A Piece of Silver [Bowie]

[Jess]

I know, right~? Who knew shinobi could be so cute~?

Mochizuki Maya

It's amazing what people fail to notice when it's right above their heads, hm~? Left to muse silently as she exploited the gift that was given by the rampant growth of an oak tree and the hanging branch it had facilitated, Mochizuki Maya stayed quiet and camouflaged as she peered downward from the foliage and watched a man with a musket slung over his shoulder seem to march across the grass before her and shine a lantern about himself, just beyond the wall which was only a hop and skip beyond where she found herself perched.
Ignorance is bliss, I suppose~? Training herself in the art of discretion ever since she was a little girl thanks to the little bouts of mischief she played with her beloved brother, she was more than used to acting as a vixenly voyeur over those who seemed to have no idea of the fact that they were being watched, and yet at that same time, couldn't quite believe that fact as well. I mean, it had been shinobi one oh one for her to be aware of what was around her, right? No matter the direction.

And that's my cue~ At the very least glad that most were far from as habitually attentive as she tended to be as she remained apparently hidden and watched the man seem to finish his inspection and then stride along to leave only dimness and darkness in her wake, the perky pinkette nodded to herself before taking a step backward and then lurched forward in a sprint, and broke into a routine which would not only permit her access beyond the towering wall that would block off most outsiders but also stop herself breaking her neck as she did so.
“Hup~!” Vaulting from the branch which had supported her with only the effect of creating a slight sway and then feeling her heel connect with some of the brickwork which made up the obstacle, it wasn't long before she had flung herself forward into an acrobatic roll and hurtled toward the grass because of it, before barrelling along further like the wheel from a wagon in order to absorb the impact of her arcing descent.

Made it~! Finally returning to something of a typical inclination soon after as she brought herself to a steady halt and sprang up, or at least partially so, the bubbly belle beamed to herself as she perched in a crouch for a moment and glanced around herself to ensure the coast was clear, and lifted her fingers to her jacket as she did so as well.
So, this is where the fun begins, huh? Gripping the hood that had come loose in her deed and then pulling it back over that wild fuchsia mane in order to keep her identity a secret or as much of one as she could, before long she was speeding onward with her arms trailing behind toward the shining castle beyond and the prize which waited within it as well, and as she did so felt excitement building up inside her as well. After all, it wasn't every day that Maya got to add a chapter to the tale of the greatest shinobi who ever lived, was it? Or at least not yet, that was…

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Street Discreet

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	Post Summary
	Hiding in a tree next to the palace wall, Maya watches a guardsman and waits for him to leave. Springing into action once he does, she vaults onto and off the wall before rolling over the grass beyond, and pausing for a moment. Checking the coast is clear, she pulls her hood back up before ninja running through the darkness toward the palace itself.

[cowboyjotaro]

As Bowie’s leisurely footsteps melted into an ocean of hoofbeats and he strode across the square, he felt the wind pick up again - his signal. As always, every gust of wind in the Silver City announced along with it the falling of a stream of leaves. The square was positively covered in them. It also announced Bowie’ opportune moment. Ahead of him, a woman clad in a heavyset, wide dress - and most importantly, leather handbag hanging on the inside of her elbow - put her arm up to her face as leaves threatened to fall onto her.

“Oh, my apologies Madam,” Bowie said as he bumped into and walked past her. He nodded his head, and she paused at the sight of the black panther mink, quite an unusual encounter around those parts. As the suave character walked out of sight, his complexion at the forefront of the woman’s thoughts, she failed to notice the contents of her handbag which had suddenly gone missing: an advantage of Bono Bowie’s mink race for his criminal profession in a largely human world. Hook, line, and sinker.

