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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 19:30:44 GMT -5
He pauses and looks at Cantio with an expression that suggests he's considering something. "If you still want to know that after we have left the city, then I will tell you. But, yes, for now it is best that you know as little as possible. Unless you want to dive head first into a promising future of espionage." He jokes and slings the bag back over his shoulder.
"I am going out the back, we cannot be seen leaving here together. I will sneak in, get changed, and by then there should be enough people at the party to blend in like I belong there. If possible, find out what the good lord's plans for the evening are. It would be good to keep an eye on him and see who he chats with."
The tiefling turns on his heels and heads for the door. He pauses briefly to look back over his shoulder. "See you there, and remember not to get too drunk."
With that, he leaves through the door and leaves Cantio to get ready for the event.
Some time later, the sun has started to kiss the horizon as dusk rapidly approaches. It is shortly after guests start to file into the Housing District. The Meadowblooms' manor is glitzed out with lanterns and wreathes of flowers. The servants are rushing about the grounds to receive the incoming guests, ensuring they are well attended on with offerings of fine cider, wine, and various small single bite snacks of high end cheeses, meats, fruits, and artisan breads.
Zarius is perched up on a roof overlooking the old orchard from across the street. He's hidden behind a smoke stack as he clocks the roaming patrols of guards. They were in pairs and moving in predictable sweeps of the pathway that encircles the exterior wall of the estate grounds. The wall itself is wrought iron with a solid base. It would be difficult to scale with the extra weight of the bag, but it was doable. The key was getting the timing right to avoid the guards seeing him.
Cantio should have already gotten inside as early as an hour prior to this moment in time. Though he hadn't spotted him from this distance. He could faintly hear music playing, but it was difficult to tell if it was the bard or not. Hopefully the skittish tiefling didn't run away.
After calculating the distances and the timing of the guard patrols in his head, Zarius climbs down the building and quietly darts between the neighboring buildings until he gets to the alley he had picked as his best access point to approach the estate ground walls.[1,2]
He peers around the corner and waits for the closest pair of patrolling guards to pass before moving out of the alley and into the openness of the path. He glances at the backs of the guards then mutters something under his breath.[3] The sound of a cat screeching emanates from around the corner of a building ahead of the guards, drawing their attention for long enough for Zarius to throw the bag up and over fence. It lands in the bushes on the other side with a rustle, but the guards do not notice. He then scales the fence quickly and drops down on the other side before grabbing the bag and getting out of sight from the pathway.
The orchard is well maintained, but as Cantio had guessed it was not set up for guests and was well shaded from any lantern light. Zarius creeps along until he finds a locked garden shed. He slips some tools out of a pouch and quickly picks the lock until it clicks open.[4] The interior of the shed is dark but Zarius' eye pierce through the darkness to see the various gardening tools hanging from the hooks on the walls.[5] He slips inside and closes the door behind him.
A few moments pass before he steps out dressed in the outfit he showed to Cantio. He adjusts the cuffs and double checks the various secret pockets designed specifically to conceal his knuckle knives and lock picks. Everything was in order. He strides over to the edge of the orchard to the gardens where the party was taking place. Time to see if this night would be one to boast about, or one to forget.
