Julen City positively buzzes with activity, the heart of a "small" megalopolis and overflowing with millions of people's lives and businesses. It's full of businessmen and lawyers and taxi drivers...and also has its share of misfits. The residents' many idiosyncrasies make it an ideal place for individuals who are genuinely different to blend in and give no indication that they're part of this modern world's second, magical, and largely unheard heartbeat.

---

Yin Iejir--Yin Belikov, she reminds herself, no using the Draconic tongue here--pays the cab driver in cash, and then looks up at the city. Her white hair contrasts sharply with a black cowboy hat, which is pulled lower to her eyes against the sun in short order. That done, she begins to walk. Doesn't know where she's going yet, only that answers aren't going to find her standing here.

It's the first time she's been here on business. A couple of established vampire slaying guilds are based out of this city, but there's nothing on the records about any notable's interest in the affairs of dragons. But...here she is. It's a big city to search, but then, it had taken her a month to narrow it down from a hemisphere. Square mileage aside, she doesn't doubt that this last part is going to be the most difficult. But she's running low on time. A missing dragon's egg is no small matter...for any party involved.

Just as the cab pulls away, someone steps out of a nearby coffee shop and begins to walk parallel to Yin. He's dressed much like her, in clothes obviously meant to be unassuming, though his features are certainly dark where hers are light. Aquiline, perhaps a little on the aristocratic-looking side, his only unusual feature is a spiderweb tattoo that spills down and over the upper bridge of his nose, and between his eyes.

"Does it always rain in Julen?" he asks, though the sky is quite cloudless today.

"More or less unprecedented, at least according to old reports. You must be..."

"Ah-ah-ah, no names." The man, walks a little closer, within soft-speaking distance. "You can call me Six, while we're here. Your presence tells me that your superiors haven't decided to act against the city yet, am I correct?"

"Quite so. Our primary objective is to retrieve the object intact and without largescale detection. If the latter goal becomes too unlikely...then, and only then, with the typhoon." Yin's eyes dart up and to the side at something in the periphery of her vision. No. Just someone wearing similar colours. Damn sunlight. Even when it doesn't burn, it doesn't make things easy. "Have yours uncovered anything?"

"Hold on." Six pauses at the street corner, fishing around in his pocket in front of a hot dog vendor. He pulls out a five dollar bill, grumbling a little. He holds it out to Yin, showing her only the reverse side, which is covered in writing. "Do you have change for this?"

"Sure. Just a moment." She allows a smile to a fellow with a turned head as she reaches into a perfectly ordinary--albeit high-end--messenger bag. She does work for dragons, after all, and they make sure that she's well taken care of. She holds out a few ones as she replaces her wallet. There are only two words writen on her bills, and just on the top one...someone's name, as circlated bills sometimes get marked with. This "person" is just a pre-arranged confirmation that ye, she is actually the dracomancer.

"Great, thanks. Want one?" Six breaths a sigh of relief. That's the seventh marked bill he's had to give out today-- a curse of the job, he's sure-- and finally, he's received the right answer.

"That's okay. I prefer to brown bag it." She smiles, close-mouthed, and just looks over the notes quietly.

Six takes a moment purchasing the food - "One dog with everything, and I mean, I don't want to be able to see the hot dog." - while she reads. The words aren't of too much importance, except for the ones at the start of every line, which read vertically as the message. It's a fairly common code among his particular syndicate.

"Object found Upper West Side Wyvern Complex"

H...uh. Well, that makes it much easier. Puts it away as he returns with an over-laden hotdog, and glances over it amusedly. "Street food seems to be one of the most redeeming traits of cities this size."

"I hear you. Let's walk." He thanks the vendor, whose waving arm shows just the slightest trace of a spiderweb tattoo on the elbow. "Take my advice. Don't stir up the W's. Stealth is your best friend where they're concerned."

"Duly noted. So what's your involvement intended to be?"

"I'm not involved, technically. You know." He smiles. "Bureaucratic absence of presence."

"Then what will your ghost be up to?" Yin sips something from an opaque flask, to a distincly iron-esque scent in the air. That and something a little spicy. Oh yeah. That's the stuff.

"I can give you information when I have it," Six nods, "also, my people are prepared to offer you sanctuary if you need it. Only, if you piss off the W's, don't expect us to step between them and your people. Okay?"

Really, it's an exercise in self-control to be sipping at her dinner in such an "ooo, I have a latte" manner. But, eh. "Wouldn't dream of it, and thank you." Really, only one of "her people" is likely to step in on her behalf should something go wrong in most circumstances, too, at least with any promptness. Dragons are like elves: geriatric and with no practical conception of mortal time. "So, Phasm, do you have various schematics, or is the gameplan up to me next Friday?" Eh. Tonight or tomorrow.

"Well..." Six takes a bite of his hotdog's toppings. Too much to get right to the meat. "Mmff." Swallows. "Wyverns and Dragons have always been at odds. No one really knows why," he explains as the enter a less populated street. "My people coexist with both sides, and we do business evenly with both. No one made any mention of this missing object until a few days ago when one of our Nephila somewhere else caught wind of your search. That's how I knew to contact you. Spiders are careful, you know."

"As long as the races' memories are, even they can't give a consistent story of how hostilities first arose," Yin observes wryly. Finally and hesitantly puts aside her blood. She'll finish this flask later. "As you might imagine, it was equally relieving and distressing to uncover that the missing object fell into the hands of wyverns. On the one hand, they won't carelessly expose the continued prevalence of dragons into the general and magical publics' eyes, they can't without exposing themselves as the same. However, we fear what might be done with it, and further, it's being treated as a hostage situation." Doesn't give any indication on just how close that egg is going to be getting to hatching. His contacts may or may not have that figured, it depends on how far back they'd been able to trace and chronologically place her pokings.

Six notes the flask, and quickly finishes his hot dog. Then, he munches a mint - there was an awful heap of onions on that thing. "I'm not convinced the Wyverns actively sought a Dragon egg. It's not something anyone's ever been able to study, with the rarity of them, so stealing one would pose far too risky for too little potential gain. It could be a plant, though, to further hostilities."

"If so, it worked. It could be for study. It could be bait for something else. It could be for a fair number of things I'm not at liberty to discuss. Either way, it's coming back. I hate answering to pissed off elder dragons. You've heard the phrase, I'm sure. Crunchy and good with catsup." Okay, so not really, but it makes her chortle. Meanwhile, wavering in the ethereal plane and walking along beside her, a certain ice dragon shakes his head. Ugh. Silly creatures. We prefer mustard, his voice notes faintly and briefly, leading to a seemingly more or less unprompted snicker on Yin's part.

