RP:Water You Waiting For

This is a Rogue's Guild RP.

Summary: Fox, Malus, and Inks meet up to carry out courier work for a mysterious client of the Rogue's Guild. Unfortunately, a band of pirates also have their eyes on the water-bound prize.

Stone Wharf

The familiar crow returned.

The message was simple:

    ~ Same time, same place.

Once delivered, Eun returned to the sender.

Eleanor ; Fox emerged from the shadows cast by a warehouse, but the shadows stayed with her. They licked at her ankles as she crept along the wharf, and as rockier terrain gave way to sand still damp from earlier that day, the rogue’s steps slowed. Her footing became precise as she descended around a granite boulder, attempting not to disturb the ground too much to keep from leaving any trail, nor did she want any crunches underfoot giving her away. A few yards from her position, someone from the port authority - or really, what semblance of it that remained in such an easily-corrupted organisation - strolled along, pretending to give a damn about their responsibilities but probably more preoccupied with the end of his shift swiftly approaching. Gloves hands emerged from the amorphous shadows of her cloak, pulling the hood lower. Sinking into a crouch at the edge of a shallow pool left from the receding tides, Fox waited for her companions to join her. High above, her crow Eun settled into a scouting position, much as he had done the last time they had met.

Callum || The date and time was set and Cal would return to the wharf as instructed. The witch seemed a lot better off this time; he’d had a shave, his clothes weren’t in such a disarray, and his hair was even nicely slicked back--that vanity of his had returned, even if just a little bit. Cal even looked like he might’ve gotten some decent sleep for the first time in months. He’d not at all admit that it was thanks to the mercenaries Meri’d sent to watch over him at his house in Sage. He -was- still rather upset about that situation after all. But, secretly, he was a little thankful, and maybe Meri might pick this up by the way he looks, because Cal likely won’t ever say it--not for awhile anyway. Look, when Cal gets angry, he stays angry for a long time. Meri knows this. Regardless of this anger he’s had lately, Cal’s here, he’s queer, and he’s ready to flex those magical skills of his. Malus emerged from his own set of shadows and left Cal behind, brought on entirely by that nifty little necklace Fox gave him not long ago. His own outfit all black, despite still being those fancy clothes of his, a rather serious look written on those Catalian features. The port authority person was noted, so when he finally reached Fox, he’d say nothing and casually pulled at the air with a single hand, forcing the fog he’s kept up here to give them a bit more cover.

Meri :: Inks was familiar enough with the layout of Cenril that she had no issue moving to the agreed upon meeting point with stealth. For the mission tonight, there was nothing spectacular about her current state of dress. The woman has assumed that there is a high probability that they will have to go for a swim, so she did not bother putting on even the slightest bit of armor. Leather was not fun when wet. She was in her usual attire, minus the bodice deal because who wants to swim in that? She's found a black shirt for the purposes of this evening, it went so well with her black pants and black boots. Her choice of weaponry for the night is limited to daggers, no bow or sword this go round. All of these details were probably lost on her companions for she was currently cloaked in shadows, and the hood was pulled low over her features. When the tattooed woman joins her companions, they're not greeted, no even with a nod. She was feeling less social than she was for their last meeting, but there was work to be done and it's not like there was any need or want for her to be especially chatty during this endeavor. Silence is probably preferred. It was hard to tell if those looks that Malus sent her way were noticed or not, the cloak was hiding her facade well. The focus of her blue eyes is on the Fox, waiting for her to get this party in motion.

Eleanor ; Fox lowered her chin in a solemn nod to Malus as he appeared, and then Inks. Despite the silence that swelled between them with anticipation, there was a hint of a smirk pulling at one corner of her mouth. She was happy they had come, it was much more fun with a group. Plus, if there was trouble later, she liked their odds. Now that the three of them were together, she began moving along, black boots on a narrow stone ledge, shallow pools of water just inches away from being splashed into. Waving her hand in a quick gesture to follow, Fox hastened along, moving away from the docks and toward the rocky shores that would take them around the bay to their clandestine destination. Rounding an outcropping of more granite boulders, she halted, squinting out through the fog. Piercing up straight through it to the darkening sky was the mast of a ship, lurking out there in the ocean with all its inhabitants, using the fog for cover just as much as they were. Fox would have cursed if she wasn’t trying to keep up the stealth mode. She looked over a shoulder toward the harbor proper, but all that she saw was a murky blanket enveloping the coast. Gaze returning to where she’d seen the mast, it had faded back into the fog now, and there were no dimmed lights coming from that area to give it away. Now she definitely wanted to curse. Pursing her lips into white lines, Fox resumed picking her way along the edge of the wharf, although her steps were quicker now as she sought for the cloaked trio to reach their destination as soon as possible.