[1] Surface Scaling [2] Silent Step [3] Minor Trickery [4] Pick Lock [5] Dark Vision
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 18, 2022 0:34:55 GMT -5
The gala is exquisite and the rumours are most certainly true: the Meadowblooms spared no expense on their party. Delicate white paper lanterns decorate the noble’s massive courtyards painted with runes of Solaria in glimmering gold; fine dining tables line the garden with expensive wines, champagnes, and other high-class drinks; luxurious foods are available in bulk for the masses, and ferried about on shining silver trays by the Meadowblooms’ house-attendants. The grass could not possibly be more green within the garden at the Meadowbloom estate. The hedges are trimmed to perfection; the trees shaped immaculately; and the blades of grass are perfectly uniform. There is an extremely gaudy ice sculpture of the first Meadowbloom standing beneath an apple tree smack in the middle of the whole venue. Maintained by a personally hired Cryomancer, of course… It’s tasteless, but to be honest, Cantio has seen gaudier decorations before. The party grows more by the second; there are hums and whispers from lavishly dressed individuals with white dress-gloves, or long gowns, that begin to trickle into the stiff atmosphere. As more and more individuals begin to arrive, their giddy laughter and haughty chuckles rise over even the sound of the musicians on the garden’s stage; some come to view the decorated stage with ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’. Even more pass by without a second glance, ignoring the performers as they chit-chat over delicate glasses of champagne and wine. Cantio opens his eyes as he draws his bow across his strings; there’s an ache in his fingertips after playing for just over an hour with the small, back-up band that the Meadowblooms had hired. The sound of the lute, tambourine, and drum carries with him in the background; neatly and professionally backing him up as he swings into a jaunty, energetic solo that only a few appreciative souls will pay attention to tonight. He doesn’t mind, though; this is what he’s used to, and frankly? This is what he prefers on most nights. Laughter rises over the sound of the party’s music; glasses clink; and voices carry on the wind. Somewhere in a sea of formal wear, Cantio can hear the sound of Meadowbloom— his voice booming in comparison to the hush— as he introduces a gaggle of nobility to his incredibly tasteless ice sculpture. There’s a hum of murmuring and praise that follows; and Cantio doesn’t need to see Meadowbloom, to know that he’s reveling in the attention. The violinist on stage sways into a pianissimo of hushed notes; embers of light flutter about his visage like wandering fireflies. Of course, tonight is not ‘most nights’. His encounter at the tavern is still fresh in his mind; and his bags are already packed and waiting in the break room adjacent to the stage. Not that he has much to his name but what he can strap on his person, anyways; but he figures it better to be safe than sorry, just in case a return trip to the tavern is simply impossible… but just thinking about Zarius, and what may come to pass at this party, has Cantio sweating under the collar. The violinist reaches a climax in the song, spinning about on his heel in some attempt to reclaim a bit of joy in the music as the bow slides across his strings in a downward motion. His crimson hair buffets with the movement, falling messily across the shoulders of his overcoat. Yes, it’s not enough that he runs the risk of meeting someone he knows at this party; that was stressful enough. Now, he also has to deal with whatever Zarius has in the making; and he simply doesn’t know what to expect from a man whom he doesn’t know. A part of him hopes that it was all just some kind of alcohol-induced fever dream… but he knows very well it wasn’t. He’d like to believe that he stress-hallucinated Zarius into existence… but he didn’t. He feels sick already just thinking about it. He pants softly against the heat of the lights as the song comes to an end; bow raised in the air as the music cuts off with a small flourish from the backup. A gentle round of applause fills the air; half-hearted and meagre; to praise the musicians. Most attendees aren’t looking at the stage, talking instead amongst one another.
Cantio takes a bow, as is habit despite the indifference, and looks towards Meadowbloom hovering just off to the side of the stage. With a smile, the Tiefling gestures towards the man and side-steps to make room for the elf; he sways his way elegantly onto the stage, his formal-wear is a stunning shade of jade and emerald as he addresses the crowd to thank them for their arrival… and other such niceties that comes with a party. Cantio does not stick around to listen. Meadowbloom’s voice fades only slightly as Cantio rounds the pathway through the hedges, blocking him from the main garden’s view; the flamboyant figure heads towards a series of glass doors leading into the home. With a soft sigh, he pushes open the door and steps inside, grateful for just a moment to himself… to just get his head on straight, and consider his options… steel himself for whatever is to come throughout the night. He is being dramatic, yes, but he doesn’t know what to expect from Zarius… he doesn’t know what the consequences will be, or how the night will turn out… he doesn’t know, and that makes him nervous. Even moreso, now that he’s mostly sobered up after an evening pouting in the tavern. Cantio quietly heads up the stairs, nodding to a maid as he passes, and meanders his way into the Meadowbloom’s private sitting room. It’s empty inside, save for a few of his bags sitting by the door; and a neglected, private bar for the entertainers consisting of whatever wasn’t quite good enough to make it into the main gala— but Cantio feels too nervous to even think about partaking in any of the food on the little table in the corner. He’d drink if he could, but he needs to be sober enough to play. Tail flicking back and forth, he slides down the wall instead, plopping onto the floor with his legs outstretched in front of him; he breathes an exasperated sigh into the silence. “ How do I get myself into these things?” he bemoans as he sets his violin next to him; he massages his thumb into the palm of his opposite hand, wincing at the soreness that comes with the pressure. “ Absurd. Honestly.” he breathes a sigh, tail curling around his body, to drape over one leg. He doesn’t know where to go from here; if he’s supposed to just go about his normal schedule, or if Zarius is supposed to meet him somewhere, or… is he supposed to meet him? Cantio pales slightly at the idea of accidentally standing the other tiefling up, but…! They didn’t really cover that part, right? ... So how is he supposed to know what to do!?
