<@Dreol> [London June 15th, 9:30 PM] <@Dreol> [After arriving early and having already written the note and placed the crate where the group might find it, Cosimo has now left the area and is heading west along the docks. The plan is to infiltrate Ragged Jenny's thief school and gather information.] <@Dreol> [Begin] 06* Cosimo looks around the area for an easy way onto the rooftops, knowing that few people tend to look up when they're skulking around. <@Dreol> [The buildings along the docks are of varying heights and many have crates and barrels loaded up next to them. Cosimo can easily find one that he could scale with only a small amount of trouble.] 06* Cosimo looks for a rather secluded area and climbs up a stack of crates near one of the taller buildings. from his newly found vantage point, he surveys the area <@Dreol> [The docks at this hour are mostly empty. There are a couple of dock workers here and there, but no one else... Then Cosimo hears a creaking a few buildings away, and, looking in that direction, notices an alley from which a blur of a figure moves swiftly away from what appears to be a cellar door that just fell shut.] 06* Cosimo watches the figure as it moves, trying to ascertain what it might be, and where it might be headed at such a rate <@Dreol> [After a moment of watching the figure, it is pretty clear that this is a human-shaped figure and is most likely a vampire using Celerity, probably a relatively powerful one, considering the figure is moving at least twice as fast as Cosimo himself can usually run.] 06* Cosimo smiles. 06* Cosimo makes his way across the rooftops towards the cellar door, keeping an eye out for other possible doorways or windows which might lead to the room that lies behind the door. <@Dreol> [Cosimo leaps across the rooftops with perfect grace, and no one beneath him seems any the wiser. The building that the cellar is near is a large storehouse and may have an entrance inside, but not an apparent one. When Cosimo leaps off the last rooftop he lands adeptly in front of the cellar door without having been heard.] 06* Cosimo smiles to himself and then steals towards the door, ready to duck into the shadows should another such blur appear. 06* Cosimo moves to one side of the door, and then listens to see if there is anyone on the other side <@Dreol> [Cosimo doesn't hear anything on the other side of the door that he can discern, although there are faint noises coming from somewhere inside.] 06* Cosimo quietly lifts the door, but only slightly, checking for any wires, alarms or traps which might alert the residents to his arrival <@Dreol> [Cosimo does not appear to be heard. On the other side of the door is a staircase leading down to another door. And when Cosimo enters, he can definitely hear murmurings and noises coming from the other room.] 06* Cosimo takes a quick survey of the stairway, and once satisfied, quietly makes his way down towards the inner door <@Dreol> [The stairway is just a standard narrow corridor stairway, and once Cosimo reaches the door, he can hear bells and the clanging of metal from the other side, as well as somebody talking and... cackling] 06* Cosimo softly approaches the door, and gently leans close enough to be able to hear the sounds on the other side <@Dreol> [The sounds seem to be getting fainter, perhaps the talking has stopped, but the bells that Cosimo was hearing earlier definitely sound to him to be the bells that are attached to training dummies designed to train pickpockets.] 06* Cosimo quietly unsheathes a dagger and stoops low, placing the blade of the dagger by the gap under the door and looks into the reflection to see if he can see anything. <@Dreol> [While it is a clever tactic, Cosimo fails to discern any of what he is seeing. It is just a jumble of lights and colors.] 06* Cosimo silently curses himself for favoring less than mirrored blades. 06* Cosimo slips his dagger into his sash and stands, listening intently for anything else that might prove interesting or unusual. <@Dreol> [Cosimo finally manages to hear a few things from inside the room. A woman's voice is talking. She says "Tsk Tsk... is this all you were able to bring back for me... Not a very good night for you, was it? I suppose it will have to do. But if you do not improve, I am very afraid you may have to be punished... " And then there is a peel of cackling... and a young man's voice saying "Y-yes, Mistress <@Dreol> Jenny." Meanwhile, from upstairs, Cosimo manages to hear a man say (presumably to someone) something in English that Cosimo can't quite understand, but it is in a very nervous tone and contains the words "Ragged Jenny" and the voice is getting closer.] 