Blackpage: Red Sparrow Investigation

[Tokoz]

 Sitting in a hotel room in the middle of Bupae, Lassa carefully examined the files he was able to get his hands on regarding the place. 

He had previously investigated the island, but that had been disrupted somewhat by the arrival of a certain sadist. The showdown in the alleyway had put the local enforcers on guard, and he had found the next few days wildly unproductive. Now it had been long enough to hopefully come back and begin again. Not to mention, he had a partner to work with this time. 

The previous missions with Lukas and Lucy had been fairly productive, even if there had been a few... incidents. Lassa checked the scar on his shoulder where a jade spike had raked across his collarbone, and hummed to himself for a moment. 

The Red Sparrow Trading Company was not exactly affiliated with the World Government, but the functional hostage situation they held on the island prevented a takeover without forcing the World Government to deal with a mass case of withdrawal. Not exactly something they wanted to deal with, and technically speaking there was no crime occurring as the local government had deemed the poison they spread as 'not a drug'. 

Still, the sales of the poison and the strung-out nature of the citizenry lead the island to be a crossroads for underworld trading and deals. Disrupting the machinery of this miserable place would interfere with the various scum of the seas and their ability to operate outside World Government jurisdiction. 

On his previous visit, he had managed to get a sample of the substance at the heart of all this. While he didn't have some miracle cure, he had been working on it. It was possible that, given the right supplies, he might be able to mess with the formula enough to ruin it and the equipment it was in. They would need to find the place where it was being produced though.

Looking up from beneath the brim of his hat, the sound of footsteps announced the arrival of his partner. Chuckling, he gave a sardonic wave. "Welcome to Bupae Island. It's kind of uphill in all directions from this miserable place." 

[Vio]

^{Ria #1}

---

New intel, new missions, new considerations. Willoughby Ria’s latest port of call was Bupae, and it certainly wasn’t a welcoming one. Through curious connections and the string-pulling of Cipher Pol, entry to the island had been secured, but that didn’t mean the local governing bodies weren’t being overzealous. To the resident Red Sparrow goons, she was just another foreigner worth observing for a few minutes before deciding she was inconsequential. Any tailing operatives had been shaken through a rather simple and standard itinerary that involved a suitcase, a brief grocery store visit, and checking into a hotel.

A few floors up with an inexpensive view that was basically worthless due to neighbouring buildings being so close, it was a cheap and cheerful room to be had as she stepped inside. What made the woman stop, however, was the presence of another as she allowed the door to close behind her, locking it for safe measure and stepping into the body of the room. The person’s existence didn’t seem to deter her, however, as she set the suitcase and bag of groceries down on the floor and removed the lightly rain-spotted trench coat, slipping it onto a coat hook before removing the black trilby from her hair and dusting dots of drizzle from the brim with her hand.

“You’re the first person to actually say that to me since I got here,” she replied after a pause, tossing the hat onto another of the hooks in a single fluid motion. At five and nine, slim of build and caramel of complexion, Agent Willoughby was mostly an unassuming woman dressed in what the masses would consider rather standard business attire — black pants and white shirt, with a simple suit jacket and dress shoes. What stood out, perhaps, was the pale aquamarine mess of hair that had fluffed up a little after being released from the hat, and the wet streaks running down her cheeks. “The welcome, that is: The hotel clerk was miserable. Misery loves company,” she scoffed as she continued the motions, taking up the grocery bag again and setting it on the countertop.

“I was told to expect a meeting with someone when I got here, but I wasn’t expecting you to already be in my hotel room. That’s assuming you are the one I’m supposed to meet, yes?” Ambiguous, but perhaps not as deceptive as was intended, she was sure enough that such words would weed out something as she took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears that had started to crawl down her face. Soon thereafter, Ria’s personal expenditures had been set out along the countertop — small helpings of meat, vegetables, and rice which almost immediately found itself being rinsed in a pot to be cooked…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>Agent Ria finds herself far from alone in her hotel room.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff

[Tokoz]

 Nodding as Ria commented on the state of the place, Lassa flipped the folder they were reading closed and set it on the bed, standing up and looking down at the shorter agent. Tapping his chin for a moment, he considered her as she began cooking.

