outsiderslogs | well I'm stubborn and wrong [OPEN / PLOT]

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isabela

well I'm stubborn and wrong [OPEN / PLOT]

who. isabela & OPEN
what. taking advantage of chaos is what pirates do best
where. zeta district
when. saturday
warnings. isabela is a warning

When the cats are away, the mice come out to play. Or...however the hell that old saying goes.

There's a certain advantage to be taken when a city finds itself thrust into chaos. Unattended shops, people cowering in their homes, few people out and about to stop you from getting your hands wet with valuable. Save for some beasts which Isabela had little trouble flitting around with quick roguish feet, and some mercenaries roaming the streets, it was a fine time to wander out of her apartment alone with a dagger in each hand and a couple of lockpicks hidden somewhere in the confines of her outfit.

It was Satinalia for a woman like Isabela, and she'll be taking advantage of those at their most unguarded. Sure she had been taught better, but it takes her awhile for lessons learned to truly sink in.

Some of the security measures for these shops had proven to be difficult for a woman like Isabela to parse. Too much electronics, not enough locks, but she's found one or two where the owners couldn't afford technology that could stump a woman from a distant past, and she crouches in the shadows, unnoticed by passing mercs and beasts, fiddling with a lock and cursing mildly as it breaks. She reaches into her cleavage to fish out another, eyes narrowed in concentration, but ever on the alert in case someone approached her to either attack or scold her.

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Never know your luck in a free for all, huh?

[There's an odd crackle of static as Kasumi switches off the cloak, suddenly in view behind the crouching woman. Looting wasn't exactly uncommon at the moment- if living in a place like Omega taught people anything it was to embrace the opportunities of the moment (no matter what might be shooting at you). No, what caught her eye about this one wasn't just the clothes, but the lockpicks. Sure, she'd learned the basics of them as a kid on Earth, but to see them here and now was so...well, to quote another one of Shep's friends, primitive. But in a cute way, like watching your grandmother insist on mixing dough by hand rather than by machine.

Traditional.

Her voice stayed light and up-beat, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched where the woman was digging those lockpicks out of.]

Nice storage area. Bet that helps with those pesky lawmen.

[She might have been on the alert, but the sudden voice coming from behind her causes Isabela to jump slightly, a twitch really that winds up breaking her second lockpick due to the sudden force. She's quick to another curse and reaches for a blade sheathed somewhere in the confines of her boot, twisting to face the stranger, still crouching.

But after the initial moments of shock, it's easy to register this woman as friendly for now, and while she doesn't put her dagger away ~~after all, she's stopped men on friendlier terms only to rob them blind seconds later~~ her nerves smooth and her tone matches Kasumi's, smirking as she reaches for another pick to test said luck once more.]

Depends on the man. Some look for any excuse to touch a woman, others don't even consider the possibility.

[Lock picks and a dagger. That settled that, then. The smile grew slightly as she held up both hands, showing they were empty. No need for a fight between thieves- not that Kasumi didn't secretly think she could dart out of the way and get her pistol up in time if need be. The joy of ranged weaponry.]

Hm, good point. Turian's have no taste for aesthetics, anyway. Seen their art yet? Depressing.

[She takes note of the unarmed state of this woman, but the dagger doesn't leave her hands even as she turns her back towards Kasumi once more. She holds it at an awkward angle as she continues with the lock.]

Those strange bird fellows, right? [after a few seconds there's a clicking noise and a mechanical shift and whir as the door becomes unlocked, and she sit back on her boots, satisfied.

she doesn't even know what's inside this bloody store, but she'll pick up whatever shiny objects are left lying around for trophy's sake.]

They're rather impressive creatures despite their reportedly depressing art.

Mm. Shockingly flexible. Or so I'm told.

[Garrus and his gossiping. Well, occasional talking breaks from calibrations. Same differences. It was amazing how voices carried in that small ship. Too bad she never got Nihlus to confirm that, really.

Kasumi slips in after the woman, ignoring the screaming and shooting going on a few streets over for a little while. See one battle, see them all. There'd still be plenty of horror left over after the breather.]

Could never really get past the honor business, myself. Or the chaffing. And all those teeth.

Hmm...flexible.

[She's already up and about the shop, poking around behind the counter in search of anything that glints and glitters. There's no coin, of course, something she's been missing ever since arriving here, but there are valuables amongst the junk and it takes a keen eye to find it.

