13712/Bad Book

Bad Book
Date of Scene:	01 January 2023
Location:	Vellichor
Synopsis:	People are breaking into a used bookstore for a bad book. It gets stolen! By one of them.
Cast of Characters:	Delores Klein, Tetsuya Wakao, Detective Chimp

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Delores Klein has posed:
    After hours at the Vellichor is pretty much the same outside the store as during hours. New York is the city that never sleeps, after all, even if the proprietor of the bookstore has to. The problem is that a specific book now owned by the store doesn't sleep. That might be technically true of inanimate objects, but this one is awake, which is more unusual. From above, a masked figure moves across the rooftops toward the bookstore. A bronze-colored orb about the size of a basketball hovers at about arm's reach above and to the right, lagging just a little bit behind.

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
A certain mystic ninja had heard of something strange. An odd living book or something like that. And it was somewhere that others could get to it. That had resulted in Tetsuya dressing up in his ninja outfit and making his way to the bookstore. His mystic senses were going off a bit as he hide in the shadows of a rooftop, dressed in dark colorings as he eyed the bookstore and idly considered how best to get the book it seemed.

Delores Klein has posed:
    The figure withe the floating orb comes to a stop, looking across rooftops at the ninja-esque figure. On the orb were twelve circles set around it as though on the faces of a dodecahedron. One opens like flip-up sunglasses, revealing a lens. The lens flashes a cone of light at the ninja. A ghostly figure of the ninja draws back from the ninja's body in the exact position the ninja is on the rooftop, then dissolves like dust in microgravity just before the circle cap closes once more, the seam only barely visible. The figure opposite the ninja stands, a cloak falling to hide more of the mysterious figure from view.

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
Seeing he's been spotted, the ninja stands up, porcelain mask looking across at the figure. That orb looks like it will be annoying, and the scanning of him seemingly is met with a throwing star launched at it to try to knock it down, break the lens, or do something to the thing.

Cones of light are never good as far as he knew, and definitely not going to let it get away with whatever it did.

Delores Klein has posed:
    Any ninja worth his or her salt is a good shot with a throwing star. It hits the bronze-looking metal with a tink and bounces off. The figure in the similarly bronze-colored mask shoots out an arm and catches the star as it starts to fall. The opposite hand raises to the mouth section of the mask as if to shush the ninja. Reaching under that cloak, the hand pulls out a small, glass test tube. With one hand, the top is popped, the contents downed through the mask, and the phial re-stoppered. Once the glassware is put away, that finger then points down at the bookstore. Then the figure jumps down, the orb following. The fall, if just taken as a jump, would be bone-breaking even for those skilled in Parkour. The masked figure doesn't have great parkour technique, and simply lands straight down on the roof. Standing, the effects of the drop do NOT seem to include broken limbs. The bronze-like mask looks up at the ninja, then points at the roof access and makes signals like turning a key in a lock. Then there is waiting for the ninja to proceed or not.

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja titls his head, then pulls out a small miniature crossbow that lowers him down on a line before he gives a pop of it to retract it. Said eyes are on the mystery figure, and so is that crossbow now. The star probably didn't have enough power to do much to that thing, but what about a crossbow bolt?

After all, the ninja doesn't know said figure and there's no real explanations so far from it.

Delores Klein has posed:
    Now on the same rooftop, a man's voice comes from the other masked figure, definitely inaudible to anyone outside of the ninja. "Good evening. I have a feeling we're after the same thing." The ninja star is offered out with no further questions asked. "I decided not to keep the scan, if you're worried. If you'll let me scan the book, I'll let you take it once I'm done."

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja seems to consider, then voices back, "What do you intend to do with that scan?" Reasonable request, after all, and he seems to be trying to figure out just who or what he is interacting with at the moment.

Delores Klein has posed:
    "Now now," the man's voice says, a finger waggling in a 'no no' gesture. "I think neither of us are particularly interested in answering a lot of questions. I'm more interested in physical properties than the contents, if that helps you make the determination." A beat. "Though, I do feel like that's the last personal question I'll be answering."

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja gives a soft hum, then nods. He makes an 'after you' motion before stowing the crossbow for the moment.

Definitely more interested in the book. Scanning the composition? That's something new to him, perhaps. And he's been around the block a little on the lower side of things.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp is sitting in a dark corner of the alley across from the door they need to get in. He has a hoodie on and huddled in a cardboard box. He has heard some rumbling but he is more interested in who else might be interested in the book right now. So, Chimp is hunkered down keeping an eye out looking like just a small homeless fellow, and the smell of whiskey off him helps that image.

Delores Klein has posed:
    The bronze-masked figure shrugs. Moving to the door, something like a screwdriver from hell is drawn made of the same stuff as the mask and the orb. It's got a wooden handle (maybe rosewood?) and a lot of prongs and things. It's inserted into the lock and there's some manipulation, but soon, the door knob turns. Opening it and putting the device away, the masked figure enters, followed by their orb.

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja follows, glancing around it seems as his head turns one way then the other before reaching back to carefully close the door, making sure to not latch it. Quick escape route secured!

Now he just follows after the figure carefully as he keeps himself ready. Just in case.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp gives the two a couple minutes to get away from the door, before he stands, and makes his way over towards the other building, scaling it like a master second story man, before heading to the door and standing in the shadows. He takes a moment looking over where they landed, getting any scents left behind, and doing the whole 60 second CSI thing, before moving closer to the door to listen at it.