After a moment, he tilted his head. "Need help with that?" Moving to stand nearby but not quite in the way, he leaned against the wall.

"Agent Willoughby Ria, second-generation agent. About 5'9, light build, with cerulean or azure hair depending on the poetic inclination of the person in question. Telltale sign is the frequent activity of your nasolacrimal ducts." He tapped the side of his face for a moment, just below the eye. He would be worried she was indeed sad, but she seemed calm enough and he had at least gotten a file on the newbie agent he would be working with. 

Intelligence was how Cipher Pol won battles, and he was interested in the young woman. He had been trained from a young age to be a Cipher Pol agent, but it was slightly different circumstances if his understanding of her parentage was correct. From the looks of things, she was more than competent enough.

"I appreciate the information-fishing attempt. Vague but not too vague, plausibly deniable. I am Agent Lassa Iskario, also frequently referred to by the codename Cointoss. In terms of capabilities, I am a Rokushiki Master specializing in Soru and Rankyaku techniques, as well as the use of my Devil Fruit, the Nuno Nuno no Mi." 

For a moment, his suit seemed to ripple and twist, and a moment later he was wearing a pair of pajamas, then a priest's robe, then a tacky suit, then his uniform again. "I can create and manipulate cloth, quite useful for disguises. If you're comfortable having me create an outfit for you for the mission, I can do that, but if not I can generally throw a layer over you in a pinch." 

Folding his hands, he tilted his head. "Is this your first mission, or have you been on any before? I got a basic summary but a full file is often unreliable for recent history." 

If it was the very first, then he would need to be a bit more careful to ensure he didn't get them in trouble due to assumptions. Still, from what he had gotten, he wasn't too worried about getting a complete rookie. 

[Vio]

^{Ria #2}

---

“You can dice up that cut of pork, if you’d like? Small cubes,” Ria responded as the stranger offered assistance, seeing no reason to disregard an extra hand as she gestured with a free forefinger and thumb the approximate size required: Smaller than most diced meat recipes, indicative of their purpose — to be rolled into something. And with that, he began to recite what she assumed was either a detailed briefing, or file information. There it was. Any caution duly held was released.

“That’ll be me. It’s a bit of a giveaway, I’ll agree,” she smiled calmly as the agent pointed out the tears. “A bit of creativity and I can pass it off as allergies, rain, or something.” Rice was washed and set to cook as Miss Willoughby went through the motions, not at all dissuaded, but she’d have rather avoided twiddling her thumbs and answering questions or listening to briefings. Bupae was a grim enough country as was, without the strict shadow of intelligence agency doctrine looming. A quick search uncovered a suitable knife, with which she quickly started to skin and slice an apple into fine slivers.

“Well, that’s handy,” Ria commented, line of sight breaking away from the apple momentarily as the sound of the knife paused. Slightly teary eyed, she observed the actions of Agent Cointoss and wondered. “Paramecia are so varied, even among similar powers, that no two are truly alike.” The words sounded almost like a recital, for that’s exactly what they were: Quoted from her father’s knowledge and understanding. “I just know Kami-E and Geppō, though I’m making some progress with Soru,” the weepy woman elaborated.

“It’s… Mm,” she hesitated, trying to find the words as she let the knife rest and scooped the apple chunks together to be simmered with the pork. “I’ve been on missions before, but this is actually my first fully ‘unsupervised’ mission.” And by unsupervised, she meant not under her father’s watch. In those instances, she really just played second fiddle to more competent agents of Cipher Pol, tagging along as an apprentice to watch and to learn in the hope that she would sooner be able to soak up their experience and add it to her own. But no, there was no actual replacement for getting into the thick of it, which is why she was here. “And my first being in a ‘forward’ role, if I’m not mistaken…?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>Agent Ria becomes more open after clarification comes her way.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff

[Tokoz]

  Taking a spare knife, Lassa began to carefully and methodically slice the pork into cubes. He wasn't a chef, but hey, dicing pork. Cutting someone open for surgery. Same thing, really. Not that he would probably announce that to a patient. 

 "Kami-e and Geppo are pretty useful, especially somewhere so vertical like this. Soru's a tricky one, although I admit to finding it a little funny you learned how to jump off air before you learned to kick the ground fast. Still, to each their own." He kept cubing, depositing the finished bits into a bowl as Ria cut the apples.