06* Cosimo pulls his hood down further on his face, grasps the hilt of his dagger in his sash and quietly spins into the room, closing the door softly behind him. <@Dreol> [The room is a large open area. There are dozens of people in here. Some are practicing combat skills, others are practicing pickpocketing skills. There are several exits to the room, all of which seem to lead up to the streets above. In the back of the room is a raised platform on which is a stone throne. Standing in front of the throne is a woman. She is dressed in an adorned red dress that is stained with blood. Her hair has the color and appearance of dirty straw and hangs down over her face. Through the strands of hair can be seen bulging eyeballs which are staring straight at Cosimo. Her lips seem permanently peeled back in a wicked, twisted smile. She raises her hands, which end in curled sharp talons of fingernails, and begins to clap. "Bravo. That was very well done." She tilts her head and begins to walk forward slowly, stepping off her platform and proceeding towards Cosimo. "Are you a traveling performer? Or perhaps a gift from one of my admirers? You do look... " And by now she has closed about half the distance and stops to look Cosimo's body over. "Scrumptious... "] 06* Cosimo takes a bow. "a traveller, to be sure, madam... and performer? well, it all depends on how well it pays." 06* Cosimo loooks around the room, mostly for effect. "it would seem a school is hardly a place for a performance... unless of course you are looking for talent" <@Dreol> [The woman shrugs and seems to chuckle as she finishes walking to Cosimo, stopping way too close. One of her strands of hair actually brushes his hood and her tongue snakes out and seems to polish one of her jagged fangs. "Oh... I'm always looking for talent.... Do you think you have the necessary skills to... impress me?"] 06* Cosimo smiles. <@Dreol> [Immediately after that, a couple of hooded men enter from the door that Cosimo is standing near. They both look like they are peasants and are in their mid-teens.] 06* Cosimo nods to the woman, and then, without looking at the two men who entered, reaches out with the hand that was resting on the hilt of his dagger and under the cloak of the closest man. a split second later, Cosimo spins to the other side of the door, barely brushing the other man as he passes before assuming a the same stance he had when he started on the other side of the door as he waits for the two men to continue pass. 06* Cosimo watches them for a bit and then looks back at the woman in red and pulls two purses from his sleeve. 06* Cosimo tosses them to the woman and nods his head respectfully. <@Dreol> [The woman catches the purses and cackles and raises one of her taloned fingers, moving it from side to side. "Now now... that was very naughty. We'll need to give these back... but... You have proven your talents. I will allow you to train here. They call me Ragged Jenny... this is my school. I take in both kindred and kine and train them to be skilled footpads. I believe that our kinds should <@Dreol> exist together, after all... we have a symbiotic relationship, do we not? We feed from the humans, but they also receive..." She darts her tongue out again to moisten her twisted fangs. "...such pleasure from that feeding. But we have rules here... " She chuckles. "And one of them, my dear dear boy," She taps her finger nail on Cosimo's hoode a couple of times as she says that. "is not to do that. We do not steal from each other here. It is a safe place..." She tosses the purses to the two gentleman who catch them, a bit shocked by the events.] 06* Cosimo nods to the woman. "fair enough, m'lady. your house, your rules." he then turns and bows respectfully to the two men. <@Dreol> [Jenny nods and drums her fingernails along the wall. "The other rules you must follow is that this is my school... half of what you make each night is mine, and you will follow my orders. Those who do not follow my orders or fail to be useful are punished." Cosimo notices a slight shiver go through a couple of the students when she says that. "Perhaps, though, you could serve a special purpose <@Dreol> for me tonight... I need something very important acquired."] oh? as it so happens, tonight i need a challenge. 06* Cosimo glances sideways at the two men further in the room, no longer a part of the conversation. 