Museum Heist Time! ( OPEN )

Fox had been scoping out the museum for a few weeks now, always doing so when Weaver was out doing something else.  She probably would have disapproved of robbing such a highly visible place.  Yet this place had been the building that had housed the insufferable little jade statue that had served as Fox's prison for at least a thousand years.  Oh of course the statue had changed hands quite a few times before ending up here where it had ultimately been shattered, but Fox still felt that this place owed him something.

Tonight he was going to make his move.  He'd told Weaver that he was off to do a little side job that they could use their new fence to make some quick cash on, maybe enough to get them a nicer place to stay... though their current apartment was nice enough really.

Fox waited till nightfall as usual, enjoying the way there were so many shadows to choose from for his magic to make use of.  He'd already been inside the museum enough during daylight hours to have memorized the whole place, so he wouldn't have to waste any time tonight on nabbing what he was after.  He waited patiently across the street from the large building, and then he stepped into a shadow behind him and vanished.  A moment later, inside the museum he appeared... inside a utility closet.  He panted a bit at the use of his shadow step spell and sat down on a nearby bucket that was overturned.  The Kitsune pulled out a candy bar and chomped into it, needing a rest after using that particular spell.  He'd planned on that though, which was why he was starting so early on this.

Fox spent a couple hours just resting in the closet inside the museum, his ears perked up and listening for anything out of the ordinary.  Once he'd finally recovered his strength he tossed the empty candy wrappers into a nearby trashcan and decided to properly get to work.  He opened the closet door a crack and peeked out, still listening while he now looked around a bit.  His ears picked up the slight motorized noise of a security camera nearby and he sent a cloud of shadow to obscure the device... having learned about those pesky things from Weaver.  Just as he planned his shadows blocked the camera's view, letting it only see black.

Fox continued his sneaky little trek through the museum, taking his time and blacking out cameras he came across before they could spot him.  Thankfully his magic worked quite well on them, especially at night when there was already plenty of darkness to draw upon.  Even better was the fact that his magic also worked on laser trip wires as well, letting him spot those annoyances as clear as day.  If he focused hard enough he could snuff them out too without sounding an alarm, but that usually took too much effort.  Easier to just expose them and then use his nimbleness to avoid them altogether.

So far so good... doesn't seem to be any actual guards on patrol either.  I guess they're using their high-tech doohickies to monitor stuff.  Well that makes it easier for me I guess.  Fox thought to himself with a smile as he made his way toward his targets.  After a few more minutes of evading security cameras and lasers he finally came to the area he wanted, a display of ancient treasures from around the world.  Golden ornaments adorned with jewels, ivory carvings inlaid with silver, and of course the main prize... a massive ruby the size of Fox's fist!  The sight of all the shiny gems and precious metal had the Kitsune licking his chops in anticipation, like a hungry wolf eying an all you can eat buffet.  Despite the prize before him, he didn't let his eagerness get the better of him and took his time... after all he didn't want to sound the alarm before he got what he came for and the night was still young.  Plenty of time to nab what he was after and sneak away before dawn arrived.

Fox went to work, pulling out his little case of burglar's tools from his robe.  Lockpicks, glass cutters, and other assorted items were there for him... all very useful too.  Especially after learning about certain types of alarms that could go off if one simply smashed the glass around an item or attempted to open the glass otherwise.  It seemed the human race had come up with all sorts of ways to try and protect their stuff, yet at the same time others had come up with methods to circumvent those protections... and Fox was more than happy to take all he could.

Picking low end targets was starting to become a bit of a bore for Wesley. Simple muggings and knocking over convenience stores was fine, but he needed the big bucks. Especially if he was going to find a warm place to sleep. These winter months were not kind. So he came to a decision. He was going to rob a museum. At night. He could do this. He made his way to a parking garage across the street, and hid out there for a little while until he worked up his body heat again. Then he stepped out onto the roof, held his arms out wide and shot off into the sky, his pterodactyl form allowing him to zip right up to the roof.

Wesley however, was not the type to go about things in a calm manner.  He wanted in and out with as much as he could carry. A good old smash and grab. And it was his head that was going to do the smashing. With a glint in his eyes, his head shifted and hardened, until it was scaled and bony. With one motion, he smashed his head into the skylight, shattering one of the panes... and triggering the silent alarm.

After a second to ready himself, his form became slimmer, his teeth sharper, and he jumped down the hole in the skylight, and pinballed off a flag pole onto one of the second floor balconies.

"Let'sss have some fun..."

Fox had just managed to slip past the last few laser tripwires and cut through the glass display case surrounding the the large ruby. He still couldn't read English yet so he wasn't sure what it was called, but to him it was simply shiny! He was easing the item out of the display case when he heard a sudden crash from a floor up in the museum, his ears perking straight up under his hood.