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 19, 2022 20:41:35 GMT -5
Cantio's intuition was spot on. Despite his dark attire standing out against the reds, golds, whites, and other bright colors of the crowd, no one seemed to think of the tiefling as out of place amongst the lavishly dressed in attendance. He strides with ease across the grounds, lifting a glass of a server's tray as he passes them like a shadow. He wouldn't drink it himself, but it helped complete his attempt at blending in with the scenery.
He does a casual loop of the grounds just to scope out who was in attendance and where the man of house was. While he does attract a few curious looks and some passing whispered speculations on his origins, no one bothers to pay him much mind. He catches a few conversations as he passes the small groups of party-goers, though most of it is bland pleasantries.
Passing by the gaudy ice sculpture, he eyes the mage maintaining its form and keeping it from melting into a deformed abomination. A caster being present was troubling. Though they were hardly hired as security for the event, if something did happen it was possible they would jump into action.
As he circles around, his ears perk up to the tune of Cantio's violin. He considers for a moment walking by just to mess with the bard, but thinks better of drawing unnecessary attention to the red tiefling. No matter how tempted he was, he kept his focus on the job at hand. Though he did indulge himself a bit and stroll behind the stage, well out of the performer's gaze. He had to admit, the young man had talent. There were plenty of skilled musicians in Darkveil, but few played with such precision and care.
A fleeting thought passes through his mind before the piece comes to an end and Meadowbloom steps onto the stage to show himself off to his captive audience. He steps out of sight and watches the red tiefling scurry away into the manor. Time to move onto the next stage of the plan.
Quietly, he circles around to the spot Cantio had pointed out where the balcony was. The trees did indeed obscure it from the gardens as the red tiefling had said. How many times had the bard been to the estate, he wondered. Perhaps he would ask him once they were far from Sol City and the stakes were lower. He was sure Cantio would drown himself in drink aboard the ship he arranged, which means he probably would be easier to question.
Zarius glances about and makes sure no guests or guards are within line of sight before stepping past the hedges and running up the side of the building.[1] He catches the lip of the balcony and pulls himself up, surprisingly not being restricted in his movements by the dress clothes. They were specially tailored with that in consideration at the behest of his father. Always thinking ahead...or perhaps paranoid that even at a party they couldn't risk being hindered in any way.
He steps over to the door and easily lock picks it and lets himself in.[2]
"Hey, Red." He says as he passes through the curtains after closing the balcony doors behind him. "How is it going out there?"
His eyes glance down at Cantio's hands. "Did you hurt yourself already?" He asks with an unimpressed face as he fixes his cuffs and tucks the lockpicks back into his dress coat.
[1] Surface Scaling [2] Lock Pick
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Nov 26, 2022 13:33:21 GMT -5
While Cantio stares at the ceiling, head tilted back against the wall, he begins to hear something; the tiefling’s eyes narrow sharply, brows furrowing as he lifts his head and listens to a slight… is that a scratching sound…? He holds his breath until the only noise he can hear apart from it is his own thrumming heartbeat; he doesn’t think the Meadowblooms would ever own a cat, so—
And as he’s considering it, the silhouette of a figure suddenly passes through the curtains of the balcony— horned figure briefly haloed by the outside lights.
Cantio knocks his horns against the wall in a rush to jump to his feet, alarmed by his sudden presence; but then he places a hand on his chest, lowering his shoulders when he realizes that it’s Zarius. He can feel his heart in his throat. He’s genuinely not sure if this is better or worse with all things considered. “Gods, you scared the life out of me.” he objects, his voice weak as he does his best to swallow back his anxiety. “You can’t knock or something?”
He’s fine! He’s fine, he just needs to get through tonight; at least he doesn’t need to worry about standing the other tiefling up if he knows where to… wait how did he know where to find him? No, wait, he gave him directions to this room— right… right.
Keep it together, Cantio.
