Fantasy Land of the Gears

[WantYourSoul]

Lucrezia's attention was starting to wander, she was passing by at this point with her gaze curiously examining the interior of the tavern. She pauses as she hears a bet. 1000 sols? Zia couldn't decline that offer even with a knife to her throat. Twisting on her heel, Lucrezia strides right into the tavern. The crowd blocks her view of the man and she pushes through them, clearing her throat. "What're we wagering here?" She calls out, hands on her hips as she looks around with a smug grin on her face.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

You notice odd silence around the tavern you previously were at, perhaps its the night air and the drunkards were called to it. The tavern seems to be open as the lights are on inside, and no doubt it has something to do with this group of people.


@ashlynn




One of the men standing on the outside, wearing a dirtied apron that you can only assume comes from a bartender, speaks up to the woman as the others in the crowd are oblivious to the woman, "1000 sols are on the line for who ever can withstand this new brew. It's made from a plant that no one can withstand it's effects of." Saying as a waitress hands the man a mug filled with a light blue liquid, "Drinking it will make you..." Saying as a man in the center falls back in his chair laughing hysterically, then yelling loudly as he passes out. "Insane is the proper word."


@WantYourSoul

 

[WantYourSoul]

Zia's eyes turn to the hysterical man. She was leery of this tavern, but 1000 sols could get her some high quality plants and food that doesn't taste like dirt or rocks. She had been testing The Forge's flora on herself for years, poisoning herself accidentally on more than one occasion throughout the years."All you boys are a bunch of pansies. I'll show you how a real Forger holds their drink." She shoves her way closer with an eager glint to her eyes. She was filthy and had a few small vials of unidentifiable liquid and herbs hanging from her waist. She must look borderline insane as it was."Pass one over here!" She raises her voice again, waving about a hand to receive the mug. The Holt family were one of the many bloodlines that seemed to be more resistant against some of the plantlife. Let's just hope this strain was one of the ones she could handle.

 

[Cap]

@WantYourSoul


The men cheer with the statement of the woman.. A waitress brings over another drink, which is an odd yellow color. The bartender smirks as he looks at the woman, "Well, ma'am I can't really argue if you want to fight it. You'd not be the first one to think you can beat this and lose. None of us will think any less of you." A man chimes in from across the table, "Hell, I'd say the money should go to her if she can hold off the effects." The crowd yells as the bartender makes gestures to encourage the woman.

Spoiler

This drink is a little bit of a.... well.... there is no pure resistance to it. At most, you can hold off for an hour without any significant problems. How you handle it is up to you, but this drink is a hallucinogenic. The effects are varied and are different per person.

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

The scene is off putting to Fester. All of the sudden the tavern was as quite as the rest of the night air. Survival wasn't not a simple task in this world and Fester didn't manage his own through daft decisions. Fester waved his hand towards himself so that Jo'Jon would bend down. Jo'Jon knowing the signal crouched down turning as he waited for his commands. Fester whispered softy into the man's ear to avoid the wind from making his words known to all. Jo'Jon got up and as sneakily as a man hunkered down by iron could moved around the tavern's side. Slid within the either sleeve of his jacket was a Gaseous Deployment just encase things proved to much. Walking through the front as if all was fine and calm he went through the entrance of the tavern unknowing of what awaited him.


@Cap

 

[WantYourSoul]

Lucrezia turns up her nose at the drink, but gives it a tentative sniff. She knocks the drink back, squinting her eyes at the taste as it coats her tongue. She didn't have a table to slam her mug down on, but she pulls it away from her mouth with just as much force."It tasted terrible," she declares after a moment and gives her head a shake to try getting the taste from her tongue. She feels a slight tingle down her throat. Zia hisses air out between her teeth at the sensation with a big grin and tips the cup upside down to prove she drank it all.