"Spiders have the same saying, only we like mustard better," Six notes, snickering a little bit. He has no idea the ice dragon is there at all. He holds up a hand, nearly imperceptible black spider hairs listening to the wind. "Tonight's a good time to get into the complex.  I can help you, personally, if you think you'll need it." Six smiles. Dragons are great, but no Dragon ever out-snuck an arachnid.

Yin is silent a bit, evaluating...a lot of things. The reasons they have to think the real-life Spider-men have vested interest in the egg's retrieval. His stance. Breathing. Voice. Finally..."I'll go out on a limb here and say that the help would be welcome." Nods a little. "Has the place been cased?" She has more work on it than she'll let on--it's one of about five suspect locations she's narrowed down during forty-odd hours in the air this last week and a half--but not enough to pull something off yet.

"Every place has been cased. It's a full security building. Guards, tripwires, proxies, the whole bit. Facial recognition, too. There'll be no disguised entry."

Yin smirks after a few moments. "We should get married. Just for the sake of being able to answer the 'so what was your first date like?' question."

"I like my ladies with eight legs, thank you," Six answers prettyquickly, grinning a bit. "Besides. You're a little old for me."

"Robbing the sticky, stringy cradle is a healthy hobby," she assures. Is thinking over the task at hand over the top of her joking, though. "What are you considering the most likely point of entry? First choice?"

"Me? Underworks. As long as you don't mind walking on webbing, I can probably get you into the building." Six crumples up his hot dog wrapper, for the sake of something to do with his hands.

"It wouldn't bother me. Recommended equipment?"

"No metal, and keep it light. Silk isn't unbreakable, no matter what you read in the comic books." Oh yeah. You would never catch this man in a red and blue leotard.

Still, she can't resist. "Long underwear on the outside a requirement, or a perk?"

"Everyone's a comedian. I hope you brought your own gear?"

Yin nods. "I have a couple of errands to run between now and then. When and where should I meet you?"

"There's a nest underneath the La Guernica Airport. Spiders own it, so all you have to do is tell them the name I gave you when they ask you for your flight number." Six glances to one side. "I can't remind you. I think we're being shadowed."

He's right, too. A human police cruiser is rolling up behind them, slowly, without flashers. Two officers sit in the front seat, one speaking on a radio, the other driving.

Yin nods. "God, I hope they just think we're terrorists or something mundane like that. See you later, then." A smile and congenial wave later, as though letting an old acquaintence go, and she just heads off on her way. Wants to get away from the sun, mostly, but also to see how this tail is acting. It's amazing how much of the everyday world is actually directed by dragons and wyverns in high places, even though the directed don't know that. And this isn't a draconic city.

Six, of course, walks off as though nothing unusual is going on. The cruiser immediately turns on its siren and lights.

"Halt where you are," the megaphone demands from the car, "both of you, lie down and place your hands behind your backs."

Six sighs. "They don't even pretend to be civil anymore."

"At least nowadays they at least read you your rights before trying to stake you," Yin smirks. Running won't be good. If the police department isn't controlled by wyverns and/or her identity hasn't been confirmed, it will draw attention to herself that she can't afford. Thus, she just sinks to her knees and then lays on her face, setting her obscenely white wrists and gloved hands behind her. "I usually charge for this," she calls silkily.

Six looks down. "No kidding," he notes. "Excuse me if I don't take the same route as you." He takes off the other way, to a bark of annoyance from Radio Cop who takes off after him, calling for backup. Driver Cop, hand set on his pistol, moves to handcuff Yin.

She doesn't stop this. She wants to see where this is going. And if they try to detain her and aren't actually people of any note...well, she has ways. Smirks at Six. Yay him. "So what am I being charged with, darling?"

"You have the right to remain silent. So shut the fuck up." He snaps the cuffs over her hands. "We'll figure out what to charge you with later."

"Ooo! How exciting. It's been awhile since I've been involved with a kangaroo court. Charges aside, why am I being arrested?"

"If you have to ask, you don't need to know."

"May I borrow your cliche dictionary sometime? I think it's a newer edition than mine."

"How about I shoot you and pretend you tried to escape?" The burbling sound of diesel engines rises from somewhere close-- approaching tactical vans, almost certainly. "This is what you get for keeping company with Spiders in Julen."

"Keeping company with what now?" Well. Crap. Special ops will do a full species screening...and very possibly report it to the wrong people. There had been the chance this was the wyverns' way of getting ahold of her if they were far more aware of her presence than she had thought...looking less that way.

By her estimation, she has a bit less than twenty seconds before guns are here and firing. The first step she has to trust to work. If it doesn't, she'll be shot. Ice crystals have been forming in the handcuffs' lock...they expand suddenly, in just the right way to unlock them, exactly as ice forms similarly the barrel and mechanisms of his gun, hopefully cementing them shut. Counting on that surprise and safety, she tries to jerk to her side enough for a knee to find his not-so-pretty little jaw.

The officer - who is certainly trained in close quarters combat, pulls back as soon as the cuffs pop, easily evading the knee. Of course he pulls his gun, the next step in the procedure of any large-city police officer. He squeezes the trigger. Squeezes it harder, but it won't move. 

"Shit."

Yin is on her feet and moving in about this time, soft leather boot careening towards his throat. She doesn't have time to mess with him, just needs to ensure that he won't be able to follow quickly enough.

A kick to the throat is a difficult move to time, aim, and execute, but Yin's enhanced strength and speed just overcome the guarding reflexes of Driver Cop. He gasps and gurgles for a half-second, clutching his windpipe before sinking down to his knees.

The diesel engines are awfully close, now. The alleys stretch into the deeper belly of the city, though one leads back to the main road, coming out by the hot dog vendor's stand.

She doesn't know enough about this operation to guess whether they'll attempt a public takedown..and she doesn't need to be tailed further, anyway. Thus, Yin takes off at a sprint down the alley, deeper into the city, taking the first turn that doesn't dead-end and another as soon as she can.

It's not long before Yin comes across a wriggling heap of Radio Cop, wound in translucent, adhesive fluid. He's got plenty of room to breath, but not enough to speak, and he growls at Yin when he sees her.

Yin has to smirk. She stops to pat a dry part of his head. "Aren't you cute? I'd give you a cookie if I had one." And then she picks the pace back up...over a wall here, cut through a residential building here, and then upstairs as though visiting a friend.