Zarius' outfit is stunning, though; if he weren't climbing through the window like a bandit, and if Cantio hadn't met him at the tavern, he'd be convinced the man was some kind of noble. He takes a shaky inhale, brushing his palms against the front of his red coat. “It’s… going fine! I do know how to keep a crowd’s attention for the most part...” he answers hesitantly, flexing his fingers when Zarius asks about his hands; Cantio frowns. The tone of his voice is unconcerned, as is his expression, like it's to be expected.
“Have you ever played an instrument for hours at a time, Zarius?” he asks, tail flicking as he massages one of his palms with the opposite thumb. “It’s consistent, repetitive motions… I played for an hour in recital, and played for the guests as they entered, and I have yet more performances to give tonight, so… forgive me if my hands are cramping a bit. It can be straining after a while.”
He looks at Zarius from the side of an eye, shoulders lowering with his sigh. “Anyways… guards aren’t trying to take down the door, and I can still hear Meadowbloom making his speech, so… it looks like you got in without too much trouble.” He stops fussing with his hands; they still ache, but he’ll be used to the feeling by the end of the night.
He wants to ask what the plan is— what he needs him to do— but he kind of doesn’t want to know. He’s been keeping an idle eye on Meadowbloom since the party began, but aside from greeting the guests, he looks like the average Meadowbloom that Cantio had grown up with once upon a time. “Anyways… there’s nothing weird going on in the crowd, so I presume you’re here to wander around. I won’t… y’know, get in your way. I have to be back out there in half an hour or so. Meadowbloom hired a harpist to play when I’m on break, but otherwise, it looks like I'm the main event for most of the evening.”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Nov 27, 2022 21:43:56 GMT -5
“Knock? No, why would I do that?”
He replies like it’s a ridiculous question as he strides across the room to the door into the hallway. Who would knock when they were breaking and entering? He checks to make sure the door is closed and also listens for anyone outside. When he hears nothing of concern he turns to Cantio.
His eyes dart about the room as the red tiefling talks about the strain playing an instrument puts on one's body. He wouldn’t know, he certainly is not a musician himself. That said, he does understand what the bard is talking about in regards to muscle fatigue.
The brawler steps over to Cantio and crouches down in front of him, taking his hand whether the bard wants to let him see or not. The charcoal tiefling rubs his thumb across the muscles of the bard's hands. His grip is strong and his own hands are much rougher than Cantio’s, but the pressure and motions seems deliberate with the intent of relieving some of the cramping. Relying on his hands for combat, he was well aware of how to avoid injuring them while also strengthening them.
"I was careful. No one saw anything. You can calm down."
He glances up at the bard. "I will admit. I am surprised you have kept your end of the deal so far. You could have warned them. Set up an ambush. It would have been easy with how much time you have had. Here, do this to stretch out your hand."
Zarius shows him how to apply some pressure to flex his hand and stretch out the muscles in a safe manner.
"A half hour? That is not a lot to work with. You can help search if you want. Or you can stay in here drowning in your anxiety."
He stands back up and goes over to the door. Quietly, he turns the handle and peers out into the hallway. Once he confirms that the coast is clear, he steps out and closes the door behind him whether Cantio follows or not.
The rest of the manor is just as opulent as its exterior. Gilded frames of oil paintings hang from the walls depicting scenes of grassy country sides filled with flowers and glistening lakes reflecting the sky. Glittering chandeliers hang from the tall ceilings casting a warm light across the polished floors. Expensive rugs and pieces of furniture decorate every hall and corner.
