07.14a: Business as Unusual

The goings on of courts
kitsunenotsume
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by kitsunenotsume »

"Good riddance"

Caelund dusts his hands free of loose sugar crystals and crumbs as he turns back to the store and customers.

"Sorry about that. For all their* pretentiousness, they* can't even keep the pests under control", he apologizes discretely with a touch of bitterness.**
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*: Amber and it's authorities
**: totally trying to appeal to the pair's distaste for Amber (and more, if they seem to have understood what/who Raven was).
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by NPC »

"Heh. 'Pests'. Right. Bloody bone-pickers, the lot of them, and the talking ones are the worst." The man glares in the direction of the departing Raven.

Meanwhile, his confederate acquires his pastries-to-go and, well, goes, with nothing more than a cheerful "G'day, Allen," and a wave, as if the two were casual friends rather than conspirators.
kitsunenotsume
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by kitsunenotsume »

Both men receive an appraising once-over as the second passes by before Caelund glances back to the storefront.

"Tell me about it, one of them nearly collided with me the other day to steal the food from a cat*. Regardless, it seems I owe you an apology and an introduction. I'm Mister Johnson**, the security consultant here and at a few other locations; keeping the big fish off small businesses. Sorry about my earlier vigilance, but we've been a bit on edge since cartel thugs tried to extort us into submission. I've been expecting professionals or paralegals to close out the job since yesterday, and you gentlemen fit the profile; though admittedly superior to what I had anticipated. So, I'll tell ya what, much though I'ld love hear of a solution to em, talking vermin and economic dictators are an issue here as much anywhere else, and there isn't even a system here to deal with them so by myself*** I can't do much there. On the flip side, I can offer you a pair of complementary refreshments or coupons for patronizing our establishment despite the complications, and for which we appreciate dearly."
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*: Some details may have been omitted.
**: A respectful bow is offered to the man, rather than any offer of a handshake.
***: There is an implicit interpretation that the options could be made significantly less limited with these two words removed.
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by NPC »

Allen matches Caelund's bow with practiced ease. "Much appreciated, Mr. Johnson. You do have a fine establishment here, and it would be a shame to see it fall prey to... economic disputes. Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere a bit more private, however?"

A few blocks away - clearly visible to, for example, a flying Raven - a palanquin guarded by a troop of dwarves in shining silver* armor is proceeding in this direction...**

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* In color, not material. Probably. See also the footnote on The Silver Plates.
** Caelund, presumably, has minions and some form of signalling set up so that he'll get notified of this before they arrive. Exactly how such signals function is left as an exercise for the player in question.
The Raven
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by The Raven »

The Raven doesn't feel the need to get involved in any "Economic disputes" either (at least not today.) Therefore, he flies off to follow co-conspirator #2, at least for now.
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by kitsunenotsume »

"That would be rather prudent. We have a room in the back for staff meetings, or the location of your choice once I'm done here."

As Caelund is offering the man options and vouchers, a young lad with a leather apron and a sooty visage hustles in to talk to the staff at the counter, gets directed to Seth in the kitchen, exchanges a few words with the head baker, and leaves with a small sack lunch with equal haste to continue down the street. The tiefling watches the apprentice smith leave with a look of mild concern, before calling to Caelund, "Hey Chief, the delivery we were expecting should be arriving shortly. Should include a set of sterling tableware with a gilded centrepiece, so someone's going to need to sign off on it. I've just got meringue in the oven*, so could you receive them please?" He ducks back into the kitchens before an answer can be actually given.

"Oh, is it that time already?" Caelund glances at the unmoving titanium face of his wristwatch. "I do apologize, Mister Allen, but it appears that my ten-o'clock is arriving ahead of schedule. Unless you would find it more convenient to proceed otherwise, would you have a preferred method by which we may communicate once my business is concluded?"

While they converse, 'Mr. Johnson' directs the two other youthful employees to prepare some fine mead** and a platter of delecacies and deliver them to the private room, waiting to tidy up his own table until after he is done talking with Allan.
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*: translated "I've suddenly discovered a pressing need to be very busy. kthxbai."
**: Alcohol is not normally served in the establishment, and certainly does not appear on the written menu. It is, however, visible and available to those who know where to look and how to ask for it.***
***: Presuming the customer can reasonably hold their liquor.
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Re: 7.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by NPC »

The Raven's investigations lead him to here.

