Assassin in the Mixer

As the nobles mingled amongst themselves, the sounds of their pointless chatter resonated above the high brow classical music of the party. Okami was resting off in the distance watching the snobs from a tree, keeping himself hidden as he observed Tōga wading through the crowds. He was not happy with this mission, being this far from his friend was not his favorite of positions. He sighed as he rested himself watching Tōga’s every move, He was out of distance to converse with his friend using telepathy so for now it was just a waiting game.

Tōga began to wonder how Okami was fairing off on his own, he tugged at the collar of his suit for a moment. He hated dressing up for any occasion, especially one like this. The high class society that cared little for those who made it possible, the ones who enjoyed their money and stature no matter what it cost the rest of society. He was able to snap himself away from his train of thought and back to the suit he was wearing, again tugging slightly on his white button-up causing the royal blue ascot to become untucked from within his sports jacket. He panicked for a moment before quickly tucking it back into his jacket and taking a moment to pull down on his clothing making it straighten out and become more refined looking. The smell of the crowd was riddled with nearly a hundred perfumes and overpriced scents. He took the time to straighten his hair for this event, he couldn’t get over being here for this event. If the money wasn’t so good he would walk away right now, he sniffed slightly, catching a whiff of Okami in the air making him feel more comfortable to know his friend was nearby. Tōga sighed as he reached inside his jacket pulling out a soft red and white pack of smokes, tapping it lightly against his palm exposing a single cigarette butt. Using his lips he pulled it from the pack and returned the rest to his inner breast pocket, pulling a flip lighter out and using it to light his smoke. With a inhale the embers began to glow vibrantly, he listened to a nearby conversation about summer homes and upcoming cruises. He exhaled slowly creating a small cloud that dissipated rather quickly, a rather slender man with dark hair approached him speaking to gain his attention. “What do you think of the country's current political and financial status? Mr…  uh” He trailed off as to show he was attempting to learn Tōga’s identity. “I believe we are underestimated, there is true wealth in our country that others fail to hold to correct standards. I am Savos, I’m from the western regions.” Tōga would state calmly with a slight grin as he puffed from his cigarette, making sure to avoid exhaling into the noble's face. The man smiled back at him with acceptance as he took one of the small shrimp from the platter and returned to the crowd, a small sigh escaped Tōga’s lips along with smoke as he managed to navigate through the interaction. He looked to the sky for a moment, his mind wandered to what he would rather be doing, which was basically anything but be here.

Okami was perched in his vantage point of the lower tree branches, he found the site of Tōga in a suit and dealing with these various noblemen and women was hilarious. He could still see and smell the party keeping him at ease as he awaited for any sign from his companion, just a simple motion of distress would have him darting from the trees and come crashing the party. He sighed in a manner of boredom as the day was dragging along for him, simply sitting, waiting, because his massive presence would offend the higher class of the gathering.

Tōga crushed the last of his cigarette as he slipped back into the crowd, tossing the butt into the first receptacle he passed during his intermingling. That’s when he smelt it, a hint of nightshade in the air. Poison. He began following his nose, though he was sniffing as though a hound on a trail, Tōga ensured to keep the action as inconspicuous as he possibly could.  As he followed the smell, getting closer and closer to the source, he found himself standing next to a tray of shrimp. Though the hue of their color was slightly different than that of the others that had been consistently passed around the party, he reached down taking one from the platter as though he was going to eat it but instead sniffed it as it approached his lips. Nightshade. He attempted to sniff for the hands that prepared the dish, however the smell of seafood was potent and not one to easily comb through. Knowing it wouldn’t be long until someone grabbed the poisonous shell-food, He simply made a quick assessment of the guests for anyone looking in his direction. With luck on his side, no one watched as he simply discarded the shrimp nonchalantly into the bin at the edge of the table. He slipped back into the crowd essentially disappearing among the others, though Okami had never taken his eyes off him and was aware of the situation from the smell on the wind and his position among the guests. Tōga began to survey the guests as he shifted through them, hoping to spot someone who didn’t fit in among the crowd. However, this proved to be difficult as a foreigner amongst the nobles unable to recognize them for who they are in the first place. With time he made his way to the outskirts of the party, allowing him to look in on the various groups that had been created among themselves. “Damn, this is ridiculous.” he mumbled to himself, enough to avoid being heard by the other guests though still able to express his aggravation with the current situation.

