maskormenacelogs | I'm not runnin'

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I'm not runnin'

WHO: Participants in Operation Archangel
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Mingling posts will be throughout July; Battle posts will be August 5th
WHAT: Archangel is back on its feet, preparing its members, and striking back where it counts.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug mentions and other such unpleasantness.

Open Prompts -- Month of July
Meet n' Greet
Things are a little different in the ranks of Archangel these days, starting with the most noticeable change: cells. Each cell has their own base, and no cell knows the base of another. Certainly makes things seem a little bit smaller, doesn't it? Of course, that means that, like it or not, you've got people in your team you need to get to know and prepare to trust with your life. Do you think you'll all get along like peas in a pod? Or like cats and dogs? Only way to find out is to strike up a conversation and see where it goes. On the upside, you get to try on your new uniform while you're there.

Training
You've come a long way from your beginning days as an operative -- but that doesn't mean your work is finished. Whether you're a seasoned war veteran or a scrub just getting your feet wet, you still have a lot to learn both about the enemies you'll face and working seamlessly with your new team. Your commanding officer will be on hand to help you every step of the way, and ol' Cap will be making the rounds to check on your progress... and maybe go a round in the ring with you, if you're looking for a sparring partner. Want to get to know your fellow cells? Not a problem; after everyone's gotten a good skill set they've put to the test, the cells will have the chance to intermingle and go head to head.

Investigation
Sure, all this punching and fight clubbing might be the cat's pajamas, but there's work to be done, isn't there? If you're the type to like a bit of digging around in the dirt, you'd better believe you'll have some work ready for you. Want to get some slanderous info about the local "hero" cops? Or maybe discover some weaknesses in the defenses of the cartels they've made deals with? If you can think of it, it probably needs to be done. Grab one of your teammates for a romp, or bump into another cell's operative and team up to cover more ground.

Battle Prompts -- August 5th
Party Poopers: Heiji, Sabriel, Clark, Jo, Hawke, Nysrog, Batgirl, and any member of the Knights of the Red Branch
Who doesn't like a good party? You, apparently. Way to harsh everybody's groove, pal. There's a lot to be done here, from sneaking in to securing the exits, straight on through to throwing caution to the wind and setting off an explosive or two before running into the chaos and rounding up the scattering cops like wayward sheep. Of course, these sheep are armed -- and they have sharks. Yes, dear friend, once things get wild and crazy some dastardly member of the police will let slip the proverbial hounds of war, and you'll have a few land sharks nipping at your heels while you make as many casualty-free arrests as you can and try to avoid ending up as a special feature on the Discovery Channel.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dick: Kaidan, Glitch, and Kanaya
Getting the drop on a pair of baddies sure seemed like a good idea, didn't it? Too bad that "getting the drop" ended up as less of an easy arrest and more of a boy-they-sure-do-look-ticked-off sort of scenario. Captain Dee and Captain Randall didn't come to check their product without being prepared for potential difficulties, and they're apparently armed to the teeth -- and we're not talking guns. Are you ready to rumble? Because the exit is blocked so you'd best prepare yourself, compadre.

The Big Kahuna: Kasumi, Shepard, and Motoko
So, here you are: Ready to take on the Big Kahuna himself. Chief Tanner sure doesn't look like the worst thing you've ever seen, does he? Of course, it's a little hard to say that when he leads you on a bit of a chase to some heavy duty equipment he'd been having a look at. Great Gatsby, is that a goddamned mech? Seems like you might have your work cut out for you, after all. There's a hell of a lot of guns on that thing, so you'd best be ready to use the 5 D's: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.

Wildcard
Alright, so maybe you're doing a little Archangel work that doesn't quite fit the bill you were looking for. That's okay, bub; you do you, in all your majestic glory. Just don't get your ass caught or Captain America will give you such a talking to. Just know, he's not mad -- he's just disappointed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Hope you're settling nicely into your new home base, boys and girls: as far as abandoned factories go, this one's in pretty good shape. Of course, the fact that the inside has seen heavy reinforcement in recent weeks helps quite a bit, and the keypad entry at the hidden door sure ups the confidence levels, doesn't it? The lower area is fully stocked for an extended stay with necessary supplies and a few cots to sleep on, and all those support beams up top offer a fine obstacle course for training, to boot. Lockers near the supply area have your names on them, and contain your new uniforms inside. Don't forget your mask before you go out. ]

[Sabriel's can be found, already suited up- with the addition of a bandolier of seven bells. She's sitting on one of the cots, transcribing something from a notebook.]