Callum || The necklace’s shadows found home around Malus’ lanky form again as Fox motioned for them to follow her, helping to shield him from sight. It’s not like he really needed it though, for the fog was rather thick today. Fox’s problems with navigating through the fog was get rather obvious to Mal as they darted about the edges of the wharf and he took that as his cue to help the situation a little. The fog didn’t dissipate much, but a thunderstorm did start to brew overhead. Malus looked somewhat like an orchestra conductor as he swirled an index finger about in the air. Lightning cracked overhead and thunder rumbled the rocks beneath their feet as the rain began to fall. This couldn’t look like an attack on this ship, however; the storm was made large enough to cover the wharf, and lightning bolts sent in various areas around them, as well as the rest of the docks. They were just subtle enough to hopefully drive the ship’s inhabitants inside, while also keeping far away enough from the trio and lighting their way, the angry ocean slamming up against this particular ship, as well as the others in the wharf.

Meri :: Inks would take up the rear, forcing Malus to travel between Fox and herself. The reasoning behind this was simple, if they happened to be attacked from behind then Inks liked her chances with physical assault more than she liked Malus' chances. Not that he wasn't capable, it just seemed to make sense in terms of their skillsets for he'd be hard pressed to keep up his current assault on the ship if they were jumped from behind. Speaking of that ship, it was not super out of of the norm for ships to be seen in these waters. Cenril was a major city. But the way the Fox seemed to recognize the ship that was currently lurking in the fog put Inks on guard that they might find their way into a spot of trouble. The thought is not unnerving to Inks, the race was on, and she was able to easily keep up with both Fox and Malus as they navigate their way toward their destination, and this box. Hopefully this was not a race that they had already lost.

Eleanor ; Fox was grateful for Malus’s abilities, although this was not the time to sing praise. They were on the clock and as helpful as his storm was, she found her boots slipping on smooth stones as she stumbled along. She had wanted to save up her magic for something important, but the truth was, she had stored enough over the past few months that she could afford to tap into it a little. Murmuring something under her breath in her native D’Vainese, one of many tattoos hidden under her clothes came to life. Fox could feel the power surging from the spelled ink, rippling through her muscles and increasing her dexterity. Her steps became surer, enabling her to increase pace through the fog. But as they grew nearer a bluff jutting out into the ocean, Fox slowed again, ducking into a narrow crevice cut into the granite. As she passed by the outcropping that blocked the sliver of space from obvious sight, one hand slapped the granite, leaving a faintly glowing blue mark for her companions to follow, but it would fade into nothingness before long. The channel cut into the rock was scarcely wide enough for a person to slip through but the spell-rogue had no issue squeezing past lichen-slick walls until she came into an alcove that opened up on the other side of the bluff. Through the fog, maybe ten yards away, was the mouth of the cave.

Callum || Malus somewhat regretted making the storm as heavy as it was, but alas how else was he to help distract those on the ship that might spot them? He was grateful, at least, that he remembered to wear a pair of boots with decent grips on the bottom. Sadly, he wasn’t that adept at rock-climbing, though. Fingers would slip here and there were a firm grip was needed to tread across the now slippery stones and boulders that littered this area of the wharf, giving rise to that ever-simmering irritation of his. While Fox’s magic might be propelling her along through the terrain, Mal’s anger was what was helping him. A bit of space would find its way between Malus and Fox as she sped up to find where they needed to go. He’d find that blue marker soon enough, ocean-blue eyes settling on the crevice. There was a look of disdain--he’d have to tend to his poor soon-to-be lichen covered clothes tonight--but he eventually went in and found his way to where Fox had paused.

Meri :: Inks didn't need a mark to follow. Even with the rain, it would be hard for the werewolf to lose the scent of either Malus or Fox given their proximity. They would really have to get a strong lead on her for the rain to really put a damper on their scent, and it is probably not that easy to outrun a werewolf on foot. Fox and Malus dive into the crevice in that order and Inks is not long behind them, but as she is just about to dart in to that little sliver of a crevice, the cloak she is wearing is once more contained in it's medallion form around her neck. This is so that she does not snag on any of the rock formations while trying to travel through the cave, thus slowing down her rate of travel. The attire that was beneath the cloak is more suited for moving through the cave with ease, and since there is nothing of fashionable note about what she is wearing? Well she does not have any concern that it might be dirtied like Malus does. She's tempted to poke fun at him, she refrains, her focus remains on the task at hand.

