A Tale of Twin Crafters [P|Co]

[Flower]

A Tale of Twin Crafters [Private|Cohorts]

The Doctor

In the Land of Hot Springs, along the coast to the north of the captial, Hakone, and rested on the Bay of Sangha, is a small town that is talked about across the forests and dirt roadways making up that part of the country. A traveler could easily discern that Nebulia was a popular destination, as travelers made their way toward its eastern gate -- which they claimed was the only entrance. This time of year the weather was chilly, but luckily there hadn't been any snow on the coast. A light breeze made its way across the exit of the forest as one walked up on Nebulia's eastern gate -- which was really just a pair of thick wooden doors built into a long row of fencing that stretched seven meters in the air. High enough so that the average person couldn't peer over its top, but heard the bustle of the city beyond. The lazy bleat of a bull, the hurried shuffle of a cart over stone, and some strange set of bells or chimes.

Standing at the top of a tower of granite stone, that had been constructed into the wooden gate and fence, was two guards ten meters in the air -- glancing down from their highest window. A third guard stood outside the gate and spoke to travelers seeking to pass into the city. As one continued along this road, they would inevitably come to the gate. The road twisted around the city so that one could walk along the large fence and bypass Nebulia, but it seemed to be an interesting city from the rumors along the road and the amount of people heading in that direction. Small children, who presumably lived wooden walls, ran outside the gate and played along the fence and looked nervously toward the forest where all the foreigners appeared. The sunlight seemed almost grey, although it was still late afternoon, as the clouds rolled over the dull orb.

A man and woman, wearing wool clothes smudged with dirt, were arguing with the guard before he started to reach for a longsword at his hip. All of the guards wore thin armor plates and some degree of weaponry. The one in front of the gate had his sword and a shield strapped to his back, while the two in the tower had tools that were hidden better. The couple had a wagon with a broken wheel and slowly trudged off as the guard seemed to make a threat, making their way to the outskirts of the fence and speaking quietly to one another. There were various other people bundled up outside the city, about thirty in all, who were either not allowed entrance or selling goods to the citizens who weren't able to get into Nebulia. It would be unclear from a brief glance exactly what deemed someone worthy to enter. The guard went back to his position and waited for the next foreigner to approach. On the other side of the city, miles across to the west, rose a mountain range that seemed to overlook all of them. A strange mountain, as if its top had been cut off, stood higher than the rest of the range in the middle and was layered with ominous fog.

[The Doctor]

( So I'm going to make a couple of assumptions in my own preparations. I never leave my Flying Destruction Machine at home. I tend to keep a RideBack in it and use that as a form of transportation. With your permission I would like the Flying Destruction Machine parked far from here. Other than that I shall make my intro.)

The Doctor had been riding for some time. He had finished examining some patients in a small town some distance from Nebulia. He came down from what main roads lead to the town and what memory served him. He took the road that would lead him towards the eastern entrance. The Doctor had not been to the city of Nebulia but wanted to give it a scope. Usually the Doctor had specific plans but sometimes going random was the best option. Besides some of the best outcomes come from being random.

The single sound electrical engine was in high gear until the Doctor got closer to the gates where he could clearly see. He slowed the Rideback down to a stop and took in his surroundings. It was an interesting looking city. It seemed well fortified as well. The Doctor smiled and began driving once again but at a much slower pace.

It was winter so the Doctor was wearing his more warmer attire. He still wore his 3 piece suit. He wore a light brown overcoat, very light yellow dress shirt with maroon neck tie. The pants he wore was a darker shade of brown slacks with black dress shoes. What was unique about his clothing however was what was inside the clothing. The Doctor always wore his Full Body Corset. This was a gadget device that allowed him to become whomever he wished within reason. Even his clothing was a part of the device. A unique invention without the need of Chakra. A one of a kind, produced by the Doctor himself. Inside his coat however was where he kept his uniques. He had made modifications to one of his Leather Coats and applied a pouch system inside the coat.

The coat carried 19 pouches, but each pouch had deep pockets, thus each pouch had 50 slots, even though he did not carry as much items inside. Starting from the first pouch on the left to the last pouch on the right he carried 7 dancing stars, 7 lightning bottles, and 1 moondust. Then 30 samum in 2 different pouches. Then in one he kept a pouch of semtex he had built in his early stages of alchemy testing. Followed by 23 tracers and a tracking device. After that he carried a lockpick set, and a field cauterizer. In another pouch he had a medical diagnostic scanner. Getting closer to the back he kept 5 northern wind boomerangs, 5 grapeshot boomerangs, and 5 dancing star boomerangs. The next 3 slots he kept nothing but boomerangs. Going to the right side he had some more specialized boomerangs 5 tanglefoot, 5 samum, and 5 smoke pellets. Followed by a disruptor in one pouch. Then he had 1 glass cutter, a 4-inch flashlight, and 20 zipties. In another pouch on the right side he kept another pound of semtex also created in his early stages of alchemy testing. The next two pouches he kept 30 smoke pellets followed by the last pouch where he kept 7 force, 7 northern wind, and 1 moondust.

