It was a day like any other. Summer in 1482 is just like summer anytime. The hot sun glared down and a slight breeze played with the edges of her cloak as she walked the streets of Paris. Even in this sweltering heat she kept the hood of her cloak close around her face. No carelessness could be tolerated. She ran over the rules in her head as she walked, still trying to clear the transition fog from her mind.
-Learn the situation before engaging. She neither spoke to nor looked at any of the locals passing her in the street. She had to know where she stood and how she would be received.
-Listen to the language and accents. Watch the postures and gestures. She knew how to speak the language but 90 percent of all communication is nonverbal. One word before she was ready would mark her instantly and out of time and place. She couldn't allow that.
-Check for class cues and any underlying social tensions. She watched how the people watched each other and how they moved in the crowd. What did clothing tell about people and what people didn't mix.
-Be an unseen shadow until you can be a seamless addition to the population. She'd studied the history of the place extensively, but that gave no insight into the people living in it and she needed to blend in perfectly.
She walked with the gypsies, having followed them into town. She woke up among them so she must be one. None had spoken to her yet and she made no effort to engage any of them at this point. Blending in with them. Another stranger amongst strangers. They didn't seem bothered by her walking with them and a goat seemed to be following her. She took note and kept walking. She'd figure that out later.
As she walked, she could hear the sounds of a large excited crowd. In her rush she'd forgotten the time of year. It was the Feast of Fools and she was heading towards the Palace of Justice. At this time in the afternoon, there was sure to be a mystery play being presented. She cursed her poor timing, but there was nothing for it now. Night was coming soon. There wouldn't be time to find more work else where and she needed money for food and lodging. The purse on her borrowed body had a few coins but they wouldn't get her far. Having a sudden thought, she quickened her pace toward the crowd.
Entering the square, she saw the cause for the noise. A crowd was cheering for some poor, deformed person with a funny hat. She scanned the crowd for social information. All poor, but making very merry. Most were focused entirely on the guy with the hat. It looked like a guy anyway. On the fringes of the crowd were musicians and jugglers. Perfect. Her training before the shift had included singing and dancing which came in handy more often than she would have thought and the transition rules ensured her of a body that could keep up with her skills. She dropped her cloak and shook the tambourine that hung from a silk scarf around her waist. Two of the gypsies that she walked with began playing the instruments they carried. The goat started jumping around. Cool. The noise and movement drew a crowd. Either the music or her dancing was good enough to start drawing some coins. With every twirl, she scanned the crowd. Her teammates should already be here and finding them would be top priority. The Captain was sent ahead to scout and get established. She and Devil should have arrived at the same time, but not the same place. Why couldn't a job that doesn't pay be easy?
She danced until the light started to dim. One man in the crowd looked long and intensely at her. She made note of his features without acknowledging him. No way to know from this distance if he was friend or foe. She took the third of the coins that was handed her from those thrown by the crowd. She could camp with the gypsies at the edge of the city, but she needed to find her team and start getting some intel. Feeling eyes on her in the fading light, she moved out of the square into the denser alleyways. It could be one of the guys. It could be the mark checking her out. It could just be a drunk local with an interest in the pretty gypsy girl. The goat followed close at her heels. It must be hers. Good to know. Moving swiftly down the alley, she smiled hearing two sets of footsteps keeping up. She was supposed to avoid confrontations, but she also had to find her team and complete the mission. This might get tricky and she wanted to be somewhere discrete to deal with it. After the next corner, she would be well out of earshot of the main square and the light was fading fast. She slowed her pace to let them catch her.