It was hard to do proper stake-outs when you radiated an energy signature like a candle giving off light in a dark room. The vermin and cattle that wandered by were blind to the light, but they weren't her prey. The ones she wanted were far too cautious and any whiff of her hanging around seemed to disuade them from showing their faces within easy grabbing distance. Or even just visual distance.
Cinnabar did what she could, but three hours was just not enough time. She would have to be incredibly lucky to catch a glimpse of one person in that window who was on her list, among the double handful that made it up. It was just too much odds against her. Which was why help had been needed. It wasn't how she liked to operate, as Schorl had critisized her for in the past, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to do it... Her bond enforcement work had always been with a team, as transient as they were. She could work with others, if there was a good reason to, and this little pet project of hers was a good place to showcase that.
Sliding through the shadows cast by the old trees lining the boulevard, Cinnabar curled her fingers into her glamour-created pockets and paced leasurely towards the hedge fence where a pair of green eyes watched the house on the other side of the spacious backyard. They'd discussed optimal places to keep watch on the place and the shadowed fence had seemed the best of their options, sitting as it did away from either house and the alley that ran between them and their neighbors. The half-youma stopped as she reached the stand-alone garage that let out onto the alley, turning to meld herself and her dark clothing into the cast shadows.
"Anything?" She murmured, her voice a low rumble.
"Nothing that I can say for sure is the knight we're looking for." Came the reply. Antimidine was older, holding a few years on Cinnabar, but he'd readily agreed to help her with this when she'd approached him. He was one of many she'd asked and one of the few who'd agreed to it. Most seemed uninclined to put out so much effort for little more return than praise from their superiors. Antimidine wanted into SpecOps though... he, at least, would get a recommendation or two if he did well. That, and he had a marked dislike of Mercury knights after a bad run in left him missing an eye. He'd joked he would have done it just to see if it would turn up the woman who'd cut him.
"There some kids earlier, highschool age, running around on their bikes through here, but you said this knight was older, in their mid twenties. I made a mental note of them, but I figured you wouldn't care much."
"I don't. Not unless they were trying to approach the house or some other stranger hanging around like we are." She said as she blew air softly between her teeth in frustration. Another night of zilch. Another night where her helpers could question her plan as the 'no results' started to pile up. This was going to work... she knew it. It itched at the back of her brain and sat heavy on her shoulders. She knew it.
"Do you want me to hang out for the last few hours?" Antimidine said as he unscrewed the cap on his dip and slid some of the tabacco under his lip. The strong scent of mint teased at Cin's nose and she wrinkled it, feeling a bit of nostalgic, phantom desire for the cigarettes she'd ceased to need after her merge. It had been better just not to start the habit up again, but some days... some days she missed the swirl of smoke in her lungs and the ease the nicotine gave her.
"If you can, yes. Maybe she'll pop up in the wee hours of the morning, thinking even us night owls would have left."
"Maybe she's coming during the day, if she's coming at all." The lieutenant ventured, glancing over at the captain. Cinnabar shrugged loosely, straightening up and moving away from the garage to start her meander back down the alley.
"I'll see if someone can cover days here, unless you want to volunteer." She said, frowning at the gravel that crunched under her motorcycle boots.
Antimidine only chuckled roughly, spitting into the grass. "No thanks. I'd like to have a life outside of this 'mission'. And some proper sleep."
"Thanks." Cinnabar said, rolling her shoulders in place of a farewell.
Word Count: 777