Edited 2015-08-06 03:15 (UTC)

[ Don't mind the mysterious hooded woman approaching you quietly, Sabriel. She's apparently heading this bit, and why, she may never know. She's not sure she wants to know.

In any case, it's almost as though she appears out of nowhere, which she very well may have, but now she's tilting her head, looking on as Sabriel does her transcriptions. ]

Huh. I don't recall giving out homework already.

[Sabriel looks up, startled bu not particularly surprised.] I talk to people quite a bit- information gathering is one of the main ways I've been contributing. [It's just that all her sources are dead people.]

Are you our team leader?

Edited 2015-08-06 03:57 (UTC)

You... could say that.

[ Seriously. Whose bright idea was it to make her a leader? Cap. It was Cap's. What did she do to deserve this?

Probably flirt with him one too many times.

In any case, there's a small part of Kasumi that's truly up to this challenge; it's not like she's never led a team before, but this holds a much different weight. She just wants to do this right. For once. ]

I'd much rather prefer it if you just think of me like another team member, though. I don't intend on bossing anyone around.

Yes ma'am. [Sabriel's being just a little facetious.]

Were you told about our abilities?

[ A little bit is enough for Kasumi to pick up on, but she responds in kind with a sly little grin. Of the three people heading the new cells, Kasumi is definitely the last one to get uppity about formalities and professionalism. For better or for worse. ]

I picked up a little from the dossiers, sure.

[ She leans back against the nearest wall, crossing her arms. ]

But I'd love it if you explained them to me, anyway. No one knows your abilities better than yourself, after all.

[ There's a part of the old factory where there's just a literal bunch of crap left over--apparently, someone had seen fit to turn the place into an emporium of sorts after it was abandoned as a factory, and then promptly abandoned that venture as well. Evidently, without taking some of their crap with them.

It's all the same to Kasumi, who might look a little different to the cell members who know her or know of her, who is also looking through some of the aforementioned bunch of crap at present. To see if anything good was left behind, obviously. Should one approach, her keen observational skills means she'll notice them doing so. Without even turning to spare a glance, she speaks as she continues appraising a small painting. ]

What do you think of this? Oh, and welcome. Found your way in alright?

It's nice, for a painting, but you may want something bigger if you're planning on decorating this place.

[ And for once it sounds like she does actually think a painting is nice, an answer coming from just over Kasumi's shoulder where Hawke has stopped only a step behind the thief. Looking over her shoulder at it, of course. After that, though, she'll take another step back and look around the run-down factory, idly crossing her arms as she does.

She doesn't look like she knows what to think of the place, really. It's a factory, it's abandoned, it's... what it is.

The costume change for Kasumi, however, goes entirely uncommented on, although she's certainly better dressed for this than Hawke is. Hawke is... well, she hasn't been putting much work into appearances lately. Chances are she rolled out of bed and grabbed the nearest clothing off the floor when she finally came to check in with the new cell. ]

Who chose this place? It's a far cry from the Rest.

This place has all the decorating it needs. I'm keeping this for something else.

[ She picks the painting up from the pile it's on top of, holding it at arm's length to keep examining it. ]

Though it does kind of look like one of those paintings you make when you go to a "wine and painting" classes that you only really go to for the wine.

[ And that's when Kasumi finally turns to spare her mage friend a sidelong glance. ]

And Cap chose this place. It's a far cry, sure, but the last kind of place we need is the same type of place that we got busted in.

Besides, lots more leg room this way.

And I was just about to say "it looks like something I would paint", but you've beaten me to it.

[ Not that she knew of nor would actually go to any such classes, but, well, if she had to, there we go. ]

Mm. More leg room, but I admit the slumming around a bar at odd hours part felt an awful lot like home. [ Whereas this felt more like somewhere she would be going to fight people. Probably a gang. Probably also at odd hours. Ah, maybe this will end up feeling as much like home as the other place after all. ] So. It sounds like you've gone from Serah Ghost to Messere Ghost.

[ Kasumi shrugs. ]

We could still slum around at a bar. It just wouldn't be our bar. Anyway, I'm definitely planning on keeping a little cache here.

[ Possibly somewhere only known to her. If only so Glitch doesn't get in and do something irresponsible. But that would be asking for a miracle.

In any case, Kasumi has a bit of a bone to pick with Hawke--or at least one she'd like to pick with Hawke. At this point, she's more or less over it, but she'll still address it. Eventually. Maybe. For now, she has only one question: ]

And the difference between Serah and Messere would be....?

The difference would be a Messere is someone of higher rank and would actually be expected to go out and keep in touch with people, which makes me wonder a little when it comes to you.

