Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-5999656-20170630021617

"... So we'll regroup in two hour's time to discuss what we've learned. Any questions?"

A lithe young man sat cross-legged on a stone bench in an ornate Oriental garden. Behind him was a round pond, surface faintly rippling with the movements of the koi underneath. Pink lotus pads floated ever so gently to the sway of the cool, gentle breeze, a comforting respite amidst the mid-summer blaze that had plagued Mistral for the last few days.

The man grinned and readjusted his scarlet scarf before glancing a certain young woman in the group before him.

"Lustra?"

The two held the gaze for a brief moment, until she gave a small, sardonic smirk.

"No questions here."

"Excellent! Let's split up, then. Best of luck to everyone." The seated man hopped to his feet and began to stride purposefully towards the gate. He was followed in brief order by his teammates, who cast brief looks at Lustra before departing. A few seconds later, and they were out of sight.

Lustra stayed where she was for a moment longer. Her brown, slightly curly hair was tied back into a high ponytail, and her sharp amber eyes combined with her curious smile projected only the slightest hint of her precocious nature. She about-faced and strode out of the garden the opposite way, and into the bustling city of Mistral.

Her job? Masquerade as a weapons buyer seeking the goods of the notorious Qing Triad, a foreign mafia which had recently expanded into her isolated neighborhood in Vacuo. They had crept up a few weeks ago, demanding protection money from unsuspecting citizens of Lazuli Spring and directing a chilling, hodgepodge array of stolen Huntsmen and Huntress weaponry at anyone who dared to argue. With Vacuo's lack of a centralized police force, she and Team JRAF had to take it upon themselves to rid their region of the influence of the Qing. A daunting task, considering how little they knew about their adversaries.

They'd gotten a small clue, however. Some civilians had overhead a crucial bit of information discussed amongst a small group of triad members. This, plus their outfit theme, made one thing clear: The Qing Triad originated in Mistral.

And so the protectors of Lazuli Spring found themselves in a distant kingdom, in pursuit of leads on the Qing.

Lustra took a deep breath and stretched her arms out in front of her. She closed her eyes, imagining her best impression of a stereotypical gangster girl, and within seconds her entire form shimmered as the projection of a grey jean jacket and black leggings took the place of her pretty white chiffon and white skort. As a final touch, a black hoodie materialized over her hair, and she slouched forward as a prominent spade tattoo emerged on her exposed collarbone.

Lustra opened her eyes and grinned. Time to find a Qing weapons dealer. Given how notoriously upfront Mistral's crime world was, this wouldn't take long at all. 