"Whoa! Uh, hey, do..." One of the tenants, fresh from the shower and dressed in nothing but a towel, nearly crashes into Yin as she races through the building. "Uh?"

Slamming doors sound down below.

Yin smiles, and tips her hat. "New tenant. Upstairs. Hi, see you around some time. Close your towel." Also, crap. Starts running the stairs to the roof.

"Hopefully," the guy says as she leaves. A moment later, a cluster of men dressed in black ballistic armor and respirator masks with red-paned, bug-eyed faces shove him out of the way, dropping the unfortunate towel in the process. They're fast. Not as fast as Yin, but fast nonetheless.

The buildings in this area are zoned close together. Close enough to jump from roof to roof.

Her full intention, actually. Lord, but this is fun. Shakes her head once. Fun, but that's not why she's here. She has to lose these guys in a big hurry, without showing off her power any more than she has, lest she endanger her mission. Sprints across this roof and one other, takes a fairly long jump down to the lower of the roofs she has a choice of. Is stunned by the hard landing a moment, then runs across this one before hurrying down the fire escape.

The alley below splits into three directions, one back towards a main street and two further into residential areas. She shuns these, checking glass doors as she goes and, the second she finds one unlocked, ducks it, closes and locks it behind her, and pulls the drapes.

The squads track her out of sight, but lose her at the fire escape. They follow, slowing their pursuit, and begin to cut off the exits of the area one at a time.

Inside the house, a woman - probably seventeen - is watching television with a pair of kids, probably nine-ish. Or she was, before Yin entered. She's on her feet now, holding a near-empty bowl of popcorn like a weapon.

"What are you doing? I'll call the cops!"

The kids peek out from behind her. Maybe her siblings?

Yin turns to face them. Yeah, she'd known this was a possibility. Her face is...well, perfectly reasonable, almost friendly in a cool sort of way. "I'm not going to rob you. I'm not going to hurt you, or your young friends here. I have no intention of touching any of you. However, there are some people outside right now that I really dont' want to find me, so I'll just ask that you remain quiet and away from your telephones." This said as she locks the front door. "And whether you have a change of clothes I can have. I'll pay you for it."

The woman - girl, really - steps back, motioning the kids away. "I-I don't live here. I'm babysitting, I don't know."

A crackle of static pours through the air outside.

"This area is on lockdown. Do not leave your home. We apologize for the inconvenience. You will not be detained any longer than necessary. Repeat. Stay in your homes."

The girl blinks. "Them...?"

Yin arches an eyebrow, looking towards the draped windows. "Wow. They take pretty extreme lengths for not even knowing who I am or what I'm doing. Yes, them." Smiles, and looks back towards the poor, cornered sitter. "I'll just take a look around, then. No worries, I'll leave twice the money whatever I take was worth new. But do stay away from the phone." Heads off to the closet, looking for a long jacket and a hat.

"Wait." The sitter puts down the bowl, glaring at the drapes as though struggling to decide something. "They're gonna start checking houses. They'll find you."

"This happens often, then?" Yin looks over at the girl from where she's looking through teh closet.

The sitter nods. Still looks to be considering something.

"There's a hole in the closet," the little girl pipes up. "She can hide in it!"

"Yeah!" The boy agrees. "Mom and Dad don't know it's there. It's where we hid the remote!"

Yin has to smile at the kids, amused, but pauses to consider this. Looks over to the sitter. "And what do you think of that? Please be honest. If you think that you would tell them where I am, tell me that, and I'll go."

She looks back. "You hide. I hate them. But if you're trying to trick us, I swear..." trails off. Obviously she's very new at the threatening thing.

Yin smiles a little bit. "I'm not trying to fool anyone. I'm the good guy. They're actually the good guys, too...they're trying to protect you. But I need to be able to protect someone else." she looks down to the girl. "So where's this hole, dear?"

"Behind the ugly bowling pants." The little girl nods. "It slides."

Yin smirks a little. "I did notice those, yes. Wasn't going to comment." Pokes back there again. Slides something aside. "Well. what do you know?" Still has reservations. If these kids change their minds or the babysitter is trying to be a hero...she'll be a sitting duck.

A heavy hand bangs on the door. "City Ops. Open up."

Choice made. Yin takes a deep breath, slips silently into the hole with admirable quickness, and pulls the remote-hiding panel over her. Cramped as hell, and she's nervous. Yay for depending on other people for her mission. Holds her breath.

The sitter opens the door, looking pensive. That's no big surprise, though, considering who's waiting on the other side.

Two large men clad in those ballistic suits enter the home and begin sniffing around. The kids sit on the couch as instructed, and the sitter just stands, waiting for them to leave.

One begins rifling through the closet.

"What are you looking for?" the sitter asks of him.

"Classified."

"Well maybe, if I knew what it was, I could tell you if I saw it."

The Ops member looks at her. "A woman in a cowboy hat. She's a suspected terrorist."

The sitter blinks. "A cowboy hat?"

"Seen her?"

"Earlier. She was checking all the doors, but ours was locked, so I pulled the drapes."

The vampiress has stopped holding her breath. That will just lead to bursting into a gasp at an inopportune moment. Her breathing is slow and very, very soft, eyes fixed on the panel. Well...yay for the sitter. Now to see whether the operative sees the panel. Ponders her options if he does.

"Did you see which way she went?" He asks, still going through clothes. 

"No. I pulled the drapes." The sitter shrugs.

The Ops member by the closet turns away. "Alright. If you're lying, we'll find out. Then we'll talk some more." 

She stiffens a little. "Fuck you. I'm a civilian and I know my rights."

"Sure. All of you do. Let's go."

Moments later...

"Hey. You can come out," she says into the closet.

Yin is quiet for the better part of ten seconds, listening carefully to anything outside the door or on the other side of the thin apartment walls. A big fellow shifting weight, even. Finally, quietly, she pushes the panel aside and slips carefully out of the hole, sitting on the edge of it and stretching her back. "That space is...very small. And...thanks, kid. Kids." Smiles a bit. Smacks the dust off of her hat as best she can without removing it. "I admit, I was worried, but...you really saved my butt."

The sitter smiles a little. "If you need any clothes, take 'em. But you can't leave for a bit until they've moved on. Unless you think you can lose 'em?"

"I'd prefer to give them a few minutes," Yin affirms, nodding. Smiles at them, fixing her hair. "And in case you're worried...I'm not a terrorist. They know that too. Well, most of them. I don't think the guy who told you that knew." She laughs softly. "Information doesn't leak down to low ranks very well."

