[OPEN] No necesito dinero,

[vata]

Who: Sombra and you!
When: open catchall for May
Where: various locations across Kauto and Chioni
What: intel gathering, supply runs, aquiring allies— Sombra is getting settled into Thisavrou as actively as possible in the wake of her arrival
Warnings: NA


I: NEED MORE SCRAP

[She's resourceful. Sharp. Always has been, down to the bones. Always had to be, when growing up in Dorado meant living through ingenuity, through lies, through a merciless ability to unlock just about any closed door in her path— digital or otherwise.

She takes to those old habits like a fish to water: the landscape here might be unfamiliar, but people aren't, businesses aren't, and so far Sombra's managed to scrounge up discarded technology with little resistance. A splash of bright violet, marked with circuitry, trekking back and forth across the landscape, always with parts in tow. Spools of wiring, battered components, scorched circuits, heavy screen projectors that have long since lost the rest of their systems.

Whatever she's doing, it seems like a heavy undertaking - or at the very least a remarkably extensive one for a single, lone scavenger.]

II: DON'T BE SUSPICIOUS (for the ill hiding from decontamination)

You look like you've seen better days.

[Offhanded, casual as anything as Sombra inspects her own nails where she's settled nearby: a threat posed only by proximity and commentary. After a beat, she glances upwards purely via her peripheral vision, letting it act as punctuation.

Bright yellow-green is practically everywhere you look lately: spotting someone that isn't a walking bottle of lemon-lime soda— someone that looks tired, wan, pale— well, it's not hard to put two and two together, is it?

Then again, maybe she's wrong. Maybe this is all just an unfortunate misunderstanding...

You might want to tell her that.]

III: YOUR SHADOW

[It's like a nagging itch, that unshakable feeling of being followed, being watched. And maybe it wasn't there at first, but in the quiet lulls where bustling streets go silent— or in the open as a heavy breeze falls short of rustling the local flora— it's hard to feel like you're entirely alone. Something that's doubled in specific areas like Regions two and three of Kauto, near Jack's farm and around the footholds of tall treehouses.

It could be nothing. Plenty of people seem to have been given a multitude of powers, and the occasional echoing snip of something almost digital might be some kind of after effect of it. Someone flitting through time too quickly, a wayward spell— or something else entirely.

Still, whatever it is, it's been tailing you for a while now.]

IV: WILDCARD

[ooc: Want to combine prompts? Want something more specific? Go for it! I left most of the prompts here open to allow for leeway in terms of timelines and interactions, but I'm down for anything, and Sombra is flexible. I also have an open CR post here for direct plotting if that's easier, and I'm willing to write up direct starters for character interactions. :> ]

Comments

Your Shadow

[morethan084]

[Daisy has noticed too, that feeling of being watched. She's learned to trust that feeling over the years and to not just brush it off. Whoever it was, they were trying to toy with her. At least that's the feeling she got, but now, she was toying with them. She purposefully went to a more secluded area in the hopes of luring whoever this was out. She wasn't unarmed either, what with her power.

Slowing her pace to a stop, Daisy keeps her back to whoever it was.]

I've tried to be patient but this is just getting boring. So what do you want?

[vata]

Boring for you, maybe.

[As luck would have it, Daisy doesn't need to look: there's a digitized snap as Sombra shrugs off camouflage with a wave of her claws, only a few steps behind. It's audible, and it's relaxed— as though there's nothing about this interaction that could be considered abnormal in any amount. After a beat, she adds, mildly:]

Me? I'm just enjoying the view.

[It is scenic out here, after all. Nice and secluded. Peaceful.

Not that anyone would actually believe that's why she's standing here now.]

[morethan084]

[Alright, not exactly who she was expecting to see. Then again, was she really expecting to see someone she actually knew? Turning to face her fully, Daisy's eyes roamed over her, searching for any signs of a threat. Well, besides the obvious stalking thing.]

The view?

[Judging by Daisy's tone it's pretty clear she didn't believe that.]

Why are you following me?

[vata]

[Unless bright circuitry is a common sign of hostility here, there's nothing strikingly threatening about Sombra's appearance— aside from the sharpness of her stare. A sort of direct, unflinching attentiveness that seems out of place compared to her posture, her open, clearly unarmed hands.

And then she shrugs.]

You looked like you were headed somewhere interesting. [Which, as if hitting her quota for giving unhelpful responses, is dropped half a second later:] That— and I'm new here.

[Hi.]

oh (s)crap

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate isn't a big electronics guy. He'll use the tools that come in handy, GPS units or whatever else, but he likes more reliable gear than the stuff that requires a specialist to repair. But hey, it's fine—he doesn't have to use the gear his client asked him to collect, he just has to bring it back and get paid. And luckily, the security for this business isn't as high-tech as whatever it is he's stealing.