There didn't appear to be many guards inside the building, which made things easier for the tiefling. He heads for where he was pretty certain the office would be located and quietly enters that room. Glancing about the room with an ornate desk, tall bookcases lining the walls, and all the curtains drawn to close out the light from outside, he slips inside and begins to silently search the room in the dark for secret compartments, hidden doorways, or anything else which would be of use.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Nov 29, 2022 20:44:10 GMT -5
“ Because it’s—” He cuts off mid-sentence, eyes lowering for a moment. Right… Right, he’s breaking in— why would he knock? Cantio breathes a sigh, taking a deep breath to still his pounding heart. “ Oh, nevermind...” He waves a hand dismissively, turning his eyes away from Zarius for only a moment; enough to catch him off guard when he does look back, only for the tiefling to stop in front of him. “ Hey—” He pushes his back against the wall, tail flicking back and forth nervously; he attempts to pull back when Zarius grabs his hand, but the tiefling has a stronger hold than he does. His tail thrums against the ground, red hue beneath his mask turning just a shade darker while Zarius presses against his palm with his thumb; at first, he winces with the pressure. Zarius’ hands are rough— rougher than the rest of Zarius’ appearance seems to suggest. Gradually, however, the motions turn into something more pleasant against his aching muscles. He doesn’t meet Zarius’ eyes when he looks up, “ I…” he trails off. Yeah, he supposes he could have done all of those things; why didn’t he, actually? “ I might be an entertainer, but I am a man of my word.” he sighs, watching the way Zarius demonstrates the flexes; and as Zarius stands up, he tries them on his own. “ Oh, um… thanks.” he manages to get out. It actually is kind of better than it was… but then Zarius speaks again, and Cantio shoots him a displeased look. “ Well, I’m sorry, some of us are on a schedule.” he remarks with a sigh; the charcoal tiefling is heading towards the door, and he… shouldn’t go with him, honestly, but he does. Maybe because it’s easier to not drown in his anxieties, when he’s staring them right in the face.
Cantio slips out the door after Zarius, narrowly missing catching his tail in the closing door. Every inch of the Meadowblooms’ manor is as gaudy as its exterior; luxuries of all kinds proudly displayed. Gifts from nobility, royalty, lords, and ladies. There’s a vase on a nearby display that he actually recognizes from his youth… a gift from a prince in Zeinav, or something, he thinks the story was. It’s spotless, dustless, and gaudy as hell.
He's still not sure he believes that story. He taps his fingers together nervously as he paces after Zarius like a lost puppy, and quietly steps into the room after him. “ ...So what are we looking for, exactly?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper amongst the quiet of Zarius’ rustling through the room. He steps slowly off to the side, taking a peek at a cheesy, mildly abstract self portrait of Meadowbloom up on the wall. " ...With all their money, you think they'd have more taste than this...."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Dec 2, 2022 18:01:35 GMT -5
Zarius catches sight of Cantio behind him. So, he is going to follow after all. Interesting. Either he was morbidly curious, or he planned on blowing the spy's cover once he has committed more crimes than just breaking and entering. Perhaps that was giving the red tiefling too much credit, but then again, it could just all be an act. He is an entertainer, as he says.
"Hidden buttons, levers, handles, or anything that looks like a secret compartment or doorway."
Zarius focuses on the desk first and gets to work lockpicking the locking drawers open.[1] He gets them open and starts quickly flipping through the pages. Nothing of particular use is found though. He slides the drawer closed and relocks it before moving on to the next drawer. Rinse and repeat.
He glances up as Cantio hangs out near the doorway looking nervous. Gods, his anxious worrying is distracting. At least he had enough sense to make sure the door was closed behind them.
"Unfortunately for the Meadowblooms, having good taste is something you cannot buy." He quips.
The desk was a dud, though he gives it another quick pass on the underside and along all its surfaces for any hidden compartments or buttons. While down under the desk, he peeks out from under it at the red tiefling.
"If you want to help you can start checking the bookcases or behind the paintings."
That should keep the bard busy and give him something to put all that nervous energy into. Perhaps he would actually find something. If he could only keep an extra pair of ears, eyes, and hands for a half hour, best to put that all to work and makes the most of it.
After getting out from under the desk and not finding anything, Zarius next checks under the furniture as well as under the rugs. He's careful not to shove the furniture across the polished wooden floor to avoid making sound that could alert anyone passing the room in the hall outside. Nothing again. He sighs and lifts up the rugs. Other than some discoloration of the wood stain, nothing.
A sound from outside the door catches his attention briefly and he pauses to listen as a set of footsteps come up the nearby stairs but then seem to go the opposite direction. If someone came to get the bard or check on him, that would be problematic. He steps over to the door and presses his ear against it. No voices or sounds of doors being opened. They were still in the clear for now.