As he got closer he made notes of where the guards were. This was of course by habit. It was always in the Doctor's best nature to always look for escape routes even if his intentions of entering a city was purely out of curiosity, getting good food, and perhaps even sleep. The clouds were coming in, but it was nice to see children out and about. AS he got closer to the gates if possible he may have been able to see the man and woman wearing wool clothes smudged with dirt. The Doctor had incredible lip reading skills and would try to discern the argument with the guard. With his high observation he would try to see the man's movements. Would he see the guard reaching for his longsword? Would he notice the guard with a helmet? Would his lips be covered? Would he be able to read the lips of the guard?

His primary objective was to gage the city's tactics. He was curious who they were letting in, and who they were shunning away.

[Flower]

(OOC: Yeah that is fine. Could you describe for me how far away it is and how it is parked? Like in the forest, whether it is hidden or not, etc.? If you have questions about the environment just let me know. Also sorry if the beginning of this post is a little rushed -- I had to write it twice cause it deleted -.- )

As the Doctor approached the eastern gate he would be able to percieve the thin armor that decorated all of the guards, and that it seemed to cover only their chests and torso. He could see the longsword and shield strapped to the guard at the gate, but could not percieve anything about the guards in the tower except their thin armor and glances from the highest window. With his keen lip-reading abilities, the Doctor was able to stand out of earshot and inspect the conversation between the guard at the gate (Guard #1) and the couple bearing the broken cart. Guard #1 asked to see a pass as the couple approached. The man said that he didn't have one. The guard looked closely at their clothes and told them that they couldn't enter the city, and the man tried to plead his case -- saying that he was carrying valuable seashells from the southern coast that would do well in the city markets. Guard #1 reached for his longsword at his hip and said that if the man and his wife didn't get going, then he would have to make them leave. The man and the woman trudged away with their broken cart to stand beside the fence.

While the Doctor inspected the scene, he would hear and see a young man approaching from his right side -- from around the circular wooden fence that stretched for miles around the city. He had medium brown hair that blew softly in the breeze and light blue eyes, akin to the color of a calm sea. The youth appeared to be in his mid-20's and wore a black cloak that covered the rest of his clothing underneath (and whatever items he might weild). On his right sleeve, at the wrist, was an embroderied insignia of a skull and two daggers in gold thread. The man appraoched the Doctor, a bit unusual that he was the one appraoched since there were various people outside the gate, and when the man was about a meter away said, "Are you trying to get in the city?" The youth looked at the guard as he spoke, seeming to reference the couple who were shooed away.

"The guards are pretty strict about who they let inside." Nobody else seemed to be within earshot of the Doctor and the newcomer, but as the Doctor knew that didn't mean that people weren't able to discern the conversation. Still, the shrill laugh of a young girl playing with her friends would lead one to believe that there was few threats in the area. All of the other people were huddled closer to the gate -- the couple who had approached with their cart slouching against their cargo as they tried to decide what to do next. Guard #1 leaned against the large, wooden doors and picked at his teeth. He appeared oblivous to the Doctor and the newcomer. Just two more faces in the crowd.

[The Doctor]

(OOC: Sure. I like to have it in the forest, a few miles off from town. The Doctor tends to put it away from the main road in the forest, but big enough for him to land it as a helicopter. He doesn't camouflage it as this type of landing tends to keep it from eye sight. It's locked with the highest type of lock though.)

'So to enter you need a pass...' the Doctor thought to himself while catching the conversation. 'Kind of expected,' he continued in his thought while glancing over to the broken wheel of the carriage. 'Judging by the guard's reactions they did not believe the couple were made of money,' he said in thought while continuing to approach.

The Doctor glanced towards the man approaching him. He noticed the age of the man, the cloak, and the insignia. The Doctor for a moment stepped into his memory palace as he tried to pull up information on the insignia. The memory palace was a large library filled with books. He tried to find information closest to him which was the country he was in. The Doctor made sure to know of news and information Local to every country, including the Country of Hotsprings (has high local history in every country). As the man approached the Doctor immediately tried to sense the man out (Sense Motive). He was trying to make a hunch, or a gut assessment of the person. The Doctor tried to gain a feeling from this person's behavior, while at the same time he tried to read the mood. How did this person perceive the Doctor? was it hostile unfriendly, indifferent, friendly, or helpful (Sense Motive 285).

"Isn't everyone?" The Doctor responded to the man's question.

"How so," he asked when the man commented about the guards being strict.

Even though the Doctor was somewhat out in the open, there seemed to be more than enough distractions. He felt perhaps he was not being too observed by the guards, and decided to try and become a fly on the wall even though lightly conversing with the man. Being a fly on the wall was an ability he picked up through practice that started out as an exercise and became an addiction. He created a non-detection field. A miscellaneous technique not made of chakra, just simply altering ones senses as if he did not exist. Any person who lays their eyes on the Doctor must make a Sense Motive check against the Doctor's Acting check (315 Acting). If the Doctor succeeds he is dismissed as an unimportant detail in the background. Essentially the Doctor hides in plain sight without the need of cover. Why would the Doctor do this? Well he knew that a conversation could still be perceived and if he simply was not there to others, then who would this man speak to.

Funny enough there was a precaution the Doctor took. Since there were plenty of people around he also simply "blended" in to help hide his presence. A disguise ability that took no actions at all.