@Cap

 

[Pantomathematics]

"Why are they all naked?" "They're better than us folks down here." Damn, he should've rolled up his parchments last night, the urchins are starting to ask questions. Naked people? They were supposed to be cherubs. Elliot gazed over the three kids, each with their nose pressed against the glass display as the short blonde sweeps out his foyer. Innocuous as it might be, the children lining his little studio are unmistakably the same kind who have to steal food from the crummy bazaar. Both parents either worked the mines or were lucky enough to secure a safer factory job.


"Alright, food for thought's over, how about some actual food?" Elliot pushes over a pack of saltine crackers, popping open a jar of berry preserves imported from Bastion.


Funny how the children of Waterfront will worship you once you feed them like birds, but you'll always be an outsider to the city, no matter how many handouts you can manage. It's always the same. "He's a nice boy... But..." "One of them artists, I think" "His mom was some Bastion woman" "Won't last a month here, poor kid."


You can't bury heritage, but you can bury pasts. Elliot's father was unmistakably the product of Waterfront; cream of the crop sleaze-ball with money he couldn't explain where from. They didn't need to know about him, since Elliot was still born outside the city. He was always gonna be Bastion trash in a city that he couldn't escape. Might as well draw some naked angels and act like the good Samaritan, tonight's gonna be busy.

 

[Cap]

Inside the quiet tavern, you notice a man sitting with Jack and Lucy, a man with mechanical limbs and an upbeat demeanor, he is seemingly wearing a guards uniform. Jack waves to the two people as they enter, "Welcome back, sorry to call you back on such short notice. I have a friend who wanted to ask a couple questions but had to deal with our little escapade earlier today." The man at the table starts laughing as he starts to speak, "Yea, well, Jacky here didn't listen when I said I wanted to talk to you tomorrow. I sorta wanted to have a night to myself." Saying as he looks over to the men who walked in.


The guard says with two hands up, "I'll have you know that not all guards are alike, I just didn't want to change out of my suit if you think this is some set-up. If you can imagine how hard it is to get clothes on when a button catches on every little gear on you, then you'd know why I'm still wearing this." Waving to a seat as he finishes his explanation, "If you have time, I would love to ask you a couple questions. I trust it won't be long," Saying as he looks over to Jack, "By the way, I have something you'd be interested in if you have the time yourself." Jack nods as he waves to a seat and to the waitress from before, "Same thing for that masked guy from earlier." The waitress nods, "If you don't have time, I know my friend here will drink it." Jack says as the man beside him starts to laugh.


@TheMadIceCreamMan




The man leans in from across the table, "Let me see your eyes to make sure you didn't just zone out. Some people've been fine till a couple minutes after then they start talking to the Redeemer." Turning his attention to someone beside him, waving to him to whisper something in his ear as he returns his attention to the woman, "If your fine after.... an hour? I'll give you..." Tilting his head as he figures a value, "2000 sols?" Saying as the crowd starts to yell, "Hey, this is the longest resistance. If any of you are drinkers, you know that hangovers are a pain when there's yelling." Leaning in, awaiting a response.


@WantYourSoul




Leaning up against a wall as a woman watches over the scene before her, chuckling at what is happening with the children, "You realize it's like giving meat to a Garm, you give a handful and soon your giving armfuls." Looking around the room as she continues, "Sorry for just stepping in unannounced, but I heard your art is best commissioned directly and that you offer side services with the art." Saying as she crosses her arms as she waits for him to finish what he's doing with the children.