[ If she has a bone to pick, well, a lot of people have one to pick right back at her with. ]

[ Kasumi's lips draw into a thin, very thin line, and it's probably the closest thing anyone here is ever going to get to a "pissed off Kasumi face." Congratulations, Hawke. She even sets the painting down in favor of turning towards the mage, crossing her arms. ]

There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Hawke, and I prefer it to stay that way. But you should at least know that this is just how business goes.

[ Sure, she may have gone overboard with how she cut the Nonah guys and eventually more and more people off. It's Kasumi we're talking about, here, and if she really tried she'd have had ways to keep in contact with people without setting off anyone's alarms. The real fact of the matter was that she was just scared of what that meant, what that said about her and how she's actually forming real relationships with people here.

And ultimately, how dangerous that could be. ]

[ To which Hawke, after a moment of trying to decide what to do with that bit of info, smiles. Quite the opposite kind of angry face, yet there's still something about the expression that just isn't friendly. ]

Is that all? [ Looks like they're going to be mutually upsetting one another today. ] You should have just said so, if you wanted to keep everything business-like.

[ That said, she immediately moves on. Straight to business, in fact. ]

Was there anything else you needed me here for or was today just a bit of show-and-tell?

[ It doesn't take much for Kasumi to pick up on the unfriendliness of Hawke's smile. She stares the mage down in response to her question for a good moment or two, arms still folded in defiance before she finally just. Sighs. ]

Fine. Look, I'm sorry. Really.

I just--Charlie, Hawke? You let Charlie get in contact with Steve?

And why wouldn't I?

[ Hawke shifts her own stance, unfolding her own arms and opting to put her hands on her hips instead as she moves her weight back to balance more on one heel. The smile fades, which is probably for the best. ]

His reasons for it aside, Charlie's a very capable mage. He doesn't need to be babied, Kasumi. He could take the both of us down if he really felt like it.

[ Well, she's not wrong. Charlie is also, coincidentally, older than these two combined. ]

He didn't need to get involved with this.

But fine, I get it. I just--the stakes are higher this time around.

Obviously he felt like he did.

[ So they can disagree on that point. That one and the other, to which she just shakes her head. ]

And the stakes never changed. We were always going to make enemies you would want us dead, when they struck was only a matter of time. That's how this kind of thing works.

[ Kasumi tilts her head to the side. ]

No, the stakes are higher because apparently, they knew enough about our operation behind the scenes to actually strike us at the hideout. We're still not sure how much more they know, or how they even found out in the first place.

[ And then she raises her hands in a bit of resignation. ]

It's done now, anyway. Charlie's in, and he's helping.

Also, book club?

Considering they have yet to start picking us off one by one, I get the feeling what they knew was fairly limited.

[ With this, Archangel had to be lucky every time they went home. The bad guys? They only had to luck out once, one tail going unnoticed, one person actually spotting what building someone ducks into. Of course, Hawke's idea of being secretive was never that great to begin with, but... ]

Though I would like to know how they figured out every escape route. The one I chose wasn't exactly well-known.

[ That said! The mention of "book club", yet again, garners a groan and a great roll of her eyes. ]

Why are you all so judgey over that? Should I have picked something more cloak and dagger? Do we have official code words I'm unaware of?

Doesn't change the fact that we have to be on our toes. Stay at least ten steps ahead of them.

[ She knows they're lucky to be relatively in tact as an operation. But Kasumi has rarely ever been in a position where she's almost been caught, and that honestly scares the crap out of her. ]

I'm not really judging about the book club, by the way. I think it's funny. I'm just a little surprised you were the one who came up with it. I would've expected "dog walkers association" sooner than "book club" from you.

[ "Almost been caught" grows pretty old when someone is an apostate who won't shut up and keep her head down, enough that it becomes an art form at some point. Of course, that did borrow her an awful lot of trouble when she finally did get caught during the raid, even if she'd rather not admit it.

That Kasumi isn't judging the "book club" reference, though, that does soften her attitude some. ]

Well, it was Charlie we were talking about. Book club felt like something he'd catch onto.

[ Because y'all are neeeeerds, neeeeeeeeeerds. ]

[ She gives Hawke a little smile, glad for the slight change in subject and tone, but before long she turns her gaze away, back at the painting of prior moments. ]

You're probably right about that.

...Charlie feeling like he needed to reach out to all of you to get to me--that's on me. Clearly. But he really does want to help and I know that Cap understands that I don't want him in the line of fire, so...

Meet n' Greet: Kasumi's Cell

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