[Flower]

As the Doctor inspected the insignia on the young man's sleeve and entered his memory palace, he would be able to scan through his knowledge on the Land of Hot Springs and recognized the sigil as the mark of the Golden Smugglers -- a mysterious organization confined to the northern reaches of the country who helped people sneak into cities, towers, and secure locations. Their reputation was well-known for their efficiency, but also for their dedication to individualism and their focus on selfish achievements (which varied from person to person and branch of the organization). It was well known in the Land of Hot Springs that the Golden Smugglers headquarters was stationed somewhere near Nebulia, but nobody (except the members) were sure exactly where. The Doctor could sense that the man wanted to be helpful toward him, but for what purpose was not apparently clear. There seemed to be some ambivalence to the helpfulness that he could sense.

He chuckled. "Yeah I guess so." His laugh was clear and almost musical. The boy was, in fact, very handsome the Doctor would suddenly notice. Compared to many of the people standing outside the eastern gate of Nebulia, his hair was better groomed and his eyes displayed some sort of vibrancy and confidence. "The guards don't want to let just anyone into the city. Nebulia has collections of some of the most rare and valuable trinkets in all nations, if one knows how to look for them." The youth gave the Doctor a look with his electric blue eyes, indicating the suggestion. Then he fell into a hush.

"If you want help getting into the city, I'd be happy to assist you. I know a pass through the wall a short walk down." He waited to see whether the Doctor was interested, and meanwhile their conversation remained unmonitored. Another group of people, this time bearing a couple young children without shoes, came to the gate -- only to be shot down by the guard. This time he pointed to the guards in the tower, telling the family that if they didn't get off then all three of them would take them out. They joined the growing number of merchants outside the walls, contemplating their next move and whether they would be able to find a way into the city or whether they should leave. The young man must have been in high demand in a place like this.

[The Doctor]

'Golden Smugglers' the Doctor thought to himself. He came back from his memory palace as he pulled out the information. The Doctor had remembered some rumblings of headquarters being near however he did not know where. In all honesty they did not do much to want the Doctor to know why. Instead he just listened to what the man could say since he did not feel any malice coming from him.

He could tell the man was well groomed, perhaps a man of wealth like the Doctor. The Doctor decided to look a little further. As he heard the man speak about the guards, and how there were valuable trinkets in from all nations he took a closer look at the man. His eyes quickly scanned the man up and down just but a moment. In this time he would use his skills as a Doctor and as a Detective to gain some inference. If the man was not pulling an act he would look at his hands. Were there cuts along the outside of his hands or inside. Small cuts normally means practice with weaponry. Was the inside of the palms callused to that of a swordsman or something else. Did the man wear excessive jewelry.

He would glance down to his legs to see what sort of dirt contacted the pants, or was he well kept even in this environment. Most animals who roll up on a man would leave some sort of evidence such as hair along the pant legs. Did he walk with a limp, and if so which leg did he favor.

Moving back up to the face that's when he would see the man's blue eyes. Glancing at the eyes he would see any slight of color. Yellowing would indicate liver problems. Were there bags under his eyes. Was the man's face flushed or pale to indicate lack of sunlight or sleep deprivation.

That's when the question rang in his head. Without skipping a beat and without making it awkward the Doctor smiled and nodded. "Yes I would love to enter. I've heard the markets are bustling and the inns have unique entertainment." he said calmly, showing interest. "Two questions however, the cost of entering, and cost of ensuring this is safe when I come out," he asked pointing to the RideBack.

[Flower]

The Doctor looked over the man, noting as many qualities as he could about his appearance and health. His hands were both callused and had cuts, some of them along the outside of the wrist where more than likely an opponent would have left the mark. His hands were dirty with dust and dirt, unlike the rest of his uniform. The Doctor could not, however, make out any jewelry or finery on any part of his body that he could see -- although much was covered by the black cloak. His pants were mostly clean, save some fine dust along the bottom of the pant's legs, and he didn't appear to have a favored leg or limp whatsoever. As the Doctor scanned the man's face, he would note that it was pale and that his eyes were darker than most -- indicating that he often didn't travel in the sunlight. Even though it was pale, however, his skin was free of blemish and seemed to have healthy bloodflow despite the lack of color. No bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, he seemed at least somewhat well-rested.

As the Doctor asked about the cost of entry and the safety of the rideback, the smuggler didn't find it odd at all and said, "Hmm, normally I'd charge a heavy fine for such a thing -- especially the protection of your device. Somewhere in the range of 60,000 ryo?" The young man shrugged. No wonder he had such nice clothing and clean skin. "But you seem to have had more... opportunities... than our other guests." He looked over to the man and the woman discussing where to turn next outside Nebula's gate. "If, after I get you inside the city, you would help me with one of my endeavors then I'd call it even and require no fee."

He grinned and shuffled under the cloak to pull out a water bottle, sucking at it quickly and a bit of color returned to his flushed face, before putting it back somewhere under the layers of fabric (presumably strapped to some belt based on the hand motions). "But, of course, you'd have to keep up your end of the bargain if we made this deal. I do have friends who would feel a bit slighted if you didn't pay us back." He flitted his hand in the air. "Unless you'd rather pay the money?" It seemed to be some sort of test.