The black panther mink turned his head upwards, as the setting sun’s orange light cast an iridescent blanket over the square, but most importantly, over the shining castle in the distance. He wasn’t simply a pickpocket, no. He was a talented con man and thief, with aspirations larger than the neatly folded cash in an innocent woman’s wallet. Ambitions, however, took time, and the cooperation of several other parties. It was for this reason, that since his arrival on the island a few days ago, Bowie had been working hard to bring his machinations into reality.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of the square behind, he hopped a small guardrail and ducked into a nearby alley, following the smooth stone surface of a building until his claws scratched the wooden grains of a heavy, outswinging door. Letting out a small grunt of effort, he pulled it open and made his way inside. Surprisingly well lit for such a dubious establishment, the jeweler’s store was covered with dingy display cases nonetheless filled with sparkling rings, bracelets, and necklaces of various compositions.

“It’s me,” Bowie said to no one in particular. From a smaller room in behind, a rotund, graceless man came tumbling out, clinging to the sides of the walls to balance the enormity of the gut he had to carry. “Bono Bowie, my feline friend! Welcome back! It’s such an honor to see you again!” Bowie waved a paw in front of him dismissively before lighting the end of a thick cigar he had placed between his teeth.

“Alright, alright. Enough small talk, Florian. You have what I need?” The rotund jeweler giggled excitedly and presented Bowie with a small case, which he inspected in between puffs of smoke. “It’s all here, cough. Everything you - cough, cough - requested. Could you please not smoke in here?” The panther mink ignored his request, nodding his head and pulling from the waist pocket of his dark pink suit jacket a wad of cash.

“As promised, the rest will arrive after I finish,” Bowie said, grabbing the case and making preparations to leave. “You trust me, don’t you?” Bowie asked, a smirk on his face. Florian laughed heartily. “I’d rather trust you than those crooks over at the Marine University. When do you begin my friend?

“I’ll set out for the castle just before nightfall.”

[Jess]

I know, right~? Who knew legend could be so cute~?

Mochizuki Maya

Well, well, well… The fuchsia fox certainly not expecting that she would not be the only one making an unexpected and unwelcome sojourn to the silver castle tonight, having become accustomed to working solo more often than not she had not at all considered the idea of taking on help in this little endeavour, and instead faced the darkness and the daunting task that lay ahead of her alone, with only her wit for company.
What's a nice castle like you doing all alone in a place like this, hm~? At the very least seeming to be afforded the chance to flex and hone the latter even if for her own benefit along, Maya smirked to herself as she closed in on the castle wall with a kind of speed which likely made her seem like a blur or the shadow of a bird flying past the moonlight, and all too quickly found herself pressed up against the surface as she once again scanned the perimeter.

They said it was in the basement, right? Going over the plan one more time as she let her breathing return to normal after that zippy little dash, Miss Mochizuki narrowed her eyes as she looked over the surface she needed to breach, but knew already that things would likely be far from as simple as finding an open door to slip inside.
A case of the old over-under, hm? Instead guessing that her best bet would be to slip through one of the windows on the floors above, folk seemed far less accustomed to securing such things given the obstacle of a steep fall which usually guarded them, but was hardly much of an issue for a gal like her.

Looks like I better get climbing, hm? The peppy pinkette able to take her own measures toward perfect preparation and proving that as she produced an item to aid her egress from her pocket, Maya began to twirl a length of narrow but strong rope which was attached to a hooked head as she searched for a place to snag it above her, and then smirked when she spied a spot.
“Hup!” With that launching that heavy end upward, she knew that it would be a matter of the merest minutes before she was inside, and then the real challenge would begin. So exciting, huh~?

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Street Discreet

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	Post Summary
	Zipping over to the side of the castle, Maya checks the coast is clear, then plans her entry. Knowing she has to head for the basement, she guesses she won't find a door open this late at night, and expects to have to go up to get down. Making use of a grappling hook, she starts to climb the wall to find an entry point…

[cowboyjotaro]

My Lord, Your Grace, Majesty, Eminence, these were all the former terms of address necessary for commerce with nobility. Then there were the platitudes necessary to assuage these outwardly confident people’s hidden insecurities. No, that large diamond encrusted ring isn’t too gaudy. Yes, it will make a wonderful and thoughtful gift for your wife. During these proceedings, while Bono Bowie would usually be worried about the sums of money he would be earning over the course of his scam, for now he had but one objective - to secure his own private workspace on the premises.