The fighting outside doesn't faze it. Hawke might have brought out the better of her a few times, but it's a habit that still doesn't quite stick despite the years of being buffeted by her damn influence.]

There was a cross-dressing dwarfen prostitute in Orlais who sharpened her teeth. Called herself the Gyrating Genlock and left all these wanton bite marks on her patrons. Sharp teeth have their merits.

[There's a finished model of a tiny little ship on display that catches her interest, and she looks away from Kasumi to take it in hand, turning it as though to admire the small craft.]

But chaffing and honour are never fun. Both leave me feeling awfully raw.

[The ships. Here was hoping this woman and Shep never met up. Kasumi would be drowning in them. But the wanton comments get a quick laugh. She slid over to the register area, waving with one hand to indicate the pirate should follow.]

Be careful what you ask for. Some of those teeth come with a little more than a taste for flesh. Knew an asari that lost a thumb to her first krogan. Funny story, she started getting the best tips after that.

Heard of electronic transactions?

[There's an art to be had with model ships, okay? Even if these are silly space ships and not true ships that terrorize the ocean blue.

She can appreciate the craft and time put into them.

The ship's set down to be toyed with at a later time as she follows Kasumi to the register, the concept of this high tech buying and selling still something that goes over her head. And she's usually so quick to get things and fit in, too.]

Men and women have their fetishes. Some people may prefer four fingers as opposed to five.

And I know what a transaction is, sweetness. It's the electronic bit that gets me. Care to whet a curious mind?

Nice word choice.

[And this is Stacey, not making a 'wet' joke. Rather, back in IC land, Kasumi waves a hand over her Omni-tool, pulling up the screen that somehow allows them to hack. She starts typing away, glancing over at the pirate as she goes.]

But the ins and outs are a little more complicated than I like to cover while my street's on fire- or for free. The demo, though, is complimentary. Call it the welcome to Omega special.

Hold up your arm, like me.

[DAMMIT STACEY I THREW YOU A BONE AND YOU DIDN'T TAKE IT.

Isabela chuckles, sidling up next to Kasumi though being not-as invasive as she usually is around people she's better acquainted with. She's still on her guard despite her casual attitude, and she wouldn't want to give this woman an opportunity to stab her in the back.

Because honestly, if she were in a more familiar location, there'd be a 60% chance of Bela taking what she needed from this woman and leaving her to rot. Such is the way when you lead the life of selfishness.]

Perhaps one day we can cover the ins and outs in a more private setting.

[Ah yes, never one to let an innuendo slip by. Nevertheless, she mimics Kasumi, holding her arm up. She's gotten the basics down of video and voice posts after fiddling around with it in her room, but the screen Kasumi has up in a new one.]

Right then.

[Heh. Bone.]

Is innuendo the native tongue, or am I just that special?

[The still amused tone indicates how she believes the former, but hey. She can hardly blame someone for using a slightly more heavy handed version of her own deflection techniques. She taps away at her screen, then waves a hand over the other woman's, and through the magic of Omni-tools How Do They Work, she starts routing some of the money from the credits chip in the store to both of their own.]

Oh I won't spoil it for you, sweetness.

[It's the native tongue, Kasumi, but you can think yourself special if you want.

She watches Kasumi's movements, still not quite following but when she notices a set of number rising she at least gets the gist of what's happening and grins. She'll eventually learn how to do this if she wishes to continue making a living off petty thievery.]

How flashy. Just my luck to bump into a world savvy thief.

A girl has to have a hobby. And who has time for needlework these days.

[Another tap and the screens vanish, leaving them both slightly richer and Kasumi probably in trouble with any paragon Shep who happens to be in Omega. But, hey. Problems for another day.]

Mm, though it's more a community project on Omega. Everyone thinks they're Moriarty and Peruggia reborn. Depressing, really.

[Well at least you don't have to suffer the consequences of a shitty friendship/rivalry system.

Isabela stretches her arm curiously as her omni-tool disappears, still not used to the idea of something being idle on her wrist.

And wow references Bela won't get way to be Kasumi.]

I take it those names are important and I will forever be out of the loop. [Her fingers flex and they pop a little.] The funny thing about this system is that I don't feel any richer. With coin and prized possessions you at least feel their weight in your pockets.