[The Doctor]

Judging from what the Doctor could see at this brief moment he made an inferance of the man. He was well kept. Hands dirty marking perhaps he moved through a cave, hands to support. Only thing else was dirty was the lower pants, which means he was careful where he walked. His eyes indicated he was in good health, but he lived a night life. He could not see any jewelry but perhaps he did not wish to dirty them as his hands were. He also made an inference the man could fight from the impression of his hands. The outside of his wrists indicated cuts and marks which meant he blocked with his palms inward.

First was the cost of entry, 60,000 Ryo. The cost somewhat surprised the Doctor. It was low, extremely low. If it was the Doctor and if he had interacted with a Broker he would expect between 140,000 to 175,000 Ryo which was the cost of a Obolus. This made the Doctor make an inference that perhaps the cost of living in the area was perhaps smaller than normal.

Then the rub came. 'Help with one of his endeavors,' the words rang in his head. The Doctor has had portrayed himself as nothing more than perhaps a simple man with too much taste and too much money. In fact he was a mark, which is why the Doctor assumed he was approached. He kept everything to the hip, and acted as a simple man. It was time to do one of the few things the Doctor was good at, lie.

(Acting 315). "Strange proposition but I hope you know and understand. I do not know how I can help you," he said plainly with a smile. "I am just a Doctor. I have no clue, nor can I fathom what you need me for," he said raising his arms in a shrug. "Wait," he paused for a moment. "Unless you met one of my patients, and need medical treatment," he continued placing his arms down to his sides with his smile on his face.

Life to the Doctor was like a game sometimes. It was to learn what you can without the other knowing. Since the moment the Doctor got on his RideBack he made no indication of any skill. He knew there were skills out there that could decipher a man's ability. It was what he using, and with that he learned ways to counter such actions. He had been hiding his abilities, his uniqueness. Everything about him was a lie. The only truth was him being a Doctor. The real question however, was did this man see through him. If so, that was dangerous.

[Flower]

"Just a doctor?" the boy said with a bit of a grin, "A doctor makes quite a bit of money around here." He looked over in the direction of those people still trying to get into the city. As the day dragged on, more of them began to disperse. A man began to approach that was wearing fine clothes, especially compared to the people around him. He strode up to the Eastern Gate of Nebulia, his short, black hair looking out of place among the commoners -- as well as the tight, black suit that was strapped around his body. He wore a black tactical vest and utility belt, over a pair of leather pants and boots. There was a military duffel bag strapped across his chest, and he had a shortsword in a sheath at his hip.

The guard in front of the gate approached him, some words were exchanged, a pass flashed, and the man walked inside to the resentment of the others outside. The boy turned back to the Doctor and said, "Compared to them, you don't seem as worn. Disheveled. And with that thing," he looked toward the rideback, "I can tell thst you've got more going for you than most of the folks around here." He seemed to be looking closely at the doctor now, as if openly assessing his dress and appearance. Tick for tack. "Money is everything here. And you've got hi-tech gadgets as well? I've got to speak to a merchant about a project, and it'd be nice to have someone who blends in and would know the right questions to ask."

"Besides," the boy said, "you're not just a doctor. Are you?" He beamed a knowing smile. It would seem as if the Doctor's gamble had paid off.

[The Doctor]

The Doctor saw the man walking up to the gate. His attire was quite different from everyone elses and this caught the Doctor's attention. Eyes narrowed as he looked at th eblack suit strapped to his body. He tried to decipher it was in fact a full body corset. He looked at the utility belt, the leather pants and boots. In a way he was looking at the man like a mark, trying to get a feel of the man but immediately turned his attention towards the one speaking to him.

"I travel a lot," he said somewhat answering a non question pertaining towards the RideBack. "I find it easier to travel, and it is more reliable than beasts of burden," he said with a sour look. There was truth in what he said, no lie to speak of here. The Doctor was a man of intellect and a narcissist. He likes to be in control of his personal space. Beasts of burden tend to react through their own fears which could become a problem for him.

The last part of what the man said is what caught the Doctor's attention. He looked back at the man and smiled. "Is that what you need? A mediator?" he asked curiously. Funny enough he was known for being a mediator. One of the Doctor's aliases was known as The Handler. As the Handler the Doctor could interact with more interesting clientele and gain a plethora of information the Doctor could not. It was a shame he did not come here as The Handler.

He immediately ignored the last part and extended a hand. "If all you need is a mediator and someone with an eye for gadgets then I can help," he said calmly. "So long as it does not involve me doing anything illegal that is," he continued showing he was serious. The Doctor had a reputation. He had to keep it that way.

[Flower]

[OOC: Hopefully I didn't forget anything, it has been a while. Just let me know if I've messed up.]

“Nothing illegal? Other than sneaking into the city you mean?” The boy glanced at the Doctor’s outstretched hand for only a second before meeting him in agreement with a handshake. “You’ve got a deal. The name is Surge by the way.” There seemed to be a glint in his blue, electric eyes. “Follow behind me at a distance of twenty meters,” he whispered and then started to walk away. If the Doctor did follow him, then Surge would take off around the gate and out of eyesight of the guard. A short walk would take them out toward the valleys that stretched out from the southwest edge of Nebulia. Surge would seem to find a random outcropping of stones and walk behind them, suddenly seeming to disappear when the Doctor would follow up behind.

