Post by Bianca Sabbato on Sept 29, 2020 18:38:10 GMT -5
To spend my free day out treading through the creepiest parts of Ground district (in the dead of the night, no less) was not my idea of a happy fun time, but it was something I felt I needed to do, since in part this was my own fuckup and I was going to fix it.
Wearing a pro-mask that covered the lower part of my face, I entered a dilapidated building guarded by a pair of gorilla-looking men, both of them probably weighed twice as much as me and nothing of that was fat on their bones, but raw, functional muscle.
They looked a little intimidating if I'm being honest, but I didn't make it this far by being easily swayed by a gruff face and some macho posing.
I offered them the secret handshake my old gang used to let other people know they were dealing with one of us. It worked when I was investigating Koorlander and it worked again now.
The guards stepped aside and let me in, towards the darkness. I held my breath as I emerged on the other side of the door, wishing to all the stars in the firmament that no member of my former gang who could recognize me would be here.
More than fearing ensuing combat, I was worried the ball would go around that I was actively investigating them, but I wasn’t wary of having to fight some of my old partners, there where some folks who would be able to give me a hard time, but no one I couldn’t take out if pressed...
Then again, there was the reason I really didn’t want whatever was left of the Coral Flowers to know I was after their asses yet... If I were to be especially unlucky as to come face to face with Garrik here... Yeah, best not to think about such dire things. Some people I would be perfectly happy not to see for the rest of my life.
Luckily, there seemed to be no such need to freet. Just the representatives of a couple minor gangs in attendance, all in al, around 20-30 persons, but I wasn’t sure if all of them were actually fighters, so that was a good thing.
I entered the room wearing a hoodie and a long skirt that reached almost to my knees, both with more than enough space to hide my tail and easily recognizable dreads, both of which would have outed me immediately to anyone with two functioning eyes and half a brain...
But even their necessity was debatable since the interior was an almost empty dark room with some moody lamps trying their darn best to provide a quota of illumination so meager I had to be glad to be a faunus just to be able to see what was in front of me... Fucking wannabees.
Out in a corner of the room, people seemed to have built a small podium where people walked to and offered different kinds of weapons and gadgets for the rest to see and potentially buy. The products ranged from simple mass-produced swords and handguns to carefully crafted pieces of weaponry closer to a proper huntsman weapon than what your average joe would be packing in Ground district.
The ones waiting for their turn waited in small groups of 3 or 4, usually protecting crates and boxes in which presumably rested the products they were aiming to sell.
I checked some of the mass-produced stuff since that was what interested me, carefully inspecting the guns under the careful surveillance of the smugglers. I was looking for both production and distribution prints and engravings on hilts and pommels. We never marked our weapons with our logo or obvious signs that could lead investigators and huntsmen to us, but sometimes a small marking on a handle or a nack on the barrel was used to identify products from our stock.
After a while of going this and finding nothing to be worried about, I was prepared to leave with the satisfaction that whatever the gang was doing, they weren’t mainstream enough for them to have a significant hold on the weapon market... Yet... But that was something I could worry about some other day.
If was then, when one of the auctioneers took out a pretty interesting piece of metal from a wooden crate.
-Ladies and gentlemen! I come here tonight to offer a unique opportunity for every nasty boy and girl in town! Something you for sure don’t wanna miss on!-
It was a combination of the exaggerated flair in which he announced his product and his grandiose promises of power that prompted me to stay a little longer to see what this dude had to offer.
I wasn’t particularly interested in buying anything heh ad to offer, but if it was genuinely dangerous it would only be responsible for me to uproot this cancer now before it got any chances to spread... But what the man said next left me caught between a smirk and a facepalm...
-I present for you, Rebellion! A perfect, immaculate replica of the weapon brandished by Rose Phoenix, winner of the 15th Mistral regional tournament, and one of the high points of the first year brackets on the last Vytal festival! Includes, but not limited to her trademark dust enhancement mechanism, a light but powerful metallic alloy that allows anyone to use it despite its apparent size and weight... And of course, enough of an edge to cut through virtually anything you are aiming to hurt, destroy, or kill!-
Welp, that was unexpected... I knew Rose was at least as famous as to have her own card in RGO but to think idiots would start copying her weapon (and doing a poor job out of it) this soon into her career? It would be funny if it wasn’t so mind-boggling bizarre...
-It wouldn't be far fetched to say that a paramount factor in improving her performance is due to this masterfully crafted weapon... And after acquiring the blueprints, all of that raw power could be in your hands for the low price of...-
Now I had to stifle a laugh. Was this fucker really attributing Rose’s strength to the piece of metal she swung around? Had this motherfucker fought even once on his life? I slowly approached the exhibit to get a better look at the weapon, shaking my head lightly at the ecstatic gestures and expressions from the rest of the room.
-Well... That is where you come in, right? Tell me... How much are you willing to risk for this piece of art?-
-The hilt is wrong...-
Sharp as a knife, but also stifling a burst of laughter. My sudden interruption brought a veil of silence over the building.
-W-What? What do you mean the hilt is...?!-
-The hilt is wrong... Is not a straight crossguard, it is angled forward towards the blade... And the blade itself is way thicker than the real Rebellion, with this thing I wouldn’t be surprised you need to use some obscure, probably cheap alloys to make it extra light... Not to mention I can bet the switch for the dust is in the wrong place as well-
-Y... You wouldn’t know that! Not unless you actually had that thing really close, in which case you would be doing replicas yourself!- He said defensively... Too defensively for someone who claimed to have such a quality item.
-Not really up for trying my hand at cheap pieces of shit like this... But I guess you could say I had Rose’s sword really close to me more than once...- The rest of the patrons appeared to me like they were starting to get nervous, but that nervousness quickly began to turn into accusatory glances and gestures towards the swindler.
Smiling impishly, I gave a couple steps back and mentally readied to unsheath the weapon currently strapped to my thigh. An extendable metal bo that wasn’t too far away from my usual weapon in terms of weight and balance... I was hoping not having to use it, but if push came to shove, I was more than able to crack a couple skulls with that.
Meanwhile, flying completely under my radar. A blonde, tall figure was watching everything from a corner of the room.
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