[A look of plain incredulity knits through Leo's brow. Ambushing tactics he gets. Taking the enemy alive, or eradicating them completely, he gets. But both at once? There's no way that's anywhere close to an efficient directive. Maybe he'd misunderstood.]
Mm... I don't think so. I've only seen the stronger ones sent as in reinforcements, though I've heard in the past they've skulked about certain areas like guard dogs.
[She meant to explain to him that it's not being captured by the Shadows that you have to worry about. Supposedly, they have means to turn you into one of them. Rin makes a note to herself not to forget to bring this up with Leo again, and if it doesn't naturally happen in this thread, you can assume she addresses it at a later point.]
First, we'll want to scout a few areas. If I'm right, there should be three different paths forward. We can choose which one to prioritize based on by an assessment of difficulty, or any Shadow activity we might see.
[She snaps her fingers.] Ah, but after that, we should wait a week or two before setting out. The last time we did a scouting mission, the Queen took note of our meddling and anticipated we'd be back soon, so she upped her defensive measures. If we can trick her into thinking not to expect us this time, we'll have less trouble.
[Arms crossed, Leo taps a finger against his bicep thoughtfully. Makes sense. Though as far as he can tell, this castle is hardly a technological marvel; he has to wonder if it's really that difficult to run a scouting mission without drawing her attention.]
I can help with that. Recon is our - my specialty. [A slight slip that Leo catches right away: talking as if he's still part of his usual team. He does his best to gloss over it and continue.] Do we know what kinds of eyes and ears she has out there?
[She notices that. So teamwork comes naturally to him, huh? Maybe that's why he adapted so easily to the idea of working with her. For him, it's not as unusual. If anything given the slip-up, it might be the standard.
Do ninjas work in teams? It's not something she's given considerable thought to previously. From her studies into famous assassins, she knows of famous guilds, but she's always pictured the work itself as a solitary thing, relying on only necessary contacts and allies.]
There's her Shadow army, of course. Besides that, her magical reach seems to extend throughout this entire castle. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a crystal ball somewhere that she observes us through. Ozuma is able to shield us from her in the safe zones, but she seems to be aware of everything we do outside of those places.
The army isn't a problem, but... I'm not sure there's a lot I can do about a crystal ball. [Leo notes, somewhat dryly. His eyes flash to the smear of chalk on the wall and then back to Rin, calculating.] Unless you've got some sort of... masking spell?
If I could completely erase my presence like that, I really would do everything in this castle myself. We wouldn't be having this conversation.
[She can mask her own mana, of course, but only enough to make her pass as an average human to those with the ability to sense magic. Nothing so extensive as to hide their whereabouts. If anything, she'd expect a ninja would be better able to pull that off.]
Anyways, it's not that big of a deal, just something we should expect and prepare for. This is a big castle. She can't monitor everything at once, so once we're there it will take her time to respond. If we work quickly, we'll set ourselves up for less trouble to worry about.
[He'd figured as much. Leonardo nods his acknowledgement, both of her rebuttal and the statements that follow. As much as it chafes him to have to wait so long to get starte... he's already resigned to being here for a long haul. All he can hope for is that his brothers will be safe, wherever they are, while Leo deals with this.]
I'll scout what I can, see what we're up against. I might spend a few days looking around the cleared areas, too. Couldn't hurt to get an idea of what to look forward to.
Showing up once in a while to old places is a good idea anyways. It keeps Her Majesty on her toes, and from getting any cheeky ideas.
[Rin wags a finger with a smile that's all too bright, matching the gleam in her eyes. He's the only one present to witness the gesture, but the chiding is obviously directed at the woman in question and not him.
Folding her hands behind her back, Rin sways as if dancing back to the shadows where she announced her presence to him before, moving about the base of Sanji's statue with her eyes searching the ground.]
I'll speak to Zuko, to see what we can come up with. Once we have an idea in mind, I'll join you. I can escort you to any places you're unable to find on your own, and teach you how to utilize the stone couches as well.
[Her cheek is infectious. Not much for the monarchy, is she? Leo's own mouth ticks a little smugger, watching her float back towards the statue, and yet again he finds himself observing the shape of a person who he assumes once walked these corridors. He looks like an average guy. Before Leonardo can get too deep into speculation, Rin draws his attention with a plan; he nods his agreement until the tail end of it catches him off-guard. An eye ridge arches at her slowly.]
Your ears do not deceive you. Um, so far as you have ears.
[She looks back at him briefly, unsure, but shakes her head just as quickly, brown waves of hair cascading about her shoulders. It's not important.
Now where did that item go? She heard it clinking off the stone before. If it's not here by the base of the statue, it must have bounced. Circling about it once more to be double positive, she waves her hand as if brushing back cobwebs.]
It's a secret method of transportation about this place. Honestly, can you think of anything weirder sounding? It's totally absurd.