Once he had finished, he cleared out of the kitchen to let Ria simmer the apple and pork, and settled down in an armchair. Mulling it over for a moment, he quietly palmed a vial and took a swig. After a moment of creaking from the chair and her own bones, she nodded and tilted her head. "Paramecia are fun, although I admit I had been hoping for a Zoan. Would have helped a lot with my Rokushiki, but oh well."

After suddenly and rapidly changing gender presentation, height, and refusing to comment, Lassa hummed for a moment. First 'forward' role, huh? She remembered the first time she got to do something like that. It was exciting, but scary too. Nodding, she gave a reassuring smile. 

"Well, I look forwards to it. I got your back, if it comes to a fight or something, but I consider you an equal partner on this mission, don't worry about that." It was something of an interview as well, to see if she was a good candidate for Blackpage, but if Ria hadn't figured that out herself, no need to spoil the surprise. Getting a nervous newbie too caught up inside their own head was never a good idea.


"Do you have any questions about what we're doing? Not sure how much info they gave you on the way over here. I did some initial scouting, but I got uh... cut off by this woman. We're gonna keep an eye out for her as well, I suspect she might be a serial killer. So if you see a 16 foot tall woman with a whip and a top, let me know." That sounded like it was a joke, but Lassa was deadly serious. 

[Vio]

^{Ria #3}

---

“It was easier for me to put the strength and speed into a single step,” Ria shrugged. Rokushiki was an inherently superhuman series of arts, requiring strength, speed, and endurance to master. Learning all six styles wasn’t unheard of, but it was uncommon, as many trainees often found a roadblock of some kind — whether it be a physical or mental one. For Ria, she wasn’t entirely sure which of the two it was, but trial and error would pay off in the long run.

“Paramecia are fun,” Agent Cointoss spoke, by which point Agent Willoughby was made aware of the change, despite not having eyes upon it. All the same, her movements didn’t break as she set the finely diced pork and apple into a pan with some sauce and allowed it to get to temperature. The motions were fluid, but she finally moved teary eyes from her work to peer back into the suite. No, it was definitely the same person, but Ria was sure they could have passed themselves off with an alternative identity with very little issue.

A secret safe with her.

“Do you have any questions…?” Alright. There was a lot to unpack there, but Miss Willoughby thought better of it as she checked the pan and returned to her oddly rehearsed kitchen crusade, clearing up the aftermath as she waited for components to cook through. Finally, she set herself and put her focus upon Lassa, taking a moment — and a handkerchief — to wipe the streaks from her cheeks.

“Ah, ‘less is more’ was the approach, I think,” she elaborated. “I wasn’t told much about the nature of the mission, just the usual spiel of ‘high risk’ and ‘covert operations’. You know, the night shift security guard disclaimer.” For a moment, she considered her options, weighing the pros and cons of the mission as she knew it, and with it was an actually thoughtful look. A trained eyed would know she knew more than she was letting on. “It might just be a test of character, though? Feeling out where I sit in terms of caution and confidence,” Ria commented, making a vague weighing scale gesture before giving the pan a gentle stir…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>Agent Ria becomes more open after clarification comes her way.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff
Lassa Iskario [M] | #244613
Lassa Iskario [F] | #3b045c

[Tokoz]

"Well, one is easier than ten after all." Lassa shrugged, noting that Ria hadn't blinked at the sudden change. Good, for a number of reasons. You saw a lot of weird shit as a Cipher Pol agent. Leaning in inquisitively, she sniffed at the cooking food. Smelled pretty good. Was it an abuse of power to pull rank and ask for one if Ria didn't offer to share?

As Ria explained the information she had been given, or lack thereof, Lassa nodded slowly. It was clear she knew at least something of the purpose, but was once again fishing for information. Sitting down on the bed, and folding one leg over the other, she considered how best to phrase this.

"So, Bupae is run by the Red Sparrow Trading Company, you probably know that much. Surprisingly, it DOES count as a legal entity under World Government law, but mostly because they make their own laws here and technically haven't done anything illegal, even if the Fairy Dusk they make is illegal everywhere else." It was an odd loophole, but groups like this tended to live in the margins, getting by via technicalities. 