"Oh. I don't believe it. Everyone's a terrorist to them. My brother was a terrorist for stealing food for us." The sitter smiles a little more. "I'm Hanna. What should we pretend is your name?"

"Yin." The vampiress smiles. "Which really is my nickname. Nice to meet you, Hanna...how about you two? Have names, too?" Looks down to the kids.

"Um..." the girl steps back a step. "Lisa."

"I'm Robbie!"

The sitter snickers at the boy, standing up on the couch.

Yin would grin, would it not show her fangs. "Nice to meet you both as well." Finds a hat that would cover her horns. "Ah...anyone have sentimental attachment to this one?"

"Nah! That's my uncle's hat. He's an asshole."

Hanna glares at Robbie. "Robbie! Watch your mouth, kid!"

Yin smiles at him, amused. "She's right, you know. I think I'm pretty tough...but if I used language like that in front of my bosses, they'd crucify me." She laughs softly as she changes hats, tilting the wide brim towards the crew in general to hopefully hide her horns as she very quickly slips the other hat over them...although she thinks the girl had seen.

She did. Lisa tugs Hanna's sleeve, and points, wide-eyed, but doesn't say anything but 'Uh!'

Hanna blinks. "She's just borrowing the hat."

Lisa looks at Yin. "She's got horns!"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Lisa. Don't lie to people."

"But she does!"

Yin coughs. Well, the girl had been the one to help her out in the first place, by first suggesting the hole. Should really back her up. Smiles a little, in a different sort of way, as she dusts off her trusty cowboy hat. "Actually," she notes, softly, "she's right. It's why the hat's important. Looks back to the kids and steps towards them, takes a knee so that she's closer to their eye level. "But it's really, really important that no one else knows that. Not your friends at school, not even your parents. Not only could it really hurt me, but those people banging on doors right now might come investigating you...and I don't want to cause you guys any more trouble than I already have. Promise me you'll keep it quiet?" Her face is earnest.

"This is so cool," Robbie announces. "We're like... secret agents now! No worries! Not even bigmouth here will tell!"

Lila smacks him on the shoulder. "Right. He won't! Me either."

Yin has to smirk. "Something like that. Thanks, guys." Looks up to Hanna. "It goes for you, too, of course. Word getting out in the next two days of a person with horns will lead to trouble for me, and letting it leak after that will lead to trouble with the mask monkeys in the hall." Stands up. "Besides. Horns are cool." She smiles wryly at the kids, and slips off her jacket, reverses it--it's a pale, icy blue with some oriental embroidery on the other side--and puts it back on.

Hanna nods. "I know what kind of trouble we're in. But you could be even worse than them, you know."

"I could," Yin acknowledges, nodding. "I'm not...but I'd tell you that even if I were. All you can do is follow your gut and trust me, or not. But then, you made the choice to help me, and on the other side of the coin, I made the choice to trust that you weren't going to point them to that hole where I would have been a sitting duck. You made good on me trusting you with my life...and I'm not about to turn that against you."

"I hope not." Hanna smiles some. "So... any chance you can tell us what's going on?"

"No." This is definitive. Smiles a little. "But I can probably get back to you on the matter in a couple of weeks." Listens to the sounds of the monkey men.

"No thanks, then." Hanna just smiles. "We'll leave it at today."

They're obviously still sniffing around. Bit by bit they're moving away, though. Yin could probably escape now without notice.

"Good plan. Mmkay..I think I can get past them now. Thanks again for your help." Takes out a couple of bills--unmarked--and counts out what the hat's worth and some extra, and sets them on the table. "Thanks for your help. And be sure to get them some ice cream with this. Remember, guys, hush hush." Smiles at the kids, listens at the door a few moments, face becoming more serious, and then carefully slips into the hallway.

The sound of vans pulling away occupies most of the aural spectrum, as they're still close enough to be unduly loud. By now, though, the Ops teams are looking elsewhere, and the building Six had mentioned is beginning to light up against the darkening sky.

Yin looks that way, nodding a bit to herself. Nice. As quickly as she can get to a secluded area, she removes a small, ice-blue orb from her messenger bag and files a "here I go, if I die you know" report to her commanding officer. She changes into something like a cross between a deep grey catsuit and a suit of armor with light leather and dragonscale plating. She isn't thrilled to remove the shiny adornments from her horns, and ends up putting this off for now. She'll do it before they go...they are metal, after all. Pulls her again-black coat back on and replaces her trusty cowboy hat, and heads to the airport.

Nighttime is so bloody much nicer.

At night, Julen sleeps. Though there is no official curfew in the area, most citizens stay home to avoid the bored police officers and various gang/mafia/lunatic threats that roam around. It's not a pretty place at night, in general.

At the airport, most things are shut down. A few scattered folks sleep in the lobby area, waiting for connecting flights or stuck on layover, while a bored-looking fellow sits at the reception desk and plays Pong on an ancient computer. He's got the simulation reprogrammed so that the blocking bars on either side of the screen look like his boss's face, and the ball is a rather exaggerated double-sided phallus. He snickers a little at the 'whap' sound the deflection makes, and is so into it that he doesn't notice Yin outside.

No line. Yay. Yin's perfectly modern coat is buttoned up to hide what's beneath, and she approaches the counter with that faint, casual, "don't flatter yourself, I do this for everyone" sort of smile she tends to wear. Smirks at the game...she can see it reflected in his aviator eyeglasses. "Fun with classics?" she greets.

The guy smiles up at her, a weary looking smile. "You should see what I did to Pac-man. It's actually kinda similar. Can I help you?"

"I need to know which gate I need to head to for flight six."

"Oh. Sorry, it's been cancelled. Here." The receptionist fishes a note out of his register. "Go down the hall, and talk to Wum about getting your refund. Or alternate flight, but most people just seem to want the money." Holds out the note, which has the same writing as Six's bills.

"Hey, money's always a good thing." Accepts the note, looks it over. "Thank you, enjoy face-raping your boss." Reads what she's holding as she starts off in that direction.

"it's not rape if it's consentual," the guy shouts after her, going back to his game. Oh, look, Tetris!

Down the indicated hall is a row of locked doors. One door, however, is marked with a scratching of the symbols on the bill. Like all the others it is gray and nondescript, but unlike the rest it has a doorbuzzer.

Thus, the vampiress does the obvious thing, and pokes it.

It beeps.

"Stop poking me!"

...

