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Normally Allura would be going down with the rest of the expedition. However, envy's one of the emotions that Allura has the least experience with outside of a ritual, so she's not sure her dunamis would be that effective down below. Besides, if whatever is encasing Aiada fails, more fighters and dunamis practitioners will be needed above in order to buy the expedition time.

In the mean time, there's plenty of damage control to do up here. And really, it's not too surprising to see Kevin acting serious. Yes, he has a tendency to flap about, but Allura's first and most common impression of him is when he's serene, perhaps a bit coy or maybe a bit grumpy, depending on the mood, but usually the sparkling is just icing on top of a self assured cake. (Oh, if only she knew.) It's not too much of a stretch to see him carrying a more serious air, giving out orders as the two of them, plus one or two of the native Enforcers, start passing by a set of buildings with particularly dark alleys, favorites for some of the criminals that like to take advantage of the chaos and then slip away into hiding.

"Alright, this is the street you said that one trio of muggers has been favoring lately?"

Edited (Now with ten percent more driving force!) 2017-10-22 04:51 (UTC)

"Yes. Now that we're actually here, I understand why." Kevin pauses at the very edge of the street, refusing to turn down it just yet. He gestures vaguely at the way they've just come from. "That road we passed some while ago that was shut down for the floodwaters -- that road and this one are two of the only roads in the slums from which the side streets can be accessed. With the other one closed, for most of the residents here, this one is unavoidable. Add to this that Enforcer patrols here are always strained at times like these, and it makes a grand hunting ground."

"You'd think that the additional traffic would make it a worse place to assault people," mutters Hayden, one of the native Enforcers along for the ride today. "More witnesses."

"You'd think," agrees Kevin. "Which means they've got to be thugs. Probably thugs who do this sort of thing in a professional capacity, right down to having a knack for avoiding patrols, and possibly a penchant for getting revenge on anyone who may snitch on them." With a little huff, he draws everyone in closer. Time to huddle. "Then, we can't be a patrol. Someone will have to go serve as mugger bait. It can't be me; they recognize me around here. It could be the princess, but she is obviously an Otherworlder, and if they're smart enough to avoid the Enforcers they're likely smart enough not to target one of us. I vote for Mister Allensworth. If you go around strutting the way you used to they'll spot you as a spoiled rich brat right away, sword or no."

"Thanks, Regnard," Hayden says wryly, while the third Enforcer snickers. He does not seem to be taking it as an insult. One of the first batch of Enforcers Kevin personally trained, he's long accustomed to Kevin and his Kevinness, and his previous arrogance issue has mellowed nicely over the past year. He has a patrol group of his own, but he's working overtime to accompany Kevin today -- which is absolutely a favor to his old instructor, and has nothing to do with the beautiful, strong, regal princess he's acquired. Or with hoping to see her in action again. Nope, nope, nope.

It's times like this that Allura wished her looks were a bit less conspicuous compared to other humans, or at least that her chameleon abilities were able to control more of her features. But for now she's willing to trust Allensworth to lure them out. This is the third time she's seen him now, and the second in a combat-related instance. He did rather well during her staffwork lesson with the Enforcers later this month, both in defending against a staff and in using improvised objects... and quite agile, even graceful too, but she'd learned that back in Exi during that brief dance. A good note in an otherwise awkward night.

Still, no time to think about such things now; all that matters is whether ALlensworth would be able to draw out their targets and avoid getting himself killed if things got violent. Allura nods at the plan so far. "Very well. And I'm guessing the rest of us will take positions to ambush the muggers on Allensworth's signal? Rooftop or street level?"

"Just so. I'll take the roof. Princess, if you and Miss Ellis would take the street?"

Kevin's really in the same situation as Allura here. It's been over three years since he arrived in this world, and right from the start, he's been at home in the slums. Initially, he prowled. Then, earthquakes and looters -- he helped the local Enforcers when they needed more hands. And once the Otherworld Enforcer Division was founded, during every crisis, the slums were the first place Kevin went to, sensitive to the lack of attention they received.

They know the white-haired swordsman with one red eye around here, and the purple in his hair has only made it worse. Kevin can't really be around until the very last minute.

