The streets were quiet
The streets were quiet in the Under-City, as it was still barely dawn. The slowly brightening sky threw wisps of oranges and pinks over the cobblestones, and stained the window panes of the sleepy town, a telltale sign of the quickly approaching sunrise. At first, this sight would appear quite serene, maybe even tranquil to the ignorant outsider, or the casual passerby. Frisk new better however, then to trust the peaceful illusion presented by the empty streets of the Under- City as she stuck to the shadows of the back alley ways, refusing to so much as touch the light of the new dawn. This was Ebott after all, and no amount of peaceful sunrises could bathe away the true grime of the Under- city that existed in the form of organized crime and corruption which clung to Ebott like thick black tar. Though it might look pretty from a distance, life was hard here, and making an honest living was a concept really only found in fairy tales.
Ebbot was a city that was always teetering on the edge of a very sharp knife, being ripe with gang activity, and civil unrest between the humans and monsters that both inhabited the small overcrowded quarters of the Under- City. There had always been tension between these two races for as far back as anyone could remember, and though the two played nice on the surface, when it came down to the corrupted politics, and the controlled crime rings that infested Ebott's underbelly, it was very apparent that these two races were on the fringes of an all-out war.
Frisk scampered up a fire escape to the roof tops as she neared her destination. The view provide an excellent vantage point of the drop sight described by her current employer. Sure enough a lone figure in a trench coat and fedora stood at the corner by a bench, nervously puffing away on a cigarette. Frisk immediately recognized him as a member of the Cartella gang. Frisk had made it a point to learn the basic functions and faces of all the mobs that she did business with, just to give her an edge, and know what to expect if dealings ever went south. Frisk then focused on the brown leather suitcase at the man’s feet, most likely the container holding the payment for the goods that she was supposed to deliver, which were currently residing in a worn canvas duffle bag swung over her shoulder. Before she headed down to make the drop, Frisk carefully scanned the surrounding area, as these gang dealings were very risky, often ending in shootouts and double-crossings. Sure enough Frisk found what she was looking for; a black Cadillac town sedan was parked hidden in an alleyway a few blocks away from the drop site. It was hard to tell from the distance, but it looked like the Cadillac held at least four other passengers. Red flags and warning bells went off in Frisk mind as she realized that this was a setup. The mob members that she was supposed to be trading goods for cash with were planning to make off with the bounty and the profits. Luckily she wasn't surprised, this sort of occurrence was something to even be expected, as the gangs of Ebott were always reeling on the edges of uneasy truces, and would more often than not jump at the chance to get one over on the other if the opportunity presented itself. Frisk grumbled to herself when she spotted the car. Though this occurrence was to be expected, it was still very annoying. Just once she would love to have a simple exchange with no extra hoops to jump through, but that’s life, her life anyway. fortunately for her the man at the bench was situated right in front of a narrow alleyway that also was out of the direct line of sight of the Cadillac.
“Right then.” Frisk spoke to herself as a means of confirmation as she hopped off of the roof, and scaled down the wall using a drain pipe, before navigating through the back streets of Ebott to get to the ally way. It was time to go to work.
Frisk hung close to the shadows as she moved toward the alleyway. Not making a sound, she kept her breaths calm and even as she approached the far end where the man was standing, glancing at his watch. She quickly hid herself behind a stack of broken crates at the edge of the alley as she watched and waited for an opening. Though this situation was nothing out of the ordinary for her, Frisk knew what was at stake she was out sized and outnumbered; Her only real advantage was her stealth, and her ability to navigate the back streets of Ebott. Frisk kept her heart steady as she watched the man. She only had one rule when it came to these sorts of dealings, one rule that was absolutely imperative she follow, don’t get caught; Getting caught meant death or worse, as long as she didn't get caught then she would be fine. She repeated the rule to herself silently as the man flicked the butt of his cigarette to the curb, and proceeded to grind it under his heel. Without a second of hesitation, Frisk realized that this was her opportunity as she quickly snuck out of her hiding spot from behind the crates, while the man was distracted. With the fluid movements of a feral cat, she silently switched out the leather suitcase with the worn duffle bag, flipping the latches quickly to make sure that the payment was indeed inside, before scurrying back to the safety of the shadows.
She snickered as she climbed up another fire escape, leaving the oblivious mobster standing beneath her on the street corner. Before she headed out to deliver the payment to her employer, she decided to stick around to catch the mobster’s reaction as he turned back to the bench where the suitcase had previously been. Frisk almost failed to stifle her laughter as she watched the man do a double take once his eyes met the worn canvas duffle bag.
“Serves you right for trying to cheat.” Frisk chuckled to herself as she continued to watch the man frantically search the area for the missing suitcase.