Flicking open a folder, she drew out a piece of paper and tapped the chemical analysis she had done of the drug. "We have a set of contaminants that will neutralize a lot of the active ingredients in the formula I found. If we lace their ingredients and the production vats, they'll be forced to throw away everything they've got and completely halt production to sterilize and replace the equipment. At the very least, it'll slow production for long enough to put them in a tight position."

There was pressure being put on suppliers to not sell to Bupae, which would force Red Sparrow to buy in bulk from less savory sources. Put their monopoly under threat, and the rats would scurry off to their contacts, another route into the web that was the Underworld's operations in Paradise. 

"So, our main target is a production facility on the edge of the city. Likely heavily guarded, possibly by members of the original pirate crew that formed the Red Sparrow Company." 

[Vio]

^{Ria #4}

---

Tending passively to her craft, Ria listened to the rundown provided, mulling over details as they were presented. She lightly rolled her eyes at the unfortunate legality of the Red Sparrow Trading Company. National independence was a right, even if the World Government’s goal was to weave it all together. So long as they existed as a trading partner, their influence would be grand enough to prevent any major upheavals. Stoking the fires of reformation was a tower game — remove the ‘wrong’ pieces and it all comes crashing down.

“Mm. Bupae Island and the R.S.T.C. are pretty much synonymous,” she uttered, having had to do very little digging of her own to learn this fact. That was the way of the world at this point. Some names, when mentioned, were soon followed by others. This was just one of those combinations. “At the very most, it’ll topple them completely, but that’s wishful thinking,” Agent Willoughby followed, considering pros and cons as she gave the pan another quick stir and checked the rice.

^{“So, our main target is,” Lassa finalised:
“…Likely heavily guarded…”}

“The ‘Red Sparrow’ himself, James Hideki and his progeny,” Ria duly noted, having done her own research into Bupae before departing. The man was a terrifying individual by deeds alone, though Cipher Pol’s available records to rookie agents were mostly redacted information and vague details that could have easily been included in a publication of the World Economy Newspaper. To be fair, that was also in part due to the nature of James Hideki, elusive and mysterious despite being such a renowned name in Paradise. “Doubtful they would be there, though; given how much control they have over Bupae, it doesn’t make any sense for them to pay a direct visit unless production had already taken a hit,” she added with a soft shake of her head and another wiping of tears.

“Maybe some of the lesser known officers, but that doesn’t help narrow it down…” A hand ran through her hair, scratching her scalp as she measured out the aspects of the operation. “Pretty big for a crew this side of the Red Line from what I could find. Doesn’t matter too much, right? Just a matter of figuring out who to avoid the most — that’s assuming we’re going at this standard. I take it that building plans for these facilities aren’t shared knowledge?” It was a stupid question, but one worth asking all the same. She’d been surprised what ingredients she’d managed to get a hold of locally, so maybe another surprise could come her way. Still, it was shaping up as if the sabotage would be the easiest part of the mission…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>As the mission is explained, Ria analyses the information and shows her own knowledge.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff
Lassa Iskario [M] | #244613
Lassa Iskario [F] | #3b045c

[Tokoz]

 Shaking her head, Lassa clicked her tongue. "Would that we be so lucky, but no. No public information whatsoever, and if there was any, I'd be almost certain it was a trap more than anything."


Humming for a moment, she tilted her head. "Ideally, there won't be any high-ranking officers, but if there are, we're probably better off retreating. No sense in blowing our cover or getting killed, that'll just put them more on guard. If either of us can take out the people there, though, that'll be a big blow to their fighting strength and ability to figure out what happened there. Assuming a sudden surge in competence from local rebels, or a hostile coup... so much the better." 


Finishing with her task, Lassa casually produced a silky-soft handkerchief and passed it over to her partner. Wiping your eyes got rough after a while, and it wasn't like she could run out of the things. 

Leaning back against a counter, she hummed for a moment. How to proceed... well, first a meal. No sense in letting what was shapping up to be excellent fuel go to waste. 

"So... Anything personal you're comfortable sharing?" She said, leaving the door open but not requiring Ria to go through it. 