It's turning out to be a good job and he's in a good mood. It doesn't even occur to him that a third party could be anywhere around.]

[vata]

[The security systems she brings down are flimsy as paper. A chain reaction from the inside out, a few seconds spent latching onto electronic systems that seem about as patchwork as the business itself. Rumor had it they were lucky enough to land themselves something expensive.

Something she needs.

Flexing her claws via entirely uninhibited resourcefulness feels like freedom, feels like chasing the shadow of who she used to be rather than playing the part of a double agent. It's been a long time since Sombra's had the luxury of a target that's a something, rather than a someone. And what she's tracking comes easily, thanks to the implants in her head, the wiring at her fingertips. So easily, in fact, that from where she's crouched in shadow, she almost misses the sight of someone else nearby. A few breaths later and she's at his back, whoever he is— a faint digital flicker in the dark the only sound that comes before she levels her gun in warning. A few inches away.]

Hey there.

[sketchycharacter]

[So Nate's not a lock picker. Who cares? It's never hindered him before, and there are other ways of breaking in, including but not limited to shooting out locks. He's at the cabinet where this doohickey is being stored, about to grab it so he can get out and get paid. and while he's focused on his work, he's not oblivious to his surroundings—which means jack in the end, because there's just one small sound, half a sound before a voice comes from somewhere very, very close.

He's gotten this far in life, and by that he means being alive, by trusting his instincts, even when they're screaming at him to do something that seems dumb. Which is why, even though it could get him shot, he moves--not back against whoever this is, not twisting around to face them. He hurls himself to the side, diving to the ground to get away from what he assumes is a gun or other weapon. He'll deal with whatever comes next in a moment.]

suspicious is his middle name tbh

[lavelly]

[Lavellan has to laugh, because while he knows he doesn't look the healthiest right now--constant hunger and nausea will do that to you--Sombra has no idea how wrong she is.

Or how right, from another perspective, but it's not a perspective he cares to hold at the moment.]

Do I? [He taps his mouth with mock curiosity.] Concerned for my wellbeing? How kind of you.

2 real

[vata]

What can I say? I'm a real bleeding heart.

[Sharp, flecked with sarcasm: it'd be obvious to anyone that she's not, in any way, shape, or form. Said as she leans in by degrees, still a good distance away— though clearly invested. ]

I hear they're looking for people like you.

[lavelly]

[Oh, he knows. And he's not intimidated by her crowding into his space, either. He stands his ground and regards her flatly.]

What, are you going to drag me there?

your shadow (hope you don't mind a late tag-in!)

[soldiergenes]

[ The most routine part of Snake's life here in Kauto involves walking his dog. It's something that he makes sure to do more or less every day, unless he ends up off-planet for a job for an extended period of time. He's worked something out with a neighbor in that case, and it had taken a good month before he'd trusted someone else who wasn't a fellow ex-Moiran to handle Jaegar.

Cigarette dangling from his mouth, wearing civilian clothes, walking his husky down a sidewalk in Region 1, Snake doesn't cut the figure of someone who's got years of combat and stealth training. Except for the fact that he's in good shape and has some sharp senses.

In other words, it doesn't take him long to realize that he's being tracked by someone, an unseen figure lurking in the shadows, circling around him and slowly but surely closing in. At first he doesn't let on that he's noticed, but he's subtly trying to figure out what's at play here.

When he hears that sound again, closer this time, some sort of technological blip, he turns sharply on his heel. Even then, he sees nothing.

He should have brought his gun with him.

He takes note of the way Jaegar's hackles are up before he calls out to the shadows. Is it Reaper? Liquid? They're the two people he knows of who can disappear into thin air. ]

I know you're there. What do you want?

pshh you're not even a little late

[vata]

[A flicker of code in midair, space shifting suddenly into something visible, as if prompted by his request. Someone that looks even less like what she really is— or what she's meant to be— than he does, which doesn't do anything to stop her mouth from quirking upwards at the corner when she offers up a relaxed little wave of her fingertips.]

I like your dog.

[As if she hasn't just been doggedly haunting his footsteps since he stepped outside with Jaegar in tow.]

[soldiergenes]

[ When she first shows herself, Jaegar lets out a warning bark. Snake tugs on his leash, and after that he's silent; well-trained.

With as distinct as Sombra's appearance is, Snake recognizes her even from their brief conversation back on the Midway Hub months ago. He frowns and cocks his head to one side. ] Why all the sneaking around?

