Vicious-Carthrat Tanewaki, Badass in training?

[Bean Bandit]

The Architecture isn't particularly imaginative, here. The Club, proclaimed as 'Blue Crow' by a neon sign out front, is a square building among other square buildings. The only blatantly obvious shady feature is the alleyways. All the buildings in the area are connected by alleys between, and if the look on the way in was any indication, behind the buildings. A perfect setting out of the public eye for small time deals of an extralegal sort, or merely a hiding place for those that don't fit in-though what sort of person might not fit into a place like this is a definite mystery.

No one comes and goes in the time that Vicious is watching the club, though it -is- a bit odd that it's open this time of the morning. Still, business seems poor today. The only real sign of life was a flicker of movement in the alleys behind the club just as he approached, but all was still now.

[Carthrat]

It was probably poor every day.

Who'd want to live in this crapheap of a town? And how did people get there in the first place? These weren't pressing questions, but the entire place was such a slum.

No women, no children, no anything. What a worthless waste of a city. It hadn't been having a good effect on the bleak-faced rogue. The structure of the place made it.. hard to care. Hard to see beyond it.

It was more like purgatory. A waiting room for sinners.

'Vicious', as he'd started thinking of himself for the sake of sanity, moodily stared at the walls. Safety seemed like such a joke, suddenly, and simply waiting did wonders to ruin alertness.

[Bean Bandit]

Fortunately, nothing untoward happened to threaten the wonderful mood. The occaisional drunk wandered by, but most people had better places to be, this time of day.

Unfortunately, as it stood, the buildings on either side, and directly behind the club were commercial buildings as well, short and squat and with only front windows available. Though, on the street behind, there was a building that looked like it might suit. It wasn't very tall, but it looked like apartments, and it offered a view into the back alley. Though what kind of view wasn't certain, as the building itself sat diagonal to the Blue Crow, leaving vantage as uncertain at best.

[Carthrat]

If worst came to worst, he could try the roof.. it's not like anyone would be looking up there, anyway.

Vicious starts to walk around the main streets towards the building, checking his watch as he goes. But, if he's late, he would have trouble caring, anyhow.

[Bean Bandit]

Vicious isn't really impeded at all-the apartments look to be mostly abandoned, but there might be a few still occupied here and there, and no one seems to care much about guarding anything but their own little chunk of land. As he ascends to the roof, his watch reads ten to eleven. He's ten minutes early. So much for spiting 'her'...

[Carthrat]

Though, really, that's what he's doing by not being in front of the cafe proper. He's close enough, now, to see who else shows up there, and to head down there if he feels he should.

[Bean Bandit]

The perch on the roof provides a lovely view(Some effort in kicking open the access door, warped shut was required) Vicious can see the half of the alley that's nearest the rear of the Blue Crow, but the back half seems to be a blind spot.

Minutes tick away slowly, the lonely vigil rather uneventful. In fact, it casts the phone call somewhat into doubt-until precisely as Vicious watch strikes eleven, motion in the alley is detected.

A small boy, perhaps ten years old dashes into the alley at top speed, a small package under his arm. Not entirely a strange sight...aside from his clothing. Not only do the bright colors-Yellow and black and green-stand out starkly in the gloom, but the nature of them, a traditional japanese gi and hakama catch one's attention. He darts into the blind spot, and Vicious can see a swirl of old, ratty cloth. Minutes tick by, and a man, tall and thin and sporting a gaudy wool cap enters the alley, looking annoyed.

[Carthrat]

Still twenty-three minutes to go. Vicious figures it'll take about five to get to the back from this apartment if he goes at a brisk pace, so... he keeps watching for another other newcomers.

[Bean Bandit]

The scene below plays out like a silent movie. Or it would if voices weren't distantly audible. The thin man is joined by another friend, and they spend several minutes scouring the alley, even checking the trash cans.

The sounds of cursing are clearly audible, even on the roof. They appear to put a fair bit of vigor into searching the alley, but after a twenty minute, and ultimately fruitless search, they leave, carefully, and looking around as they make their getaway.

The alley returns to silence, the sound of the wind in Vicious's ears the only audible noise. And, at 11:23 exactly, down to the second...the boy emerges again, though his clothes are obscured by a heavy looking cloth wrapped around his body as he heads over to a vent near the rear of the Blue Crow, and begins pulling small objects from his gi and examining them...

[Carthrat]

Once the men have left, Vicious starts making his way down from the apartment roof, intent on catching up with the child.

[Bean Bandit]

Not a difficult task, as it turns out. The trip from the rooftop is rapid, not even a door left to impede progress, this time. There's even a door that empties out into the alley, and Vicious finds himself barely ten meters from the boy.

He's still sitting under the vent, and examining what appears to be between five and eight wallets. He looks up as Vicious opens the door into the alley, locking eyes with him.

OOC:[23:13] * Hatbot --> "Makoto rolls 2d8 and gets 7."12 [2d8=4, 3]]

Vicious is suddenly struck by the boy's resemblance to an anime character. The clothes, tanned skin and dark mop of hair...isn't that Yahiko Myojin?

[Carthrat]

"Glad to find another anachronism," says Vicious, sarcastically. "You here for her, too?"

[Bean Bandit]

Yahiko blink-blinks, puzzlement etched on his face as he looks at Vicious, suspiscion and mistrust sharing space with confusion. "Her who?" He asks, then narrows his eyes. "Wait, are you after Kaoru? Kenshin won't go easy on you when he finds us..." the boy warns, though his face reveals the threat to be largely a bluff-but him letting the heavy cloth drop, and reaching for the shinai attatched to his back is most definitely not bluffing. "And she may be an ugly cow, but you can't have her."

[Carthrat]

"Ah, I'm mistaken. Sort of. No, I don't have anything against that person, or anyone else." responds Vicious, cocking an eye in wry amusement.

"I don't think they'll find us here, though, which leads me to my question for you; how is it you came to be here?"

[Bean Bandit]

"That's a weird question." Yahiko observes sourly. "How did you know we're not from this...place?"