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Post by Veliky on Oct 21, 2022 2:07:11 GMT -5
Warm lights and cold drinks, colourful costumes under a black sky: it's the perfect sort of chaos to veil the machinations of sinister plots. From beneath the wide brim of her witch's hat, Veliky scans the crowds, the bystanders and fraternizers, the lives-of-the-party and the wallflowers. She despises being around so many people; there are too many factors to know, and she *hates* not knowing things, especially when she perceives those things as potential threats. Dozens of eyes glance her way at any given time, making it difficult to tell if someone is actively watching her. People are constantly moving toward and away from her; any one of them could be approaching her with malicious intent, or retreating to escape her notice. And, of course, enemies are easily missed in the pandemonium of frilled skirts, or hidden behind childish masks. It's no wonder that these events are so favoured by assassins and murderers.
Her face scrunches; she strains her brain to think. What, logistically speaking, is the safest method of approach? Should she keep moving, or should she stay still? Should she seek out the threats, or should she let them come to her? She damns herself; she should've thought of this before. Every second she's sitting here, deliberating, someone could be creeping behind her under an invisibility spell, ready to add a knife to her outfit. But if she looks behind, she isn't looking forward.
Tension builds, anxiety rises. Finally, her neck twists to peer over her shoulder. Nobody - nobody too near, at least. Only... who's that? Veliky knows that woman. Yes, that's Kamille, the witch from Moonglade. That's a beautiful dress, but what's she doing here? No matter how high-profile, this is just a Black Harvest party. Veliky knows, sure as Hell, that she wouldn't have attended herself if it involved crossing the Luna Sea.
Their last meeting had been fairly cordial. The muscles in Veliky's shoulders unwind ever so slightly, like springs. Having an ally - or the closest thing Veliky has to an ally - does make this whole ordeal more comfortable. But she's just one anchor in a sea of potential... Wait, is that Shaa, wearing a pumpkin on his head? It's difficult to tell without being able to see his scarred snout, but the minotaur ravaging the pastry table does match her old companion's general build. As well, from what she knows of him, Shaa would be the sort to gravitate toward food in situations like these. Hell, Veliky would, too, if the tables weren't intrinsically discriminatory against halflings. The punch mocks her from its satin perch.
Well, that actually is somewhat reassuring. If anything goes poorly, Shaa's as good as a dozen human bodyguards, maybe more, and he's far less prone to duplicity than the witch. But, if they're here, Veliky's willing to bet that there are equally-experienced fighters and mages elsewhere, that could easily- Is that Cantio?! What is he wearing? Is he... Is he playing a princess? Well, to his credit, it certainly looks better on him than on that hag in the Haunt Shop. Veliky nods faintly in approval.
But this can't be right, why does she know so many people here? It can't be a coincidence, that would be statistically impossible. Maybe she wasn't singled out after all, but rather chosen as part of a group. But, then, what's the common thread, and what are these Marrowvines planning? Maybe they're gathering Charon's most well-known adventurers here so they can cause unimpeded havoc elsewhere. Or maybe they're going to hire all of them on some kind of absurd bid for power against the gods themselves. Or maybe they wanted them all in one place so that they could activate a mind-control spell to create an army of indentured folk-heroes. Or maybe...
Those are Caedes and Zarius, standing together and chatting about little things. They don't seem very decorated, but, then, their usual accoutrements are already ghastly enough. Zarius apparently stuck with Game's costume as well, albeit with some embellishments.
But, that aside, what are they doing here? Why are they walking together? She didn't realize they even knew each-other. In fact, they seem... oddly close. From afar, she watches Caedes lightly elbow Zarius in the side. That's an incredibly friendly gesture by the changeling's standards. At a glance, she could almost see them as foster-brothers, or maybe...
Veliky shakes the thought away. It isn't healthy to think such things about business associates. Raguel certainly wouldn't approve. Still, it sparks her curiosity. If the two already know one-another, it could be easier to secure their combined assistance in future jobs. Besides, people are supposed to talk at parties, right? She may as well indulge a bit. Not on her own, though. She's not insane.
With one snap of her fingers, she vanishes[1] while leaving an identical clone in her place[2]. The clone straightens its illusory cap before striding confidently toward the pair.
Their relative heights haven't changed; Veliky's still just over knee-height when compared to the two. As well, her usual aura of authority is somewhat diminished by her festive and unusually feminine uniform - only somewhat, though, as she still stands with the same static formality, hands clasped behind her back with all the bearing of a military leader.
"Caedes. Zarius." A curt nod to each will be the only greeting they get from her. Her eyes and voice are full of the telltale nothingness that indicates she's as comfortable and friendly as one could realistically hope her to be. "I didn't realize the two of you were associated. How do you know each-other? Were you also invited here?"