“Jeweler, we live in a world with many peoples of all races and colors. I do not judge you, but…I do not know you. I took this meeting because you came highly recommended. Now tell me, what makes your proposal a worthwhile one?” the noble asked.

“I appreciate that. I thank you sincerely and deeply for your time. My Lord, you understand, a custom piece of jewelry comes with special significance from the offerer, let alone an entire set. To the receiver of such a gift, the time spent in painstakingly crafting an item of that caliber will be at the forefront of the mind, and it will be as though you spent that time crafting it yourself,” Bowie insisted.

“My friend, however will I justify this costly purchase to my wife?” the noble retorted, more out of personal avarice than any heartfelt duty to his partner. Bowie smiled, showing the briefest of flashes of feline teeth, before waving his paws excitedly and convincingly.

“But my lord, the small details of the coin will be forgotten in the enormity of the gesture,” he smoothly replied, earning a hearty laugh from the noble.

“Right you are! How long will this take?”

“To create an ornate ring, or something of more diminutive size, would be the simple affair of a long day’s work. However, to make larger pieces, let alone a set, you see, would be longer and more expensive. I would not feel comfortable taking an advance of your funds and leaving your premises, nor would I want anything else but to complete the work with the utmost haste. If I may, I see all this real estate inside this magnificent palace…”

“You wish to take advantage of our hospitality? In the Silver Castle?” The noble frowned inquisitively, suspicions boiling to the surface.

“I wouldn’t need fancy quarters, or even quarters at all. I would simply require an empty room for my workshop - just a bed and a table, sir. It matters not if they’re from the servants' quarters,” Bowie replied, making sure to keep self-assured eye contact.

With a wave of his hand towards a nearby butler, the noble made it so. It was a strange request, to be sure, but his eyes gleamed with the greedy promise of winning back his wife’s favor. Unlike his spiritual predecessor, he wouldn’t be surprising his spouse with an entire castle - he wasn’t that foolish. And so it was that Bowie had successfully implanted himself that much closer to his target. He was in.

[Jess]

I know, right~? Who knew legend could be so cute~?

Mochizuki Maya

Bingo…! The guess of the girl on the wall seeming to bring quite a sense of satisfaction in its resolution, Miss Mochizuki couldn't help but smirk to herself as she eased a window open with the aid of a trusty kunai knife, and then slipped inside the defences with a mind toward cool caution.
Sleep tight little one, no need to worry about me~ Peeling back the curtains and peeking within and happy to see something small and perhaps cute snuggled up among the silk sheets nearby, the fuchsia fox flashed a wink toward the snoozing soul she saw before her and entered with all the quietness of a cat, but perhaps, lacked a little of the grace in doing so.

“Wuh…!” Surprising herself as she placed one limb after another but found an appendage seeming to clip what looked like a porcelain piggy which had been placed on the dresser she had to cross, the vision of the vixen seemed to widen as her effort toward entry was challenged for the very first time this evening, and so too were her reflexes.
No, no, no, no, no! Panic seeming to bring the best out in her all the same and propel her forward in a well practiced roll, the fingers of the fox were flung toward the falling object as she turned herself over and pulled it under her, and provided the hollow hog with a rather significant cushion in the form of her bust while doing so.

“Whew…!” Able to let loose a breath of relief for this fact and the soft sound of a few coins jangling within the item, which seemed infinitely preferable to the clattering and cracking of it bashing against the floor, Maya steadied herself for a second before straightening back up and setting the banking boar atop the dresser from which it had fallen.
Do that to me again, and I might have a mind to make some bacon…! Patting him on the head as she did so and then shaking her own as she chided the 'creature' and then turned around, once more the teenage trespasser was back on mission as she turned toward the door to the room, and the prize which lay beyond it for her. After all, she had broken in for more than just a child's allowance, hadn't she?

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Street Discreet

@tag

	Post Summary
	Finding a window unlocked, she enters quietly through a child's bedroom, staying quiet as not to wake them. Clipping and tipping a piggy bank, she snatches it out of the air acrobatically, and with minimal sound. Breathing a sigh of relief, she places the item back and chides it, before heading for the door.