knew enough about this, and resisted the usher. "Get rid of it, take the potion. Damnit." So maybe if any witnesses were around that late, they would see a tiger bouncing in a running pace in mid air, but that was less likely believed than her option. He was one to cover his tracks, and with his arms full, bit out the cork before he bit down on the glass to drain the potion from the gathered material at his neck. Soon, only the tiny tiger would be levitating on it's side, and on the move back the way they had come. "Shut up you damned thing..." Might come the mutter along the way as it continued to protest.

The Witch-Run Nail Salon in Larket

The little tiger is heaved over Leoxander's shoulder and struggling, very dismayed that she's not being fed tuna but is instead being held hostage by these random people who don't smell like the other people who normally feed her. Also, he smells like dangerous animal, which is an extra concern. It is also less than comforting that she is levitating. She indeed begins to make little mewling noises which are muffled into urgent squeals by the magical rope muzzling her. After a while however she accepts her position and shrinks and trembles as her baby tiger self is transported into a NAIL SALON smelling very aggressively of hippie women's fragrances, i.e., patchouli. Hudson is drinking orange juice out of the carton and sprays it all over the nearest wall upon seeing them bust through the alley door with a literal baby tiger in tow. The invisibility potions are fading. "Holy," he chokes on the expletive, coughs it out. "So?" he wants to know, looking them over for signs of trouble (setting aside the obvious). "Did you get the fuse going? What's with the baby tiger?" They don't need to answer, actually, because on the heels of that last question there's the unmistakable sound of an explosion, and the ground shakes.

Eleanor had growled at Leo's rejection of the portal, not knowing his logic but finding no time to fight it. Swinging the door shut, she made sure first it was locked again, and reached into the cloak to down her own bottle of See No Evil, joining the levitating feline as they hastily fled the scene of the crime. They'd only just arrived when she stumbled forward, her hands reaching for the nearest sturdy surface before sending a wry half-grin toward Hudson. "Whit dae ye hink?" she drawled at him with a bit of a relieved chuckle. El moved then toward Leo to take the trembling tiger from his arms, cradling it like a swaddled baby up against her shoulder and letting it lick at the remaining pieces of tuna still stuck to her fingers. To Hudson, she added, "We cooldnae lae it thaur, Swatch at 'er, puir hin'."

Leoxander turned, intending to drop the feline unceremoniously into Eleanor's arms. So back paws were free again but he turned to close the door so it couldn't get out, leaving her to deal with the stray. Which she seemed to do elegantly, cleverly, like a beast mistress."We ran into some unexpected problems, but it's-..." No, not planted, the explosion sounded and he just gave Hudson that look of 'it's don'. He looked back over at his lover and her new pet. A cat, of all things. "Let's just get out of here. I didn't have time to ditch the smock, but there's a sink hole on the way if we cut through the forest. Or I know someone with a forge..." Leo reached for Eleanor's belt, or wherever she had stashed his knife, to return it to it's keep at his belt, and he waited impatiently for this party to move along, to properly enjoy the rest of the night.

Hudson feels the impact of the bomb and braces himself on the counter. "Holy," he exhales again, and then looks, wide-eyed at Eleanor and Leoxander. He slowly begins to laugh, breathlessly, in a we-did-it sort of way. The baby tiger is licking tuna from Eleanor's fingers. "Couldn't agree more," he says, in response to Leo's suggestion. "C'mon," he jerks his head toward the alleyway, picking up the crate of booze and cigars. He leans against the door, waving them out. He's the last one to go, locking up and leaving the orange juice splatter on the wall. It smells like burning outside, people are all coming out of their houses to see what's happened, some are hysterical. Soon, they're just three people among many trying to get out of the city.

Eleanor cuddled the tiger, who seemed to have taken a shine to her, and moved to Leo's side, making it easier for him to take that borrowed blade from her. She nodded to him, and to Hudson, and without hesitation the three of them would make their way to the office; although prevented from making use of her portal earlier, she would take them down an alley across Larket and stepped up to a random shop's door, using it to hasten their trip to the club. Once there, the door was returned to its original form, and Eleanor would take the tiger downstairs, securing a large helping of meat from the kitchen to let it chow down before she closed the door, locking it in the basement and returning to the main floor at her companions. Once upstairs once more, she lowered the hood from her blonde mane and produced a desperately-needed cigarette before moving toward whatever alcohol Huds had brought.