A patch of dirt and grass would lift up from the ground below as Surge’s eyes peered up from the subterranean. “Come on,” he said and waited for the Doctor to fall into the disguised doorway. If he did, then they would be in a tunnel held up with old, wooden posts in specific sections, in front of a metal door that led further into the dark. Small torches on the walls gave some degree of dim light in the confined space — which was only three meters wide and tall. Surge would knock on the door seven times and wait as someone opened a peep hole in the upper, middle of the metal frame and inspected them before clicking several locks. The door would open to reveal a woman wearing a similar cloak to the one Surge had on. With the skull and two daggers embroidered in her right sleeve. She had brown, earth-colored hair that mimicked the walls of the tunnel in the dim torch light and a short sword strapped underneath her cloak that she kept under her right hand as she looked them over.

“Did he pay?” she asked as Surge approached.

“He’s with me,” Surge replied rather bluntly and walked through the doorway and was eager for the Doctor to follow so that they could begin their journey under Nebulia’s gate and into the city. The Doctor would be able to see the dim torch light shine positioned at regular intervals down the narrow corridor ahead, leading into the distance farther than the eye could see.

[The Doctor]

The Doctor nodded at the man's terms and smiled with the deal, "The Doctor," he responded, giving a name to Surge. He nodded again, hearing the instructions as he waited for the man to start his walk. 20 meters was a decent length but understandable as it gave a sense of loneliness, as if the two were not together at all. When they were approximately 20 meters away from each other the Doctor began his walk and started following the man.

They began walking toward the valleys that stretched out from the southeast edge of the city. The Doctor looked around his surroundings and smiled some, somewhat enjoying the scenery. He however made sure he had enough distance, and enough foresight of where the man was. "Come on," was what he heard as he saw the patch of dirt and grass lift up from the disguised doorway.

'That can be scary,' the Doctor thought to himself, thinking about how problematic a place like this could be to whomever was in charge of the city. This however was not his concern and followed along. He waited for the man to continue with his work, giving a knock on the door 7 times. It seemed everything was somewhat methodical. It had to be to do this kind of business.

When the woman opened the door, he made a note of her cloak, and the emblem she was wearing. He locked it away within his memory palace. As she asked if he paid that's when the Doctor's demeanor slightly changed. The Doctor was an extremely confident man, and his skill in acting was on par to some of the best. This was not just confidence, but a point of fact to the Doctor. However he did not want to seem too confident in front of these people so he lowered that confidence. His body slightly slouched, his eyes somewhat softened, fingers fiddling just a twitch.

"He's with me." the man said.

The Doctor flashed a quick smile in response, keeping up with is appearance. He followed behind the man, entering into the next destination.

[Flower]

Before taking off Surge would turn to the woman and request that she send someone to guard the area where the Doctor's vehicle had been. As the two would make their way into the corridor a cool, humid air would creep over their skin and a musky smell occupied the rank, subterranean hall. The torches cast their familiar light throughout as they walked. Minutes would pass and Surge would explain that he was, “meeting with a vendor in South District. It’s just supposed to be a simple job to retrieve some information, but you can never really know around here. If it gets too hot, we’ll head out. Try to figure out what you can about his status and equipment while we’re there.”

The sound of carts and footsteps could suddenly be heard overhead and dust motes would float down from the ceiling. Both of them would approach a ladder at the end of the hall and a door above their heads that was bolted with a padlock. Surge withdrew a key from a butt bag inside his cloak and told the Doctor that it was about time to resurface. He’d wait for any preparations to be made and then unlock the door, pushing it open to reveal a small, dark room about five meters by five meters. Shelves lined the wall with various jars and produce. The smell of grain filled the area. Laughter and talking could be heard coming from the surrounding walls.

“Well, we’re in,” Surge said as they came up, implying that they’d made it into the city, and started looking around the room — moving aside a jar of pickled fish, and boxes of fine crackers and wheels of plump cheese, he revealed a gold envelope tied with a black thread. “Aha!” He tore it open and started to read the contents.

“The merchant is close by,” Surge said looking up from the letter. “I’m ready when you are.” There was only one door in the secretive pantry. Surge stood close to it, with his hand near the doorknob, prepared to find the merchant and figure out whatever piece of information was so vital to their organization.

[The Doctor]

'Meeting with a vendor,' the Doctor thought as he nodded. He nodded at the explanation, 'So they are trying to get this person's status and their equipment. Easy enough I suppose,' he continued to think to himself. There was however no name associated to the person just yet. If he had a name he may be able to piece something together now by starting an inference, however he decided to stay quiet.

He continued to follow the man hearing sounds around them. When they reached the a ladder at the end of a hallway with a door above their heads, he noticed the padlock. The Doctor had a keen eye for locks. His eyes glanced at the lock if he could. Eyes narrowed as he tried to gleam some information off of the lock (155 Expertise Locks). He already knew it was a lock with a key since Surge removed it. This also meant it didn't need to be a combination lock.

When they reached this next room, he could hear laughter. Were they in a Tavern? The smell of grain filled his nostrils. He waited there to allow his eyes to adjust. He stood there without question. His senses however were trying to gain an advantage around him. The Doctor did not like how he was going into this blind and decided to use his skills. He needed some information first. He knew there was sounds around him. The room was dark. Using his Investigating skills he gleamed for any information to tell him where he was. Not exactly where, but the type of establishment he was in. He was using the time allowed to him while Surge himself was looking around the room. His eyes examined the contents of the jars, looked at the floors for various clues to make an inference. (275 Investigate)

"Aha!" spoke the man. The Doctor's attention would turn towards him seeing the golden envelope (if possible).