"No no no. I was here first." Fox said with dismay, hating that someone else was busting into the museum on the same night as him... and doing a sloppy job of it to boot! That crash was loud enough that it had to have triggered some alarm or another, which meant Fox needed to grab the rest of what he came for and get the heck out of dodge! Fox stuffed the ruby into a pocket and then shoved his tools into another before grabbing one of those weird metal poles with the velvet rope between them.

Taking the guide pole he simple smashed open the next case and snatched up the items he wanted, hoping to grab as much as possible before the other thief or the guards arrived.

Indeed, that crashing through the ceiling had indeed triggered a number of alarms. He was breaking in using probably one of the most predictable and noticeable methods out there. Just as fox would finish grabbing up his things, a guard would indeed arrive... by falling from the second floor. Another shattering could be heard as Wesley, who just finished using his Tyrannosaurus strength to lob the guard over the balcony, began smashing cases, and picked up a number of necklaces, shoving them into his own bag. He then switched back to his Velociraptor physique and went back to work.

"Now what else do we have around here..." He asked himself, running over to an open display of a number of geodes. Perfect for the rock collection. "Mine..." He said throwing them in as well.

Fox didn't know who or what was causing such a ruckus the floor above him, but when a guard came crashing down into another display case near Fox he figured that it was time to high tail it out of there! Unfortunately not just the silent alarm but a full blast alarm was going off now, complete with flashing red lights as security gates started to come down at several entrances.

With all the new lights it was going to be a bit hard to find a proper shadow to use to make his escape, not to mention he was going to be feeling drained with using his shadow step another time tonight. About the only place he was sure that wouldn't have any lights to bother his spell was the same closet he'd come here in... which was on the second floor. Fox secured his loot and dashed up the stairs, and saw who had crashed the party.

"You ruined everything!" Fox blurted out, hating that his perfect plan had been so utterly wrecked by this dolt. Other than shouting that insult he didn't do much else and instead simply ran down the hall, trying to get to the janitor's closet so he could escape.

Wesley had just finished throwing smashing a case of diamonds when the gates began to close. Quickly gathering the diamonds, he made a bolt for the center atrium. As he did, another person dashed passed him, hurling an insult. He would have responded, but didn't really have the time, or mental energy to come up with a comeback. Heck, he barely even saw the guy. At least he wasn't going to try standing in his way.

Kid only barely made it past the guard gate, sliding smoothly under it. With a flip over the guard rail, Wesley smoothly landed on a display case, shattering it. Inside was a gold mask, which he proceeded to pocket. It was at this point that a number of guards flooded the room, billy clubs and tasers at the ready.

"I would love to stay and chat... this place is plenty warm, but I have some loot to fence." He said, as his body shifted again. His arms grew long, and a thin layer of reptilian flesh bridged the gap between his hands and his waist. The guards fired their tasers, only for them to meet empty air, as the Wesley shot up into the air, straight up and out of the hole he made in the skylight.

As much as he wanted to use the parking garage next door to keep warm, he had to move. He could run faster than he could fly, so that would be his best bet. He swooped down across the museum lawn, before gliding back up again, landing in the alley way across the street. He decided he'd take a moment to get his bearing before shifting back to his Velociraptor form.

Fox made it to the closet without incident.  It seemed the oaf who had made such a ruckus was at least useful in getting all the guards to pay attention to him instead of the stealthy little Kitsune.  Still it wouldn't do to get caught at the crime scene with the ruby and other stolen goods in his pockets.  Taking a moment to lock the door he paused and simply breathed in and out a few times.  Once he was calm again he concentrated his powers and cast his spell, the shadows surrounded him and he embraced them.

Fox opened his eyes as he traveled through the shadows, trying to find one as far as possible from the museum but not so far that he couldn't make it.  Ideally it would be one that brought him closer to home too.  Unfortunately there wasn't a perfect shadow like that, so he settled on one that was far from the crime scene but close enough to make it to.  Fox popped out of a shadow on rooftop about a block away from the museum.  He tore off his mask and vomited on the roof, the strain of using too much magic too soon.

After taking a few minutes to spit out the foul taste in his mouth he moved away from the puddle he'd made and rested his back against the rooftop access exit.  The little brick entryway to the stairs felt cool against his back, even through the fabric of his robe and his fur.  He put his mask back on as he continued to catch his breath, pulling out the ruby he'd snatched.  Looking at the brightly shining gem he couldn't help but grin.  Sure things hadn't gone exactly as planned and he felt like he was going to barf again, but he'd done it!  He'd stolen the biggest darn gemstone he'd ever seen in his life!

"She's gonna love this.  I hope she decides to keep it."  Fox said to himself, thinking of his partner in crime.  He fiddled with the other items in his pocket, figuring they could sell those off using their new fence... but he was a bit too proud of this gem to just sell it.  He placed it back in his pocket and waited for his strength to return, and silently cursing the weirdo who had crashed his show.