redjacketthief | Appointments

Likely Security or a Stealth Expert. Things haven't been finalized for everyone yet. [He sits, and warmth begins to flood into the room, courtesy of Eferin's magic.] I'm in the running for Field leader as well, but I expect that to go to either Shikamaru or Mister Rogers.

...I see.

[His tone was too even. Lupin was glad his back was turned to Law because his smile faltered as the scope of the opportunity he was missing sank in. He wanted to be out there--could be, even, but for this mess.

Lupin returned with his case of accessories and make up, a smile back on his face.]

That you with the heat? Thanks.

Yeah.

[A slight frown flickers across Law's face but it was gone by the time the thief turned around. He heard that.]

Something I picked up from Eferin. It's a handy trick.

Eferin, huh? He's tempting to try to learn from...if only to keep things warm. [To say nothing of his love of fire in general.

Lupin settled in across from Law and started poking through his supplies. There was an array of tools in there, all of which had been used at one point or another.]

Are they just on your hands and arms, or do you have more ink that you're hiding somewhere?

He's... a temperamental one. He either will teach you or he won't. But I think he'll like you. He has a shine for wildfire souls.

[Law takes off his coat and then drapes it on the back of his chair. The sleeves are then rolled up.]

Uh uh. No more ink. A lot of scarring though.

You think? Thanks for your vote of confidence...

[Lupin peered at the tattoos, for once actually taking the time to pay attention to them. They were more detailed than he had realized--whomever the artist was, it was impressive.]

Though you'll probably be covered most of the time, right? It's a stealth and sabotage mission, so it's not like you have to be like James Bond and tromp around high society sleazeballs. Scars shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[He knew. He had a few doozies himself.

He pulled a few bottles of beige liquid from his case, and quickly determined which one would match with Law's complexion.] This is a heavy duty concealer, [he passed the bottle off as he explained.] by heavy duty, I mean that it won't wash off very easily if you follow the process. It's not hard, really, and it should work for you.

[Lupin lifted his eyes upward, curious.]

If it's not too personal, do they have any kind of significance?

Edited 2012-09-20 04:19 (UTC)

[Law's lips crooked and then smoothed out. High society sleazeballs. Reminded him of Doflamingo and his clients.]

Aa... glad of that, really. High society? Not really my kind of thing. I mean, I've done those sorts of functions, but I prefer my jobs to be with more grit.

Although the last time I was anywhere near any bigwigs, I was tramping around in a loincoth, believe it or not.

Thank you. [The man took the bottle, examining the color and more importantly the instructions.] When you use this, how long does it typically last for you? [He would have to mindful of when he needed to reapply the concealer. They were going to be there two days.]

They do... but that story... [Another day. He hasn't even told Itachi.]

....loin cloth. Maybe these stories should be left for another time. Dunno if I'm drunk enough.

[He's open minded, but that is a subject best left in the dark. Like the time he 'stole' Fujiko's 'fiance.'] I'll take my jobs as they come and, though I do admit that there's a certain thrill in toppling dirty politicians, nothing quite tops those jobs that take me into the Himalayas or to long forgotten ruins that have been buried for generations.

[His smile was a touch nostalgic as he thought of his adventures and his partners, but he kept himself on track.] If you don't fall into a vat of water filled with laundry detergent? I find that it lasts about a day or so. It can be pushed up to two if everything goes as planned.

Loin cloth. Last mission.

[And that's all he's going to say about that.]

There's no challenge like something hands on. Something that makes you use all your skills. Miss that. The opportunity for something like that comes along very rarely here.

[Vat of water. Hypothetical reference, but he suppresses a shiver all the same. At least if the shift was going to kill his Devil Fruit powers, then logically it should also kill his affliction. He would... probably be able to get out.]

Good to know. I don't think I'll get much chance to reapply it once I'm in.

Edited 2012-09-20 05:47 (UTC)

...you're telling me. [His smile was bitter--he missed the game. It was always his raison d'etre. Without it, he was little more than a hollow man with a wild mind.]

Actually, that's part of the favor I want to ask you. My girl, Mine Fujiko, is also among the volunteers. If this mission ends up being what I think it is, she's going to go for the shinies. She'll go after whatever it is that will be the most challenging or do the most damage. She's a clever, clever woman who's very impulsive and can get herself into messes, but it also works out in the end. She's also far more willing to kill. It might be wise to stop her i she tries.

Can I ask you to support her in whatever she comes up with? It's almost guaranteed to be interesting.

Interesting I like.

[And then he settles to give it proper deliberation. Wild card, huh? Okay.

But he would make no promises. And he would be straight.]

I'll look after her the best I'm able, and stop her if she looks to be about to do something that jeopardizes herself or the mission, like killing. That I will do. But I will not guarantee anything. You well know how little it takes to send things spinning beyond one man's control.

I know. Oh, do I know. [About wild cards, and about jobs spinning out of control no matter how well he prepared for it.] It was just a thought, since our best work is always done in a group. Unfortunately, our usual partners have returned home...and Fujiko makes the weirdest friends--ones that aren't going to be working on these missions.

What you say is completely understandable--and I thank you for that much.