Delores Klein has posed:
    The figures inside have by now moved far away from the door. The problem was that while the figure in the lead knew what they were looking for, it was currently a book in a shop of books. A needle in a needle-stack. "Well," the modulated, man's voice says through the metal of the mask. Looking around the bookstore, there's hesitancy, there. "This is going to take me a minute."

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja shrugs, extending his own more mystic senses as he starts to look around the bookstore more carefully. Glad that he wears gloves, his eyes are searching on the more mystic spectrum for well... anything unusual. Either that or a book with an eye or mouth moving or something.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmms and ponders opening the door to follow them. He is sneaky but he aint the Bat after all. He will wait a few more moments, before making sure no light from outside will announce his presence and then cracks the door slightly slipping inside. Trusting his senses to alert him if they see or hear him.

Delores Klein has posed:
    There are actually quite a few books that stand out to the ninja's mystic senses. However, it's a plethora of very slight pings, like a sensation that's not strong enough to really tell if it's pain or not. There is are three books that are definitely 'there'. One of these books is very strongly registering. It's a copy of "The Faceless Ones" by Derek Landy. It is a terribly dog-eared book that's been re-covered, albeit poorly, with white card stock. The bronze-faced orb-haver doesn't seem to notice that it's important, nor does the entry of the chimpanzee detective seem to be noticed by same.

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja gives a slight whistle before motioning to the strongest book, followed by the next two.

Then he pulls out some metal tongs to pick each up carefully and move them to a table. No touching unknown mystical books, right? That's a bad way to end up cursed with who knows what!

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp 's brow raises and the soft whistle does let him move in to watch the others. He will pull the hood back and climb up the back of a stack letting his head pop over the edge. Places like this have stuffed heads all over the place, who is going to think there is a real chimp in here.

Delores Klein has posed:
    In a bit of an animalistic misnomer, Detective Chimp is as stealthy as Detective Housecat. Probably moreso. However, in a moment, all twelve lenses of the dodecahedral faces of the orb open and light flashes outward briefly. A ghostly recreation of the room they're in shrinks itself down from the full size to a small model that the masked figure looks over. However, that gives the chimp away. "Well, hello there, tiny addition to our party," the man's voice says from behind the mask. The body language of the mysterious figure gets quickly more guarded and ready to flee. "It's impolite to crash a function without an invitation."

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The ninja meanwhile turns, looking, and shrugs before he starts looking over the books. It's a monkey.

The ninja hums as he looks over the three, trying to figure out how dangerous they are it seems.

"Probably here for the same thing, at a guess, else we would both be dead." The ninja notes.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp will pull himself up to look over them standing on the top of the shelf as he says "Well, I doubt any of us were invited here." He tells them. He does study each and hmms soft to himself. "So, whats your plans with the book?"

Delores Klein has posed:
    The interior of the weakest of the three is an occult manual, but it looks like there's blood on some of the pages that talk about sacrifice. That's bad juju, but nothing that should transfer. The next looks like a well-used spellbook printed from wicca stuff, but nothing real inside, just belief on it. The last, the novel, the strongest by far, has notes in every margin, and they are wicked and accurate things, not all of which are in English.
    The bronze-masked figure is moving toward the door. "Why does everyone keep asking that? You're pretty recognizable, Detective Chimp," the man's voice calls him out. "The fewer questions raised in here, the better for everyone, yes?" One of the lens caps pops open and a cone of light flashes at the trio of books in the ninja's hands. An echo of everything from hands to books zooms into the orb and the cap closes. The masked figure with the orb then sprints for the door, orb in hot pursuit!

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
The scanning light comes out and the ninja can only blink at that, then look at the chimp. He shrugs, "My plan is to dispose of them. Especially this one." He motions at the novel.

He's obviously not aware of who or what Detective Chimp is. And the ninja pulls out a plain looking black cloth bag before using the tongues to carefully put the three books in. So long as he's not disturbed.

"Had a feeling that one would run." The ninja notes.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmmms and says "While from the look of it disposing of it might be a good idea, have you thought about the owner of the place, you may need to make it a robbery so he can get insurance on it. Also, questions are sorta my thing," As the orb possessing figure runs, he considers chasing them, but instead studies them a bit more, he thinks he knows who it is, and if he is wrong, he can set some of the bigger mythical guns on them. So he lets them go for now.

Delores Klein has posed:
    Unfortunately, the ease of everything is broken momentarily. There's a crash from upstairs and the burglar alarm quickly goes off. Time to make a hasty escape, it seems!

Tetsuya Wakao has posed:
That has the ninja looking up, then moving to go quickly. He's got the books and now he's headed out the door they came in. "Move it." He whispers as he passes. Once he is sure everyone is out, he makes sure to shut the door carefully before heading to get the hell out of there.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp does head out with the others making sure, nothing is left behind with his prints or the others. He will consider pocketing a few things so they don't think the bok was the main thing taken, but he aint got time, and not sure so just heads out and to a roof.

Delores Klein has posed:
    By the time the rest of the trio get to the roof, The Artificer is gone. The police are slow enough to respond that the other two have time to get away. They're both good enough at what they do that being followed or traced isn't really a problem. A clean getaway, though there are new, interesting questions for a detective to get to the bottom of and books for a ninja man to destroy.