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* Glossaria looks around the room, patting her assorted pouches carefully before donning a somewhat moth-eaten dark grey cloak over a gown that has been relaced and pinned to allow a little more cleavage than usual to show. She takes a deep breath and checks her appearance yet again in the mirror. "Ready, love?" * Vallel leers at her, tucking the ends of his black-piped red sash into place. He settles his rapier and dagger on the sash. "You look..." He casts about, trying to find a polite way to phrase it, then shrugs. "You look like a whore." <Glossaria> ::bites her lip, turning to view her profile and smoothing a hand down over her stomach:: Is that bad? Too professional, perhaps? I don't wish to be *too* memorable. <Vallel> ::grins at her:: Just don't breathe too hard... otherwise, someone'll get an eyeful... <Glossaria> I'll take care not to stand too close to anyone. Except you, of course. ::tugs up the neckline a little bit and winks at him:: * Vallel eyes her closely, then tugs the neckline off one shoulder. "There. That looks like more and'll show less if you sneeze." <Glossaria> ::nods:: Alright. Shall we go, then, sir? * Vallel nods. He takes a few deep breaths and his expression darkens until he looks both bored and dangerous. "Go on." * Glossaria takes a careful breath herself and leaves the room, descending to the Hall common room and peering carefully out at the street. * Vallel follows about a step behind her, watching her closely. * Glossaria listens at the door for patrols before drawing her cloak a little closer around her against the light rain and slipping out into the alley. * Vallel closes the door to the Hall behind them. * Glossaria listens again before stepping out of the alley and onto the road, turning left to head towards Gate Road. * Vallel pushes her a bit sharply, as if impatient. * Glossaria glances over her shoulder at him before lowering her head and eyes and hurrying down the road. <NPC> ::the next intersection has a checkpoint set up, and lines of Marsembrians wait at all four points to have their passes looked over by bored looking troops. Most of the troops are human, with two orcs watching over the proceedings. One of the orcs is leaning on his spear and intently watching the ground in front of his feet:: * Glossaria joins the line, keeping her shoulders hunched and her head down. * Vallel looks exceptionally bored. <NPC> ::the line inches along, the rest of the line alternating between nervously looking over their own passes and watching the inspections going on at the front of the line. Everyone understands how things work by now, and it has a routine air about it:: * Glossaria gets out her pass in preparation and smooths out the wrinkles in it, hugging it to her chest like something precious. She listens to the question-and-answer going on in front of her as they inch along. * Vallel looks up at the questioning guard, his bored expression never faltering. * Glossaria glances somewhat fearfully at the orcs and quickly back down at the ground. <NPC> ::the guard's recitation never varies:: Produce your pass. Where are you going? Why are you going there? Move along. Next. Produce your pass.... <NPC> ::Glossaria and Vallel reach the front of the line. The guard looks again at Vallel's rapier and dagger before Glossaria's cleavage as he drones:: "Produce your pass." * Glossaria shows the guard her bit of paper. <NPC> ::the guard takes the pass, looks it over, squints a bit, and then looks back to Glossaria:: Where are you going? <Glossaria> Sunset Road, sir. <NPC> ::still looking at the pass:: And why are you going there? * Glossaria lowers her head, cheeks reddening, her voice quiet. "C-comfort work, sir." <NPC> ::nodding, still looking at the pass:: And where are you coming from? * Vallel tugs his sash straight, then looks over the top of Gloss's head with a bored sigh. <Glossaria> ::blinks:: Home, sir. I live near the Dragon's Den. <NPC> ::the guard shrugs the shoulder that has his sash on it and hands Glossaria her pass back:: Very well. Move along. Next! ::he motions the pair to pass by with a sweep of his arm:: <Vallel> ::nudges Gloss's shoulder:: Let's go, you. <Glossaria> Yes, sir. ::lowering her head again as she continues forward:: <NPC> ::the alert orc looks up as Glossaria and Vallel pass by, but makes no move to get in their way:: * Glossaria wraps her cloak close and hurries down the street towards West Gate. * Vallel follows along, his eyes slightly more alert as they are moving. * Glossaria leads the way through the city towards the governmental buildings, looking around more carefully as they get closer. <NPC> ::the pair, either through luck or divine providence, encounter no more street checkpoints as they move through the city. Soon enough, they come up on the archives building. Two human mercenaries stand outside the main door:: * Glossaria continues down the street, glancing only briefly at the mercenaries, and turns up a side street a block further down. * Vallel frowns and straightens his sash again. <NPC> ::the mercenaries both develop a twitch simultaneously, causing them to hunch their shoulders:: * Glossaria frowns a little, glancing sidelong at her escort. * Vallel appears not to notice Gloss's expression. * Glossaria turns again, heading up the narrow street behind the archive building, now. <NPC> ::the narrow street is deserted, and eerily quiet for midday, most of the workers being assigned far from here:: * Glossaria relaxes a