As Tōga continued his investigation among the party, Okami began to catch a whiff of a new scent. This time it was in the trees just a few meters from where Okami was resting, he jumped through the treetops as agile as he could in order to refrain from being heard. As he approached the increasing scent he found a man mixing various elixirs, many of which had toxic smells. Okami had found the creator of the toxins but not the man who slipped them into the party, at this distance he couldn’t alert Tōga either. He quickly pounced from the treetop slamming the man to the ground as he bared his teeth down against the assassin's throat, the link was made and he spoke into his mind. “So, care to explain what you’re doing slumming in the trees mixing poisons?” The words slipped through the man's mind as Okami’s physical sounds were a deep growl of ferocity. The man began to tremble in fear as he felt the points of the wolf’s teeth slowly pierce the skin, the blood began to trickle as he mustered his voice together. “We are after the Nobleman, Urahara. I don’t know who is the sponsor, or who is picking up the poisons. It’s just drop zones I swear.” Okami’s eyes squinted slightly as he slammed his paw into the perps sternum, knocking him unconscious as he carried the assassin to the authorities. After a few minutes passed he returned to the party though slipping closer to the crowd, hiding atop one of the buildings that surrounded the party. “Tōga, There shouldn’t be any more poison. However, there is still an active assassin at the party. Watch a noble called Urahara, he’s the target.” Okami was able to slip these words into his companion's mind before returning to his perch upon the tree, hoping he was able to relay the information well enough to assist his friend.

Tōga was a little thrown off by the sudden interruption, but he understood the message Okami was trying to get across to him. He began to scan the crowd and listen closely to the people as they talked, then he heard a man called out from the servants. “Master Urahara, would you like me to take these dishes from you?” Tōga immediately turned and watched the rather large blonde man in formal attire as the servant took the used dishes away from his master, the relationship was ridiculous as even Tōga would never consider himself a master to a companion. He slinked through the crowd placing his target just over his right shoulder behind him, he continued to listen closely as a few conversations carried on with Mr. Urahara about his recent endeavors in the pharmaceutical world. That’s when it all started to fall into place, heavy duty medical grade poisons and a man making financial changes to the medical world. Obviously some medical professionals had decided to ‘deal’ with the new tycoon with violence instead of peaceful court ordered solutions, but without their poisons the game would change as they would either have to give up their quest or find a new motive of attack.

After loitering around the nobleman for sometime, Tōga decided to use the motions of the party to advance himself in discovering what to do next. He approached one of the lovely ladies standing offering his hand, “Would you care to dance?” he would be delighted as she placed her hand in his and together they slipped out to the dance floor. As they held each other close, twirling around and enjoying the evening. Tōga remained composed as he scanned the crowd, taking note of a rather intellectual looking man standing off by the edge of the party, his eyes fixated on Urahara. As they waltz across the dance floor, Tōga saw the shine of the senbon as it made its way to Urahara. He was able to do a spin with the woman, dipping her back and using his teeth to catch the senbon just as a normal man would catch a rose. Though he quickly turned his head and spit the needle into the nearby forest before allowing anyone to see the threatening attempt, Tōga, as he continued his dance, would look to find the suspected man from before had left rather abruptly. He departed the dance floor after thanking the woman for her time and the fun, he began sifting through the crowd once again this time seeking the man from before.

Tōga started where he saw him last, taking a minute to sniff for any remains of the man's scent. As he began to feel frustrated at the amount of smells interfering with his investigations, a silver lining presented itself in the form of a senbon laying on the ground. After a moment of thinking on what transpired to leave behind such evidence he could only assume in a quick attempt to strike before being spotted caused him to fumble his extra senbon. He reached down and picked up the sole senbon, holding it just below his nostril as he inhaled and captured the scent of his target. To refrain from alarming the guests he slid the senbon into the inner pocket of his sports coat, pulling out his cigarettes and lighting one as he began to slowly trail the scent by walking around the crowd. As he began closing in on the scent, he crushed out the nearly gone cigarette and dropped in a trash bin. His eyes scouted the crowd until he saw his target standing just a mere meter or two in front of him, Tōga slipped up very close to the man and when he felt close enough to speak where only he could hear, he did. “So before I remove you from the party, permanently. Care to tell what you hope to accomplish with this assassination attempt on Urahara?” Tōga would make sure the man could feel the intimidation from his presence, knowing despite all his efforts he had been found out and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

Okami watched as Tōga appeared to be on the trail of something, his ears perked up as he looked out over the crowd and attempted to ascertain the events that were happening below. Within a few moments it was revealed that he had discovered his target as he approached the slender dark haired man in glasses, his stature and demeanor began to show the intimidation factor he was imposing. Okami lifted himself on his paws as his eyes began piercing into the crowd, directly focusing on the current interaction between Tōga and the man he was standing behind. If even a moment looked as though his companion was in trouble, Okami would rush in regardless of how the party may be affected.