@Pantomathematics

 

[Pantomathematics]

Skipping the usual 'how may I help you?' Elliot turns to the woman. "Who said flattery gets you nowhere? I could disagree-- saltine?" Elliot doesn't await her reply, tossing the box in her direction lightly. He catches her drift right away, but wouldn't it be better to drag her along for a ride, just in case she was of an unsavory bunch? No sense in outing himself as soon as a potential employer revealed themselves. Hanging up a paint smeared smock and laying his broom to the side, he shoos away the kids with a smile and a finger over his lips. Elliot turns to the stranger, "And who would be the one commissioning me?" The smile on his face seems almost genuinely innocent. "Or... Is it my side services? I warn you, I can't pay the models much coin." Flattery certainly is getting Elliot no where. Goofball romantic was always his best facade.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The woman shakes her head, "I'm not the type of woman to be content with letting a strange man draw me, you'd probably be surprised how many catcalls in Erodel I get suggesting it." saying as she kicks off the wall and picks up the box tossed to her, revealing her outfit to be rather eloquent for the area, walks over to the man with a knowing smirk as she sets it on a nearby shelf, "My name's Anna, if your looking for a name for a face." Looking around the room as she speaks.


Continuing her statement, "I know of a man and people who can change the tides of the Known Fault, he could even bring along a new idea of humanity. The real question is how much info you'd want on this man." Pulling out a clean-paged envelope and sits in a nearby chair, crossing her legs after she sits, "Are you interested in the information, or are you wanting to paint a picture of a cherub that looks like a naked woman?" Tilting her head as she says her sarcastic joke as she holds the letter between her fingers.


@Pantomathematics

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

Fester pondered the guard's words momentarily. A guard as their own respective person was an alien concept to Fester, who in his mind placed them as pawn's of the High King. "Well good sir you have enlightened me a bit," he walked up the group of men still tense as he continued "never truly viewed you as respective individual. How terribly rude of me." stated Fester as he offered out his hand to shake. He looked over Jack, "I must say you have some some interesting allies." he looked back to the guard in front of him, "So, you had questions correct? I'll supply whatever answers I can." Fester stated in a calm tone though the truth of his words were tainted. In the back of his mind he questioned the task he was sent out on in the early morning to complete. Was he baited? The tavern now clear of innocent drunkards offered Fester no reconciliation as he lost his advantage from not long before. He attempted to push the thought aside trusting the mechanical man.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The guard nods as he starts talking, with an oddly calm and serious air to him, "I was told it was you specifically who harmed the guard earlier. His injuries led to a search on what merits led to a direct attack on him, which revealed his scheme in the marketplace as well as some human trading business that is now dissolved. So you have my thanks, for what shit that means," Saying as he lifts the mug in front of him as if for a toast, then takes another long drink from his mug, "Though that all's not really a part of the question. My question is if you've ever heard of a large bounty on the current leader of the Valkyries?" Jack leans into the conversation, "Wait, You can't be serious that he is..." The guard starts laughing calmly as he cuts him off, "Yeah, well... I need to make some notes ahead of time, can't just go saying shit without merit." Saying as he waits for the answer.

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

At news of the corrupt guard coming to justice Fester felt no sense of happiness. It simple meant he was out of the way of trouble. Fester pondered the question a moment, but couldn't put his finger on the person they meant. Judging from Jack's reaction the person was worth quite a pretty penny. " The Organization I work for has a variety assignments that come in. Bounties are not uncommon but are usually overlooked since it signifies a public alert." he looked over to see if the waitress was returning with his beverage. "Still the Valkyries are such an unfortunate people don't you think?" said Fester with no hint of sympathy. Fester nods his head up and down as if understanding something, "I always thought them to be myths as well. I simple presumed that most Valkyrie groups are but followers of the real deal." he chuckled. "Well this is certainly the case for all, but the one you speak of I assume. Anyways to answer your question most have heard about it. The Valkyries always seem to be taken seriously." stated Fester. "Our Organization's normal response is to send a grunt. We assume it as another false group." he moved over to a chair and sat down. "Since it seems this was actually authentic I suppose we condemned the poor fool to death." stated Hector as if it was but a quantitative error.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The guard sighs his response, "It's not wrong to think that they are all fakes, but thing about the fake Valkyries is that they are pretty obvious. They wouldn't be in the walls if they were." Taking another drink and a slight pause, looking at Jack to see if he should stop, Jack nods as the guard continues with a serious demeanor, "Why everyone assumes a fake is real is out of fear from their lack of knowledge, I mean... If the Valkyrie name is still going around, there must be merit to it. Most people don't just talk about their dead uncle casually unless its on their minds." Continuing as he takes another drink, finishing off his mug, "Supposedly, the Valkyries are still alive and outside the walls. Only til a few days ago, we had no evidence to support that." Waving for another drink as Jack tilts it head in awe, "So the rumor from the other day's true?" The guard looks over as he keeps his hand up, "Well, my friend in the Royal Guard escorted a man to the Jailhouse who wore a jacket with the Valkyrie insignia and had a flying contraption that would likely be that of Burke's design. If that doesn't scream a real Valkyrie's here then I don't know what does. With what happened earlier, I am going to try and pull for me to handle the questioning." Saying as the waitress nods to the guard, who puts his hand down.