Eleanor ; Fox didn’t linger past a few seconds after Inks emerged on the other side of the rock wall, soon scurrying along with the shore to her left, and the cave to her right. But as she neared the entrance, she paused again, wind and rain whipping the hood off her head as she glanced behind to make sure they were not being followed. “Inside, eight paces along th’left side,” she spoke to Malus in low, careful tones. She was concerned the wind might carry her words away from her. “There’s a lever.” Her gaze darted around, trying to see through the rain and fog, but everything was blurred past a certain point. Huddling close to Inks and Malus as she guided them to the cave mouth, she added, “Shoods open up a hidden corridor.” Somewhere in the fog, shouts could be heard, and this time Fox did curse. A whole string of colorful words in a mixture of Common and D’Vainese came spitting out of her, and without waiting to see if anyone from the ship was deciding to come ashore, she ducked around the corner and into the waiting dankness. Thunderclaps sent loose rocks skittering along the cave floor, but the cave didn’t catch much light from the lightning strikes nearest them. Only flashes of light helped guide her around a steep drop, and ushering Inks and Malus out of the way, she knelt just inside the entrance of the cave. Leaving the psion and the stormbringer to find the lever, Fox set about to lay a trap; tripwire and small pinch of blue explosive powder. It may not fatally wound any of their enemies, but it would certainly buy the gang some time to find their intended cargo.

Callum || Malus would nod in silence to Fox as she led them along. Shouts were heard and much like the Rogue’s Guild leader, he pressed his back against the cave wall, keeping himself out of the light his storm gave off. When it seemed like the coast was clear and Fox busied herself with a trap, he’d do his best to find his way through the darkness, leaving Inks to decide whether she wanted to follow or to stay behind with the spell-rogue. He didn’t make it far behind he tripped on some rocks--managing not to fall flat on his face and alert the masses thankyouverymuch--and the need for even the tiniest bit more light made clear. For a brief moment, Malus looked like he was at a craps table in a casino, one hand shaking up a bit of static electricity and letting the tiny balls of electricity scatter across the floor like cantrips. They weren’t very bright, not enough to give them away anymore than they might’ve been, but it was enough to keep them--mainly him since he didn’t have any sort of heightened senses or magic that would help--from frakking everything up. The lever was soon found and pulled, and Fox waited on to take the lead again.

Meri :: The fog was limiting, but overall the werewolf found it odd that she was having such ease navigating her own way through the darkness. It would take awhile before she really got used to the various abilities being a werewolf afforded her. The decision to keep hot on Malus' tail or return to the spell-rogue was irrelevant for Inks for it was not long before the mage offered a slight amount of light, which allowed him to pull the lever. And there he waited, so that the Fox could take her lead. She was the one who knew where the box was hidden. Inks thus ended up lingering somewhere in the middle so that she could bolt either direction should she need to, depending on where the trouble came from. Neither Malus nor Fox would be abandoned. That being said, Inks waited for the spell-rogue before closing the gap between herself and Malus so that they could all advance forward together. Whatever trap the Fox laid would hopefully provide them with an audible alert of when those shouts passed that mark. When and if they heard that explosion, that marker that they passed the Fox's trap, it would be Inks that would that would linger behind. She did not know the way to the box, afterall, and it's not like she's a stranger to having to scrap a bit. Malus and Fox had other purposes to serve. She couldn't summon storms, and may not have runes at her disposal, but she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve to buy them more time. Malus and Fox would have to make their way back this direction anyway to get out of the cave, no?

Eleanor ; Fox rose from the trap, brushing the beginnings of mud off her gloves and onto her thighs. Although the shouting out in the cove was slowly getting closer - perhaps half a dozen men, by the sounds of it, joking or yelling orders over the booming noises of the storm - Fox didn’t seem particularly disturbed by their approach. As best as she could, she kept her expression void of worry; even if she was a little anxious, she knew it would do them no good to have to deal with that on top of everything else that would soon likely happen. Fox hadn’t come dressed to the nines in an assortment of blades. She hadn’t come with her chakram either. But from a sheath strapped to her lower back, Fox produced her wand: a worn strip of wood with a few aquamarine crystals fused to the end of it. Gripping the wand tightly in her left hand, she nodded to Malus and Inks and made for the narrow opening that had appeared in the rock wall. At least this path was wider than the previous crevice they’d squeezed through, although after a few paces it began to descend into further darkness. Fox paused near where the hallway had opened up to glance toward Inks, giving her a nod. They needn’t point out their roles, it would seem everyone understood. Her fingers flexed around her wand and she turned back toward the tunnel, surging forward into the cramped corridor, presumably with Malus close behind. (1 of 2)

