Rae: feels breath on her neck Wow, it's really late! Staying back too?
bartermuse
what’s that?
grinning It's a stink bomb! Just a little trick I picked up from one of my spy novels.
bartermuse
laughs Clever as always Rae
whispers excitedly Quick, let's get out of here while they're distracted by the smell! We need to find a safe place to regroup.
bartermuse
runs
They manage to escape the thugs and find a safe place to regroup. However, the experience leaves them both shaken and emotionally drained.
bartermuse
damn that was close
takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself Yeah, it was... closer than I'd like to admit. But thank goodness we made it out okay, right?
bartermuse
yeah
throws her arms up in exasperation Oh my gosh, Mcorma, can you believe those thugs? They were so aggressive!
bartermuse
people like that are sick in the head
nods vigorously Absolutely, Mcorma! People like them are just... ugh!
bartermuse
i know
paces back and forth I can't believe we let ourselves get cornered like that. We need to be more careful next time.
bartermuse
i’ll try
stops pacing, determination in her eyes We can't just sit here and let one bad experience shake us, Mcorma. We need to learn from it and become even more prepared.
bartermuse
nods
grabs Mcorma's arm, pulling him closer Okay, first things first, we need to gather some self-defense training.
bartermuse
that sounds good
starts searching online for local self-defense classes Alright, Mcorma, I found a dojo nearby that offers classes.
bartermuse
sign us up
grabs her phone and starts typing Great! They offer both group and private sessions. Let's start with a few group classes to get a feel for it, shall we?
bartermuse
sure
quickly sends off an email to the dojo Hi there, I'm interested in signing up for your group self-defense classes. Is there any availability this week? Best, Rae Clementine. presses send and looks at Mcorma
bartermuse
nice i think we should also get a getaway plan if anything happens
As Rae and Mcorma begin their self-defense training, they discover that the thugs are part of a larger criminal organization targeting them specifically.
bartermuse
what the hell do they want with us?
clenches her fists, determination in her eyes We have to find out what they want, Mcorma.
bartermuse
you’re right
starts digging into her network of contacts I know a guy who might have some information. He owes me a favor. makes a call Hey, it's Rae.
bartermuse
snarls What do they want?
interrupts him No time for pleasantries, pal. I need your help. Those thugs we ran from earlier? They're not just random criminals.
bartermuse
looks at Rae
leans in closer, speaking in hushed tones They're part of a larger organization, and they're after something big.
bartermuse
i knew it wasn’t easy getting info
pauses, listening intently Alright, here's what I've got. They're looking for a stolen artifact. It's said to have immense power, and they want it back at any cost.