 

[Pantomathematics]

"Right to the point, I like that in a client. I'll leave the modelling to the models, then. So Anna, I'm Elliot, and let's talk about this man." Elliot takes the envelope rather quickly, knowing the life of an artist would always come second.


"The entire fault? Hell, big dreamer innit? What's the price for information, and what do you want me to do?" Elliot's bastion accent comes out every so often, but also mixed with the dialect of the higher educated nobility in Waterfront. Elliot has dreams, and they're usually drenched in blood and carnage. His are more quickly coming true. "I take it you're not gonna be asking to commission a painting, ser?" Got his hopes up too, by the sarcastic look.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The woman tilts her head as the notes taken, "My are you a trusting individual, it's not every day that we hire someone without much of a struggle." Smiling as she continues, "The man I have reasons to believe is the grandson of Liam Burke, who supposedly entered Erodel a couple of days ago with a contraption we have reasons to suspect is the machine that Liam Burke used when he was still affiliated with the Crown." bobbing her crossed leg as she continues, "Killing him isn't the goal, as if you were to do this you would kill someone who is capable of actually being use to any group that has angst against the Palace." Switching legs as she continues her explanation, "All I'm asking is for you to confirm it is a relative to Liam, and return here. Inside the envelope is fare to go to Erodel with untouched cargo so you can take what you want, there is also directions to where we believe he currently is." Finishing her explanation of the task, Standing up after she finishes, "If you have any more questions, I can answer them now. I do ask you ask soon, as I have things I have to do today." Smiling as she awaits his response.


@Pantomathematics

 

[Pantomathematics]

"Yes, I take it you know my other employers, if you know me. Then you also know to keep this discreet?" It's a given, but a standard question. Basilisk didn't like willy nilly freelancers. "For the job: How old is he in approximation and what says you on his tastes? If I'm to get some information and not kill the guy, It's only natural to ask." There are discreet methods and there are fast methods. Elliot tended to interchange each, depending. Smiling he added, "And when do I start?"


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The woman shrugs, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't know you, so I can ensure you I can keep things discreet. It is Waterfront after all, the city where everyone has a price to keep this a quiet little township." Answering the initial question sarcastically.


Anna responds to the questions regarding the initial job, "Liam is said to be somewhere in his late 40's, I'm sure he looks older with stress. The latter is rather hard to figure seeing that I have yet to meet the man." Saying as she starts heading for an exit, "You may start when it suits you, but please do hurry. I can assure you that the Jailhouse isn't that great of a place." Leaving with loud claps of her metallic shoes.