The floor sloped downward and grew slippery, but soon it widened, opening into a vast subterranean chamber, a meeting point of several other cave tunnels normally found below sea-level. In the center of the chamber, a smuggler’s vault stood, a treated metallic platform with locked door built into the smooth limestone of the cave floor. Thus far, it looked undisturbed, but the moment she took a step toward it, a loud explosion shook the entrance. Player 2 has entered the game. Angry bellows rose up, cries of alarm, curses of frustration and a whole lot of chaos ensured as the pirates barreled past the tripwire and triggered the makeshift bomb. Glittering blue powder burst out over the advancing crew, and Inks may even pick up the familiar scent of Firefly Steve mixed in with the other powder, Fox’s attempt at subduing any followers and helping the werewolf on lookout gain the upper hand (or claw, not that she needed help with either). (2 of 2)

Callum || Mal’s silvertongue might be lacking a little as of late, thanks to those mental instabilities of his, but that keen perception of his was not. Lips pursed together into a thin line as Fox’s attempts to cover up her anxiety wasn’t as great as she thought, the shouts were getting louder, and time seemed to be running out. Who the frak were these guys? Why didn’t Malus do more to nicely interrogate Fox on the the possible dangers of this mission? He’d been so wrapped up in his own ninety-nine problems to realize that one more might’ve been added to the list. More of those balls of electricity rolled across the floor like marbles as they descended further into the cave. “Is there a back way out of here?!,” hissed Malus as they finally reached the vault. “If not, then we need to hurry.” He paused, the gears turning in his head, “I think I have an idea, but neither of you are going to like it.” In preparation for said idea, he conjured up three small bubbles. The steps needed to somewhat close the gap between him and Inks were taken, the orb thrown at her--she’d know what to do with it; it’s the breathing bubbles they used to get down to Alithrya, “If I do this… you’re going to wait to stick as close to the side of the cave as possible”. His own was put over his nose and mouth, going slowly enough that Fox would know what to do with it as well, the witch giving the okay that he was ready to fill the cave up with water when Fox was ready to open the vault.

Meri :: A bow would make plucking off their numbers from a distance beyond helpful right about now, but Inks had not considered bringing a majority of her weapons. She did have two daggers at her hip, two in her boots and her psionic abilities in her disposal. Plus, if worse came to worse...she was a werewolf. Sorry Malus, Inks knew her role. She might know what to do with the bubble...but, she wasn't going join Fox and Malus in going for a little swim. She was going to do what -he- probably doesn't like. The party separates just as the explosion is heard, Malus and Fox advancing forward. Inks would not leave herself a sitting duck for the advancing pirates, sluggish or not. The shadows of her cloak as sought once more and the woman back-travels in the cave far enough to find a niche that they passed. Her back is pressed firm to the wall of this niche, using the shadows of the cave and her shadowed cloak to blend seamlessly in with the environment. Inks waits patiently, the footsteps of the half-dozen pirates growing closer with each passing moment and each step is heard as clear as day. As the sounds draw closer, the woman take a dagger within each hand, retrieving this particular pair from sheathes that rest upon her belt. The weapons are held tightly to her person, waiting for just the right moment...and that moment does as the first pirate comes within assault range. She lets the party pass, but only a few feet. They would not stand a chance at getting close to Fox or Malus. Another explosion is heard in the cave, this one strong enough that maybe Malus and Fox might feel a slight rumble. No doubt this was the psion at work. Rocks rain down from the top of the cave, not enough to cause a full on collapse of the cave but enough that the pirates heading up the party are pummeled with several large rocks. It's enough to send the party into another confused flurry, fueled by the fact that they are currently inebriated with a certain dust that Inks is quite familiar with. It's at this point that Inks steps out from the niche she has been pressed into, slamming one of her daggers through the skull of another pirate. Now that she has their attention, the werewolf would dart further down the cave. Now she was trying to draw however many pirates that were remaining away from Malus and Fox...who better be hurrying their butts up, okay?