[ Not realizing that she's forgotten everything from back then, he can't figure out why she'd feel the need to sneak up on him. Or spend so much time watching him to begin with. ]

iii ish

[mylawn]

[Jack has come to expect certain individuals lurking around the edges of his property by now. It's certainly not ideal, to go to bed every night unsure as to whether or not Reaper will show up to strangle him in his sleep, but all he can really do is carry on and be as prepared as he can. He's rigged up security by now, but in the face of someone like Sombra, it likely won't do much

Then again, he's not exactly expecting someone like Sombra.

She outmatches him in this department, of course, but he's still attuned to things happening on his property--the presence of someone who shouldn't be there, even if he can't pinpoint her exactly location. He wants to think it's nothing, but his own paranoia eventually gets the better of him. He gears up, takes his gun, and patrols the perimeter. Nothing pings on his visor, but he isn't about to let it go so easily. He knows the feeling of being watched.]

Come on out.

[It's at least partially a bluff--testing the empty air around him to see if something replies.]

oops

[vata]

[He's sharper than she'd expected: even without the benefit of his visor latching onto her, he knows when he's being watched. Practiced, maybe, thanks to having Gabe always at his back.

Still, she's been keeping an eye on him for something other than her own amusement this time; the signal uplinks necessary for transmitting monitoring data to Reaper's (mostly) assembled system are small, difficult to detect— a feature Sombra deftly devised from a mixture of Volskaya engineering practices and a little future tech. She's down to the last one when he finally catches on, bad luck. Bad timing.

There's a faint rustling of leaves at his back. A shifting sound without wind, and the only warning that comes before she snaps her SMG out of its holster as her camouflage fades— firing off a full clip without so much as a second of hesitation, lip curled into a predatory grin from the perch she's keeping in high branches.

If she tried to play it off, it wouldn't take much to try and pry a motive loose from the fact that she's here. But violence? Violence always speaks for itself.]

[mylawn]

[76 wasn't quite expecting a real answer--and he certainly hoped that answer wouldn't be gunfire, but he's got to roll with the punches. She drops her camo and he recognizes the telltale violet coat, immediately cursing himself for letting his guard down so thoroughly.

Sombra is point-blank enough to hit him with the clip, square in his chest. His armor eats it, but the force of the gunfire pushes him back, stumbling over uneven ground as he tries to get his gun up to return the assault. But she's fast and he's unprepared for a close-quarters engagement (especially not one where his opponent has the high ground), so when he gets his footing back under him, he's trying to strafe, get himself out of her direct line of fire.

He can worry about getting her out of the tree in a second--maybe she wants this bad enough to get in his face, and then he'll have her where he wants her.]

( shadow )

[sleepdarts]

( She's lived through enough situations to know when something doesn't feel right, and when to act on it. Having to keep others alive, and see what they can't see, has developed that skill.

Ana might not be able to physically see Sombra but she knows that she, or at least something is there.

And has been following her.

Being on the farm she doesn't have many options for something to duck into to try and surprise whoever it is. Instead she stops, eye questioning behind her as she searches for something )

A conversation may be more fruitful, and polite.

[vata]

Lo siento.

[A throaty sort of purr, an apology that sounds entirely too relaxed to be sincere.

She'd known Amari was here—and like her, had been here before— according to Gabriel's unkind briefing. So stalking her came easily. Easier than the decision in front of her now: to be gentle or cruel or any mixture in between.

Her camouflage doesn't fade, but her voice carries. A few feet off at most, near Amari's back.]

I've never been good with manners.

[sleepdarts]

( The turn is slow, Ana looking in the direction of the voice, gaze settling where she thinks the woman may be.

First she follows, then she hides. When has that felt right? )

That you can learn. Perhaps starting with a name.

wildcard, hope this is fine!

[cockade]

[The news among others within Region One of Kauto usually flitters from day to day- most of it about the epidemic from the asteroid, some of it gossip, still others about odd ramblings of Thisavrou. Among these is word of a small cafe on a corner, its owner a man who is obviously friendly and incredibly French. Most tend to notice it for the red exterior, but think not much else of it, because it seems rather ordinary.

Unless, of course, you're a part of the seedier underbelly of the planet. Then things tend to be a little different. The cafe is an easy homestead for networking, for clients to meet under the veil of discretion, as well as having its own network that spans across a good chunk of Kauto. If anyone's in need to discuss potential plans of revolution, mercenary work, or thievery, they know where to go.