It's far nice having something firm in your hand than nothing at all.

[Nah, Shep solves that problem by anyone he doesn't like dying horribly at the end of each game.

Kasumi's smile doesn't go away as the innuendo continues. Oh, she had to find Vega in this world. They'd have too much fun.]

Depends on if you're in it for the money. Most real items will never be worth as much as a good credit hack, but they're far more rewarding. Too bad Omega doesn't have much of either.

[She slipped away from the counter, pausing to look at some small piece of brick-a-brak that was, by far, more fun to investigate than fighting those monsters out there again.]

Outside of Aria's house, anyway.

Hawke isn't foolish enough to believe Isabela will stay inside. Magic or no, she's out in the thick of things, probably not even fighting. No, if she knows Isabela, she'll be looking for something fun to do. Something devious. It's a bit of a disappointment, especially after what Hawke has so recently gone through. A pirate will always be a pirate, but this isn't the time to be looting. It's the time to help.

She skirts around one of the districts and nearly collides with two men trying to kill another one of those creatures. With a whip of her hand, she sends it crashing backwards into the ground. One of the men turns to her with wide eyes. "A biotic?" he asks, the question going unheard. His companion riddles the creature full of holes and the both of them are off again, leaving her alone.

Or...not so alone.

Turning her head, she spots a flash of white and blue and follows it. "Isabela?"

She's down another...well, what passes as an alleyway on this hunk of rock, collecting her bearings and sifting through a sack full of spoils she lifted from shops successfully broken into.

Models of ships, jewelry, scraps of armour and weaponry...and she's in the process of examining a pretty yellow angelfish in a sealed transport jar flitting about, obviously stressed from her travels, when she hears her name through the not-so-silence of a chaotic district.

Still holding the jar she stands, kicking her bag off to the side as though it'll do her any good, and her expression remains blissful and innocent.

"Hawke! Fancy bumping into you out here!"

[ She's managed to scrounge a pistol off a dead merc — bully for them, or so that saying goes. It itches at her that even the weaponry here is different — which maybe isn't so much a surprise as an additional foot-note into how fucked up everything is — but Natasha's nothing if not adaptable. (She's used to working in teams, too, but her life hasn't always come pre-stocked in pairs: she can check her own damn corners, thank you.)

Isabela's crouched in the shadows, but like attracts like. Natasha's sure to make noise when she steps closer, boots against concrete. She sounds a little wry when she speaks but it's not wholly unkind; Natasha just has a very dry sense of humor. ]

And I thought I was the only one who loved clearance sales.

[She tensed and ready, but can tell when a sound is deliberate and when it is not, and the suddenly heavier steps of thick shoes against the ground are easy to read as a sort of 'don't turn around and attack, I'm not sneaking up on you.'

And the voice seals the deal, so Bela's posture relaxes and there's a click and a whir as the lockpick triggers something and the door opens automatically. She stands before responding, hands on her hips after tucking the lockpick back into storage.]

What woman in their right mind doesn't love a good free-for-all?

[She looks over her shoulder, eyes not-so-subtly looking over the woman in both a studying manner and an appreciative one. Mmm, pretty. Redheads always are.]

Shame you'll have to look for your own shop to clear. This one's currently taken, unless you don't mind scrounging for leftovers.

[this would be a lot easier if she had a squad with her as she's used to, but Shepard has little qualms about searching the streets alone, walking low and quietly with rifle ready.

no survivors on this street so far, she had to decrypt a few locks to make sure...but she doesn't lower her guard. not even when, to her surprise, she sees someone else working the street.

Shepard hurries over, scanning around on the way for any sight for trouble, and throws herself backwards against the wall next to Isabela and the door she's trying to pick]

Anyone in there? [a beat, staring] ...What are you using?

[She doesn't stop her ministrations nor look up when Shepard seems to suddenly appear. Her brows are creased with the concentration of someone enjoying their craft, and her voice is light despite the...

Doom and gloom of attack.]

I certainly hope not.

[And she's gotten used to the idea that she's a bit more archaic than the people of this world are accustomed to, so she simply shrugs.]

A lockpick. You know, for picking locks. Handy little demon.

[ Chaos brought out riots in the streets, stampedes and pushing and shoving everyone in your path to survival. But in the quietest corners, it's a different sort of opportunism; Thane knows to expect thieves. Granted, this one reminds him a little of the children on the Citadel, with only modest tools and quick fingers to cause trouble. And maybe that's why he stops to observe for a moment.

