Just a Passing Assassin...

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: So first thing’s first, have to compliment your handiwork, you really made this fortress by hand?



Cabinetta: Yes! Though admittedly I cheated here and there, have a bit of magic in my pockets.. I’m glad to hear you like it though…

Cabinetta: Anyway, continue.

Spiral: Right so… we’re here to investigate our colleague going missing. They were last seen recently in the area.

Cabinetta: Ah… how recently?



Fiddle: Day and a half.

Cabinetta: Mm…. continue.

Spiral: Hope they haven’t been caught up in this…

Cabinetta: Mm..

Spiral: What does this creature do after anyway? Keep them alive to keep feeding? Suck out the soul to kill them off? 

Cabinetta: …Could you give me some time to talk to my assistant? I’ll explain briefly but… I’ll show you in just a moment.

They shuffle off to the other room.



Steady: I got a bad feeling…

Fiddle: No kidding.



Spiral: Mm… can we talk briefly? While we’ve got a moment? Stuff's bugging me.

Steady: What’s up?

Spiral: Why can’t we say who we are? Why all the cloak and dagger here? We’re not up to anything illegal are we?

Steady: Nothing like that, just good policy to keep things close to the vest about hopping worlds like that.

Steady: That sort of knowledge catches more attention that you really want. Had folks get poked at like a martian crashing in the desert for talking too much. Treat it as any other bounty hunting job, you don’t go around telling people who hired you left and right.

Spiral: I guess that makes sense…

Steady: You wanna make as little noise as possible, especially since folks will try to track us down if we’re not careful.

Spiral: What about the scanner? How does it work?

Steady: Hold on…

Steady reaches out to you.

Spiral: Huh?

Steady: Shake it.. But like, really want it when you do.

You reluctantly follow along.

Spiral: I don’t get what you’re…

SCAN NOW…

The voice flashes in your head. You wince.

Steady: Ah, see it’s working fine. Just a moment longer…

She clings onto your hand for a good 20 seconds.

SCAN LEVEL MAX… DATA STORED

Spiral: What was that all about?



Steady: You got a scan of me! All it takes is contact and bam, you’ve mined a person for all sorts of traits you can use later.  Normally you shouldn’t do that with a co-worker but someone had to show you once.

Steady: Don't snitch on me though...

Steady: When we’re done with the job you can turn it into the lab and they’ll hook you up with some options. Species, abilities, individual adaptations. That sorta thing.

Spiral: Huh…. that easy?

Steady: That easy!

Spiral: And we won’t get caught?

Steady: Not if you’re slick about it, though grappling someone in a fight works too.



Steady: People go for fancy suplexes sometimes. It's pretty hype.

Spiral: Neato…

Steady: Anyway I’m sure someone like them has something valuable enough to gain. The longer you can keep in contact, the better the scan. See if you can like… I dunno, high five them? Hold their hand? Something.

Spiral: I can work with that-

Cabinetta cuts you off as they re-enter.



Cabinetta: We believe we’ve found your person, the timeline lines up. I can take you to them to verify in a bit but they’re… in a state of sorts. A lot has happened recently and they seem to have gotten caught in a crossfire.

Cabinetta: If you’d like me to get you some tea or something before we continue I could, you're going to be here all night more than likely.

Fiddle: I'm ready to progress I think...

Steady: Same.

Cabinetta: Very well then...

You're lead down a hallway and taken through a door to a guest room.

Cabinetta creeks open the door.



You see your rescue target tucked under a blanket on a large bed. They're breathing at the very least.

Cabinetta: Don't know where to begin here so.. fire away.