* * * * *

Allen nods politely to Caelund. "I will be in touch, then." And with that, he heads off down Ratheven Lane, turning off onto an un-named alleyway - which Caelund will recognize as one with good (if you're unreasonably athletic*) roof access. Clearly Allen wishes to observe the approach of your "ten-o'clock" - though he probably thinks he's being reasonably discreet about it.

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* Unreasonably athletic, in this context, means "at least amber rank strength". Or some way of cheating.
kitsunenotsume
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Re: 07.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by kitsunenotsume »

Caelund watches the conspirator depart for a moment, noting his chosen route with a sly smirk, straightens his tie, and heads back inside. Returning to his table in the corner, he opens the cubic device to extract the etched crystal within. With a glimmer as he holds the transparent octahedron up to a ray of morning-light, it and its siblings on the table are palmed and the entire table of equipment briskly packed away.

The grey-attired man makes one last round of the storefront, ensuring that any remaining customers are satisfied and that everything is properly orderly, before returning to the counter where he pours himself a glass of water. After taking the opportunity to stroke the iridescent beetle charm beside the till, Caelund retires back to his seat to await his 'guest'.
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Re: 07.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by NPC »

The Silver Plates are audible well before they arrive; dwarves in full plate are not generally noted for their stealth. A few customers, more paranoid than the rest, decide that now would be an excellent time to take the back way out; the rest show reactions ranging from curiosity to utter indifference.

As the palanquin is being lowered to the ground, a pair of guards enter the Gingerfire Patisserie, scanning the room for threats as they step to either side of the door. A few moments later, and Morek walks in and heads directly to Caelund's table.

"Mr. Arctix," he asks, "Might I have a word of your time?"
kitsunenotsume
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Re: 07.14a: Business as Unusual

Post by kitsunenotsume »

"Mister Silverbar, you are most welcome to a few*." Caelund takes one last sip of water and rises, leaving his glass on the table. "It is a pity that we could not have met under more favorable conditions last night, but such is behind us. If you will follow me please, the private room has been prepared." The guards are not even spared a glance, though he is certainly aware of their locations and actions.

Presuming that Morek offers no disagreement with initiating the 'back-room' portion of the dealings, Caelund will take the lead through the doorway behind his chair. The room beyond is rather dim, unaffected by the bright shafts of morning-light beyond the threshold and illuminated by a rather weak luminous orb the strength of a candle hanging from the ceiling, giving the entire room a rather thematic air. Three comfortable-enough couches line the walls facing inwards to a table upon which the previously prepared platter of food and drink rests. The fourth wall is adorned with a book-case and a writing-desk, both equipped with appropriate materials and references for legal and clerical work. A chaos-ranked strategist could easily surmise the existence of three hidden routes of egress from the room (a trap-door beneath the table, a false-wall behind the book-case, and a hatch above the desk), as well as note that they have all been made rather inconvenient to use due to placement of various furnishings. Even at a glance, the room is clearly designed for clandestine meetings.

However, it is the non-standard senses which reveal more clearly the degree of security in the room. Upon crossing the entry, a number of things are almost immediately noticeable. Firstly, outside sound is heavily muted within (and vice-versa), even from near the door and is effectively silent once the door is closed. Heavy footfalls within the room echo oddly and a sufficiently trained architect or similarly attentive individual** would intuit that the room is actually a small free-floating building within the building, raised by slight supports in the corners and separated from the surrounding floors and walls by half a brick of empty space***. Secondly, the ambient air is on average a comfortable temperature. Average due to the fact that the eddies and currents are made of alternating warmer and cooler air which swirl and dance around any object in the room****. Clearly visible to any observers with infra-vision, thermographic cameras, or similar heat-sight, the dynamic fluids allow for remarkable precision of detail, relative location, and displacement despite the otherwise poor lighting. Lastly, sorcerous enchantments brought into the room are briefly suppressed when crossing the portal, before resuming with a somewhat dampened capacity within.

Caelund offers a choice of the couches to Morek before closing the door after him or whichever of his retinue follows, and seats himself across the table with steepled fingers. "Now that we have some discretion, Mister Silverbar, I have one inquiry before we get started: are you here on your own inclination, or that of Mister Teusus?"

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*: as in "More than one", not "A few choice words"
**: Such as stonecunning, which presumably Morek has.
***: Close scrutiny of the doorway would reveal that the doorway itself is also split appropriately. The door is hinged inside the room.
****: Anyone fully clothed isn't likely to bothered by the odd temperature fluctuation .
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