"Oh. Okay." There must be a speaking hidden somewhere nearby. "I can see ya. Got a note for me?"

Yin holds up the note she'd gotten from the reception counter. "I even interrupted a video game for it."

"Yeah, I know."

The door sizzles an electric hiss, and slides open to reveal... a waiting room, with pictures of whales on the wall.

A white eyebrow arcs amusedly as she enters the room. Ehm...right. She's waiting a maximum of a minute before she starts trying doors and seeing whether she gets yelled at. Yay dolphins?

One of three doors in the room hisses open as the entry hisses shut, and Six tramps out.

"Hey. You came here awfully fast.I heard the Ops caught you."

"They did. Then it became more or less apparent that it was nothing of potential interest to me, just arrested on proximity to you, so I un-caught myself." She smiles, turning to face him after examining a cutesy beluga picture amusedly.

"I wonder why they would arrest you for that? If they knew who I was, they must've been Wyverns, but Spiders get along with them." Six flops down on a convenient couch. "My daughter drew that. You into whales?"

"Not particularly, but it's a nice picture. She has talent." Yin seats herself as well, crossing her legs in a fairly ladylike manner. "I believe the exact words with the arrest were 'this is what you get for associating with Spiders in Julen.' He was a bitch, anyway."

Six's eyes settle on the beluga. "Most police are, here. If they're not employed by someone outside of humanity, they're probably crooked. Not that working for us makes them any less so."

He pauses a second. "What's your stake in all this? Personally."

"Personally? The egg's mother was killed by slayers. It was found justified--she was depressed, unstable mood...lashed only slightly provoked against humans. Thus, no action was taken, to her mate's dismay. When a sweep of the nest showed that the egg was gone as well...needless to say, he didn't take it well. He's been through enough. It's my duty and my job to get it back."

"Oh horseshit. Let's try this again. What is your personal interest in this?" Six tilts his head over. "Duty is an ugly, binding word.

Yin pauses a moment at this, and removed her hat, letting surprisingly long, backswept horns get a breath of air for the first time in several days. Takes hold of the less decorated one. "Not all dragoons get these things. I have them because I'm obsessive compulsively dedicated to what I do and who I serve. My commanding officer assigned me personally to this mission, and I will complete it. That, along with the fact that I've met the egg's father and he's a decent guy, is my personal stake, and it's plenty."

"I'm not asking for your mission statement. I just want to know what you hope to gain by this for yourself. Spiders aren't communal, like dragons and wyverns. We don't need that nest mentality, so we always wonder this kind of thing. You could get killed doing this shit."

Yin finally shrugs. "I don't know how else to word it, Six. I'd defend either dragonkind or my birth keep to the death at a moment's notice. There's not more to it than that. Well, it's also fun. But less lethal things are fun, too."

"I've never met a person willing to defend something to the death at a moment's notice, that didn't eventually do just that, is all. So... how do you want to handle this thing?" He looks at the painting again.

"Depends largely on your involvement." Yin pulls out a compact and checks her makeup, touching up her pale, very faintly sparkling, mocha-esque lipstick after deciding it needs it. "How far will you be accompanying me?"

"Long as it takes." Six grins a little. "I have a daughter and a girlfriend in this town. If dragons decided to destroy it, I'd have a major problem with dragons. Vicious cycle, you know."

"Funny how that works." Yin smiles, and closes her compact. "I probably shouldn't say this, but no one's going to level the city, at least from my side. It may turn into a small war zone leading to an actual war between human nations, but the whole thing won't be attacked. Dragons didn't stage that one...but 9/11 is a comparable example."

"Now you're talking semantics. Dragons make a move, wyverns respond, humans get mixed up, Spiders suffer for it. We like the status quo." He stands up. "We have facilities down below. I gotta warn you, though, it's not really 'surface-dweller' friendly."

"That's fine." Yin puts her mirror away and stands up, clipping her hat to her bag. "My instinct is to say 'I'll manage,' since you'll have figured some allowance for anything I can't easily."

"You assume a whole lot." Six reaches into his shirt pocket, producing a small remote. "This is some pure James Bond shit." Clicks, and a panel slides open in the floor, revealing an elevator just beneath. "Going down?"

"But of course. Fancy as hell, this." Smirks, and heads that way.

Six stands on it, and clicks again. With a quiet electronic whirr the elevator descends, covered over by the panel. The two are thrust into complete darkness.

"If you can't see in the dark, just wait for a minute. We can't have lights on this thing."

"Vampire. I'll be fine."

"Just don't freak out down here."

The elevator descends into a slightly lit chamber, and Six palms a security buzzer for entry. The buzzer recognizes the specific pattern of hair on his hand - unique to every spider - so that only the most dedicated frauds could have a hope of getting through to Tarantella.

"I can get you into the building, but we can do this a number of ways. Through the underworks is the best bet, but a highrise entrance is also a possibility. You tell me."

"Underworks is fine."

"I've got some equipment for you, then. Your superiors were kind enough to send a care package our way." Six leads her onto a platform, then, that stares out over a massive subterranean canyon that descends into Fuggknowswhere. A set of lateral airlifts cross the thing occasionally, but from where they stand Tarantella can be seen in all its bustling glory. Spiderfolk crawl along the walls , talking to one another upside down or sideways, while real spiders mill about or nap pleasantly, each the size of an adult rottweiler.

Yin watches one skitter past her feet. Has to smirk after a moment, suppressing a snicker at a thought that calms her: bite me, and I'll bite you the fuck back. Also, this place is pretty cool...if nothing bites her. "Wonderful." Yin nods. Looks over the city thoughtfully. "How the hell does something as heavy as Julen not collapse a cavern this size?" she muses aloud. 

"Spiders have been making natural adhesize for centuries. Millenia, even. Humans aren't the only ones who can adapt things to be better when they have to." Six steps out onto the platform, along with the spider, and waits for Yin so that they can cross over to the city. Palms the controls again. "Besides. We're way underground. Julen stretches out over a wide area, so most of the weight is dispersed evenly."

"I'm never one to argue with physics. It tends to win." She follows along without particular hesitation, although she's extremely alert to every motion around her.

The lift chugs on, making a quiet beeping noise every hundred feet or so.

"Just so you know," Six looks at her. "Spider females don't look exactly like regular humans. You won't freak out, will you?"

"You ask the albino-esque vampiress with horns and scales?" Yin smiles a bit. "Nah. I deal with a lot of different races. I've only happened to deal with male spiders in the past...but in any case, I've likely seen more or at least equally unusual."

"I thought so. But I thought I'd ask."