1. Invisibility 2. Clone Self
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Oct 21, 2022 6:20:05 GMT -5
With her intimidating witch persona left at Moonglade, as well as her feathery cloak and claws, she felt more approachable, more real, and it showed in how the nobles treated her. Her assembly of jewels, mostly gold, rubies and black diamonds, was procured by a friend, and frankly impressed her greatly and apparently, others were impressed too. The skirt of her dress was fluffy enough to give some fluid movement to her steps and twists, but not too fluffy as to become uncomfortable. A drink appeared in her hand somehow, and a couple of minutes into the party she already saw herself making small talk to nobles she never saw before.
The swirling stars in her eyes had an extra shine to them that night she was finally back to the circle of nobility and wealth, even if not truly a part of it. Her elven beauty was heightened and graced with half of the eyes of the ball whenever she went, her fitted form wrapped in the finest of silks and finest of jewels. Until that night was over, the Queen of Hearts was bound to have more than a couple of hearts in her pocket. It was clear she knew how to navigate that terrain, prancing around the party with grace and flawless manners, throwing charming glances and smiles here and there just to witness a blush of dumbfounded look. Yes, she still knew how to do that. She may have left the Court of the Sun King, but Court have never left her, and she blended among the nobles as she was taught to do.
And it brought her more joy than she expected.
She went to check a table littered with snacks when a young noble approached, immensely brave for his lack of facial hair. The small talk that took place was painful, stuttering and ended on an invitation to a dance, which she politely refused on account of having to meet someone, a blatant lie.
Truth be told, she recognized a few faces already. She recognized Gladio, arriving with an interesting and creative costume. There was also Beist, who she never expected to see in a place like that. She thought she had spotted earlier a quarterling with a big hat that she maybe recognized. A few unknown faces, including a very tall and handsome horned man she never saw before.
And then, her eyes lit up with barely contained mischief: yes, she recognized those two. And with another wave of satisfaction she noticed they came together.
.............perfect.
To finish off the greatest opportunity ever, she finally recognized the quarterling that approached them both as Veliky, dressed as a witch, and nearly laughed out loud for the irony. The plan quickly former in her head as she slithered her way around the crowd like she knew fully well to do. Not that it was hard, since people opened ways for her whenever she went, whether she realised it or not. Kamille tried to contain her smile.
The Queen of Hearts wasn’t trying to be sneaky, but it was her deliberate choice to arrive from behind the two handsome men, her soft voice arriving clearly behind them. They could hear the smile in her voice.
"Such handsome gentlemen........."
Quickly, she closed in the distance between them, her gentle and yet skilled hands quickly findind their way between them, interlacing both of her arms with Caedes on one side, and Zarius on the other. One would assume intimacy, but those who knew the Witch of Moonglade knew she couldn’t give a damn about personal space sometimes. Her hands, covered in shining rings, gently held their arms. She looked to Zarius, then to Caedes, and finally to Veliky.
"Don’t you think, Veliky? They look so good, so dreamy.... Did you just arrive?"
Both Caedes and Zarius already knew how Kamille thrived on making people uncomfortable sometimes, when a fit of mischief assaulted her. It would appear she and her raven had much in common after all...
Also, it came as a surprise to no one that she recognized more than a few people at the party.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 21, 2022 11:57:11 GMT -5
Zarius stands with Caedes off to the side of the center of the bustling ballroom. More and more guests keep filing in one after another as the clock ticks away. There are a surprising number of people he recognizes, including some that look very much out of place amongst some of the finer dressed crowd.
A passing ghost makes him chuckle as well as the outfit the young human Gerhart had chosen to wear to the event. It suited him. He also could not ignore the fellow adorned in a large pumpkin costume, they had never met but the attire and the size of its wearer was hard to miss moving through the crowds. There were a few others who slipped in more subtly and hung back against the walls, timid and unsure of who to approach.
Still, the energy is high within the room. It had been a while since he had been formally invited to a party. It was a nice change from having to sneak his way in himself. Maybe he could relax a bit and enjoy himself. Then his eyes catch the ostentatious presentation of a man dressed as an exotic fowl and his mood instantly sours. He’d recognize the way Bellighul struts anywhere and a look of visible disgust crosses his face for a brief moment. Of course that pretentious preening peacock would be here.
His attention then is caught by movement through the crowd of a shorter variety. He recognizes the hat first and then the wearer of the hat as his eyes lower to the half-halfling half-goblin’s face. Zarius smiles down at the vertically challenged witch, a little surprised to see she chose to wear that outfit once more considering the history it held. He’s also a little surprised that she seems to already know Caedes, as indicated by her curt greeting. He supposes the assassin likely has made other connections he has yet to disclose to the tiefling just as he has yet to disclose the very same information to him.
