(2023-05-17) Sneaks

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Author:	OzmaAsimov
Summary:	Silvestre encounters an intruder in Cobalt HQ. They talk, they laugh, they flirt, they brawl. Good times.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Zalael prowls into Cobalt Company headquarters, silent and unseen…but not to this narrator.

Silvestre sits a little dejectedly in a chair, spinning a small dagger around in his hand absently.

Zalael peers down into the building. Damn, it's occupied. Maybe she can get behind this fellow and sap him….

Silvestre sighs, tucking the knife away and looking over at the watered-down ale barrel.

Zalael takes the moment to slink over the stair railing and behind the table.

Zalael creeps carefully around the room, clutching her sap in hand as she tries to position herself behind Sil.

Silvestre straightens, as if maybe he hears something. After a moment of silence, he shrugs and starts to rummage in his bag.

Zalael freezes for a moment, watching…then moves forward, taking slow steps on her padded shoes…..

Silvestre freezes, setting down his bag, and turns to look behind him.

[Silvestre]: Is someone there?

Zalael loses her chance and ducks to the side as he turns, pressing herself to the back of his chair, silently cursing herself for moving too slowly.

Silvestre moves away from the chair warily, his shoulders bunched up like a person who feels like they're being watched.

[Silvestre]: Mr. Sharpgear, if it's you, no offense intended?

Zalael stays frozen, cornered and-…wait, Sharpgear? Surely he couldn't mean….

Silvestre sighs. "Okay, not Sharpgear. Ivri, is that you?"

Zalael grumbles. "A'right…fine…you know I'm here. I'm comin' out. Just be cool, okay?"

Silvestre raises his hands. "I'm a cool guy. Honest."

Zalael slowly steps out from behind the chair, hands slightly raised. Silvestre can see a night elf with green hair in braids, and pale skin that almost looks like it has a faintly green hue. Her nose is rather prominent and her ears not quite as long as many kaldorei.

[Silvestre]: Ooookay. Uh. I do not know who you are. D'you have… business with Cobalt Company?

[Zalael]: What…? Oh…yeah. I have business with Cobalt Company.

[Silvestre]: And you just… wanted to make an impressive appearance? Or what?

[Zalael]: Well, I had to be careful. I obviously didn't know who you are. You could be an intruder…in a stolen tabard.

Silvestre blinks. "I suppose that's… possible. I could be hangin' out in Cobalt HQ in a Cobalt tabard because I'm an imposter. I'm not, though. I'm Sil Silenstep, pleased to meet you." Sil smiles and holds out a hand.

Zalael eyes his hand suspiciously. "Hmm…right. Sil. I'm Lyrane Leafblower. Nice to meetcha."

[Silvestre]: This is for a handshake. No poison needles. Promise. *Sil keeps his hand out.*

Zalael squints and crosses her arms. "See, the fact that ya even thought about poison needles makes a girl worry. You do a lotta poisonin'?"

[Silvestre]: Um. The usual amount. *Sil smiles hopefully. He does not clarify what is the usual amount.* I'm very good about it, though, not likely to get anybody by accident.

Zalael smirks in amusement. "Ya, that's what worries me."

[Silvestre]: An' I would not poison nobody who hand business with Cobalt Company. *Sil gives up on the handshake and places his hand solemnly on his chest.* Though maybe I ought to ask you what that business is.

[Zalael]: Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. It's nothin' to do with you, Mr. Silenstep. In fact, you could go and I'll just be about my business.

Zalael inches her way out from the corner she is decidedly cornered in.

[Silvestre]: Um, if it was important enough for you to sneak in here…

Silvestre edges over to keep her a little bit cornered. Would he actually try stop her leaving? Who knows?

[Silvestre]: Is it somethin' you're shy about? 'Cause I could just let you know when somebody better with shy people's around. Maybe like. Um. Lord Ference?

[Zalael]: Sneak? Sneak! I come in here in good faith for my business…try to protect the fine and noble Cobalt Company from a possible imposter…and I'm accused of sneakin'.

Zalael puts her hands on her hips. "I think I might be insulted."

[Silvestre]: But you… invisible… I… *Sil seems heartily confused how this is suddenly something his fault* I didn't mean any insult. I sneak a lot.

Zalael gasps, pressing her advantage. "Invisible? Mr. Silentstep, that is offensive. My people do not turn invisible. We shadowblend."

[Silvestre]: Oh. Uh, well, I go invisible. And do you really call it that? I feel like maybe Auralind used to call it something different.

Zalael frowns. "Call it what?" She waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever…translation to your simple tongue is messy."

Zalael inches a little more, moving closer to Sil.

[Silvestre]: Oh, right, yeah. Common's hard for people sometimes. So is that all it was? You were so concerned about Cobalt's reputation that you needed to… shadowblend into their HQ and take out a fella wearing the tabard? *Sil does not sound entirely convinced.*

[Zalael]: Well…no. I just happened to find you here on my other business, and thought you might have to be dealt with. Obviously.

Zalael sounds very convinced of her own bullshit.

[Silvestre]: Oh, that makes sense. *Sil does not seem to think that makes sense.* So, what was your other business?

