[amanda784]

Main Character List


Farley
Common Rattegan
Scout


Piper
Naughty Reindoe
Hunter (no rank)


Laura
Leplora
Photographer/researcher

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Everything inside of Piper screamed for her to run as far as she could from this place.She had been sloppy. She had gotten caught with her hand inside the cookie jar. She had been backed into a corner. She had said "yes" to a deal that scared her more than anything.

Was it possible for her to change? She had been promised a better life, but it required a new way a living. She didn't know anything except for the streets of the slums. She knew no other life besides the life of crime. She was caught now and she only had two options: run or give in.

[amanda784]

"She's going to run you know," said Laura, not bothering to look up from the book in front of her.

"So what?" replied Farley. "I have no place on the police force. I'm just lucky she didn't notice there was no badge in the wallet I flashed at her."

Farley had lost his position as an informant the night he caught his captain working for the same thieves he gave information on.

"She would have been a nice addition to the time," mused Laura. "Shame really."

"We will find someone Laura!" shouted Farley.

Farley had enough to worry about without Laura constantly commenting on his every move.

"You scout, I research, but without someone to actually capture we have no business," said Laura. "It's a real shame too because I almost took a case today."

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"Wha-what case?" asked Farley, turning to Laura slowly.

She didn't look up, but instead pushed a file across her desk.

"I didn't say no," said Laura, "but I haven't said yes yet either."

Contact name: Sorora Everett
Case type: Bounty
Information: 100 KS to anyone who can both locate and capture Jackson Everett. Missing two weeks. Possibly accompanied by a Sara Smith.
Location: Slums

"Easy money," said Farley, a smile crossing his face. "Sara isn't a real name. It's a fake name commonly used by a member of Warren's team. She'll be arrested soon and the boy will have no where to go. If I could just find him..."

"What?" interrupted Laura. "You'll convince him to run home to his mother? He's almost of adult age. Just three more weeks and we will have no grounds for capture."

"The idea is that we won't need to capture him if we are able to convince him," replied Farley. "We accept the job."

"I don't think..." started Laura.

"We accept the job."

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Laura hung up the phone at her desk having accepted the job. She quickly typed information into the computer as she spoke.

"I'm going to need this Sara's real name if I'm going to determine if an arrest has been made. Jackson is a Roosken with human capabilities. Pictures are in the file I gave you. I'm assuming we will be looking for his human form since there is little use for his roosken form in a place like this."

"Tara Johnson," said Farley. "Look up Tara."

"Funny, Ms Smith or Ms. Johnson both sound like alias'" Laura said, always typing away. "Yet, I found her. She was picked up last night on the south side of the slums."

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"Last night," mused Farley. "That's good. Jackson will still be in the area. What other information can you give me? Other relatives? Friends?"

"No friends," replied Laura. "His mother, Sorora works at the farm just up the road and she shares the same hairdresser as me."

At this point Laura looked up at Farley.

"Is that how you managed to land this case?" asked Farley.

"In truth that call I just made was just a confirmation to a promise already made. I have known Jackson. He's a good kid Farley. He used to talk to me as his mother was getting her hair done and I was waiting for her chair. We have a regular appointment on the same day. It was just a couple years ago that he stopped joining her."

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"There are rules for a reason Laura," said Farley. "Our first case and you want to break them already? You have an emotional connection to this case."

"We aren't breaking any of our own rules," replied Laura. "You stated me no one was to go out on a case they had emotional attachments in. I rarely leave my desk and won't do any of the field work."

Farley was frustrated, but she had a point.

"From this point on I'm treating you as an informant on this case," said Farley. "You can grant me information, but by no means are allowed to try to work this case."

"Fine," said Laura, "but my informant rate is twice my research rate."

"Very funny," said Farley.