[A nod. What more needs to be said? They all have their own agendas, and for Law, the shinobi side of him was in agreement with the pirate.

The mission came first. And while he would watch out for Fujiko, try to keep her safe, and aid her if it did not jeopardize the overarching goal, and even if it did if the benefit proved great enough to him to outweigh the risks and the costs to the others - some others on this mission who were dear to him. It was a gamble. It was a careful weighing of risks and rewards, and who knew what the answer of the constantly calculating cost-benefit analysis would be at any given moment. It was greater than them, which implications that affected all in the enclosure. And it was personal.

So very personal now. To see this through.

The mission came first.

No promises. No guarantees. And really, none that should be given.

Lupin appeared to understand.

Law's journal took that moment to chime. And Law takes that moment to open it.]

They've made their final decisions.

[Take a look]

[Lupin peered over Law's shoulder at the final choices and at the roster. The fact that Law was chosen among those who were in charge of maintaining their cover gave him peace--but a wave of interest and anxiety crashed upon him when he saw the rest of the names. He knew over half of them on a first name basis...and knew their relative merits and flaws.]

Pater noster, qui es in caelis.

[The intonation of the Lord's Prayer came unbidden. He wasn't religious by nature, but his culture and the manner in which he was raised left an indelible mark. A man can remove himself from the church and distance himself completely, but the church rarely leaves the man.

Lupin started laughing. It was a low, bitter chuckle that grew into a nigh hysterical, mirthless laugh. What the hell were the Malnosso thinking?]

Lupin?

[That is not a good laugh. Not at all.]

[The laughter subsided, but it was still evident in his voice as he gathered his thoughts into a coherent form.]

...I've spoken to half of the people on the roster, and know several on a first name basis. Law, this is either a recipe for success or disaster.

[...

... a long exhale.]

Which ones are you most worried about?

[That calm demeanor...

Lupin took a chance to breathe.]

Robert and Donatello. Robbie can't lie...and Don, while smart, was not able to communicate properly when we last met. I think it's a Malnosso affliction of some sort, but there is a possibility that they could misstep and compromise everything.

The other ones are Steve, Tony, and Loki. Steve, on his own, is a great man. Honest, earnest, and a true soldier. Tony...well, you've seen him around. Brilliant playboy who's too smart and has too much energy. But Steve and Tony are on the same team in their world, and their most recent enemy was Loki.

He's another chaos god. I don't think he'll do anything right now, but he's planning something. We spoke, once, about singularity theory. He wants to compare the 'maths' outside of the barrier to the ones inside of it. There might be a conflict there, because Loki is dangerous if he gets restless, should Steve be believed. I mentioned a solution, and it made Steve rather uncomfortable.

I'm not sure how willing they are to work together.

[Long silence and then a sigh.] We can work with the first two. It'll be easy enough to pass Mister Donatello's troubles as a Death Penalty gained from a Third Party attack, and Mister Robert's anxiety and awkwardness around people as trauma from the same attack. They're partners, so any closeness they show, we can also pass off as bonding due to shared traumas.

We don't need them to lie. We need them to speak as little as possible.

[...]

But the latter group of people... so much more difficult. Especially since Mister Rogers is field leader.

...yeah, that was my thinking when I saw their names on the sign-ups when they went live. That excuse can cover so many individual problems.

[It was the exact excuse he came up with for himself should he have continued to go on that mission. Residual neurological damage from a Third Party attack. It was so reasonable.

But he apparently was too compromised to do anything.]

I agree, it will be. Worse is that Steve, just last week, sent a warning and a call to arms to the entire village because of Loki. Unfortunately, he didn't filter it very well. While he says that it's a precautionary measure, an army is still an army.

Loki knows of it. It was a terrible move on Steve's part.

Edited 2012-09-23 01:08 (UTC)

I saw that. While I can understand the sentiment behind the action, the man laid out his cards too soon.

[Law's finger's drum, and only the creasing of his brow mars an expression that has frankly become unreadable.] Quite frankly this is last thing anyone needs. We have enough on our plate without having to babysit three of our own. [One who's supposed to be our commander.] It can't be a one man show though. People like Shikamaru and Mister Albert are going to have to be involved in keeping things simmered down. Nearly everyone respects them, including Mister Stark. They might be able to nudge two of those three into putting things aside for the moment.

Frankly, the more eyes watching the situation, the better.

Edited (Wrong icon) 2012-09-23 01:35 (UTC)

[He nodded slowly, understanding the full weight of this situation. Lupin knew that his presence wouldn't amount to much in the long run, but it would have been another person to help contain any such difficulties. A rift within the group could ruin the entire mission, as well as missions in the future. It was a rare chance, and one that he understood was likely not to come again.]

I know. I would if I could, but...

[He waved his hand at the entirety of the small building listlessly. Did he really have to elaborate?]

[No.

But it brings them to the next order of business.]

What happened, Lupin?

[He appreciates that. Truly.]

I tried signing up. My housemates didn't like that.

...a fight ensued.

[Glancing around the room. Sighing, but not at all surprised.]

A very vicious one. [... mother ocean.] What was said?

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