The lift lands, and the full spider skitters into town. It runs up a lamp post, which gives off a faint, iridescent glow, and sits happily.

Six steps onto the ground as well, and starts walking along what could well be a road. There are definitely cars down here, though they aren't all the fast and seem more used for freight than anything else. "I have to stop in and see my girl. Also, she has your stuff. You don't mind, right?"

"Of course not." They still have a little bit of time before it would be safe to make a move, anyway. She just follows along, taking in the sights.

Past a restaurant where full spiders sit in bowl-shaped depressions and enjoy little white rolled balls that could be fried donuts or something similar. Past a 'walls only' club that has no floor. Past a spider female, four feet tall with a human torso - clothed - and dozens of mobile, colored antenna in the place of hair. A tuft of white hair can be seen under the collar of this one's shirt, characteristic of most spider females. Many have that scarf-esque mane around the base of their necks clavicle area. The strangest part about her, though, is certainly her four-legged structure. They aren't spider legs, but human, with a relatively normal front pair of legs and reverse jointed - but otherwise normal - rear legs.

Six watches quietly, to gauge her reaction.

Yin does glance that way...but only briefly. The human legs strike her as odd, but she carefully avoids staring or, really, giving any indication that anything is unusual. This masks the fact that she's actually as curious as hell about these creatures. "So, how old's your daughter?"

"She's four." Six smiles a little. Good reaction. "And you'll get to see her, too."

The spider woman is actually wearing jeans, too. She straightens up a bit, looks around, and then leaps, sticking to a nearby wall. Her feet are actually furry, too - no doubt to help absorb the shock of landing on things. She clambers up the wall and disappears into a shopping outlet.

"Most people have slight pants pissing moments when they see our women. I think they're beautiful. What's not to love about more legs?"

"Longer jeans-shopping trips?"

"Women don't like longer shopping trips?"

"I was thinking about from your side." Yin smirks. "'Here, honey, carry these twice-as-heavy shopping bags. Oh, and these jeans work with these legs, but do they make my back ones look too big? ...You're just saying that, aren't you?!'" Snickers.

"Pphhhhp! Spider women are more than capable of carrying their own bags. And mostly," Six coughs, "they worry about having two butts." 

Around the corner, past a pharmacy where a full spider is sorting medicines, to a deli where a spider male is sorting those rolled food balls. And then...

"Welcome to my home. Wipe your feet, all of them." Six keys open a metal door in a stone structure, revealing a very 'Flintstones' house' interior. Inside, a spider female with a blonde tuft and golden antenna is sitting on a bench, her rear legs tucked almost vertically against her body. She smiles warmly at them both.

Yin smiles, bowing her head slightly. "Hi there. Pleasure to meet you."

"Hi..." The female's cheeks color a little. Six sidles up to her, but doesn't touch her.

"Tuleau," he speaks her name almost reverently, "this is our Dragon contact. Would you give her some details while I see to Troix?"

Tuleau nods a bit. Flashes a smile at Yin, showing off some sparkling white teeth. Six heads down the hall.

"Do you need refreshments," the spider-lady asks, standing to her 4'5'' walking around height. She's also wearing jeans, which are fashionable these days because they're mildly uncomfortable.

"I'm okay, but thank you." Yin smiles. "Vampire, I really can't." This added for "I'm not just being rude or distrusting you" emphasis.

Tuleau continues to smile, but it is a difficult smile, one that could be hiding any number of things. Or not. "Please follow me, then." She heads into the next room, her furry feet almost silent on the floor. 

The next room is a whole different world. A lathe, files, sautering iron, barrels, clips, half-finished projects lying around... yup. This is the workshop of a career gunsmith. However, it is to a gallon-jug-sized box that Tuleau goes, hefting it. "This case is for your egg. Your superiors sent us a case, but this one is ours and better. I padded it myself, so that the egg won't break even if the case is shot."

"Impressive." Yin examines it critically. Good materials. She can identify all but one of them, and has no doubt it can do exactly what the spider woman claims it will. Nods after a few moments. "Very nice."

Tuleau turns, smiles at her again, the same guarded smile. "Will you be needing any equipment? Weapons? Medical?"

"Not particularly. I'm about as prepared as I can be without knowing exactly what's ahead. Your boyfriend did mention a 'care package' from the draconic council...what all did it entail? The case?"

"Yes. And these." Tuleau holds up a box, with a few extra blood flasks - and a zipper sack full of time bombs. She gazes at Yin. "I hope these are fireworks."

Yin's lips have to twitch up a bit at the flasks...and the bombs. "Practically, if I'm right on who snuck those in there. They're more than flashbangs, but...well, still flash and bang."

Tuleau sets the zipper sack down. "You must be as clandestine as possible. If you are caught, and ties to Alou are recognized," she looks after her boyfriend, towards the hall, "... it will bring wyverns down on us. Our destruction will take a year at most, if they decide we are threatening enough." Her eyes harden. "We agree to help you, though, because no child should be harmed over feuds. Please remember that."

"I'll keep it in mind." Yin sticks the flasks in her bag most gratefully. She'd be fine on what she has...but fine and comfortable are two very different things. "If something goes wrong, I'll spin it away from your people as best I can. However." She looks back up. "I don't intend for it to go wrong."

"I hope not. And I hope things work well for you, too." Tuleau skitters past her, back into the main room. "Make yourself at home," she calls over her shoulder.

"Thank you." Yin smiles at her as she leaves, and proceeds to carefully check over each of the flashbangs and take another look at the box. Finishing off the blood she'd started earlier as she does this. She finally has a seat, setting to grudgingly removing the pretties on her horns...an etched silver cap on one, some silver wire woven asymmetrically into a web near her scalp, and a large, dangling, teardrop-shaped aquamarine.

A few minutes pass before the patter of furry feet sounds on the tile again. This time, though, it's a much smaller spider female. A child, who is almost a carbon copy of her mother.

Only with oxygen tubes wrapped around her face, leading to a small black box with blinky lights. Troix smiles at Yin, a bright, but sad little smile. 

"Hi," she purrs.

The vampiress has been fiddling idly with her aquamarine-on-a-string, and looks up at the girl. Notices the tubes, certainly, and wonders...but there's no hesitation in a returned smile. "Well, hi there, Miss. You must be the talented artist your dad's told me all about." Stands, of course. It's only polite in greeting someone.

"My Dad? Oh!" Troix nods a bit. Breathes a hissing breath, which the machine lets out with a whoosh. "You mean Alou. Um, I dunno what he said. But I like whales, and I draw them." Hiss, whoosh. "Do you like whales?"