“Good to see you, Miss Veliky. I received an invitation and Caedes graciously agreed to accompany me. We met during a field study on oozes if you can believe it.” He chuckles a bit, then glances back as he feels the familiar sensation of a delicate hand slipping around his arm.
“Good evening, Lady Kamille.” He says to the extravagantly dressed Kamille as she steps between him and Caedes.
Still as bold as ever, even in public. Her outfit was very eye catching and he wonders how he managed to not see her coming. Given her approach, that was probably intentional. Kamille had her own unique dramatic flair to her after all. Oddly enough, she too already knew Veliky. He wondered how that conversation must have gone, having a hard time picturing Veliky sitting at Kamille's table like a toddler in need of a booster seat. The world sure was full of coincidences.
He glances at Caedes briefly, then looks back at Veliky, not really bothered by Kamille’s forwardness. “I assume you ladies were also invited to this gathering. Seems that there are many other familiar faces present.”
He too spots Cantio across the ballroom floor. His outfit did a good job of obscuring his identity but it's the way he moves about the space and avoids the nobility that gives him away to Zarius' discerning gaze. The tiefling resists the urge to break from the group to go harass the bard masquerading as a princess. There would be time for that later and he doubts Kamille was going to let go of his arm anytime soon.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 21, 2022 15:06:08 GMT -5
There are many here that he doesn’t recognize; but there’s one in particular that catches his attention, which most certainly wouldn’t have… had Zarius not had such a visible reaction of disdain to seeing the man. Caedes’ pale gaze follows his line of sight, subtly taking in the man who’s caught his attention in such a way; a long-haired redhead strutting into the gala arrives. He’s elegant in an eerie way; his metallic train of feathers glimmering in the lantern light; scarlet hair draping eloquently over his shoulders beneath a wide cavalier’s hat. He certainly spared no expense on being as visible as possible, did he? He narrows his eyes towards the man in the mask; looking vaguely skeptical, he makes a note to ask Zarius; if the man is dangerous, or an enemy of the family… he thinks he should be made aware of it given their current deal. Before he can speak, however, a familiar voice resounds, greeting Zarius first— and then greeting him. Caedes smiles, not needing to look down to know who such a stern voice could belong to; although, he is surprised that she seems familiar with Zarius. “ If it isn’t my favourite employer,” he greets, plucking a wine glass from a passing butler’s tray as he drifts by. “ Hello to you, too, Veliky.” He looks down at the halfling, lips twitching in a smirk when he notices her little outfit. She’s dressed like a little witch; if he didn’t think she’d try to break his shins, he might even dare to call it cute… although, her neutral, dead-pan expression does detract from the charm just a bit. “ I was dragged here against my will, actually.” he counters Zarius’ explanation in a joke, then takes a sip of the wine. He has no idea what kind of wine it is, but it tastes foul. He swipes his tongue across his sharp canines, looking at the contents in his glass with a mild offense, before looking back at Veliky with a mild smile. He’ll throw it in a plant or something when he gets a brief moment away from prying eyes. “ Like he said, I took a job from him to study oozes and some no— oh, well… If it isn’t the witch of the Moonglade, in the flesh.” Caedes glances towards Kamille as she wraps herself between their arms, subtly and casually slipping between them. “ Oh, such flattery…” His voice pitches in a playful lilt; he pats the woman’s hand loosely holding his arm. “ You’d make even the dead blush, Kamille. You’re looking as vibrant as ever; how are you?” Although, with Veliky and Kamille both here…. Well, why were they here? “We just got here…” His gaze drifts briefly to Zarius, judging the time, before looking back to Kamille. “... a few moments ago.” He shrugs, the contents of his wine glass sloshing, but not spilling, with the motion. He smiles as he looks from Kamille, to Veliky. “Although, Veliky… I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but you don’t seem much like a party-goer… So I’m particularly surprised to see you here, even on invitation. You must be here on business, if I must guess?” he remarks, tilting his head at her.
“I’m not one for parties, myself… But I certainly didn’t expect to see so many familiar faces at the gala… Not that I mind, of course.”
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Post by Veliky on Oct 22, 2022 15:48:31 GMT -5
"Such handsome gentlemen......... Don't you think, Veliky?"
Veliky eyes both of them in an uncomfortably prying manner. She's already seen Zarius naked, so he's no secret. Muscular, but slim, with smooth, ashen skin and deep, yellow eyes. Caedes, she obviously hasn't, but he seems decent as well. Long, white hair, pale skin. Still, Veliky is unimpressed.
"I'll take your word on that."