As it stands, Arno is currently inside, and despite his greatest wishes, definitely a brighter color yellow than he should be. His visit to the asteroid wasn't for any benefit other than to make yet another network contact, in the hopes of branching out and potentially finding a way to learn of a way to get home. Unfortunately, it's kept both ends of the business away a bit more than he'd like, but the Frenchman isn't about to go tearing out into the street and try to get people back. He already looks ridiculous as it is, and he'd rather not scare away those that do still come, despite his appearance.

So Sombra may find him inside the cafe and talking with customers, or closing up the place at night and taking to the skyline via climbing the walls. He's certainly unique among shady businessmen, and won't deny that at all.]

it's perfect :*

[vata]

[Sombra came to the cafe for a drink on Reaper's dime— stayed for the subtle glances of passing information— keeping to herself and the quiet work she'd dragged along (spare parts scattered across the table, pinned together via wiring like a sort of engineering-related hobby, all curiosity without aim) until closing time. Then, without commentary, she disappeared alongside everyone else as discreetly as she'd turned up, seemingly uninterested in dipping her toes into the figurative water.

It isn't until he's alone, clambering across the skyline, that she appears again. Settled at the edge of a rooftop, legs folded up underneath her, attention firmly fixed.]

You know most people take the stairs, amigo.

:*>

[cockade]

[Truthfully, Arno had noticed Sombra in the cafe, but hadn't struck up a conversation or tried to pry. Most of the time, if there's talk or if he's needed, they'll let him know. When it was time to close, he'd watched people leave and hadn't thought much else about any of his customers, shutting down the cafe for the evening.

Still, when he takes to the skylines, he's expecting to be alone for the most part. In Paris, not many bothered looking up, let alone following after him. Unless he was with his sisters and brothers in the Brotherhood, he spent his time traveling and looking out over the horizon and trying to figure out how to further his plans for redemption in a city that was in complete revolution. In the Drabwurld, more joined him on the rooftops and he was usually given company at odd moments of the day and night- regardless if he wanted it or not. It became something of a habit he grew used to. And now? It's gone back to the days of Paris, and while he remembers it well, it strikes him as being much lonelier than he recalls.

Of course, that doesn't last long. Sombra startles him out of a run, and Arno nearly trips over his own feet before recovering, straightening himself and glancing to where she sits.]

Most people, yes. [He pauses, tone wry yet still amused.] Then again, most people don't decide to start a conversation on a rooftop, either.

[He's not wrong, at least. If she wants to talk, he'll gladly do so.]

Cheers, love:

[vata]

[Like most everything else that's happened so far, it's inevitable.

Over time, Gabriel's warning dips into curiosity rather than caution. And once the security system is up and running— once Jack's been hammered down and Ana Amari shadowed— Sombra falls victim to old habits: skulks to the treetop buildings that Lena Oxton calls home, so close that Sombra's practically certain she could see it from her own room if she wanted to (were the forest between them cut down). Prowls along branches, across ledges, slinking like something native to the planet itself for the sake of catching a glimpse of anyone that might be inside—

—and hunting for an ideal location for yet another discreet monitoring system. Something for her own personal repertoire, rather than Reyes'.]

[desynched]

[ Lena has good intuition. It's served her well as a pilot and, later, an agent. So perhaps there is a rustling in the trees that doesn't sound quite right, or something in her periphery. Regardless, it doesn't take long for her to realize that someone is there. Someone who's hiding and, therefore, not to be trusted out of hand.

Instead of calling out, she tries to shadow the shadow, using her intuition and knowledge of the area to help out. Of course, shadowing an invisible shadow is difficult, if not impossible. But Lena is nothing if not determined. ]

[vata]

[Her translocator gets her up high— higher than she should reasonably be able to climb without making enough noise to be seen or heard— and when she picks out a particularly long and winding branch that ends in a clear 'L' intersection against the side of Lena's home, she takes to it like a cat along a ledge: easy. Quiet.

The only thing that counteracts it all? Violet. Bright and vibrant in the dark, she's not expecting to be spotted up here—

—and she certainly wasn't expecting to be followed.

So halfway through laying down the basic wirework for a surveillance system she stops at a distant scuffling. Careful, subdued, but not inaudible. An animal, maybe? Sombra's attention snaps around, eyes alert as she scans every branch and dip in the foliage to try and pinpoint who's tailing her. Luckily (or unluckily, maybe) a split-second glimpse of pointed brown hair is all she needs to finish putting the pieces together.

And with her hand in the cookie jar— with no idea whether or not Lena knows who she really is— there's no leaning away into the shadows to disappear. Instead, she leans forward.

Right towards the edge of her perch.]

What are you doing?

[As accusatory a question as it gets. Con artistry 101: when it comes to maneuvering out of a poor situation, always put the other party on the defensive - even if they're justified.]