Hayden watches and waits while Kevin scuttles up to the rooftops. Neither he nor Officer Ellis question it. Kevin taught them to run along the roofs too, just as he has Keith. It's always been his thing, and they know how much time to give him.

"Should we take opposite sides of the street?" Ellis asks, directing her question to Allura. Her strongest talent is conforming herself to the way those around her fight, a reason she's one of Kevin's favorites. He's terrible at teamwork unless he's in the lead, everyone else working around him.

"I think so. And I think you should take the side nearest to Allensworth, Ellis; as we've pointed out, you'll be less suspicious-looking if you're spotted early. Meanwhile, I can sneak around the other end and close in anyone who tries to escape, seeing an otherworlder so suddenly might give me an element of surprise. And with Mister Kevin up on the roofs, hopefully that should pin them down well enough."

Although Hayden was probably hoping for the other way around, wasn't he? Alas that the need for sound tactics trump being able to stage opportunities to show the princess how good he is in a fight.

Edited 2017-11-05 07:25 (UTC)

Hayden is a professional and will always prioritize the task at hand above his own shallow wishes!!!

...it's true. He hopes that Allura will Notice Him. Not just because she is beautiful and her voice is musical and all the rest, but because her skills are impressive, something he can respect. Hayden may have mellowed out, but he's an excellent swordsman, and really always has been. Probably he will always have an underlying desire to impress and be respected in turn, especially by those he views as the most amazing.

Alas. He'll just have to be the best spoiled rich damsel in distress that he can be.

"That all sounds reasonable," he says. He looks to Ellis for confirmation, and she nods. "Right. I'll give you both to the count of thirty for a head start, and then I'll go."

As he speaks, he removes the badge that marks him as an Enforcer and stuffs it into his pocket. The more he looks like a lost aristocrat, the better.

Awww poor little kouhai. If it helps, she already thinks he's a very respectable fighter; she's just in full-tilt Princess Mode at the moment. She does at least give both of the Enforcers a nod and smile before they head out, unconsciously lingering on the smile to Hayden just a fraction of a second more.

"Best of luck."

And with that they're off, Allura pulling the hood of the dark blue cloak she's wearing over her head and briskly jogging around to the other side of the street, just slow enough that she hopes the movement doesn't draw any attention they don't want just yet.

Ellis moves into position also. Hayden waits as promised, and moves out precisely on the count of thirty, as he'd said. When he walks, he moves with his head held high and his shoulders thrown back, looking appropriately shiny and tidy. His pace is unhurried, despite the fact that he's alone in the slums. For good measure, about halfway up the street, he "accidentally" steps in the very edge of a mud puddle, and makes a show of being absolutely disgusted by getting his fancy, high quality boots sullied.

They're good boots, yes, but it's not as though they are spic and span. They are his work boots. Still, most people will notice him shaking his foot and making disgusted noises, not the actual state of his shoes. This isn't something that occurred to him at all until Kevin, with his experience following the nobility around, pointed it out, but recently he's been noticing all sorts of specific upper crust quirks he's been taking for granted all this life. He's seen Kevin turn himself into a nobleman himself simply by pulling on a metaphorical coat of manners and going wherever he needed to go with that protection, so getting to try out this sort of skill himself, it's something Hayden actually finds pretty exciting. It would never have occurred to him on his own.

It works. In a nearby alleyway, a shadow shifts, waiting. Hayden turns to it, but when the shadow goes still, he pretends he can't find anything. With a good and pompous frown, he starts off again, a little quicker. Let them think he's nervous.

Up on the rooftop above that alley, Kevin emerges just briefly enough to take stock of where Allura and Ellis have wound up, and then disappears again. Good, good. Now, it's just a matter of making sure all three of the muggers are accounted for and caught when the fighting goes down. Some arrests are better than none, but these guys have been troublesome enough that Kevin doesn't want to allow any of them to get away.

Luckily, all three thugs seem to be accounted for on this brisk autumn day. A tall, lanky man with an oily smile pops out of a corner just as the "unsuspecting" noble boy passes it. He tips his hat and grins, but also isn't moving out of Hayden's way.

"Good afternoon, milord. Lovely day, isn't it?"

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