Zalael stares at him for a moment. Crap. "That's really a private matter." She nibbles her lip, smiling. "Listen, I can see we rose before dawn here. I think we can just forget all about this little incident…can't we?"

Zalael starts to move toward him, her hips swaying a little more.

Silvestre looks more than a little worried at her sudden change in demeanor, but he does not back away. "Hardly an incident yet. Just a person come into HQ for some… reason… happens all the time."

[Zalael]: Well then, see? Nothing to even worry about…or mention to anyone.

[Silvestre]: Why wouldn't I mention it to anyone? Miss Leafblower, you're getting me pretty worried here. Are you in some kind of trouble?

Zalael laughs. "Well, c'mon…who is ever not in some kind of trouble?" she asks in an am-I-right fashion.

[Silvestre]: I mean, you're not wrong, but there's trouble and there's Trouble, you know?

Zalael squints. "You're gonna hafta break that one down for me."

[Silvestre]: Oh you know, like… there’s I'm gonna get yelled at trouble. And then there's, I got to sneak into major mercenary HQs or there'll be consequences trouble.

Zalael grins, but her tone betray a growing frustration. "You're not gonna let this go, are ya?"

[Silvestre]: Maybe not. *Sil grins back.* You gonna tell me what's up?

Zalael smirks. "Absolutely not." Without warning, she lunges, throwing a fist at Sil's face.

Silvestre is caught almost entirely off-guard, but reflexes kick just fast enough that the fist deflects off the side of his chin as he dodges instead of hitting him full-on.

Silvestre swings his leg around in a quick follow-up attempt to knock her leg out from under her.

Zalael clearly expected to lay Sil out. The kick takes her feet right out from under her, landing her square on her back. "ERGHFUCK!" Quick to react, she rolls backward back to her feet.

[Silvestre]: What was that for? I'm not an imposter!

Zalael pants, the wind taken out of her. "Okay…so you're quick…."

[Silvestre]: Okay, Miss Leafblower, I'm not gonna stop you leaving, if that's what you're after. But I will let Cobalt leaders know you were around. Which you oughtn't mind if you're not up to no good.

Zalael sighs. "See…I can't let you do that." She comes at him again, fists up. She throws a few jabs to test his defenses before delivering a solid kick directly at his chest.

Silvestre fends off the jabs but takes the kick right in the chest, staggering a few steps back with an 'oof' sound.

Silvestre takes a few moments to get his breath, and says, "You're not going to kill me. First, I don't think you can. And second, that would be Trouble."

Zalael grunts, "Don't need to kill you!" She keeps coming, trying to press her advantage, this time trying to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head.

Silvestre ducks under the kick and aims a quick jab to her lower ribcage.

[Silvestre]: What? Cut my tongue out? No thanks.

Zalael 's eyes go wide as the well-placed jab takes the wind right out of her…again. Her kick collapses and she stumbles back, holding her ribs.

[Silvestre]: Can we stop fighting now?

Zalael wheezes, "Wha…? Wasn'…gonna cu' out…tongue. Ain't…some…sicko. Jus'…gon'…tie you uhp."

[Silvestre]: I've been tied up before. It's really not my thing. Sorry.

Zalael laughs…sort of. Because y'know…no breath.

[Zalael]: Your loss….

Zalael waggles her eyebrows at him.

Silvestre laughs. "I have actually even tried bein' tied up by kaldorei ladies. Still a no."

Zalael coughs and stands upright with a groan, still holding her ribs. "Yeah well…I ain't a lady." She winks. "Look…I've got no mind to kill you or cut out your tongue. But I am gonna do what I came here to do, whether now or later."

[Zalael]: So please…don't make this hard.

[Silvestre]: If you tell me what that is, then maybe it's fine?

[Zalael]: Right. Like you're gonna help me now.

[Silvestre]: I, uh… no offense, but I think I came out of this with less bruises than you've got. *He winces a little as he raises a hand to his jaw* So I can be generous.

Zalael narrows her eyes at him…then chuckles. "Yeah okay, fair."

[Zalael]: Listen, I'm lookin' for…someone I knew a long time ago. He went missing. But I found out he's got a connection to your Ference guy. Sort of. It's a longshot, but I had to take it. See if there's anything that might lead me to him.

[Silvestre]: Oh, sure. I can ask. Who're you lookin' for?

[Zalael]: No! I mean…you can't ask. That probably wouldn't go well.

[Silvestre]: I think you've seen enough to know I can be quite sneaky myself. I won't ask right out, if you insist.

[Zalael]: If Ference gets a notion about this, and who I'm lookin' for, he might try to shut the whole thing down.

[Silvestre]: Alright, I'll be careful. Keep your name out of it. Who'm I lookin' for?

[Zalael]: His name is Ayesel Aro'ephel. He's the cousin of someone Ference used to work with. Like I said…it's not much to go on, but it's all I've got right now.

[Silvestre]: Ayesel Aro'ephel. *Sil nods* I'll see what I can find. How will I find you again?

Zalael throws a small object to the floor and there is a bright flash, then the air fills with smoke. "You won't. I'll find you." When the smoke clears, she is gone.