@Pantomathematics

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

Fester leans back in his chair, "So, a high ranking guard escorts an person with a Valkyries symbol him to an odd flying contraption?" he shook his head "Was he waiting for a warrant to arrest him at minimal?" he looked around the room. "Still ignoring this why did you feel I was worthy of hearing this? What is it I'm here to do?" stated Fester firmly. This would likely halt his plan but when he worked for the Organization work was always unpredictable.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The guard tilts his head as another mug is brought to him, "I didn't tell you the best parts, also the man brought the contraption with him. We figured it was how the Valkyrie got into the Palace." Taking a drink as he explains to the masked individual, "In the next few days, many people will be watching this man and wanting to talk with him. If an assassin was to attempt to kill him, he'd be stopped or be forced to due to the situation at hand as those who want to talk to him are too close by. You know as well as I do that most assassins aren't made for fighting direct enemies, often it's their reliance on their targets ignorance to their presence." The guard says as he looks over to Jack, who nods to the guard. "I also have faith that some of the guards are going to be telling everyone in the morning." Jack says as he takes another drink. Looking at the guard, "I assume this is what you wanted to tell me as well?" The guard nods as he starts laughing, "Sorry Jacky, but you can understand why I didn't just keep it between us three."


@TheMadIceCreamMan

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

Fester grunted in his seat thinking back to his growing samples he had to leave. "Well it is good to know in this day and age we celebrate when someone makes a most excellent break into the palace." stated Fester in an uninterested tone. "So, Jack what are your plans for this Valkyrie? Certainly this chance is one that is far rarer then striking a titanium ore these days." he looked over to the young maiden. "I would be most appreciative if you could bring what I had last time. Many thanks." stated Fester.


@Cap

 

[Cap]

Jack tilts his head, calmly saying "Well, My plans are to figure out who this Valkyrie is. If, and this is entirely a guess, if this Valkyrie is the one that I think it is, then we have something here. Something more than just a man who can enter the Palace, I know my friend here is leaving out information as per usual." Looking over the guard whom is shrugging off the statement, "You know I forget shit constantly." Jack nods sarcastically, knowing exactly what he meant by that. The guard speaks up again, "Knowing this, I have a second question; Does talk of the Palace come around the Market often?" Asking as the waitress brings the drink over.


@TheMadIceCreamMan

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

"Well the longer we wait the more likely he is to depart." he stated. Fester thought about the value of the information to Jack. The fact that this guard was keeping it hushed clear as day with his disposition. If he could loosen the tight lipped guard it could serve him well in the long run. The thought of forcing it out of him was off the table so he thought of something else. He looks at the guard, "Tell what will it take to jog your memory? Now I know you know of my services good sir. Whatever it may be I think you are talking to the right person." he stated in a matter of tone like he was selling a product. Fester grabbed the drink from the maiden's hand and offered a small nod as thanks. "Now as for how rumors flow you could compare it to the growth of a grapevine. It spreads far and wide offering its sour fruits. Proof is this very conversation as we each share in the sour fruit you offer us today. Understand?" he stated to the guard?


@Cap

 

[Cap]

The guard tilts his head, "If your services are on the table, then he's being kept in the Jailhouse. You know that place well I presume, but I can also figure you not one to do it without harming a single guard inside. If you would then he would more than likely be put on the chopping block earlier." Saying as he takes another drink before he starts to laugh at his statement about the rumors, "Rumors though aren't always cared about, Do people in the Markets tend to listen to rumors about the inner-politics of the Palace? If not, I wouldn't be surprised. Frankly I wouldn't care if not for my job requiring some knowledge about the talk of Nobles." He says as he takes another long drink of his mug.


@TheMadIceCreamMan

 

[Pantomathematics]

"That will do." Elliot took the box in hand, placing it in a painted cupboard and tidying up his little shop before turning back. "I will start immediately after reviewing the dossier, and prepare accordingly. Payments can be sent through my personal finance expert. How shall I contact you when I've completed the job?" Here is where Elliot expected the usual 'Don't worry, we'll contact you in due time' sort of reply, as most tended not to leave lines open for this sort of thing. Still, no harm in asking. It'd be a shame if he finishes up and has no idea who to report it to. Liam Burke... the name rings a bell. People often keep track of names in Waterfront. If the man was a relative of Liam, more than likely he'd have the contraption.


@Cap