More eye-catchingly to her, the pair matches in strange ways. Zarius' black skin and hair contrasts against Caedes' white features in a way that draws the eye, just not in the way that Kamille seems to be implying. They're an aesthetically pleasing duo.
"But you're dressed well," she says without meeting Kamille's eyes. "In fact, you look somehow less festive than usual. If you'd arrived in your normal outfit, nobody would've batted an eye." Is it a joke? Veliky says it all with the same monotone cadence, making it come across more as a blatant observation. "'Batted an eye.' Did I use that phrase right?"
A sound has Veliky's immediate attention, twisting her neck to face its source. It sounds to be only a clattering platter of some kind - a completely ordinary noise - but this doesn't stop it from sending a jolt through her. When it becomes clearly a harmless happenstance, she exhales a held breath and continues as if nothing had happened.
"I'm not sure if there's a 'wrong way' to take that. I hate these things. Too much to keep track of. Too many factors. Wish I could put everyone in boxes." Without elaboration on whatever that means, she rubs her bare shoulders, chilled by both the Autumn wind and the threat of enemies unseen. "I was invited, too. Still trying to find out why. High concentration of 'adventurer' archetypes. Cantio, Shaa, you three, even me?"
She lets in a long, congested sniff.
"Not a coincide-"
She stops abruptly when she turns back to the three. What's Kamille doing...?
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Oct 22, 2022 16:53:47 GMT -5
"Good evening, gentlemen... Good evening, Veliky... Thank you, Caedes, such gentleman, as always. You two look specially dashing today, some eye candy, for sure. Yes, I was invited too... Odly, as it seems..."
It was clear she didn't think her receiving an invitation was odd, but perhaps only Zarius would truly know why. For the moment being, she kept her arms locked with both gentleman, sliding her hands to their hands, interwining her fingers; her right hand with Caedes' left, and her left hand with Zarius's right one. She pulled them closer together. Kamille's eyes lit up when Veliky mentions Cantio.
"Cantio!? You mean he's here? You're talking about the red tiefling violinist, right? Where is he? It's been such a long time since I last saw him... It was here, you know? At Sol City.... A thief tried to rob me and he stopped him, then we went to a tavern and got wasted. Then... I dragged him to a tea party. I wasn't invited to that one, though. We exchanged the sugar for salt, and put pepper in everything else. Fun times."
Kamille remembered everything with a silly smile plastered in her face. It's been a long time since she last saw Cantio, she was excited to meet him again and talk about their adventures. A few other faces stroke as familiar, but there would be time to meet everyone - she was doing something important here!
"You know how I met Caedes, Veliky? Zarius was badly hurt... Caedes brought him up to my house... On his back. All the way up the stairs... Such... Dedicated... Friendship.... Don't you think?"
The woman offered Veliky a wink, unsure if she would get it. Kamille would probably have to be more forward, though. When she mentioned the party had a high concentration of "adventurers", she couldn't help but frown for a second.
"Last time I came to this city, it was for the championship.... Strangest thing happened... All the healers got sick! At the same time! From the same illness! Right after the start of the fights.... Almost as if... someone... wanted to kill the champions.... And have no healers available afterwards..."
Kamille shot them all a suspicious look. She was dead serious, but didn't look exactly worried.
"Myself and a fairy named Elrodan volunteered for the Medical Tent. And then an assassin tried to kill us. Curious.... don't you think?"
It was all true, and they never had a closure on that regard because, in the end, the assassin escaped the dungeons. It's been quite a while since she thought about it. Overall, Kamille looked excited to be back into the higher circle to enjoy a fancy party, after so much time away from it. It was clear she blended well there - and that she probably had a sponsor of sorts, given the amount of good quality jewels she sported that day. She slided behind Zarius to take her place beside Veliky, but not before having slipped Zarius' hand into Caedes', as discretely as she could. She turned to Veliky.
"But you don't need to worry, Veliky. These two dashing gentlemen surely will be able to protect us, I'm sure."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 22, 2022 17:49:08 GMT -5
The tiefling makes a bit of a face at Caedes for the favorite employer comment. He supposes he can't blame him, Veliky likely didn't nearly melt into a puddle when the assassin worked with her. Still, he was very curious as to what job exactly Veliky hired the trained killer for. Perhaps to take out a business rival? If that was the case his respect for the quarterling would certainly increase quite a bit, as would his caution about getting on her worse side.
As Kamille speaks, Zarius couldn't help but wonder if Kamille really was as comfortable as she appeared in this space. She had her history with the Court after all and there were bound to be some members who would recognize her amongst the crowd. If it was all an act, she really should consider a career in the theater as her confidence never seemed to waver. Though maybe that was because she was amongst those who owed her their thanks.