[1] Lockpick
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Dec 11, 2022 18:29:16 GMT -5
“ I think I read a novel like this once,” Admittedly, Cantio is keeping his voice down; but the nerves make him a bit of a chatterbox. In social situations, it’s something that keeps him afloat. Breaking and entering? Perhaps a lot less convenient, all things considered, given Zarius wasn’t supposed to be in here and he wasn’t supposed to be wandering. “ It wasn’t written well, though— everything was too predictable.” As Zarius suggests he check the bookcases or behind the paintings, he hesitantly, but obediently does so; it’s not that he likes cooperating with Zarius, but he does in fact need something outside of talking to fill the place of his nerves. In a weird way, Zarius words kind of reminds him of the first time he’d met Tatalia— except she had been all bright-eyed about secret compartments and doorways and secret buttons. He wonders, distantly, how she’s doing. He hopes well. He stifles a sigh as he cautiously lifts the ugly painting on the wall; there’s nothing but dust— or, well… the lack of dust— behind it. He sets it back down, taking a moment to straighten the piece (it does not make it any nicer), before moving onto the next. By the time he’s moved onto the bookshelf, Zarius suddenly pauses and moves towards the door. Cantio, nervous and flighty already, freezes with a book in hand— is someone coming? He pales a bit, drawing the book closer to his chest and tucking his tail close to his legs. Oh gods, what if they get caught? He holds his breath; he’s only able to release it when Zarius finally moves away from listening to the door. He breathes a sigh, body language relaxing slowly when the threat of ‘getting caught’ starts to fade away, and— Ka-thlink!Cantio chokes on a surprised sound, both feet leaving the floor in a startled bounce when something metallic drops from the book he’s holding. He places a hand over his pounding heart, tail flicking back and forth while he paces a step away from something that looks… awfully like… A rod?
Is it a rod? It seems like it’s been disconnected from something; like it should fit somewhere that it currently isn’t even close to. Cantio blinks at it, then looks at the book that had fallen open in his hands; it seems someone had carved the pages to look awfully like that rod, allowing it to fit perfectly between the closed… Cantio’s eyes narrow in on a few passages left remaining between cut pages; he then closes the book and takes a look at the front cover. “ ... The Meadowblooms keep a copy of Fifty Shades of Decay?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Dec 11, 2022 19:16:47 GMT -5
"Well, life can be predictable. As they say, art imitates it."
As Zarius pulls away from the door, he flinches when the metal rod hits the floor. He whirls around to snap at the red tiefling for making such a racket but stops himself when he notes the piece of metal on the floor. Hidden in a book with the pages cut out, a classic tactic.
"Huh, good job." He comments as he crosses the room to pick it up.
It's maybe six inches in length and has no real defining traits other than a square hole running through the center.
"Some sort of handle maybe...so now we have to find whatever it goes to."
His eyes dart down at the book then back at Cantio with a curious head tilt. "You recognize it, do you? Interesting."
A teasing smirk spreads across his face before he turns on his heel and does another sweep of the room with the rod in hand. He tries to find anything that the rod fits to, but finds next to nothing. Zarius clicks his tongue and then glances to the windows and the doors.
"You are running out of time, best get you back to your room before someone calls on you. I will have to search the rest of the estate for whatever this goes to. Perhaps you can chat up one of the Meadowblooms and see if you can glean any clue."
The tiefling spy stows the metal rod in another hidden compartment in his coat then smooths the fabric out. So long as no one decided to get too handsy, no one would notice it was concealed within the garment.
He looks at the tiefling bard, noting his posture, the anxious glances, the tucked tail. Poor thing really was not cut out for this kind of work. Still, he had followed. Why exactly? He was aware that he was making it harder to be considered just a pawn in this plan, right? It was a huge risk he was taking and he knew the consequences should they be caught. Maybe something else was going on, but there was no way to be certain. A curious bard, indeed. Too nervous though, it would be bad if he had a panic attack before their work was done.
"Hey, just breath. Things are going well. Just keep doing what you are doing." He pats Cantio on the shoulder, firmly but not hard enough to knock him around.
Zarius turns back to the door and quietly opens it, glancing about for any guards before stepping outside and holding the door for the bard this time. He does still make an ass of himself and gives a formal bow, a dramatic sweep of the arm in an 'after-you' manner, and a stupid mocking grin on his face.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Dec 11, 2022 19:59:05 GMT -5
“A handle?” Cantio repeats, looking up from the cover of the book with furrowed brows; he’s met with a snarky smirk and a curious head tilt. He opens his mouth, about to respond— when he understands what Zarius is trying to imply. A mild look of horror crosses the minstrel’s face beneath his mask— his red complexion darkens.