[Leo's tone is openly incredulous as he watches her circle around the statue once, twice. His head tilts curiously - is she looking for something? - but after a moment his own question seems to catch up to him. A faint, almost wistful look passes across his brow line, softer than anything he's presented thus far.]
Donnie would get a kick out of that.
[It's mostly under his breath. And perhaps a little off-base; his brother isn't enamored with mysticism so much as discovering whether such impossibilities have a scientific base. He fails to elaborate, however, and the spot of nostalgia is pressed out by his usual practicality.]
[Donnie, huh? Well, she won't ask, but she mentally files away the name.]
I've never heard any problems reported with them. Not even a single incident of someone getting stuck between a wall or something.
[Which is pretty impressive, if you were to ask her. But teleportation doesn't seem as incredible of a thing in other people's worlds as it is in her own.
Eyes still scanning the ground, she moves on to the next statue only to take half a step back with the look of someone who's stepped on something. Following a faint aha, she strides with more purpose to the second statue over, one of a rather plain-looking man. Looks like whatever it is, she thinks she's found it.]
[Is getting stuck in walls a usual problem with those kinds of things? On second thought, note to self: don't let Donatello know of this and subsequently attempt a reverse-engineering.]
[He's about to ask for a few more details on the stone couch, but a soft exclamation from Rin cuts Leo short. He watches her with a curious tilt of his head and maneuvers around to join her, pausing at a polite distance next to a short statue of a girl with a beak for a nose. Again, he doesn't prompt her; he expects Rin to share what she's been hunting for if given a moment.]
[She won't do so intentionally. Crouching down, when she senses him coming up beside her, Rin's first instinct is to hide the little treasure she plucks off the ground. Just because this isn't home, because he's declared himself her ally doesn't entitle him to this secret.
Holding back from doing something so obviously suspicious, Rin merely looks across her shoulder at him as she straightens upright, commenting idly:]
Sheesh. Are you my ally or my bodyguard?
[The jab at space is implied, but she won't be the one to give it. And despite the barb, there's no heat behind it either; no demand for him to actually do so. With something clutched in her hand, Rin reaches for a napkin in her pocket.
...He did reveal himself to her after all, when he declared his specialty was ninjutsu. The scales in her mind's eye still hang unbalanced from that: unfairly and in her favor. She owes him an answer of what her own abilities are, and if this object invites questions of that nature, she'll entertain them to an extent. It'll balance things.
Not waiting for him to step back or step forward, like it makes no difference to her either way, she takes the napkin and wipes at the object in her hand as if cleaning it. Between waves of cloth and splayed fingers, a faceted surface catches what faint light there is the room; a sparkle of ruby red. It's a gem Rin holds in her hand, and a fairly large one.]
[It seems Leo fails to grasp the implication of that comment, given that he neither responds nor takes a step back, but that's largely because of his curiosity. He watches Rin take the object and clean it off with a napkin. An eye ridge raises again. What could possibly be so interesting in a room like this? Some sort of... offering?]
[Then she rises, and Leonardo catches a glint of red flashing between her fingers under the dim firelight. Surprised, Leo squints at the splash of vibrant color, stark in the castle's otherwise bleak tones. It looks like... a gem. And it's pretty big, too. That would make it valuable in the human world. What's it doing in a place like this?]
[Leonardo hesitates a bit on his next question, not wanting to seem foolish. He's not exactly an expert on gemstones.]
[There are dark stains on the napkin, and sticking to the tips of her fingers too from where they lightly held the gem. This hall must be pretty dirty.]
It's mine. [She sees the way you're staring at it, bro (and confuses his curiosity, no doubt). Not that she thinks he'll snatch it from her, but it's best to be clear about these things.] I dropped it earlier. It fell out of my lap when I moved to see what you were doing.
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And they all show up at the same time?
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Understood. I'm new to this world, so I'll follow your lead on this one. What's our next move?
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and if it doesn't naturally happen in this thread, you can assume she addresses it at a later point.]First, we'll want to scout a few areas. If I'm right, there should be three different paths forward. We can choose which one to prioritize based on by an assessment of difficulty, or any Shadow activity we might see.
[She snaps her fingers.] Ah, but after that, we should wait a week or two before setting out. The last time we did a scouting mission, the Queen took note of our meddling and anticipated we'd be back soon, so she upped her defensive measures. If we can trick her into thinking not to expect us this time, we'll have less trouble.
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I can help with that. Recon is our - my specialty. [A slight slip that Leo catches right away: talking as if he's still part of his usual team. He does his best to gloss over it and continue.] Do we know what kinds of eyes and ears she has out there?
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Do ninjas work in teams? It's not something she's given considerable thought to previously. From her studies into famous assassins, she knows of famous guilds, but she's always pictured the work itself as a solitary thing, relying on only necessary contacts and allies.]