At the mention of the bard, Zarius smirks to himself as he imagines the shade of red the tiefling must have been while interacting with the witch. It was an odd coincidence that his first interaction with the violinist was so similar to the situation Kamille was describing. Of course there was no implication that the woman had blackmailed the performer as he had. Good times. Still, this was excellent information for him to use against Cantio in the future.
He leans over and says softly in Kamille's ear. "He is just across the room there in the blue dress, just do not get him confused with the other red-head in blue. That man is not nearly as pleasant."
A chuckle escapes his lips as Kamille recounts how she met Caedes for the first time. "I will admit, you helped me greatly and it will be difficult to repay the debt I owe. That said, dedicated friendship is misleading. We are just..." he considers his choice of words carefully. "Ehm, collaborating on some important business."
The witch's next words make the smile fade from his face. This was all new news to him and it certainly made this event more suspicious. Was it possible that they were all invited here as part of some ulterior plot? If so, whoever was up to no good would have to be prepared to deal with countless trained combatants and spellcasters of all kinds. Few here were pushovers. Even young Gerhart had been improving at an impressive rate.
The mention of the healers suddenly falling ill suggests they were poisoned which puts Zarius immediately on edge. He glances at the glass of wine in Caedes hand with suspicion. Kamille however, didn't appear worried. She was an expert in such things and had experience with such plots. If she wasn't worried, perhaps he shouldn't be either. Still, there was a tension in his posture now that wasn't there before and as she slips behind him and lets go of his hand he crosses his arms in front of his chest and leans his weight back on one foot.
"It is curious. And highly concerning." He replies, oblivious to Kamille's intentions now that his mind was distracted with conspiratorial theorizing about the purpose of this event and any possible connections to the one Kamille described.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 23, 2022 13:36:06 GMT -5
Caedes simply smiles, pale eyes narrowing mischievously as Zarius makes a subtle face at him over his comment. He makes a mental note of his reaction as one of those things to push on him when he feels like he wants to be a pain in the tiefling’s side… which so far, has been most of the time. He looks back at Veliky, chuckling as she responds. “ Mm, I had a feeling you’d say something along those lines.” he answers, taking another sip of his glass of wine, merely out of habit. He looks subtly to his left as Kamille’s hand traces down his forearm, and intertwines her hand in his; he allows it to pass. He has met Kamille a few times, and this doesn’t seem out of the ordinary for her. She pulls on his arm, bringing him a few steps closer, until he’s practically touching shoulders with the woman. He removes the wine glass from his lips before he spills it all on himself from the sudden motion; and, frankly, the taste is no better on the second drink. He swallows his mouthful of wine with some reluctance, and looks into the drink ponderously while Kamille regales a story of a red tiefling she met some years ago in Sol City.
Have his tastes changed since he died, or is this wine just abnormally gross? Everyone else seems to be partaking in it with no issue. Euch. He holds the glass away from his body, tuning back into the conversation as Kamille rattles about how they’d first met. Caedes offers her a cocked brow, then chuckles; turning away from the woman to look into the red liquid in his cup, just before she winks playfully at Veliky. “ Important business, indeed.” he agrees, lackadaisical; although, the mood suddenly shifts when Kamille starts to mention the championship in the city. He thinks, distantly, he remembers news of that competition reaching Darkveil. He furrows his brows, listening in silence as she describes the illness of the healers, to their own volunteering, and then to an assassination attempt. All of which is incredibly troubling; and it seems that both Zarius and Caedes share the same suspicions, as Caedes even glances at his glass of wine with a new kind of distaste to his expression. “ It is concerning,” he remarks, reaching out with a hand to place his glass on a butler’s tray as he passes by. “ But no assassins could possibly come close to you while we’re here, I assure you.” The butler offers him a mildly confused, somewhat displeased look, which he ignores blatantly… but not before he feels the motion of Kamille slipping from his fingers— but then a lighter touch, grazing across his palm before it vanishes. Caedes curls his fingers into his empty palm, lifting his hand, and raising his eyes towards where Kamille now stands near Veliky. Zarius is standing closer to him than he remembers, but it doesn’t strike him as particularly odd just yet. It actually makes things easier, because he takes a step closer, and rests a hand lightly on the tiefling’s shoulder. While Kamille and Veliky are interacting, he leans down to speak to Zarius out of earshot of the women. “ The party’s far too high profile and crowded for anyone to try and introduce a toxin to the participants,” He looks about at the mingling nobles of varying places in the hierarchy from the corner of his eyes. Most participants are not adventurers, after all— they’re politicians, ladies, and lords— and as a man who kills for a living, he knows how to make hits in these places. It would be a stupid, stupid move to poison all of these nobles. “ Most of these people are untouchables; but those of us who are not nobility do stand out in contrast to them.” He leans away, eyeing Zarius from the corner of his eyes. “ Something to keep in mind, but perhaps not get taken away with.”
