Someone's in the Wolf (Semi-open, Nikolai)

[Ulysses-Σ47]

"What?! Bait?! Are you serious? No, nonono, absolutely not! This is NOT what I hired you for!"

Ulysses matched her stare, and the message was clear; If you want this blighter gone, you will do as I say, when I say it. And you will follow Nikolai's words. He was not in the mood for arguing; his client was important to him. More important than she understood. His next message was quick.

You will not be harmed; I promise you my reputation as a professional. His eyes were as resolute as hers, if not more so. And, oddly for him, it did betray a single emotion; sheer, reckless, even insane determination. It was the glimmering of something else, of someone else.

[Florin]

After reading his message, Florin's expression softened and smoothed, her shoulders hunched and her optics widened, forming an unmistakable expression; fear. Her hands raised up to her chest, grasping a bit of her fur, twisting and pulling it nervously.

" Look, I, I can't. It's too big of a risk. There has to be some other way, please, don't make me do this..." She pleaded softly, desperately to him.

[Ulysses-Σ47]

Ulysses looked at her, and, though he saw her begging, was unmoved by them. This was the only way to draw this psycho out, to make him see what terror really was; to beat him at his own game. The next words were simple.

Miss Florin, if you want this thing beaten, you need to play by our rules. The our was odd; he was the only one she had hired, after all. And if it meant anyone else, then...

It meant the big Russian. The irate, short-mannered ragdoll. That's what it had to mean.

[Nikolai [39]]

"The only vay to lure him out is to give him something he vants." Came the somber rumble, back to it's normal pitch and tone, no angry fluctuations. Nikolai was perched on the rafters high above, bathed in shadow. His outline gave the impression that he was standing with his arms crossed. The only light above came from the pale green glow of his right optic and the dreadful red glow of his left. He pulled his eyepatch back on, extinguishing the red light.

"Vhat is he calling himself now? I cannot address him by his last name. He vill not acknowledge it." He swung back down to land with a thump next to Ulysses; Though Ulysses was taller than Florin, Nikolai was again quite taller than Ulysses.

"The perimeter seems to be clear." He said. "If he is here, he has some vay of masking his presence from my eye." He considered for a moment. "I vould not put that past him."

[Florin]

Florin's fearful expression only worsened when Nikolai returned. This doll already clearly established he wasn't at all fond of her. Him using her as bait? She could already picture him letting out a half-hearted 'oops' and walking away as she was torn apart.

"He called himself Hollow, I believe. Last I saw him, he climbed out the window of my room and disappeared. Of course, I didn't bother chasing after him. He... said he'd be watching. Perhaps that means he hasn't gone far." Her voice held a slight tremble to it.

"Please understand, I can't take the risk. I'm sorry, but I just can't..."

[Ulysses-Σ47]

Ulysses nodded at Nikolai, before turning back to her. Of course the monster hadn't gone far; probably, he was watching from somewhere now. That meant that he'd know it was an ambush. But. . .

It's our way, or no way at all. Tell her I'll give up if she doesn't play along. he signaled to Nikolai. It was cruel, it was underhanded, and it was a blatant lie. But hell if she would be able to tell; not with his gaze the way it was. He looked her over, but his gaze was as resolute as ever.

We need to cut off his fear; his food source. And to do that, we need him in the open. He nudged Nikolai, and signaled again; something about a book titled Peter Pan.

[Nikolai [39]]

Nikolai eyed her for a moment, a look of deep thought on his face. "Okay." He said at last. "We do not need to use her as bait." He turned to face Ulysses. "There are other ways to do dis. I know... Ehh... Hollow... Better than any. I know vhy she fears him so and I know that if he is after her he vill be expecting us to use him as bait. She vill not live if we use her as bait. I promise you dis." He glanced at Florin. He really did not like Racketeers. But this one was scared. Scared of Hollow.

He knew well this feeling, but in his opinion she had it easy. She had no inkling of how horrifying Hollow would be. If she allowed them to use them as bait she would. That would break her, he was positive of it. It had broken him before, for a time. "Only vay ve vill get him vhere ve vant him is to surprise him." He looked back at Ulysses. "So, we plan around. Not too hard. I know some people who might be able to help if we are uninspired."

[Florin]

Florin was silent as she listened to them. Well, to Nikolai at least, since he was the only of the two who could speak. Truthfully, she felt somewhat bad for refusing to assist how they asked, but she had no other choice.

She just stood there for now in silence, again fidgeting with her fur and the lace around her wrists. She hated feeling so helpless. Granted, not that she was that great at protecting herself before this incident with Hollow, but this was different. At least then, she had confidence. Now, she felt like little more than a trembling mass of fluff.

[Ulysses-Σ47]

Ulysses was surprised when Nikolai jumped to her defense, but the bigger fighter's words swayed him. That, and their last work together had gotten Nikolai's advice on the same level as his gut instincts.

"Only vay ve vill get him vhere ve vant him is to surprise him." The Sellsword looked at him, then his client, then nodded. The female was clearly terrified. And, while he understood what that meant on an intellectual level, he supposed that it wasn't within his emotional range. He signed a few things to the bigger rag doll; quick, but with a determined, professional flare.

Your call, Nikolai. But we need to starve him.

[Nikolai [39]]

Nikolai cocked his head to one side. "we do not need to starve him- we need to entice him. I am thinking I know how to do this. All ve need is... An old acquaintance of mine. She is a Rogue." He turned to look back at the hole in the rafters. "I am thinking that for now we should leave and head for my friend's home. A storm is coming."

The tall Russian looked at Florin. He frowned for a moment, then put a light hand on her shoulder. "You are safe so long as we are vith you. Do not stray from us and you vill live through dis trial." Then he turned and, with a brief nod to Ulysses, tromped off.

[Florin]

A soft sigh slipped from Florin's lip. She relaxed somewhat at Nikolai's words, placing a hand on her chest. "Thank you.." She said softly, giving him a small, grateful smile before he left.

She then turned back to Ulysses. "So... we're off to Rogue territory then? I must admit, I wasn't expecting to go on a field trip when I hired you. But, if you must do it, so be it."

It was rather unpleasant, being dragged around the wasteland like this, especially now. It had to be done, though. Better to roam around and find help than sit and wait for Hollow to come back. It'd been some time since she'd been in Rogue territory anyways.

[Ulysses-Σ47]

Ulysses wasn't keen on leaving the new fortifications. After all, he had only just finished them. But he trusted Nikolai far more than any location, and if he said he had a plan, then he would listen. So, when the big ragdoll said they were moving to the Rogues territory, he simply nodded.

"So... we're off to Rogue territory then? I must admit, I wasn't expecting to go on a field trip when I hired you. But, if you must do it, so be it."

His client seemed cooperative now. That was good. Cooperative meant an increased chance of success. And, as for Nikolai's "friend. . ."

Contacts were important. In both of their lines of work. Ulysses slapped the Russian on the shoulder, before taking up a position by Florin, and making one single hand signal.

Let's move out, then.