A couple hours later found the lone Tenshi walking up to the pair lounging on the café’s veranda.
“Were you waiting long?” Tenshi asked, checking her menu’s clock.
“We just got here, actually.” Charles grinned and winked, flicking his hair.
“Charles…we’ve literally been sitting here for two hours,” Isaac corrected him.
“C’mon bro, I always wanted to use that line!” he complained, getting to his feet and stretching. “So anyways, how was your “girl’s time”, Tenshi? Did you get all your shopping done for tomorrow?”
“In truth, they dragged me from place to place so quickly, I had no time to buy any equipment.” Tenshi shook her head. “We went to an arcade, a clothes boutique, a gun range, a bookstore, a poison dealer’s, a cake shop, mugged some street thugs, ate ice cream…”
“Is that what passes for “girls time” these days?” Isaac raised an eyebrow. “I just knew there was something off about those three.”
“Three?” Tenshi questioned, tilting her head. “Ah, I forgot to mention that we met up with a fourth person part way through the day.”
“Another member of Nor’s guild?” Isaac asked.
“No, none of us had met her before,” Tenshi explained. “She and Kage ended up vying against each other at the arcade for the top score in Taiko. After an intense fight, she beat Kage and all previous high-scores, so she was dragged along by the rest of Peppermint Eyeglass to celebrate."
“Sounds like you had fun, at least,” Isaac laughed.
“Mmm-hmm,” Tenshi nodded
“Well, if you didn’t buy anything for yourself, we should probably do some last-minute shopping before we all log out,” Charles suggested, sizing up Tenshi. “You don’t seem like the type to wear armour and you already have a pretty sweet weapon, but you could always use some potions and reagents.”
“I see.” Tenshi nodded again. “Do you know of a good location to procure such wares?”
“Charles and I just went to an NPC-run store,” Isaac explained. “Since its just basic game items, all NPCs have the same stock, and we were able to sell our loot from our battle earlier.”
“Understood,” Tenshi acknowledged. “Lead the way.”
As one, the party turned and headed back into the shopping district.
“Hey, before we get started with the shopping, remember what I told you earlier?” Charles asked Isaac.
“About subscribing to Summer_BRYZ?”
“No, not that. Well, do that too. But I’m talking about recruiting our newest member!” He clarified.
“Oh right, you did say you had a plan…” Isaac looked skeptical. “Something tells me it’s some outrageous long shot of a scheme.”
“Hell yeah it is!” Charles grinned back. “But it’s practically a sure thing. Just follow my lead, and we’ll have a new teammate before the day’s up.”
“That…sounds shady,” Isaac complained.
“He said it was a sure thing,” Tenshi defended. “Do you have a plan with equal efficacy?
“Just because he says it’s a sure thing doesn’t mean it is a sure thing,” Isaac interjected.
“Bro, what’s with the trust issues?” Charles punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“We literally just met this morning!” Isaac defended. “Ah, screw it, let's give it a shot.”
“Isn’t friendship a beautiful thing?” Charles grinned to Tenshi.
“I am truly witnessing the bond between men,” Tenshi agreed.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Isaac grumbled. “So, what’s the plan?”
*******
“You’re sure this is going to work?” Isaac complained for the fifth time.
“Trust me, bro,” Charles assured him for the fifth time. “The less I tell you, the more natural your acting'll be. Leave the timing and fine-tuning to yours-truly.”
“Okay, but why do I have to be the one bullying Tenshi?” Isaac interjected. “Can’t it be the other way around? I don’t know if I can be a convincing thug.”
“Do you want to attract a teammate or not?” Charles replied, scanning the bustling city square. “Nobody’s going to care if they see you getting attacked by a girl. However, if they see a PYT like Tenshi getting roughed up by some thug, we’ll get more white knights showing up than you can shake a stick at! Now run through it one more time.”
“Agh…fine,” Isaac caved, turning to Tenshi. “Uh…apologies in advance.”
“My body is ready,” Tenshi replied, stone-faced.
Isaac slammed the wall next to her head. “Um…Where’s the money, Tenshi?” he growled. “Hand over your dosh now, and nobody gets hurt!”
“Good, but don’t use her name!” Charles coached.
“Help me, there is a thief,” Tenshi intoned methodically. “Please sir, do not commit violence upon me, I will provide the monetary goods you desire.”
“Okay, a little more emotion and a little less formality,” Charles interjected. “Try something like “KYAAA! Help! A robber! Please don’t hurt me, I’ll give you the money!”
“Did I not say something to that effect?” Tenshi questioned.
“You need to get more into the spirit of things,” Charles explained, gesturing vaguely. “Really let the passion flow. Here, let me show you. Ahem.”
He took a deep breath, then contorted his face into a mask of unbridled anger. Reaching out, he picked the blank-faced Tenshi up by her shirt front and shook her like a rag doll.