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Post by Veliky on Oct 24, 2022 19:30:54 GMT -5
What just happened?
Veliky's gaze darts to Kamille, then to Zarius, then to Caedes, then to Caedes' hand, then to Kamille's hand, then to Caedes' hand again, then to Zarius again. She's all but baffled. Kamille's insinuation - if it could even be called that, with how blatant it was - was already perplexing enough. But this? Is this even socially acceptable? This might actually qualify as sexual harassment. A little court scene plays in Veliky's head, and the verdict tells Veliky that, maybe, there's a reason Kamille consigned herself to a forest in Moonglade.
And sure, the conspiracy sounds perturbing, but Zarius and Caedes seem thoroughly oblivious to the fact that Kamille's gossiping was an obvious ruse to cover for the flagrant hogwashery that she attempted in broad moonlight. And the intent? Well, it seems obvious, if absurd. Is this really what the famed Witch of Moonglade would spend her valuable time on?
...Oh, hell, who's Veliky to judge?
Either way, Veliky's lost the plot. What'd Caedes say? Something about the food being unstomachable? Well, she can't even touch it, so she doesn't care. More importantly,
"Kamille? Could I talk to you for a moment? Privately?" She glances at Zarius. "We'll... be back. Probably. Maybe."
Veliky's skirt swishes as she turns on a dime and marches away with small, quick strides. Multiple partygoers nearly trip over as she makes a B-line for the punch table.
The first thing she does when she gets there is, strangely, remove her shoes.
"Up."
At her command, her arms raise as she's suddenly lifted by the armpits by unseen hands, and placed on top of the table. Some bystanders are bemused, but mostly too amused to question it.
Veliky grabs a little wooden cup, walks over the table to the bowl of punch, and pours a spoonful of it into the cup.
"So," she says, scrutinizing the liquid's contents, "you've met Caedes and Zarius. And you really think they're...?"
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Oct 24, 2022 21:09:34 GMT -5
"Ah.... I'll keep that in mind, thank you, but... What's with the other red-head in blue?"
Kamille still hadn't seen the person Zarius described, but the night was young and certainly there would be enough time to meet everyone important.
As for her behavior towards Zarius and Caedes... If there is something to be ashamed or guilty of, they should probably warn Kamille, because she is none. She respected Veliky's desires to stay away, but she usually could be very... touchy. Zarius and Caedes clearly knew it and seemed to be okay, even if her attempt at... whatever it was... failed, as she thought before, the night was still young. When Veliky calls her to speak privately, she gleefuly complies. " We will be back. You two stay put. There. Like that." The Witch was a bit more firm in her reassurance, which only meant she was probably lying. Either way, she followed Veliky to the side, where she was hoisted up the table. Kamille looked surprised for a moment, but then chuckled. Of course. That was exactly what Veliky would do - and exactly what she did herself, bringing in Edgar as her plus one. He was somewhere, literally invisible. Kamille did the same as the quarterling, pouring herself some punch. " I don't know! I'm dying to know! I've been poking at them since they crashed at my house these days!" The way her words came out in a fast torrent only meant she had been holding it for some time, without anyone to talk to about it. Veliky wasn't exactly the most trusted person, but she was trusted enough for a little harmless gossip. She took a sip of her punch. " I can't get myself to pester Caedes too much, though... He helped me a lot through some rough patch, I don't wanna feel ungrateful. You should've seen it, they arrived in the middle of the night, Caedes carrying Zarius on his back, nearly dead... He climbed all those stairs with him...." She made it sound like a big thing. It was quite a few steps, to be honest. Then she smiled. " .....But I can pester Zarius. What is your assessment of the situation?"
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 24, 2022 21:36:48 GMT -5
"He is a very unpleasant individual. Quick to violence and insults. It is shocking he is even here." Zarius replies to Kamille, his tail flicks in annoyance at the thought of why anyone thought inviting a murderous necromancer to a crowded ball was a good idea.
The Lord of Ghouls had caused enough trouble for the tiefling after only one previous encounter to completely sour his opinion of the man. It was a shame he couldn't do anything about him being present here unless the old stiff made the first move. He sighs and tries to put Bellighul out of his mind for now. He wasn't worth his time.
Zarius listens to Caedes' counsel. The changeling's logic was sound, backed by expertise in the subject matter. He was glad to have someone so well versed in such nasty business as an ally, even if their arrangement was still fairly new and their wariness of one another still present. Their alliance was a fragile one, and if they weren't careful it could easily shatter. His shoulders do relax though.