[amanda784]

Piper carefully weighed her options. If she chose to run she would have to go far away. To avoid being recognized she would likely have to go somewhere with a lower population. That would mean less people to steal friend and in turn a lower survival rate for herself. On the other hand, she could stay. She would be forced to live a life free of crime from this day forward. Piper stole when she didn't need to. She enjoyed the thrill of it. Could she live without it?

[amanda784]

It didn't take long to locate Jackson. With no where else to turn he was staying in a homeless shelter on the south side. There was no record there for him, but he had been sighted. Likely, he was staying under a false name. Farley would have one shot at this. If he wasn't able to convince Jackson then he would run off again. Without any muscle he would be unable to forcefully capture him.

It was just as well. The child was almost an adult and Farley didn't feel right about forcing him to do anything.

[amanda784]

Piper had made her decision and was opening the door to "Farley's Finds". She had to fight the urge to run the other way.

"Hello there," said a Leplora, looking up from her desk. "I'm Laura and you are?"

"I'm Piper. I was supposed to meet Farley here."

"Farley's on a job, but I've been expecting you," Laura smiled widely. "I just have some paperwork for you to fill out to make you official, but most importantly I have a question."

"And what's that?" snarled Piper, annoyed by the overly pleasant Leplora.

"Are you a coffee or tea person?"

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Piper hadn't expected the question.

"I-I suppose coffee if I'm trying to stay awake, but only in addition to tons of cream," said Piper. "I've never been able to force myself to drink black coffee. Mostly, I'm a whiskey person..."

"Whiskey is for after a case is completed," laughed Laura. "I do believe that time will come quite quickly as Farley is working right now. I'm sure he will be in a celebrating mood. Do you like fruity flavors? Do you prefer hot or cold drinks?"

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"Cold I suppose," said Piper. These questions did not seem relevant at all to her new job. "Fruity flavors are fine."

"Peach iced tea"

"What?" asked Piper.

"Your morning drink will be a peach iced tea. It has caffeine, but it's also sweet and fruity," said Laura. "Just don't go thinking that because I get you the case information and a morning drink that I'm your assistant. After all, you are still the newbie around here."

[amanda784]

"So, uh, you mentioned Farley was on a case?" asked Piper.

"Sure is," Laura slid the file across the desk to Piper. "I would be happy to give you the location as soon as you sign on the lines with "x's"."

Piper scanned over the paperwork.

"No hourly rate?" she asked.

"No, you are paid a commission on all earning upon completion of a case. If we can get you out to Farley before this case is completed you will get 10% of the profits. After three cases you will get bumped up to 15% and that's where you stay. We all get paid the same. Any extra profits go into the company. Buying off informants is not cheap."

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"Could I just be an informant?" asked Piper.

"I suppose you could," said Laura, "but I doubt you have the information we are looking for. Do you know a Jackson Everrett?"

"No, I do not," replied Piper.

"Then you can't be an informant. We don't have regular informants anyways. We rarely pay the same people twice. Different people bring different information and rarely does one person hold two pieces of information we would need. Trust me, the hunting job is good."

[amanda784]

Piper scanned over her list of duties.

-perform hunts for others bring back animals sought after
-maintain a clean record

"Only two duties?" asked Piper.

"Yes," replied Laura, "and I added the second one when Farley spoke to me about you. We have to remain professional. There are a lot of hunters out here and our ethical ways are what sets us apart."

"I see," said Piper. "I'm not sure-"

"You can," said Laura, cutting off Piper. "It won't be easy, but you will find a way to fill that void. You may find that hunts have there own adrenaline rush to them."

[amanda784]

Piper had finished filling out the paperwork and was looking over the case file Laura had given her.

"I think it would be wise to send you out on this one," said Laura, now back her desk. "I only want you on one supervised hunt and then we will send you to other places."

"I'll be hunting alone?" asked Piper.

"Why yes," replied Laura. "Typically we ethically hunt wild animals and sell them or their location to ethical parties. We never take an animal without reason, but more often then not there is a good reason. Most animals that are rare need a little help becoming - less rare."