“The merchant is close by,” the man said looking at the leader. “I’m ready when you are.”

The Doctor parted his lips to ask a question. "Just one question, what's his name." he asked before walking over to Surge, indicating he was ready, hopefully the information he gathered so far was enough.

[Flower]

The Doctor took a peek at the padlock that held the hidden doorway closed and noticed that it was a masterful, large padlock made from some sort of high-dollar metal. This was no cheap imposer, or so it seemed. As he investigated the room that they had entered, he found that many of the jars were filled with snack foods and preservatives that could store for long periods of time. Although all the food was of the highest quality and seemed to be moved regularly as no dust had layered on to the surfaces. There were boxes of certain breads and crackers that gave off a pleasant smell, although there also seemed to be a smell coming from outside the room. Almost pungent but also exotic. The establishment seemed to be storing its products here for some reason which could mean a tavern, shop, or similar dwelling.

He'd be able to see the envelope, although not the letter, as Surge read it. As it was time to go out, the Doctor asked for the merchants name. Surge only smirked. "It's Okane Futotta. Might have heard about him?" In fact, the Doctor had heard about him. If he looked within his memory palace or dwelt on the question, he might find that Okane was a small-time weapons dealer out of the Land of Hot Springs that also peddled in larger herb trade wars. He had gone into hiding several years back and yet here he was. It was said that he ran some sort of organization, although the details were shrouded in mystery, and threw large, extravagant parties. Although it was well known that in Nebulia such things did not matter if one was a profitable merchant.

The laughter got louder, and there was the sound of a lyre as someone passed by outside the door, before it got quieter again. Although the distant sound of conversations still filled the air. It felt strange to be surrounded by so many happy people after being on the entrance to the city gate.

SPOILER: Click to show

Padlock, Large (Masterful)
Rank: "B"
Type: Secondary, 1 per Slot, Gadget, Mechanical, Lock
Effect: Padlocks are portable locks with a shackle that may be passed through an to protect property from unauthorized use, theft, vandalism, or even harm.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: A padlock is composed of a body, shackle, and a locking mechanism. The typical shackle is a "U" shaped loop of metal that encompasses what is being secured by the padlock, most padlock shackles either swing away or slide out of the padlock body when in the unlocked position. Unusually designed padlocks may include a straight, circular, or flexible shackles. Some shackles split apart and come together to lock and unlock. Integrated locking mechanisms directly engage the padlock's shackle with the tumblers. Large Padlocks normally can fit in a scroll sized slot and are up to 8 inches tall while being 2.5 by 2.5 inches in size. Padlock difficulty is dependent only on the Lock Quality. Padlocks have 1 lock; add the cost of the lock to the cost of the quality of the lock found in lock qualities.
Limit: These type of items may be bought inside any Gadget Shop.
Cost: 3,000 Ryo Each

[The Doctor]

That was an interesting name. The Doctor had not heard this name for some time. He looked through his memory palace and slowly pulled out the information. Subconciously he did not saying this out loud but he did say it loud enough for Surge to hear. "Okane Futotta," he began with his eyes narrowing, looking around for a moment. "A small-time weapons dealer out of the Land of Hot Springs. He also peddled in large shipments in the herb trade wars," he stopped briefly thinking that a better person for this situation may have been The Handler, but there was no way the Doctor could change into The Handler right now in front of Surge. "He's been hiding for several years," he continued, speaking out loud again. "But, has he not been gone for some time?" he asked rhetorically.

There was sadly nothing else the Doctor could do but wait for them to leave the room. It seemed he gathered what he could from inside, and could hear a lot outside. Was he at a party? That was something he was curious about. If the Doctor was lucky at least he would somewhat look the part. With the voices, and the commotion outside there were two things the Doctor wanted to do, both before entering, and after entering.

The first was to gain a hunch within the area. This was a gut assessment of the social situation. He wanted to get the feeling of the behavior outside (285 Sense Motive). The second was to read the mood of the crowd outside. was it a general feeling of hostile, unfriendly, indifferent, friendly or helpful group. Now sadly the Doctor was trying to gauge a scene of people instead of individuals, so this could skew his ability but the Doctor decided to give it a shot regardless. When he got to see people he would try again but with individuals and in a different approach.

[Flower]

As the Doctor assessed the sounds from outside the room, he would notice that it sounded like there were few people immediately outside the door but there was a larger group somewhere very close. The large group sounded mixed with various types of chatter, some of it hostile and others pleasant, becoming a mesh of sounds in the area. Although picking out words was difficult with ordinary hearing, it was clear that there seemed to be a variety of experiences going on around them (albeit all of the people seemed excited). As Surge opened the door, a flood of light would enter the strange closet and lead to a hallway. As the two stepped into the hallway, they made their way down toward an auditorium where a luxurious, indoor bazaar had been constructed by some unknown entity.

The room was 100 meters by 100 meters and lit with decorated lamps hung on the ceiling and walls, and had rows of market stalls and shops where people came to buy various goods. As the Doctor looked at the crowd he would notice that most of them were wearing very fine clothing, a lot of it rare and valuable -- stitched by only the most secretive tailors in lands far off. A particular woman even wore a winter wolf coat, although the temperature was kept moderate by some odd sensors, that was a pristine white with a few mottled splotches. In general the crowd seemed friendly or indifferent, but there were a few individuals that seemed to be losing in bargains with the merchants or other nefarious deals.