"You are right, there is no use in jumping to conclusions."
He looks back at Kamille and Veliky. The tiefling's head tilts to the side and his eyes narrow as Veliky abruptly excuses herself and takes Kamille along with her. They were both acting a little off. Well, rather Veliky was more so than Kamille. What were they up to that they didn't want either himself nor Caedes to be aware of. He looks at the changeling and notes that his drink is gone.
"You finished your drink quite quickly. I can wave down one of the waiters if you need another." He offers.
He has no interest in drinking anything himself. In fact, he had been actively avoiding taking anything offered at the event. Sure, it was evident that no one else was having any issues with the food and drink as of yet, but he still felt no need to partake himself. This habit would likely never fade.
As the two women huddle by the punch bowl, he looks at Caedes. "They are acting a bit strange. Though I find it hard to tell what is normal behavior for Miss Veliky. In my experience she has fairly wild mood swings." He pauses for a moment then continues. "You have met Miss Veliky previously, may I ask what work you did for her?"
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 25, 2022 15:26:11 GMT -5
“Mm.” he agrees; as he pulls away, the changeling runs a hand through his white hair. It splits through his fingers, and drapes lazily across his shoulder. “Although, I would still be wary of anyone who offers to buy any individual, specifically, a drink… It could be harmless, but better safe than sorry.” It’s not unheard of for assassinations at these kind of events to occur, after all; unless this proves to be some kind of cultish genocide of nobility meant to create anarchy, the odds of them encountering a true sabotage of only the adventuring sorts is unlikely in this setting.
He looks to Veliky and Kamille as the two excuse themselves; and he nods, eyes narrowing skeptically.
Something seems off about them, doesn’t it?
He breathes a slow sigh, his eyes drifting to Zarius as he offers to wave down another waiter; he breathes a low chuckle, and shakes his head. “No, I’m fine, thank you. Considering the high-class nature of the event and those hosting it… frankly, their drinks taste like dishwater.” There’s a clear distaste in his expression as he looks off towards one of the bars nearby, focusing briefly on how Veliky walks casually across the table without her shoes at the punch bowl, then looks back to Zarius.
“Does Kamille not always act a little strange? She’s a free spirit, that one.” Caedes jokes; though, he does enjoy the night witch’s company. “Veliky, though, tends to be quite unpredictable in a different way.” He cocks a brow as Zarius mentions her wild mood swings, which… he hasn’t experienced, actually; but he does inquire about Veliky’s past work for him. He’s tempted to call it confidential, just to ignite the tiefling’s imagination, but it honestly would be quite melodramatic, if he ever found out. “Bit of a jailbreak,” he grins mischievously, “...and then a protected transport across the Lightning Fields, where we almost died multiple times… Veliky sure knows how to take on the worst jobs imaginable, with the worst clientele, for the right price... she did give me a raise, though.”
He looks towards the halfling at the punch bowl thoughtfully, before looking back at Zarius. “But, she knows how to command her army; hard to read... but smart tactics and quick wits for all she’s worth. I can respect that; I want to stay on her good side, if at all possible.” His eyes narrow quizzically at the tiefling as he turns to look at him. “And what about you; what did she rope you into?”
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Post by Veliky on Oct 27, 2022 17:38:07 GMT -5
As she listens intensely to Kamille, Veliky takes a flask[1] from her side and meticulously transfers the punch into it, from the cup. She lets the contents rest for several seconds before finally taking a sip.
As it turns out, 'punch' is more apt a name than she'd originally thought. It tastes like somebody else's nosebleed.
Kamille's recount of her meeting with them is... interesting. 'In all metrics, it was an entirely reasonable act. Zarius was injured and likely couldn't have made it up the stairs himself, making Caedes' aid more of a courtesy than a show of compassion...'
...Is what Veliky's logical mind says. The rest of her mind is imagining things that shall not be recorded here, both for the purpose of maintaining orderly conduct and due to the writer's whole unwillingness to canonize or decanonize any potential interpolations. Regardless, all of that is hidden beneath the surface of pale, blue irises.
"May surprise you to know that I'm not an expert in this field." Sarcasm or arrogance? Impossible to tell. Her voice is the standard low monotone, but with an added layer of conspiracy. "Wouldn't know what signs to look for. But they're definitely friendly with one-another. And, as far as I can tell, they're both handsome. So things should be poised for success assuming they're... well, for lack of a better phrase, 'into that stuff.'"
Veliky brazenly stares at Zarius and Caedes from afar. She looks angry for no apparent reason, her pale eyes glaring from between golden locks. The obscuring strands of hair distract her, and her face softens as she brushes them behind her ear. She hates not having her hair tied.