"I've only seen a couple in person...but they're interesting creatures, yes."

Troix's eyes light up like pinwheels catching a slant of sunlight.

"You've seen a real whale?" She's incredulous! What a find, a person who has actually seen one! "What was it like?"

Yin's lips twitch upward at the girl's expression. "Big." She laughs softly. "It was on a trip to check in with a half water dragon fellow...there were some humpback whales breaching near our boat. You never understand how enormous those things are, really, until you see them up close. Some dolphins were enjoying the boat's wake at one point. I saw humpbacks on another occasion too, but more distantly, vacationing up near Alaska. They think the cold water is awesome."

Hiss. Whoosh. Hisswoosh.

"I wish I could see a whale." Troix keeps smiling. "I can't leave Tarantella." Whoosh.

"Troix, honey, don't darken the lady's day with pessimism. We'll have you fixed up soon, anyway." Six - Alou - enters the room about then, carrying a small case and two pairs of gloves. "Ready to go, Yin?"

The spider-girl still smiles, nodding obediently.

"I think so, yes." The vampiress fiddles idly with her aquamarine. Thinks. Finally smiles a little, and pulls a dragonfang dagger from her bag. The thin wire the gem's on is parted easily, and she holds it down to Troix on lithe fingertips. "Here. Hold onto this awhile." Smiles. "Until you can see the real thing. The colors in this stone? Some kinds of dolphins love water this colour."

Troix looks at the stone. Looks at it, as if she doesn't quite understand. Then looks around for her mother. Tuleau is fiddling with something in the front room, and doesn't seem to notice. Finally, she holds out her hand and wraps it around the gem. "Dolphins?"

"Dolphins." Yin nods. "This color means shallow, warm water...which means a lot of fish. They like to swim it to catch some dinner." Sheaths the dagger and finishes tucking the rest of her horn decorations away. "Someone special gave it to me. Someday when you find someone you think would like it a lot, pass it on to them and tell them to do the same thing. In the mean time, enjoy it and think of dolphins." Smiles, and then looks to Alou. "Shall we?"

He nods. "Troix," he looks down to the beaming girl-bug, "what do we say?"

Troix nods a little bit. "Thank you for the gift. I hope I can find a way to repay you someday!" Smiles at Alou, who touses her antennae. 

"Now we can go."

Yin just smiles at Troix, and turns to leave. Pauses once outside the door to follow Six/Alou, of course. Her face is gradually working on becoming more serious as she considers the task at hand, egg box under her arm. Tries to figure out how she's going to hold it.

Alou goes with her, waving to his family as he parts. "That's why I'm doing what I do," he tells her. "Troix is just precious, and her lot is hard enough without a war going on over her head."

"She seems like a sweet girl." Yin nods. "So, what's wrong with her?" She's a blunt person.

"Troix? She can't breathe on her own. I'm not sure why, it's technical medical stuff I don't understand." He smiles a bit anyway. "She draws whales because of their blow holes. You know, a funny way of breathing."

"The way a lot of vampires are obsessed with kids or blue skies." Yin nods. "Gotcha." Yeah...Troix seems like a good kid. Worth fighting for. "So. Any more briefing on this endeavor, or is this the 'give it a shot and see what happens' stage?"

"Honestly? I think we could walk in the front door without getting caught. That's how good spiders are at this kinda thing." Alou pauses a little bit. Checks his step. "Tuleau told me that there's been a lot of clandestine activity around the offices of a few wyvern executive types." He grins at her. "More than usual, anyway. How much do you know about wyvern society?"

"I know that whereas dragons are known for raw power, physical and otherwise, wyverns are known for planning, wiles, and potent magic, the latter of which pretty much permeates the way they're taught. They have their claws in virtually any notable magical activity on the planet that's not against them or controlled by dragons, as well as a good many nations' and regions' politics. Masters of bureacracy, and many of the ostentatious layers of paperwork blanketing the modern world were policies established to cloak their own operations. They generally try to stay out of dragons' hair, and in general think of them as over-muscled bullies. As opposed to dragons considering them conniving weakings, of course. Also that it's quite patriarchal, even more than draconic society, and notable females usually manage such by directing the actions of their mates as opposed to acting directly."

"Great, I don't have to tell you anything. Well, almost anything. You know what dragons generally know." Alou leads her across town, towards a set of double doors attached to a cavern wall. A few spiders are hanging by it, apparently chatting in spider-speak, and they part for Six and Yin. "Wyvern society, while patriarchal, is actually ruled by three distinct females. They refer to them as the three Graces, when they speak of them at all. I think one of them was responsible for snagging the egg, but I don't know why."

"Oh, great," Yin sighs. "I didn't want any support of the scant but existant 'this goes high in the ranks' evidence. Ah, well. Sneaky sneaky spiders, right?"

"You wouldn't believe how sneaky if I told you." Six grins at himself. He's easily amused. "We've got spies everywhere. Odds are you talk to one at least once a day, even back in Dragonland, or wherever."

Yin smiles just a little. "Yeah. I have fun with him. Accidentally making a comment that makes him squirm since he doesn't know we know." She snickers. "Not saying you don't have them that we haven't identified. But I adore messing with his head."

"I'm sure. He has a crush on you, you know." Coughs. "Moving on. We'll be going through the ventilation system of the building. You aren't claustrophobic, I hope?"

"I'm actually mildly agoraphobic, so definitely not." She's amused by the "crush" thing. Next time she sees him, she's going to kiss him and slap him in short order and then leave without explanation. Being female is awesome.

The doors open into a large room shaped rather like the innards of a honeycomb. Hundreds of smallish, round openings line the walls, many of which are teeming with busy spiders. They are all marked with symbols, as well.

"This is our nerve center," Alou tells her, stopping to explain her presence to a large gray spidey. "From here, we can get anywhere in the city."

Yin nods. "So where is it going to land us relative to the Wyvern complex before we're less on spider territory?"

"Well. We can't go right in from here, but this gate," he points to a smallish opening on the ends of the place, "will take us to the sewers underneath."

Yin's nose wrinkles just a little without her direct instruction. An alright person or not, she's still a vampire, and does have that elitism programmed into her. Nods, though. Doesn't mean she won't. "Sounds good, then. Anything in particular we're waiting for?"

"Nope. We'll have a thirty minute window to get you in and out once Tuleau's distraction hits outside. It ought to be pretty amusing." Smiles at her. "There's a housing complex just outside of the building we're headed to. An army of cops is about to find a stash there."