Surge moved with the crowd with a strange swiftness toward the back of the shops. As the Doctor moved he'd be able to see a few of the items that were on all the carts and dressers. Strange oddities. Technical machines that were so detailed and complex that it would have taken hours to explain. Clothes of all hues and dyes, stitched with insignia from all sorts of art and fashion styles. Breads, beer, and wine of the most prestigious lands and crafters, being traded at exuberantly high prices. And Surge passed them all -- opting to move towards a door in the back that was guarded by a tall man with a black, full-body tactical outfit and longsword strapped at the belt. He was bald but had a brown beard speckled with salt. He seemed indifferent as Surge approached and muffled a grunt as Surge leaned forward to whisper something into his ear. The guard would stand back and let them enter the room.

And there, sitting on a golden, circular cushion in the middle of a medium-sized room decorated in the corners with palm trees and ferns in massive pots and a small salt-water aquarium, was Okane Futotta who had shaggy, light brown hair that curled from under his black cap and a mask that covered his face. He wore a stylish, leather jacket and purple cape that fall to his knees. His pants were of a similar style. There was a longsword strapped on his back as he lounged in the cushion and saw the two enter. He was surrounded by five body guards. They didn't appear to be ninja, but dangerous all the same. They wore various suits of armor and tactical clothing, and weapons on their bodies for protection. Shelves on the walls held some interesting trinkets and oddities that the Doctor would find fascinating. They must have been shipped from other lands and regions but were obviously specimens of high value. Some of them were herbs that could produce various highs and intoxication. Okane looked up and down the newcomers and then ushered them in.

"Mhmm. Surge... you're finally here."

"Did you get it?"

"I got it," Okane said, with a grin that was obvious despite the mask. And he pointed to one of the cabinets, where a guard would walk and pull out a small jar with a lock of hair bound inside with a silver cord. The guard gave it to Okane to hold. Okane looked at it and said, "Pretty valuable. This key. What do you have to pay?" Surge dug under his cloak as if pulling at coins. "No. You know what I want," Okane said and pointed to one of his guards to step forward. This one was short but stocky, with the same black tactical outfit but had a shield on his forearm and a dagger in a sheath at his belt. He had short black hair and a square jawline, and stood near Okane as if preparing himself.

"Is this one prepared to make the sacrifice?" Okane said looking toward the Doctor. All the Doctor could sense from him was an odd indifference and excitement (link).

[The Doctor]

The Doctor entered an auditorium, an indoor bazaar filled with many fine dining members of society or so it seemed. A quick layout of the room the Doctor could surmise that if he needed to throw something in his arsenal he could toss something over half the distance of the auditorium with accuracy.

The Doctor was in territory he was not familiar with, so it was time to gain some knowledge. First, the Bazaar, he looked around to take in the details of the place. This was an auditorium. He searched through his memory banks, and with his Local History he pondered on if this auditorium had significance. For example where it was in terms of the city, was it a building that gained a lot of press, was it known to have this kind crowd.

With the Doctor's expertise in machining he saw the technical machines and asked questions, such as how they got inside. He knew that if there was anything the size of a flying destruction machine it would take awhile to bring in and out unless the doors were large enough or perhaps if the roof opened up.

It seemed that Surge was not interested in these.

Now was a tall man in black and full body tactical outfit with a long sword strapped at the belt. The Doctor quickly appraised the man to gauge his level to his. In just a moment, a blink, a movement the Doctor tried to measure the man against himself (Class Points). Was it lower than the Doctor's? or higher? If he needed to sneak attack the man was he able to?

Now what was interesting up to this point was the fact that they were simply allowed in. No checks, no nothing, just an open door. Perhaps this was an up and up situation.

Now the room they were in was different from the others. It was more decorated than the other side, as it seemed this was more of a personal room. The Doctor noticed the salt-water aquarium, but also looked up to see what kind of ceiling was there. Glancing at Okane he quickly made an assessment of the man just as he did with the man outside. He glanced at the other guards and made a similar assessment. With a Sense Motive of 255 hopefully he was able to get the answers he needed.

The Doctor listened to the conversation. When the words of "sacrifice" was said that's when his mind kicked in. Did sacrifice have any ritualistic terminology? He had extensive knowledge in at least Binding, Creation, Deception, Restoration, and Travel Ritual lore (165). He was already familiar with the man and his practices so the Doctor began to go through his memory banks to try and pull out any information pertaining to the word "sacrifice" and what it pertained to. He also asked question in his mind in terms of business Okane normally conducted. It seemed the man did not want money payment, was this normal? What was the tradition of the term "sacrifice". The Doctor was knowledgeable in the Underworld Lore, thanks to his time with the Venatores. He did extensive studies to identify legends, personalities, factions, houses of ill repute, customs, traditions, etc with the underworld, and the filth. This was a perfect example of trying to pull that knowledge.

Funny enough the Doctor did not just ask these questions about Okane and the organizations he liked to conduct but he did manage to take a look at the small jar with a lock of hair bound inside with a silver cord. He asked similar questions pertaining to this while using Local History, since he did not have Alchemical expertise at the time. Though he did wonder if it was some kind of explosive.