"I don't know. Do you have any weird witch magic that could find out? If not..." Her eyes dart left and right. She gets on her knees to peek under the table - nobody there. She rises and stands on her tiptoes, trying to get as close as she can to Kamille's ear without falling off the table. "We should find out. Now. Might be... might be important. For business[2]. And we don't know when we'll see them together after this party."
1. Purifying Flask 2. Smooth Talking
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Oct 28, 2022 10:40:12 GMT -5
Kamille avoids staring at Caedes and Zarius, knowing full well she was nearly as good to hide her emotions as she was at being subtle and discrete. She chuckles at Veliky's remark about she not being an expert on the subject, because Kamille wouldn’t consider herself as such too..... she just seemed to thrive on the drama of other people’s lives.
Veliky laid out the components of an alchemical formula, plain and simple: they are friendly and good looking, so A plus B would wield C. It wasn’t as simple as that, but Kamille also had that experience of having them both in the same room while one of them was fighting for his life. Despite knowing now of the gentle and helpful nature of the assassin Caedes, at the time she had found their demeanor...... interesting.
Interesting..........
Kamille took a sip of the punch, not even registering its taste. For a few moments, she remained thougthful, leaning in to hear Veliky.
"It will come as a surprise to you that I'm not an expert on the subject either," she started, but that was not sarcasm. She often just preferred to stay on the sidelines watching it all unfold, and if they were to take into consideration her past relationships, specially the trainwreck that had her flee the Court.... well. Her resume was less than stellar.
Nope, she shouldn’t be doing this. But she was.
"I might be able to.... discover a few things. I know Zarius just a bit..."
Kamille blushed. She was getting better at lying, but some things were stronger than her. She knew far more about Zarius than she cared to let others know.
"But I know even less about Caedes. Maybe I could.............. dance with him? I heard a lot can be learned about someone by dancing."
All gibberish. All she needed was to touch him and maybe exchange a few words to poke at him. Gently, of course. Caedes had a special place in her heart for the time he helped her, with no hesitation.
"Of course.... good for business....... Yes..... we should find out..... but what do you think? What else do you think we can do?"
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 28, 2022 11:26:36 GMT -5
Zarius watches Veliky and Kamille attempt to be subtle with an unimpressed expression. Veliky shoots them an angry stare. What was that for? He was just standing here and she approached first. Reflecting on their discussion thus far, he tries to recall if he said anything offensive to the quarterling, but he doesn't recall anything of note.
Maybe she was warning Kamille of him. It was unfortunate, but Veliky's opinion of him was not very positive at this time. For some reason, the quarterling checks under the table she is perched upon. Kamille does not look alarmed. In fact, Kamille's cheeks look flushed. What were they up to?
He's perturbed and unlike Caedes he cannot hide that behind a sip of a beverage.
The tiefling perks up at Caedes tale of his first meeting with Veliky. "A jailbreak? Which one of you was arrested?" He teases, actually doubting any authorities could keep either of them contained.
Seeing as Veliky's army has done nothing but grow over time and Caedes is a phantom, it would be very difficult for anyone to successfully apprehend either of them without use of some fairly impressive magic to counter their respective strengths.
He nods in agreement to Caedes comment about Veliky taking on the worst jobs imaginable, the unpleasant memories of that one evening not even a few weeks ago comes to mind.
"Ah, well, I have met Miss Veliky a number of times. The first time was in the deserts of Zeinav during a sandstorm. We ended up fighting against a subterranean dragon and creatures disguised as rocks."
That was an odd encounter, and Veliky had been rather docile during that time compared to other times they had crossed paths. Though she had quickly asserted her authority in that situation.
"The next time was here in Sol City actually. We ended up getting roped into some nasty business. It was hell." He laughs.
It's not a metaphor, they actually went to hell and somehow managed to escape the deranged machinations of a living puppet known as Mr. Game. Both his and Veliky's outfit were grim reminders of that shared experience and they both had come out of the situation changed in different ways.
"Most recently though we crossed paths in Skypeak where Miss Astrid was abandoned by her parents. Miss Veliky seems to have taken quite the shine to her." He nods over to the half-dwarf who arrived more recently in the glorious armored costume inspired by Avasha.
"Staying on her good side is wise. I am afraid I have probably long since lost her respect myself." He gives an awkward grin.
The tiefling was no mind reader, so he could only assume that Veliky merely tolerated his presence if nothing else. The way the quarterling whispered in Kamille's ear did raise some concerns in the back of his mind. It would be bad if he lost the witch as a potential ally, but there was little he could do to interrupt their whispering without coming off as an ass himself. He didn't know the extent of the two women's relationship after all.
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