Tōga listened closely as the man swallowed a lump in his throat as he began to speak, “How did you fi-” He was interrupted as Tōga reached over his shoulder and tucked the senbon he used to track him into the man’s front pocket. “I see, Fair enough. But I will not allow Urahara to throw away all the research I spent my life on. He is stopping all I worked so hard for.” Tōga couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the man losing his life's work, but regardless stopping him was the mission and that’s what he would do. “Sorry to break your heart, but the best thing for you to do is step away from the party with me.” Tōga placed his hand on the assassin's shoulder, tugging him backwards away from the crowd. The man used that momentum to spin around and attempt to strike Tōga, Though with quick thinking he grasped the attacking hands wrist and began to dance as they struggled to overpower one another. The display looked as though two finely dressed men were swaying across the dance floor, though in reality it was a battle for domination between the two of them. A few guests began to watch, though unaware of what was really happening they began to clap at the display. To them it appeared as a strong and passionate dance from the two, Tōga had the upper hand as he led the motions across the floor. In a rather quick motion as though he was pulling the assassin close to him, Tōga slammed their skulls together knocking him unconscious as he made their dance slink the two off the dance floor. An uproar of clapping from their on-looking crowd of viewers, they were thoroughly impressed with the dance even though they never realized it was a struggle between two men to determine a man’s life continuing or ending.

Tōga made it to the edge of the party, carrying the man on his shoulder as though he had drunk too much and needed help walking. Maintaining the charade that they were close and not at all fighting, after a few moments of treading out of the confines of the gathering he was met by his dear friend Okami. The telepathic link resonated between the two as Okami began to speak, “So this is the assassin, interesting I would not have expected the poindexter to be a killer.” They made their way completely away from the party, finding a small area where they couldn’t be seen by the crowd to place the captive and await him waking up.

An hour passed as the man started to awaken, looking up to see Tōga standing over him speaking to him. “Welcome back. It was a nice dance, but the party is over.” The man hung his head a little as tears began to drip from his chin, Tōga couldn’t help but feel sorrow as he watched the man accept that all his life was gone at this moment. Okami slipped up behind the man, his breath was warm as he huffed over the man's shoulder. The man still crying as he awaited punishment for his actions, Tōga spoke calmly “I must turn you in, but for poison alone. In time you will be able to resume your life as a medical scientist, hold out and think of the research you lost simply by choosing to kill the man.” The assassin lifted his head as the tears began to dry, he smirked as he clambered to his feet and presented his hands in a way that showed submission to being tied up for the authorities. Tōga smirked as he told the man that binding his hands was not necessary, remarking that if he tried to run Okami would kill him. The notion sent a shiver down his spine as he followed him towards the guard house by the party, the man no longer in tears and accepting that he was being incarcerated for the foreseeable future.

As the three arrived at the guard house, the shinobi on duty looked puzzled, staring at Tōga with his suit and straightened hair. After a small interaction the guard accepted that he was who he claimed to be and knew of his assignment, he chuckled after identifying the medical man and taking him into custody. He seemed surprised that a man of science would go to such extremes as to attempt to murder another human, but regardless the guard pulled the reward money from the desk by the door, handing it over to Tōga and Okami. As they began heading back into the village, Tōga was somber as he felt bad for the man he had arrested. Though he was interrupted by the voice of Okami in his mind, “Don’t sweat it, the man lost it. One death would have led to more. Despite his desperation and motive, it would have led him down a path of removing anyone who became an inconvenience.” Tōga began to think about it, realizing Okami was right. One door always leads to yet another door, the number could have potentially reached a state beyond countability. He smirked as he scratched Okami behind the ear and entered the village together.

(WC 3018)