[Vio]

^{Ria #5}

---

“That’s a point,” Ria nodded, turning her focus to the food again as Agent Cointoss talked of ideal scenarios versus better judgement. They made a fair argument, showing logic and experience in spades, for no agent in their right mind would stand still in the face of death if they could better avoid it. Only the most heinous subjects better left to the shadows and annals of history deserved such sacrifice. The World Government could replace lost agents, but it couldn’t easily replace good agents.

“Mm? Thanks,” Agent Willoughby uttered, accepting the offering as she tended to the pork and apple. “There’s not much more to know, to be frank,” she uttered. “My father’s an agent, raised me and trained me, and sometimes I was left to look after myself. Turns out learning to cook is a great way to pass the time.” A stirring of the simmering dish caused a pronounced hiss from the pan. The sounds of her craft helped her to reminisce without feeling too awkward about it.

“Longest I was ever alone was about twenty days,” the rookie agent spoke, taking a moment to make use of the silk handkerchief before setting it in the cuff of her sleeve, eyes for once maintaining a dry state as she made work of some of the greens. “We were about to sit down for supper when one of his colleagues knocked. It was important, so he had to leave without eating, so I thought: What if I cooked meals for him to take with him? Lo and behold,” she gestured openly to her preparations, emphasising her point without further clarification, and took a moment to ponder the next move.

^{“And what about you, Agent Iskario?” she queried:
“Anything to air? …Rice won’t take much longer…”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>The conversation continues and Ria shares some vague information on her past.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff
Lassa Iskario [M] | #244613
Lassa Iskario [F] | #3b045c

[Tokoz]

A simple enough story, though one with many implications of it's own. Many Cipher Pol agents were chosen from the children of previous agents, after all. Even if Lassa was technically an 'orphan', she had been selected by Director Codex in some sense. She wouldn't be surprised if others had as well, though. But she had proven herself, and there was definitely other children in the orphanage who had remained in the light. 

"I can respect that. It's always good to have some other skill or hobby. For me..." She hummed for a moment, rolling a line of bandage over her fingers and then flicking it away. "I found myself interested in the medical field, and clothing to some degree. Clothes make an infiltrator, and ill-fitting clothes ruin one. Plus... well, you might as well look good, no?" 

Left unsaid was that the interest in the medical field had lead to other benefits for her as well. She had never felt quite... right, growing up. The hormonal serum she used to swap back and forth between her two presentations had done a lot for that. Selling it as a benefit for an infiltrator hadn't been hard either. 

Sniffing slightly, she inclined her head. "Looks like the rice is done." Straightening up, she wordlessly offered help to Ria until the food was dealt with. Once they were ready to eat, the pots and pans, utensils and other detritus began to move across the counter towards the sink. A series of lengths of cloth passed them from one to the other, and began to wash and scrub, then pass to clean cloths to dry. 

Aside from the slightly show-offy demonstration of their power, Lassa seemed to be thinking. As they looked out the window, they muttered, half to themselves and half to Ria, "Don't know quite when the shifts change, but odds are the early morning, 4:30 or so is our best bet. Humans like nice even numbers, like 6 or 8. If we can get an idea of when the shift changes, then an hour or two until it changes in the early morning. People should be the least alert then." 

[Vio]

^{Ria #6}

---

A simple dish, yet good for what it consisted of. Agent Willoughby had done everything in suitable measure, aided by the hands of Agent Iskario, and now it seemed that Lassa’s innumerable tricks served another cause. Though she didn’t say it, she had to admit: That Devil Fruit was a household wonder. Lassa’s mind was on the mission, though, as they uttered times and possibilities.

“Mm,” Ria nodded, her hand making a loose gesture that didn’t really mean anything to anyone. “Even if you’re practically running the place, it’s prudent to go with the usual workforce flow. That way, there’s even less of a risk of rousing suspicion in places you don’t want people sniffing around. Bupae may be corrupt, but it’s a city first and a criminal enterprise second.” For a moment, the weeping woman considered if the words she’d just spoken made any sense in the grand scheme of things—standard criminal logic wasn’t always applicable to hubs of parasitism such as these.

^{“Hmm… It’s your call, but I think,” she added:
“It might be worth going and taking a better look now…”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>Ria suggests an option.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff
Lassa Iskario [M] | #244613
Lassa Iskario [F] | #3b045c

[Tokoz]

"Mmm. I agree. If we move now, we can get an idea of the shift changes, then wait till the right moment later. Also gives us some time to trade off sleeping, make sure we're fresh before we get going." Lassa mused, before nodding firmly. "Let's finish up the food, then we can go."