These were questions he needed answered to proceed further.

[Flower]

[OOC: There was a lot to go through so please let me know if I missed anything or mussed up!]

The Doctor began by assessing the bazaar that they had stepped into. His memory bank provided a lot of information on the Land of Hot Springs and Nebulia in general. Although he'd never seen the Bazaar of the Golden Spring, he'd heard plenty of rumors. The Bazaar was on the western outskirts of the city, placed in the middle of a popular shopping district that stretched a mile or more on either side. The Bazaar itself had no walls (although was surrounded by arches and columns, and a roof overhead) and people were able to venture inside as they pleased, but due to the class disparities in the city it seemed that all the guests had enormous wealth (very much unlike those at the gate). He knew that anybody deemed "lower class" by the guards could be thrown out in a moments notice. He knew that guards often patrolled the bazaar in disguise. The Golden Spring was ironically not inside the bazaar but outside the front archways and was rumored to possess special properties, although of what kind was not entirely clear. Perhaps it was all just gossip.

The Bazaar of the Golden Spring attracted a lot of attention inside of the city, but its secrets were held closely outside of Nebulia's walls. Nobody else would have known about the vast shops and exotic items that were being traded inside. There were a couple of riding devices, which had been brought in through the enormous archways that held up the fifty meter high ceiling. There were, however, smaller gadgets on the counter that were of an unknown origin. Some of them looked like they could have been crossbows or some type of demolition launcher. Others looked like computers with holodisk attachments. There seemed no end to the amount of odd combinations that had been crafted. The Doctor knew that nobody would be trading in money, though, and would rather barter for the rarest items. The Doctor also knew that laws were different within the walls of Nebulia, ruled by a powerful, wealthy family, and that Okane Futotta could operate here without fear of being arrested -- so long as he paid his dues (whatever those were).

Analyzing the guard with the sword that had stepped up at Okane's beckoning, the Doctor could tell that his class points were lower than the Doctor's by about half as much. The other guards were of a similar strength, except for one -- a young girl with the same tactical outfit who had just slightly lower class points than the Doctor. Sneak attacks would work on the male guard that stepped up, but he seemed to have special abilities that allowed him to retain most of his defenses no matter what surprised him. As the Doctor stepped into the room he'd also notice that it was similar to a little office in the bazaar as it was the only place that actually had walls (of a thick stone material). The ceiling was lower in the room, hanging about fifteen meters above their heads. His sense motive check would reveal that many of the guards held no particular feelings for the Doctor one way or another. It seemed they were just doing their jobs. He could tell that the guard coming toward him was also indifferent, but did seem as if he were ready to reach for his blade if Okane directed him. Okane had no feelings one way or another for the Doctor either, but he had tried to hide his excitement. The Doctor was able to read it anyways on his face.

The Doctor couldn't be sure exactly what Okane meant by sacrifice. It could have had something to do with a ritual, but if so then they were referring to a project in their own jargon -- leaving it impossible to figure out what the "sacrifice" could be. The underground had taught the Doctor that various groups would kill people in grand acts called "sacrifices," but just as well there were underground groups that would simply "sacrifice" a bit of food or bodily fluids. The bartering system in the Bazaar of the Golden Spring was fairly open and could range from trading of rare, crafted items to trading of valuable skills and tasks (as the Doctor had done with Surge). What exactly Okane wanted to barter with Surge was not clear, but it was common knowledge that the more powerful merchants such as Okane usually operated in nefarious, large-scale barters that usually involved world leaders or organizations.

As he looked at the locket of hair, one detail in the Doctor's memory palace did come to mind. There were reports that when the body of one of the highest-ranking Golden Smugglers was found dead within the city of Nebulia, two years ago, that inside the coat was a variety of body parts held in containers -- fingernails, hair, and vials of blood. However, what exactly these were used for was never clear. The only people who knew that particular detail must have been the leaders of the Golden Smugglers and, perhaps, Okane since he held the locket of hair to trade.

[The Doctor]

There was a plethora of information that washed through the Doctor. He kept his eye on the woman but on Okane as well as it seemed perhaps they would be the most formidable people. If he needed to fight he could perhaps get out from some areas, however the area he was in was a pain in the ass. He sorted the information that was more important to him such as location, and measurability of the people in front of him.

The sad part was the Doctor still had no idea if he had been double crossed which was a fair option due to what was known in this world, especially with what he was able to surmise with the concept of "sacrifice". He began to wonder if leaving the RideBack to this group was a good idea, and pondered if he had to retrieve it later.

What became the most interesting thing in this brief conversation was the item in qeustion. He did not really know what it was but knew it was a locket of hair. If he were to get his hands around that the Doctor was confident he would gain some more information due to his abilities. He was at the end, he needed more information, however perhaps there was something he could do. With an Observation (Very Difficult + 5 per Rank of item) he took a quick glance to locate the item most valuable to Surge. He hadn't used Seize the Opportunity to Lead a Sheep Away in some time, but now was a good time as any to give it a try. He also tried to use it upon himself even though he technically was not an item, however if Surge considered him the most valuable perhaps he may gain some insight.

Whether he learned something or not, the Doctor would wait and see what would come next.