Once he realized that the money was long gone, the man quickly turned his attention back to the duffle bag and ripped it open, revealing its contents, a number of different cylinder containers filled with bright colorful substances. Frisk's eyes widened at the sight of them. So she had been transporting magic this time around. Normally Frisk tried to keep herself in the dark when it came to the goods that she was hauling. When dealing with gangs and mobsters, the less she knew usually meant the safer she was. The sight really shouldn't have been that surprising to her, as magic was a commodity that was often traded through the black market, since the government banned its use, along with other substances deemed to dangerous to the public such as alcohol. However, the true reason was probably so the human politicians in power could hold more control over the monster population, which was already living under the heavy thumb of human management.
Though humans couldn't use magic themselves, the substances were still highly valued by human gangs. If it was infused with food it acted as a very efficient healing agent, and if it was mixed with alcohol, well, then it would create a very powerful feeling of euphoria. It was something that could be bought and sold for top dollar. Frisk had probably transported magic many times before during the jobs like this one, when she was hired by the different gangs of Ebott as a Currier, but she still couldn't help her curiosity as this would be the first time that she had ever seen magic with her own eyes. The colorful substances swirling in the cylinders were quite mesmerizing, and Frisk found herself leaning over the edge of the roof to try and get a better look.
The man suddenly sighed with relief after inspecting the goods, breaking Frisk out of her trance. He quickly closed the bag shut, before heading over to the hidden Cadillac in the alley. There was a brief squabble between him and the man in the driver’s seat. Frisk smirked, they were probably mad about how there little stab – them – in – the – back operation didn't go as planned. Finally the man was let in to the car and it sped away down the slowly awakening streets of the Under – City. Frisk watched it disappear before she turned to go to the second drop location to hand the money over to her employer.
Frisk was as cautious with this location as she was with any other. Though she had done odd jobs for this gang, the Bannacci’s, in the past she knew that she could never be too careful, and also knew to always expect a mobster to turn sour once he got his suitcase full of cash. After spotting her associate, and scanning the area for any unwelcome surprises, she headed over.
The man leaned against the wall of the old ware house as he impatiently played with a silver lighter, flicking the lid open and closed as he waited. He glanced at his watch, It was already five after seven. He grumbled when he realized that she was late. It was rare; usually she was pretty considerate when it came to deadlines.
“Hey there Joey, been a while.” A voice suddenly sounded from behind him. In his surprise the man fumbled and dropped the silver lighter. Frisk chuckled as she picked it up and tossed it back at him. “Sorry didn’t mean to scare you.” She said.Joey shot her a dry smile. “What? Scared of a pipsqueak like you? Please.” He couldn't help but grin wider as he watched Frisks shit eating grin fall quickly into a frown at the comment about her small stature. “By the way, you’re late.” He added coolly, taping his silver wrist watch for added emphasis.
“Yeah, yeah,” Frisk muttered, as she passed him the leather suitcase. “I hit a bit of a snag during the exchange, but I got your money so know complaining.” Joey flipped the latches and opened the lid making sure all was accounted for.
“A snag eh?” He questioned, as he quickly counted up the stacks of bills. Frisk nodded as she relaxed against the warehouse wall.
“Yeah, the guy you arranged for me to meet with thought it would be a good idea to bring along a few friends. I’m pretty sure they were planning to make off with both the cash and the cargo, judging by how pissed they were when I made the switcheroo without them noticing” . Frisk snickered as she remembered the one mobster’s confused expression when he saw the duffle bag sitting where the suitcase used to be.
“Those two faced double crossing scumbags.” Joey’s tone suddenly turned icy upon hearing about the intended betrayal as he clicked the suitcase lid shut. Frisk stiffened at the change in atmosphere, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Joey took out a Cigarette and lit it up with the silver lighter, before taking a long drag and turning his now frosty stare to Frisk.
"So…” He began dryly. “You knew they were gonna try and pull a fast one, and instead of making off with both the bags, you left those dirty crooks with our fine product?” Frisk gulped down her nerves as she fronted Joey’s cold gaze.
“Hey now, I did exactly what I was paid to do. I exchanged the goods for the cash.” Joey narrowed his eyes at her, but Frisk held her ground. “I told your boys when they hired me, I’m a neutral party. I don’t do unnecessary risks, and I certainly don’t go around trying to get a target plastered on my back by making a fool of the Cartellas, or any other gang for that matter. Besides,” She continued as Joey took another drag from his cigarette. “This way you get to keep up that flimsy facade of an alliance with the Cartellas." Joey held his stare over Frisk for a few moments longer, before he exhaled a cloud of smoke and chuckled softly.