There's her Shadow army, of course. Besides that, her magical reach seems to extend throughout this entire castle. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a crystal ball somewhere that she observes us through. Ozuma is able to shield us from her in the safe zones, but she seems to be aware of everything we do outside of those places.
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[He doesn't know the magic vernacular, okay.]
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[She can mask her own mana, of course, but only enough to make her pass as an average human to those with the ability to sense magic. Nothing so extensive as to hide their whereabouts. If anything, she'd expect a ninja would be better able to pull that off.]
Anyways, it's not that big of a deal, just something we should expect and prepare for. This is a big castle. She can't monitor everything at once, so once we're there it will take her time to respond. If we work quickly, we'll set ourselves up for less trouble to worry about.
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I'll scout what I can, see what we're up against. I might spend a few days looking around the cleared areas, too. Couldn't hurt to get an idea of what to look forward to.
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[Rin wags a finger with a smile that's all too bright, matching the gleam in her eyes. He's the only one present to witness the gesture, but the chiding is obviously directed at the woman in question and not him.
Folding her hands behind her back, Rin sways as if dancing back to the shadows where she announced her presence to him before, moving about the base of Sanji's statue with her eyes searching the ground.]
I'll speak to Zuko, to see what we can come up with. Once we have an idea in mind, I'll join you. I can escort you to any places you're unable to find on your own, and teach you how to utilize the stone couches as well.
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Stone couches?
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[She looks back at him briefly, unsure, but shakes her head just as quickly, brown waves of hair cascading about her shoulders. It's not important.
Now where did that item go? She heard it clinking off the stone before. If it's not here by the base of the statue, it must have bounced. Circling about it once more to be double positive, she waves her hand as if brushing back cobwebs.]
It's a secret method of transportation about this place. Honestly, can you think of anything weirder sounding? It's totally absurd.
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[Leo's tone is openly incredulous as he watches her circle around the statue once, twice. His head tilts curiously - is she looking for something? - but after a moment his own question seems to catch up to him. A faint, almost wistful look passes across his brow line, softer than anything he's presented thus far.]
Donnie would get a kick out of that.
[It's mostly under his breath. And perhaps a little off-base; his brother isn't enamored with mysticism so much as discovering whether such impossibilities have a scientific base. He fails to elaborate, however, and the spot of nostalgia is pressed out by his usual practicality.]
Is it safe?
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I've never heard any problems reported with them. Not even a single incident of someone getting stuck between a wall or something.
[Which is pretty impressive, if you were to ask her. But teleportation doesn't seem as incredible of a thing in other people's worlds as it is in her own.
Eyes still scanning the ground, she moves on to the next statue only to take half a step back with the look of someone who's stepped on something. Following a faint aha, she strides with more purpose to the second statue over, one of a rather plain-looking man. Looks like whatever it is, she thinks she's found it.]
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[Is getting stuck in walls a usual problem with those kinds of things? On second thought, note to self: don't let Donatello know of this and subsequently attempt a reverse-engineering.]
[He's about to ask for a few more details on the stone couch, but a soft exclamation from Rin cuts Leo short. He watches her with a curious tilt of his head and maneuvers around to join her, pausing at a polite distance next to a short statue of a girl with a beak for a nose. Again, he doesn't prompt her; he expects Rin to share what she's been hunting for if given a moment.]
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Holding back from doing something so obviously suspicious, Rin merely looks across her shoulder at him as she straightens upright, commenting idly:]
Sheesh. Are you my ally or my bodyguard?
[The jab at space is implied, but she won't be the one to give it. And despite the barb, there's no heat behind it either; no demand for him to actually do so. With something clutched in her hand, Rin reaches for a napkin in her pocket.
...He did reveal himself to her after all, when he declared his specialty was ninjutsu. The scales in her mind's eye still hang unbalanced from that: unfairly and in her favor. She owes him an answer of what her own abilities are, and if this object invites questions of that nature, she'll entertain them to an extent. It'll balance things.
Not waiting for him to step back or step forward, like it makes no difference to her either way, she takes the napkin and wipes at the object in her hand as if cleaning it. Between waves of cloth and splayed fingers, a faceted surface catches what faint light there is the room; a sparkle of ruby red. It's a gem Rin holds in her hand, and a fairly large one.]
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[Then she rises, and Leonardo catches a glint of red flashing between her fingers under the dim firelight. Surprised, Leo squints at the splash of vibrant color, stark in the castle's otherwise bleak tones. It looks like... a gem. And it's pretty big, too. That would make it valuable in the human world. What's it doing in a place like this?]
[Leonardo hesitates a bit on his next question, not wanting to seem foolish. He's not exactly an expert on gemstones.]
Is that a ruby?
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It's mine. [She sees the way you're staring at it, bro (and confuses his curiosity, no doubt). Not that she thinks he'll snatch it from her, but it's best to be clear about these things.] I dropped it earlier. It fell out of my lap when I moved to see what you were doing.