“Wh—-! I-I haven’t read it!” he hisses back defensively. “The title’s on the cover!” He tries to push the cover of the book in Zarius’ face, embarrassed—
— but Zarius is already turning away with his dumb smirk.
Still bristling and flustered, the bard puffs a mildly offended breath and shoves the book back into the bookshelf where it had been before he disturbed it. He feels warm and embarrassed under the collar; and while Zarius combs through the rest of the office, Cantio grumbles beneath his breath and unsheathes his fan.
So, he multi-tasks that way: half-heartedly plucking through the other half of the bookshelf while trying to cool his head with idle waves of his fan.
Maybe he shouldn’t be so embarrassed, but he’s heard the kinds of things that are in that book! It’s… awfully spicy! And he doesn’t read that kind of stuff! The insinuation that he ever would is awfully tasteless! Not that people who do read that kind of stuff are tasteless, but… it’s just not his cup of tea!
It’s a popular novel in all the libraries he’s gone to between the cities of Charon, that’s all…
Cantio’s tail curls, head turning slightly when Zarius’ voice fills the room; he has no idea how long it’s been. “O-oh— yeah, right. I should do that.” he agrees, narrowing his eyes while he looks at the last book he’s touched; it rests precariously at an angle on his index finger. He pushes it back onto the bookcase carefully, straightens what he’s fussed with, and snaps his fan shut with a flick of his wrist.
The idea of gleaning clues from the Meadowblooms though, that’s… that’s something else. Playing? Sure, that’s what he’s here to do, but…
He stands at the bookshelf for just a moment longer— tail curled nervously— golden eyes absently double checking his straightening work for errors— when he feels a thud against his shoulder. Cantio puffs out an exhale, then offers Zarius a puzzled expression from over his shoulder before he turns slowly to face him.
He laughs nervously, tail flicking back and forth as Zarius quietly opens the door. “Right… thanks, I think.” he mumbles; but as he waits to follow Zarius out, the tiefling suddenly gives a sweeping, formal gesture for him to go first. Cantio pulls back, golden eyes wide— before they narrow sharply at his stupid grin.
“Oh, what a perfect gentleman.” Cantio huffs, his voice laced with sarcasm as he skulks past Zarius to get into the hall— but a moment later, he turns back to face him, pointing in a way that’s almost accusing. “And for the record, I don’t read that smut, so wipe the stupid smirk off your face about that! The title was on the cover!” he keeps his voice low in a slight hiss, before spinning around on his heels and heading back towards the balcony room.
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CCS Courier
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Renown
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Dec 11, 2022 23:07:05 GMT -5
Zarius couldn't have asked for a better reaction from the bard. He chuckles to himself as Cantio tries to defend himself from the accusation. Of course the bard hasn't actually read the book. He clearly wasn't the type for such things. That hardly changed the fact that it was fun to watch him flounder.
"Whatever you say."
Escorting Cantio back to the room, Zarius makes sure he is good to go back out and perform once more. Their timing has been good so far and the luck even better. It didn't seem that anyone had taken any notice of the bard's absence or the spy's presence. While the handle provided a new problem to solve, they were making some progress, albeit slowly.
"Be careful not to strain yourself with all that fiddling."
Stepping back out of the room and closing the door behind him, he then glances about and picks the next location to search within the manor. He heads off down the stairs and starts working his way through the various halls, gathering spaces, private quarters, and staff spaces over the course of the following few hours.
It's not a completely smooth operation as he does have to hide in a few wardrobes and behind some floor length drapes as the staff are still present in the building. He's patient though, and he keeps quiet as he times things out to avoid detection.
Room after room, he has no luck in finding the pieces that the rod fits onto. It's starting to look like a bust when he pauses in front of a statue in a recess of the wall. The statue itself appears to be marble and is of an elven woman carrying a basket full of scrolls. One scroll appears to have a small square peg at the end that sticks out of the carved bag.
Zarius takes out the rod and lines it up with the peg and pushes it down. Part of the scroll shifts and moves further down as the metal rod becomes a handle for the scroll and there is a clicking noise once it gets in half way. A section of the wall next to the recess shifts and slides open.
Zarius quickly takes the rod back out and slips into the hidden hallway before the secret entrance way fully closes once more. He pauses and breathes before looking down the tight, darkened corridor that descends down some stairs a few paces ahead of him. Mindful of any traps, he proceeds down below the manor.
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