“Wow doll, for a criminal you’re as honest as they come, aren't ya?” He said smiling, as he caught the very prominent grimace Frisk gave him upon hearing the pet name. “You know, my boss has been pretty impressed with your work for us in the past. You should consider joining up, be the Bannacci’s own personal mule.” He continued smugly. “I could definitely put in a good word for ya, the pay would be better, and you wouldn't have to worry about not making a fool of the Cartellas. In fact, I know the boss would even pay you double if you did it on purpose.”
“Like I said, I’m a neutral party here.” Frisk replied sharply. “I don’t intend to be officially affiliated with any gang, just doing what I need to survive for the time being and then I’m out.”
Joey shrugged. “Suit yourself doll face.” He said riley, as he packed up the suit case. “But uh, just so you know the offer still stands, Oh, and here.” He said as he turned to toss Frisk a stack of bound bills. “For your trouble with the exchange.”
Frisk still shot him a glare for the doll face comment as she pocketed the extra cash in to her ratty brown trousers. She knew the money was more of a bribe to join the Bannaccis then as any sort of sentimental gift for her troubles, but it was cash and she wasn't in any sort of situation to turn her nose up at it. As she watched Joey stroll away she resisted the urge to make a face at him behind his back, and then set off back to the Under- City to get a little R&R before she had to go out to find another job.
Frisk hastily made it back to Ebott and into the attic of a boarded up apartment building, her current base of operations. “Home sweet home,” Frisk thought sarcastically as she lowered herself down to the rickety balcony from the roof, before strutting in to the loft. It was mostly empty, save for a busted up wooden chair, fold up table, and an unmade mattress, pilled with ratty looking quilts and blankets. There was a little wood burning stove tucked away in the corner that still seemed to work and Frisk quickly threw a few rotten boards that she had pried off of the windows of the abandoned building into its hearth. She then got a dented pot and filled it with rain water that was collected in a barrel on the balcony. As she waited for the pot to boil on the stove, she quickly took the wad of cash out of her pocket. she then flipped up her mattress, and removed a loose floor bored hidden beneath it. Out of the uncovered hole she pulled out an old tube sock that seemed to be stuffed with bills and coins. She quickly added the stack of cash to her horde and smiled down at the plump sock.
“Looks like I’m gonna need a bigger bank soon.” Frisk thought happily, as she replaced the floor board and let the mattress fall back into place with a flop. She then headed back over to the stove, and grabbed the dented pot of now simmering water, before walking over to the far wall, and dumping the water into an old tin bucket that was hanging by a rusty nail, underneath a broken mirror. She let the water cool briefly, before scrubbing her hands and splashing her face, being sure to clean away any dirt or grime she could see in the broken reflection. Once satisfied, she removed her threadbare cotton button up, leaving her in a thin black undershirt. She then dunked her short, dark hair into the bucket, giving it a decent rinse and scrubbed her scalp clean of any dirt or soot that had accumulated from hopping around on the rooftops the previous night. After she shook the excess water from her hair, she plunged the white cotton shirt into the Bucket, and scrubbed at the soot stains until most of them had been removed. She took off her worn brown boots and did the same with her woolen socks, before hanging the clothing over the antique chair to dry. Her trousers and undershirt would still be fine for another day or so, as she had washed them a few nights ago.
She then removed the bucket from the nail on the wall, and threw the used water over the balcony, being careful not to hit any unsuspecting, passing individuals on the streets far below. With a yawn Frisk headed over to the mattress, before sagging lazily over the wrinkled quilts and blankets, settling in for a short nap while she waited for her clothing to dry on the chair. Her stomach growled impatiently as she nestled into the bundle of blankets. She made a mental note to go in to town later where she could scrounge up some food. Her eyelids slowly fell closed as she relaxed in to the lumpy unmade mattress, and she drifted off to sleep as her mind wandered to thoughts of the hot food stalls and market stands that lined the streets of Ebott in the afternoons.
A soft creek roused Frisk from her slumbers. She blinked the fatigue out of her eyes for a few moments before begrudgingly turning to get out of bed. As she did, her eyes widened upon gazing at a figure sitting on the old wooden chair, just a few feet from the mattress. Frisk immediately jumped back away from the figure, slamming in to the back wall that her mattress was pushed up against. As the blurriness of sleep left Frisk vision immediately after her shock of seeing the stranger in her apartment, she realized that the figure sitting in the chair across from her was a monster.
She was a type of mouse monster to be more precise, with brown fur and big mousy ears. She was also impeccably dressed, in a very flattering magenta three piece suit. Frisk continued to gape at the stranger as the monster merely tossed her a self-satisfied little smile.
“Finally awake I see.” She said cheerfully, as Frisk managed to spring of the mattress and take a more defensive stance.