“Yo girly, drop the loot or you’re dead meat, you hear me?” he growled.
“KYAAA! Help! A robber! Please don’t hurt me, I’ll give you the money!” Tenshi screamed back.
“Nice, that’s the way!” Charles winked.
“What is my next line?” Tenshi queried.
“Hmmm, try…” Charles started.
“Hey, is there a problem here?” a voice broke him off. Standing outside the alleyway was a lone figure garbed in a knee-length black robe. A vivid red dagger poked ostentatiously out of the front of his outfit, catching the eye against the black backdrop.
“Huh? Why don’t you beat it, kid?” Charles shooed the adventurer away.
“Huh? Why don’t you beat it, kid?” Tenshi dutifully parroted to Charles.
“You heard her, pal. Just walk away, nice ‘n cool like,” the cloaked figured cautioned, drawing his dagger.
“What? No!” Charles complained to Tenshi. “Look, now he’s got the wrong idea about me!”
“Hey, what’s going on?” another voice interjected. Looking over, Isaac saw that where one cloaked figure had stood, now a crowd of at least a dozen equally garbed adventurers had gathered, along with a couple confused NPCs.
“I heard a girl scream.”
“What’s going on here?”
“Need a hand, little lady?”
"Hello, brave adventurer."
“Hey, is this a shake-down?”
The crowd pressed into the alleyway.
“Hey, beat it, I’m taking care of this!” the red-daggered adventurer complained.
“With that little pigsticker?” someone shot back.
“What’ll we do, Charles?” Isaac whispered.
“We roll with it,” Charles shrugged. “Improv is the soul of acting. It’s almost the right time anyway.”
As if on cue, Isaac noticed a half dozen NPC guards making their way towards the alleyway on their regular rounds.
“Nice, right on schedule.” Charles grinned. He turned to the daggered adventurer. “This is my business. Wanna make something of it, noob?” He tossed Tenshi to the side.
“Ohhh, you asked for it,” the adventurer growled. “I’m the Hitman class, so I can attack in town zones. Bet the same can’t be said for you!” Lowering his dagger, the player lunged at Charles.
“Whoops,” Charles dodged out of the way, grabbing the player by the scruff of his robe and throwing him dagger-first into the waiting throng.
Shunk.
The player’s dagger slipped into the chest of an unfortunate NPC.
“What’d I ever do to you?” the villager complained calmly as he collapsed dead on the ground, the dagger still imbedded in his chest.
“Aw hell, now look what you made me do!” The Hitman moaned.
“Right, what’s all this, then?” the captain of the guard exclaimed, plowing through the crowd with his detachment goose-stepping behind him.
“Oh shoot!” the Hitman dropped the corpse and leapt backwards.
“Hmm…” The captain dropped to one knee and felt the NPC’s body. “Wound’s still fresh, there’s a murderer about!”
He stood up and looked at the Hitman.
“Hey, it wasn’t me!” he defended.
“Well met.” The NPC nodded. “I am Echibalt Wrenniger, captain of the guard.”
“I’m telling you I didn’t do it!”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“It was him!” The Hitman pointed at Charles.
“Very well, until next time.” The captain turned back to his regiment. “Better make a perimeter, men. The murderer may still be among us.”
“I’m telling you, that guy over there just mugged a girl and killed that villager!” the Hitman shot back, grabbing the captain by the shoulder. “Arrest him, you hack!”
“Try that again, and you’ll be sorry,” the guard cautioned.
“Oh, damn it all, I’m going home.” The Hitman threw up his hands. Walking over to the villager, he bent down and retrieved his dagger from the corpse.
“Thief!” the captain declared.
“Help, we’re being robbed!” a citizen called out.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Guards, over here!”
The captain turned to the Hitman. “Stop, lawbreaker! Return your stolen goods and pay the fine, or rot in prison. Your call.”
“What, no! This is my dagger! It has my name on it!” the player defended.
“Bad decision, miscreant,” the captain declared, drawing his sword.
“Never should’ve done that,” a guard seconded, moving in.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Prepare yourself!” the captain called out, swinging his sword.
The Hitman dropped low, scampering back into the crowd for cover.
However, the captain followed doggedly, swinging his sword wildly as the scene erupted into chaos.
“Ow, shoot, stop that!” a player complained as the captain’s swings caught him.
“Aghh, he got me!”
“Run, damn it!”
“Think you can just stab me and get away with it?” a heavyset player growled, lashing out with a haymaker at the guard.
“Bad decision, miscreant,” the captain turned on the player, still swinging.
“Never should’ve done that,” the guard behind him chimed in.
“Uh, is it just me, or is this super bad?” Isaac asked Charles worriedly.
“Nah, this is great, it’s more or less what I planned.” Charles looked on with smug satisfaction. “Now we just wait for a REAL hero to show up.”
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