(Or maybe he can't move along in good conscience without saying something.)

Normally, he'd put some weight behind his steps to let others know he was in the room. A matter of politeness. But for a fellow 'rogue,' it hardly seems necessary— when he approaches, it's with near-silent footfalls. ]

If you're looking for shelter, there are more... accessible venues.

[ The dry edge to his tone doesn't sound nearly as naive as the words do. ]

[Ah yes, the do gooder. She's run into plenty of those in the past, and it seems like she'll continue to wind up among them. Not that she minds, of course, they do make for some interesting moral chats.

Shame Isabela has her own set of morals that many don't bother trying to get. But honestly, no one will ever get her.]

Oh this place will be plenty accessible once I'm through with it, sweetheart.

[She doesn't look up, continuing to fiddle with the hole in the door she's picking at (from the looks of it this door will probably not acquiesce as easily as others had), but she can tell from the tone of his voice that 1) he knows what she's really doing and 2) that he's probably one of the stranger creatures from another world.]

But why beat around the bush when you know what I'm looking for? Are you here to stop me?

[ There's the slightest lift of a brow at 'sweetheart,' more humored than incredulous. But that's about the extent of his motions; he's more inclined to watch her work than start a fight, falling into what, for him, was a natural state of silence.

Because if he was being honest, he'd have ended up in jail decades ago (if the police could ever pin him down, and that was a very unlikely if). So while Thane spent his twilight years trying to make the world a touch less terrible, drell 'morality' was too twisted a thing for him to be judgmental.

—...Plus, a little breaking and entering didn't warrant a death sentence, and that's all he ever really dolled out. ]

Even if Omega had law, I wouldn't pretend to uphold it. [ There's a distant amusement to that, as though the suggestion itself were an in-joke. ] But could I convince you to move on?

[She smirks, tucking the lockpick back in her cleavage and standing. She doesn't answer him, staring at the door instead for a few seconds before kicking it sharply with the thick toe of her boot.

The door makes a mechanical noise and opens partially, a space just large enough that with the right sort of prying there'd be enough room to slip in and out.]

That depends on if you're offering something in return and how convincing said offer is. [She turns to look at him, a playful smile on her face though her eyes do flicker with surprise at his appearance. A...frog.] Though chances are...you won't.

[ wow excuse you isabela, he's a lizard ] I see. [ He sizes her up as she turns, mostly for weapons, though it's hard to miss the gold ornaments and antique dress code. Beyond that, he's more focused on peering through the door from where he is, eyes narrowed in a slight squint. There's not too much inside, which is to be expected, as the Omega elite wouldn't be caught dead with an exclusively mechanical lock. Probably wouldn't mind if it was one of the rich she was mugging anyway; you couldn't turn a profit on this station without trampling some innocent people underfoot. Turnabout's fair play, et cetera.

But that's neither here nor there, and instead he's left at an impasse. There's no aggressive posturing on his end, tone civil as he leans a shoulder on a nearby wall. Doesn't look like he plans on leaving. ] Unfortunate -- I can't offer much more than a credit chit and personal debt. [ A beat, and a subtle turn for the sardonic in his voice. ] So how do you propose we resolve this?

[Whatever same thing.

When he settles against the wall and makes it obvious he's making no plan to leave and let her be her thieving self, she lets out a rather theatrical sigh, shrugging her shoulders and tossing up her hands.]

What? Is this your dingy little shop or something?

[Honestly, if you're not a lawkeeper and if this is a world with little to no law, why bother bugging a pirate into not taking what's up for grabs unless this place is a personal investment?

Her voice is more obviously mocking.]

Oh, I get a choice, do I?

[She crosses her arms, brows knitting together.]

Then I propose you either bugger off and let me carry on my petty thievery, or we sneak off into a back alley with you on your knees and me finding out if your tongue is really as long as I'm currently imagining it is.

[The former is preferred, the latter is a by-the-book example of Isabela trying to catch a stranger off-guard. She's watching his expression, trying to gauge his reaction.]

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well I'm stubborn and wrong [OPEN / PLOT]

/slides on sunglasses

/slides off underwear

o-oh, bela

tis cold in my tent

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dashing through the bullets

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