[ Good morning, City. If you know Carla, then you already know that it's not all that strange for her to up at 3:00am in the morning, looking sleepless and anxious. And truthfully? Even though the violet purple bruising up one side of her face and bloodied lip aren't all that unusual for her either. Both of the injuries are a few days old, her mouth is only bleeding because she's been fiddling with it. She does so for a moment longer before casting the camera a sideways glance. ]

All of my sparring partners are MIA. Who wants to step up?

[She sits back on the couch (the apartment this time, the plume of a canine's red tail stirs at the edge of the video) running a hand back through her hair and muttering something that sounds an awful lot like God, I'm so bored...]


[[ooc; ...I know. Didn't I say I was going to do this post last month? Ooops. Injuries courtesy of Li Shenshung aka Douche Reaper.]]

[Merlin's discovered that the device is a very handy way of making notes in a fairly subtle manner, which is why he's holding it in his hand, which is why he slips and manages to start a recording as he leans on a table, his hand partway covering the screen. Perhaps the view is enough for the place to be recognisable; it's the underground, and the askew tilt of the phone shows enough to conclude that maybe it's a market.

That is, the black market.

Now, Merlin's never really been to the underground, but it has this fishy air about it so if you're looking for something fishy, he figures that's where to go. He doesn't really have much of an idea where to start, but a market seems as good as any, and he's looking at trinkets, a thoughtful purse to his lips and the screen shakes as he lifts his hand to press his knuckles to them.

In the corner, you can see someone approaching. When they speak with a smooth, but casual tone, obviously male, Merlin starts and straightens up abruptly.]

Can I help you?

Ah, no, I was just looking. I think I'll just... Just get going.

[You can barely make out the smile on the man's face before Merlin puts the phone away and all you see is black.]

Good evening, then, sir.

Err-- Right. You too.

[He's the smoothest, okay, shut up.]

((OOC: Merlin is very subtle when he's really just snooping, tyvm. Random NPC is blue, Merlin is black.

--changing the icon is also a good idea. Shhh.))