“Who the hell are you?” Frisk demanded immediately, once she placed a safe distance between herself and the intruding stranger. The mouse monster seemed to pout slightly at Frisks outburst.
“Well, I can’t say I blame you for the foul language, as I did come in uninvited.” The mouse monster replied almost to herself. “My name is Mittsy.” she said as she stood up from the wooden chair, and extended her hand. “And I presume you are Frisk?” Frisk just stared dumbfounded at Mittsy’s outstretched hand, not making a move to take it. After a little while, Mittsy awkwardly withdrew her offered hand.
“I see, I guess that is to be expected.” She said, almost sadly as she re took her seat.
“How did you get in here?” Frisk ordered, fixing Mittsy with narrowed eyes.
“Why, the same way you did of course.” Mittsy replied, completely disregarding Frisks defensive demeanor, and instead pitching Frisk a friendly smile. Frisk scanned over Mittsy’s form, her suit didn't have a smudge on it, and she was also wearing a pair of polished, black, heals that were free of any scuff marks. Frisk immediately doubted her story.
“So you were following me?” Frisk questioned, cautiously circling the seated monster.
“Yup!” Mittsy replied. “I've actually been watching you for the last couple of weeks to be completely honest.” Frisk paused at this comment. Normally she was very aware of her surroundings and could detect, and shake anyone trying to tail her in a matter of days, but this lady was claiming that she had been following Frisk for more than a week? Whoever this Mittsy person was, she was very good. Mittsy seemed to take Frisks pause as an invitation to elaborate.
“You see, I am under the employment of a very fine monster organization, and it’s my profession to gather information on any new investments that my employer may be interested in pursuing.” She said with a haughty smile. Frisk tilted her head to the side.
“So, you’re in a monster gang, and your boss wanted you to keep tabs on me to see if I’d be of any use to him?” Frisk asked smugly. Mittsy’s smile faltered a little.
“Well if you put it plainly, that’s about the just of it.” She replied sheepishly.
“Ok.” Frisk said, leaning casually against the back wall. “What do you want from me?” Mittsy cleared her throat, and crossed one heel clad foot behind the other, as she suddenly took on a very professional heir.
“My employer has recently expressed interest in your reputation, and I also have to admit that your ability to work with numerous gangs while remaining unaffiliated, and maintaining the level of success that you do is quite impressive.” Frisk cocked an eye brow at the obvious flattery. Usually when someone so easily threw niceties at her it was in an attempt to butter her up for more then what she was willing to give.
“So you know about my work with the other gangs in Ebott.” Frisk said not as much as a question, but as more of a means of confirmation.
“Yes.” Mittsy replied happily. “It’s what I found so intriguing about you initially, and it was also what got my employer interested in you to begin with.” Frisk nodded, her suspicions almost all but confirmed.
“Alright then.” Frisk said as she abruptly pushed herself off the wall, and briskly strode in front of where Mittsy was sitting. “I’m going to be very frank with you.” She said holding Mittsy’s attention in a firm gaze. “If you’re here looking for info regarding the other gangs of Ebott, then you’re looking in the wrong place. So, either you have something I can deliver for you, or you really have no business here at all.” Mittsy was silent at first, surprised by Frisk sudden boldness, but quickly recollected her composure. She leaned back in her seat, casually meeting Frisk's firm gaze with her own playful one. “So then, I guess it’s true from what I've heard on the streets, you don’t ask questions and you don’t give answers?” She asked.
Frisk nodded. “Yes mam, all I do is deliver a package where it needs to be, and all I know is the location it’s supposed to go, nothing else.” Mittsy strummed her fingers against the arm of the chair for a few moments before hastily getting up.
“What a shame, it seems that what I am looking to buy, you aren’t willing to sell.” She said as she dusted off her magenta suit. “But I do hate going home empty handed, so how about I interest you in another proposition?” Frisk raised her eyebrows in curiosity. “You see,” She continued. “Your connection with the human gangs of Ebott was really only half of the reason my employer wanted me to learn more about you. The other half of the reason was to see if you would be willing to participate in the transportation of certain commodities under the employ of a monster.”
Frisk was surprised by the offer to say the least, and also wasn't sure if she should accept it. She had never really done dealings with any monster gangs before. In fact, she knew almost nothing about them, as her territory primarily spanned between the human gangs of the Under- City. The more she thought about it the more the job screamed of unnecessary risk, but it also called sweetly to her sense of curiosity, and it wasn't like taking on another client would hurt her business any. It just meant more money in the bank so to speak. After deliberating for a moment, Frisk stuck her hand out to Mittsy.
“I’m interested.” She said flatly. Mittsy smiled and took her hand enthusiastically.
"I look forward to working with you in the future." She replied.