"Ooo...how fun. Taking all bets as to how much will be mysteriously unaccounted for from the evidence locker." Yin snickers. "Well then. Shall we?"

"We shall. Just... don't count on keeping that outfit. This might get kinda smelly." And he hops into the opening, grinning as he leads the way on all fours.

Yin feels a familiar prickle of excitement as she follows along. Intrigue, covert entry, life threatening danger, a vital mission for a noble cause...and her job is awesome.

This serves to make up for the indignity of how much less apt at scurrying through narrow tunnels on all fours she is than Six.

He takes his time, of course, knowing that very few humanoids can claim the skittering prowess of a Spider. At one point, though, the darkly dressed fellow crawls up the side of the tube and continues on the ceiling of it, just because he can.

"Are you interested in why the egg was stolen," he asks at one point, "or are you just trying to get it back?"

"The information would be nice, but recovery is the first and only solid priority. Anything that can be inferred from what we find will be used, and if an opportunity for more information presents itself without endangering the extraction...we'll see. Unless your people already have the information."

"We don't." And if they did, Six probably wouldn't tell her. "The graces are as clandestine as it comes. We don't even know what they look like, or who they are, really. Just that they exist, and govern the three basic administrative branches: law, justice, and finance."

Yin nods a bit. She's not as up on Wyvern politics as she really should be. "Whatever they are, hopefully 'vigilant enough to be trouble' isn't one of them." Wrinkles her nose suddenly. "I'm assuming we're close to the sewer. Also, I'm not looking down to see what I just put my hand in."

"Probably webbing. We had to reinforce these tunnels last week." Six suddenly vanishes, crawling up and out of the little pipe. It opens into a fairly typical sewer, which smells quite typical as well.

Yin follows...has to brace her weight against the sides of the pipe to easily get out near the top. Ugh. It's going to be a long evening, if this is setting the tone. Wrinkles her nose. Oh no. It gets juicier.

"It's not far. The pipe we need is just beyond that bend over there. You'll need to cross a drainage tunnel, and that's where we'll part ways. It will take you directly into the building."

Yin nods as she walks along, thoughful. Tightens her bag to her back...convertible to a backpack, sure, but an extremely tight-laying one that won't get in the say...and that can break away if it does. "Sounds good, then." Which pipe is pretty obvious. She'd have to drop a pound or seventy--not to mention parts of her skeleton--to get through the others. She peers into it. "Any parting words?"

"Uh-huh. Hang on a second." Alou peers into the pipe. "Hold out your hands."

Yin blinks, but does this. They're gloved at this point, of course.

"This is going to be kind of weird.  Bear with me." He reaches up and pushes his hair back, revealing a strange set of ears that face forward, and don't really look like ears at all. Largely because they aren't. His eyes narrow a bit, and a cloud of gray fluid spurts from both sides of his head, striking her palms with a soft squishing sound.

He smiles a little. "Webbing. It's pretty strong adhesive, but you can crawl the walls across the drainage ditch. You'll have to lose the gloves - I suggest throwing them in the ditch after you cross it - but I got you some spares. They're in the egg crate."

"Oh. So this stuff doesn't come out of your butts. That makes me feel better about the ground just covered." Smirks a bit, but not derisively. She's grateful, she really is, and slips her gloves off. "Thanks, Six. Quite appreciated."

"Oh, I bet it does." Six grins. "Just watch for sentries. They'll be posted as soon as you get across the ditch. That's where the underground parking is."

Yin nods. Tries her hand on the wall. "Nifty. I guess there's an outside chance I'll see you later, bye if not, and hopefully both of us will be in one piece if we run into one another again." And, this said, she carefully slips into the pipe, senses on high alert.

Six nods. He'll see her again.

The inside of the pipe is, of course, quite cramped. It smells much better than the sewer, though. Thankfully it is fairly short, and opens into a wide room. A chasm, even wider than the one between airport elevator and Tarantella. The roar of a powerful ventilation system swirls from below, of course, and all is dark.

The dragoon is an an exceedingly good mood. She'd normally be humming to herself, but the need for silence is...well, semi-there, anyway, over the air-moving din below. Tightens her gloves carefully and, after a test proves "hey, this stuff's awesome!" she starts cautiously across.

The webbing holds nicely, actually. The trek is fairly long, but uneventful, and leads to a concrete platform next to a doorway, no doubt leading into the parking garage Six had mentioned.

Rather than discarding the gloves--she doesn't know the security protocols for the ventilation system and doesn't feel safe leaving them there--she wraps them in a make-up removing cloth so nothing ends up sticky and returns them to her bag. Poor gloves. But! On with the fun part.

Yin walks along silently, intensely alert and looking for guards as she cracks the door. Licks her fangs instinctively, and slips in when she hears nothing, immediately looking for the most concealed route and getting there post haste.

The parking garage, at this time of night, is mostly empty of people. Several cars remained parked, of course-- the wyverns operate extensively at night.

The prize, and no doubt Yin's point of interest, is a gauntlet of security cameras attached to pretty much every wall and column. The whirr of their mechanized pendulums is the only sound in the lot.

Fun fun. She's confident that none can see her where she's entertaining a nook...watches those she can see carefully, notes the patters. One a column..potential blind spots, but only if she's not visible to the next column. Still...with exactly the right timing and speed, she can likely walk--partial jog--through and not be seen if the pattern is consistent. Watches about two minutes, intently, up and down, takes a deep breath, and steps out, following the wall at a precisely controlled speed and hoping she hasn't missed any cameras.

Yin is quite good at this, as it turns out, and the cameras do manage to miss her. Her path takes her towards the edge of the garage, next to a set of elevators that lead into the Grace Tower.

Eh, she wishes. Elevators mean cameras and the real life version of random encounter tables. She has an idea for them, but...later. Also, it would tire out her arms way too early tonight. Thus, still avoiding or, on just one occasion, unplugging cameras as she sees them--this one she tries to make look like an accident--she finds the stairs and heads for the tower.

The stairs are, of course, surveyed as well. Actually, two out of every three cameras is a plant, and doesn't actually work. Wyverns are pretty frugal, as it turns out, and the fake ones work well as a deterrent.

The stairs lead to the inner lobby of the building's ground level. It's dark, so of course everything is closed down. There's a security station full of guards, of course... sleeping ones. Only one is alert, a stone-faced fellow who may never blink. No one has looked at him long enough to see him do it, anyway.