Eleanor ; Fox turned to Mal, lips suddenly spreading into a wicked grin. Her confidence was bolstered a few degrees as their escape plan began to unfold in her mind. “Nae,” she told him, “but if ye need me ta make a new exit fur us, I’m on it. Ye jist let me ken when.” Letting Malus take the reins for now, she took the breathing bubble given her, following the mage’s actions with a few nods. Wasting no additional time, the spell-rogue turned and dashed over to the vault, dropping one knee to the metal surface and tucking her wand under an arm as she began to rummage through the pockets on the inner side of her belt. She didn’t think they had time to finesse her way through picking the lock as she had done last time she’d visited the trove. With the pirate crew fighting their way into the network of caves, facing off against an efficiently lethal blonde werewolf, magical brute force was needed to hasten their getaway. Fox just hoped the rest of her spell tattoos would be enough to fend off whatever trap she was about to trigger.(1 of 2)

Eleanor ; This trap at least was easy. Pulling out a copper string from her belt, she wound it around an index finger, reciting a short phrase under her breath before sticking her finger into the keyhole of the padlock. She winced as the copper reacted to a ward against forced entry, a sizzle of magic racing up her finger and reaching her elbow before fizzling out. Her left side burned though, causing the spell-rogue to release a low growl. The spell in the tattoo hidden on that side had been used up in her defense. The padlock snapped open, Fox quickly tossed it aside, and saying much to herself on a tense exhale, “Thaur we gang, mah loove.” She was clearly too preoccupied with her task to bother trying to sound coherent for the benefit of her teammates. Fox pulled open the vault door, revealing the second trap: the box in question suspended in a pool of water. Looking askew toward Malus, she nodded, harboring a crooked smirk. “Yoo’re up.” (2 of 2)

Callum || [1 of 2] Unfortunately for Inks, she’d be taking a swim whether she thought so or not. Hopefully she kept that bubble handy. While she’s doing her best to lure the rest of the pirates away, Malus’ busy focusing his thoughts on something. It was a very important something--and this important something was making the entire cave floor rumble. Tiny spurts of water shot up out of the ground here and there, as Fox went about searching for the right tools to deal with the vault. The tiny spurts turned into small founts and the small founts into small geysers. Fox wanted water? Well, water you waiting for, Mal? The vault room quickly began to fill up, Malus increasing the water pressure steadily, but not so much as to slam himself and Fox up against the ceiling. Once the room was full, he’d focus on helping Inks first, a signal given to Fox to wait just a moment as he focused all of the water pressure now on the tunnel, sending a sideways geyser of water through. Inks would hear the water long before it got there, feel it rumbling along all sides of the cave. The geyser was fast enough and forceful enough to shove everyone right the hell on out of the cave, across the rocks, and into the ocean. See? Inks was definitely not going to like this.

Callum || [2 of 2] With that done--and wanting to keep a bit of distance from Inks for as long as he can so she doesn’t go full-on wolf and maul him to death--he’d conjure up another orb, this one water-filled like the orb he’d once given Fox when that curse had been upon her, causing her thirst to be unquenchable. It was placed around the box--just a precaution on the off chance that the water he was manipulating might not follow through with them to the ocean--and then a signal of okay given to Fox. Okay? Okay what? Okay, he’s gonna do the geyser thing again, except backwards. Sorry, Fox. Much like those before them, they’d also be blown right the hell on out of the cave, the water pressure enough to continue to break the sides down, making that small crevice much bigger than it had been before.

Meri :: Inks had no clue to whatever Malus and Fox were up to, she could only hope that they were successful in their endeavors and would be making their way through the tunnels of the cave sooner over later. It was not something that she could spend much time dwelling on, of the half dozen pirates or so that initially entered the cave, four of them still remained and were currently looking for revenge for the trouble that Inks had inflected upon them. Inks was sober though, had better vision in the darkness, and had the advantage of speed on her side as well. She was above to escape ahead of them to find another crevice in the cave to push into. How long these tactics would work are unknown. With one dagger lost within the skull of a pirate, Meri crouches to retrieve the other two weapons from the back of her boots. Three daggers are held between two hands for only a second before two of them begin to levitate in the air before the woman. Again she waited, trying to get the benefit of the another unplanned attack, but her wait was not nearly as long as the first time and the element of surprise? It was not quite on her side like before. She does have the shadows on her side. The band of pirates pass by the blonde again, but this time she does not let them move far beyond her before those levitating daggers spring to action...as does she. One of her floating blades finds a resting place within the throat of the pirate, the second is not so lucky. That target is missed completely. Her own blade manages to strike true enough, but that leaves Inks right in the targets of the two remaining pirates. They're both quick with their weapons and one of them even manages to drive his blade into Inks' shoulder, but everyone..including Inks...is soon confused by the sound of rumbling water in the caverns. Inks is able to put two and two together faster than they are and that bubble she was given is put to good use before she is hit hard with a wall of water. And probably smacked around a bit against a few walls on her way out because...thanks for the warning Malus. I love you too. Yeah. He probably wants to avoid Inks. She hurts. She's not happy. She's just been spat out into the ocean, not that she could get any more wet, but at least the landing didn't hurt. On the upside, the rest of the pirates in the cave drowned because they did not have air bubbles? The werewolf pulls herself out of the water and onto the shore. Really the only thing that is keeping the werewolf's butt planted on the beach right now is waiting for some sort of assurance that Fox (and maybe Malus, still mad at you though), make it out alive too. Once she had that assurance, she was bound to limp off and lick her wounds. The hurt was enough that she really wasn't super interested in the aftermath, not unless they were going to have to deal with another grouping of pirates. She really hoped not.