Once the cooking had finished, Lassa would consume some of the excellent smelling cooking if offered, before washing off any grease and doing a quick check of their clothes and outfit. Once everything was presentable, they turned and nodded firmly to Rea. 

"Ready to go?"

Their suit turned to a more mottled camoflague pattern, and as the window slid open under cloth tendrils, they grabbed the sill and flipped out. A tarp extended out, hiding their exit with a night-sky colored cloak, and also providing a platform for them to trampoline upwards and outwards, a Geppo kick taking them towards the nearest rooftop. Lassa watched Rea's progress over one shoulder, providing footholds with cloth where needed and putting up the occasional baffle to cover their movements as they headed for the factory. 

Soon enough, the pair would arrive, offering a view of their target and the entrance. Folding their arms, Lassa tilted their head towards it. "So, first read. Hit me." 

[Vio]

^{Ria #7}

---

Agent Willoughby finalised the meal she had been preparing, portioning it as appropriate. Honestly, despite the subpar quality of the ingredients she had managed to obtain, it wasn’t half bad. Cooking was trial and error, but the most important part of this experiment was to waste not, want not. Rationing the meal into four lots, two medium to sate current appetites and two small, she deposited the remainder into simple containers and neatly wrapped them to help keep them fresh enough for later consumption, stowing them away for later.

What followed soon thereafter was an exercise in disparity. Following Agent Cointoss was perhaps only made an easy feat by the fact that they were keeping an eye on her, for it quickly became apparent that Ria’s proficiency in Geppō was somewhat lacking in comparison to Lassa’s own. The veil of nocturne that cloaked them perhaps only exacerbated the ravine between their skills, but credit had to be given where credit was due: This was comparing a veteran Cipher Pol Agent to fresher blood.

“Hit me,” Cointoss said.

A quick wiping of watery brown eyes clearing her vision for a moment, Miss Willoughby observed the factory’s facade with an almost passive sweep of her gaze. Reconnaissance and information gathering were important tasks carried out by Cipher Pol’s standard branches, often with dedicated scouting units, but most agents were expected to be capable of ‘reading the room’ when on the job. The last thing a covert operative wanted to do was stick out like a sore thumb, which Ria might’ve done were it not for the black trilby containing her aquamarine mop. However, other things were far more standoffish.

“Difficult to just waltz in, but that shouldn’t be a problem,” she said after a few silent seconds of observation, taking note of the walls and fences about the compound—obstacles easily cleared by the pair’s aerial mobility. A finger flitted into a gentle indication of a particular point of interest, where the soft glows of burning tobacco could be perceived. “If those are the guards on perimeter patrol, then that’s a window of idling that’s exploitable,” Ria added, pausing for a moment as something caught her attention, “here comes another pair…”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synposis:—}
<sub>Ria follows Agent Cointoss and gives an observation of the factory.

Notes:— ——</sub>

---

Willoughby Ria | #f0ffff
Lassa Iskario [M] | #244613
Lassa Iskario [F] | #3b045c

[Tokoz]

 Watching the circling guards, Lassa nodded slowly. "Well spotted. It seems like they're not strictly tied to their schedule, it means there's openings we can exploit. A dropped bill of Beri, a forgotten item, something to hold them up." 

They peered down at the new pair of guards approaching, watching their movements and hearing the faint hum of conversation even from the distant vantage point. It might seem like they were idle, but it was notable that even while talking, the guards were looking past one another, scanning the surroundings of their patrol route. 

They were clearly either well trained, or impressed upon that any failure would not be tolerated. Whatever the reason, they weren't going to be fooled by some cheap trick like a stone tossed on the ground or faked ID, most likely. 

"Right then. Looks like we're in for a wait while we see what sort of schedule we're working with. Let me just...." Lassa spread their hands, producing a pair of hammocks with gaps in them to look out of. The cloth was carefully mimicking the colors of their surroundings. Latching them on, Lassa nodded to the impromptu cocoons. 

"Bit makeshift, but it should let us watch without drawing too much attention. Of course, if you have a better idea, by all means."