06* Cosimo looks back at Jenny and smiles. <@Dreol> [Jenny moves in closely again and chuckles. Her eyes hidden by her hair once again. "Oh? Well then... here is what you will do for me. There is a wealthy gentleman coming into town tonight. He should be entering the tower around matins. You are to acquire a letter that he is delivering. My informants tell me that this letter is in one of the packs on his horse. It is a letter of announcement and will bear the seal of the mortal's King Henry."] just a letter? 06* Cosimo raises his eyebrows. "i take it the man is to be none the worse for his troubles" <@Dreol> [Ragged Jenny shrugs. "If you are found out, it will not end well for you. And yes... the letter is all I require."] very well... then the letter is what you shall receive. <@Dreol> [Jenny nods and her eyes seem to brighten a bit. "Good."] 06* Cosimo bows his head respectfully, spins on his heel, and leaves through the cellar door. <@Dreol> [That night, just as the bell is sounding for matins, Cosimo is hidden in the shadow of a building near the tower of London's draw bridge and a man, probably in his mid-thirties dressed in elaborately adorned clothing begins to approach on horseback. He does not seem overly cautious, and, in fact, seems not at all afraid of being in the city alone at night.] 06* Cosimo watches the man approach, taking note of the saddlebags in which his target was to be secured. <@Dreol> [There are two saddlebags. One on each side. The man isn't looking particularly in the direction of either bag. He is looking straight ahead and is approaching at a casual speed.] 06* Cosimo watches the man approach, and then once even with him, begins to shadow his mark -- darting between buildings and alleys, always staying out of sight so as not to alarm the man or the horse <@Dreol> [Once the man crosses the draw bridge and approaches the tower door he pulls on the reigns and stops the horse for a moment.] 06* Cosimo closes his eyes, briefly, letting the calm stillness of his mind extend into his surroundings. and as soon as all sound in his surroundings stop, Cosimo streaks towards the man on the horse. in moments he is on the man's left and his hand slips skillfully into the closest saddlebag, his hand finding the smooth expensive vellium of the letter. Cosimo smiles as he palms the letter, sliding it deep within the recesses of his sleeve, and in the same fluid motion, he darts into the shadows on the other side of the road and vanishes into the shadowy alleys of the sleeping London before the man or horse are any the wiser. <@Dreol> [A little over an hour later, Cosimo returns to Ragged Jenny's school and as he enters Jenny tilts her head and turns towards him. "Ah. My latest student. Did you acquire the letter?" She moves over towards Cosimo in her jerky, marionette like way and holds out one taloned hand to him, waiting to be handed the letter.] 06* Cosimo smiles. "but of course," he answers, pulling the letter from his sash and holding it out for her to take. <@Dreol> [She cackles with delight and takes the letter, holding it up. "Very good, indeed. This letter will help pinpoint the location of an item that I very much desire. In fact, I have just made a deal with a group of kindred to acquire that very item, while you were away. With luck... they will acquire it for me tomorrow evening."] how fortunate new students as well? <@Dreol> [She nods. "'tis fortunate, yes. They are not students, no. They have need of a favor and I am simply asking for one in return. They have taken up lodging here, and you would do well to do the same. The sun will be rising soon. You have proven most useful my little Assamite." She points one hooked finger nail at Cosimo and chuckles as she returns to her platform.] can they be trusted? <@Dreol> [Jenny shrugs. "No, of course not. I don't trust people who can be trusted." She snickers and returns to sitting on her throne.] 06* Cosimo nods. "i see. but again... your house, your rules." <@Dreol> [Jenny nods. "That's correct. Is there anything else?"] if i might be so bold, perhaps i could keep an eye on them for you? <@Dreol> [Jenny shrugs. "If you wish. It would not hurt, I would like to receive the item, and if they fail, at least I only lose a new student. Yes, I suppose you could accompany them. They are sleeping in that corridor." She points to her right. "Meet them out here tomorrow night. For now, I believe I will retire."] yes, m'lady. and thank you for your generosity 06* Cosimo bows his head respecfully and retires for the day. <@Dreol> [Mini End]