Eleanor ; Fox once again had her wand gripped in her left hand, ready to forge a new path out of the caves if necessary. Poised over the box, she gripped the door of the vault with her free hand to steady herself as the room filled with water. The breathing bubble definitely came in handy, allowing the spell-rogue to reserve her magic for other uses. She could feel the wand vibrate in her hand, spooling up to blast them through any cave-ins or, if necessary, solid limestone walls. Water continued to rush in, quickly filling the cavern as Fox took charge of the box once it was secure in that water-bubble. Releasing her hold on the vault door, she hugged the bubbled box under one arm and turned to see Malus signalling at her. She arched a brow at him but stayed where she was, wand at the ready. With the water swirling everywhere, the box didn’t seem nearly as heavy as she heard it was supposed to be, but the current was soon bursting through the hidden passage, threatening to drag the rogue leader with it. Fox managed to hook her boot against the vault door’s hinge, before kicking off, pulling the box with her, the bubble sliding across the slick cave floor. They had to get out of here, and fast. Even though the team sent aground was hopefully dispatched by now, Fox worried more pirates would be back later. If the rumors were true, the prize within the box was too valuable to forget. And she really didn’t want to leave Inks alone to deal with them. Gesturing toward Malus to scout ahead, she grunted but managed to pull the box into the corridor itself, using any watery-cushions that she could to propel it further. If they encountered any rocky barriers in their escape, she pointed at them with her wand, a stream of blue-white light shooting from the tip to blast a path through. Otherwise, she relied on Mal’s manipulation of the water to guide them to safety.

Callum || Malus skipped like a rock across the surface of the ocean before finally sinking into it as that geyser did its work to get them out of the cave. Thankfully, he’d not gotten as far into it as he’d thought. While he didn’t fair as badly as Inks did, he wasn’t without his scrapes and bruises, in addition to a horrid headache that started to surface thanks to banging around the cavern and using up the majority of his magic to get them to “safety”. He managed to drag himself to shore and basically just wanted to die right there. “Ugh” is all he could manage at the moment as it took a bit to get his bearings so that he could finally stand up. No more pirates? Oh thank Selene. Or whomever. Someone. He’d not quite gotten down that path of acknowledging the Goddess and God that most witches dedicated themselves too. He did manage to catch sight of Inks though and her own injuries, a frown finding home on his lips. Mal really needed to find a better way of using that trick in the future--if there was a better way. “The bubble will stay like that for awhile, but you’ll have to work quickly to get it to where you need it,” he said to Fox when she finally surfaced with the box, before he headed off in the direction of the wharf and one of the less busy streets of Cenril beyond that--though first he’d do a bit of scouting as Fox requested, and gave her the signal for o.k. because the coast was clear. Fox should definitely hurry and find cover in the shadows again though should she want to smuggle that box out of there with ease. Once he was certain Inks got home, he’d eventually make his way there, after finding where he’d hidden his satchel in a super secret spot elsewhere (he wasn’t going to bring it swimming after all). A jar of that ever familiar ointment he’d made to deal with Inks’ wounds in the past--as well as his own when he’d gotten hurt--was left on her doorstep, a knock given to the door, and nothing but shadows and the salve left to greet her once she answered it. He’d even leave one at the The Office for Fox too, for whenever she returned. With the rest left at home and nothing else in his bag, he’d do the rare thing and call a carriage to go home because Malus--no, now he was Cal again; that mask of his shed for now--was tired as hell and wanted to sleep for a month.