little, continuing down the street until she reaches a large wooden door set into the wall, with a smaller sally-door set inside it. She pauses there, slipping a crumpled paper bit from her pouch to her lips. * Glossaria whispers quiet words at the door, looking at it intently. * Vallel makes a valiant attempt to appear casual. * Glossaria glances up and down the street quickly and whispers another spell, folding a bit of paper in half and slipping it under the door just before it crumbles to nothing. * Glossaria leans back against the wall beside the door, still muttering softly to herself as she glances at Vallel. * Vallel leans one arm against the wall and bends his head to kiss her. His free hand begins roaming around her body looking for interesting bits. * Glossaria closes her eyes, her lips moving as if in prayer or encouragement as Val has his faux-evil mercenary way with her. * Glossaria opens her eyes again suddenly, her gaze unfocused, and straightens from the wall, pulling her cloak up with a blush and glancing up and down the street. <NPC> ::inside the archive, an invisible object stirs on the floor, and rises to human head height. Glossaria's point of view drifts along the empty desks and hallways of the archive, heading for the stairs. On the first landing, the decaying corpse of a balding, thin man whom Glossaria recognizes as one of the scribes is pinned to the wall by a long spear:: * Vallel pushes her back gently, his voice low and his expression full of exaggerated wheedling. "What is it?" <Glossaria> ::biting her lip, ducking her head to preserve the tableau as she murmurs back to him, glancing at the door:: I've an eye inside... oh, poor Loran... * Vallel pulls Gloss's skirt up to her thigh. "Hurry up and find a way inside, we're all exposed out here." <Glossaria> ::whispering:: Some more than others... just a moment... scouting... * Glossaria blinks, refocusing on the area around them and popping another paper bit into her mouth, breathing a word to the door and knocking softly on it. <NPC> ::the thick wooden planks that have been nailed to the inside of the door to keep it closed fall to the ground with a clatter:: * Glossaria winces at the muffled (from this side) sound, reactivating her eyeball to keep a lookout as she tries the door. * Vallel winces, then knocks over a nearby garbage can. "Stupid cat." He curses an imaginary feline before returning to his paramour. <NPC> ::under Glossaria's slow, steady hand, the door inches open. Her other point of view slowly 'climbs' the staircase:: <Glossaria> ::murmuring softly:: Shall we take it somewhere more private, sir? ::she slips inside, taking a deep breath that nearly spills her out of her bodice:: * Vallel doesn't need a second invitation. With a quick glance around the street, he follows her within. <NPC> ::inside things are, as Glossaria has already seen, a bit of a deserted mess. Desks have been hastily abandoned, papers lie covered in dust on the floor, and there is an unpleasant smell hanging in the still air:: * Vallel takes a moment to lean against a wall and pant for breath, his forehead beaded with sweat. * Glossaria eyes him with concern for a moment before heading towards the stairs, holding Vallel's arm lightly for balance as her disparate viewpoints move simultaneously. <NPC> ::Glossaria's remote point of view slowly creeps up the stairs. The archives still appear to be completely uninhabited:: * Vallel supports her as she leads him through the stacks. * Glossaria glances at Vallel and follows after her invisible eye. <NPC> ::the eye peers through the doorway to the second floor as it passes by, showing a ramshackle room, decorated in chaotic paper, parchment, and spilled ink... hopefully ink:: * Glossaria frowns and tsks softly at nothing. <NPC> ::the eye makes it most of the way up the stairway to the third floor before sputtering out of existence:: * Glossaria blinks and shakes her head as she focuses on her surroundings again, beckoning Vallel towards the stairs. * Vallel follows her. "I hope you know where to look." He stares around at the stacks and stacks of books and papers and filing cabinets. <Glossaria> ::nods, keeping her voice down:: Of course. It's-- or, it *was*-- quite logically organized. <Vallel> ::looks around:: This is not a good career choice for me... where should it be? * Glossaria threads her way through the stacks, pausing briefly to look back at Vallel with a smile as her cheeks redden. She shakes her head and hurries onward again, although there is perhaps a bit more sashay to her step than before. She reaches the steps and pauses at the bottom, casting another quick spell before answering him in a whisper. "Oh... third floor." * Vallel shrugs and follows her up the stairs, looking up at Gloss. <NPC> ::the corpse of the balding man speared to the wall still has an unpleasant odor, presumably more than a month since he was killed. A dropped pair of scissors lies at his feet:: * Vallel suddenly flinches, having missed the decaying corpse while his mind was on other things. "Oh, revolting." <Glossaria> ::sadly:: Yes, he probably was. Poor Loran, he wouldn't have been much of a revolutionary. ::her brow wrinkling:: He'd be so upset if he were attracting vermin... ::hesitates a moment and peers inside her cloak, digging deep in another pouch for a spell-paper. She pops into her mouth and whispers the words, touching the body's shoulder very lightly:: <NPC> ::Glossaria and Vallel walk up the stairs. The second floor is, as Glossaria saw, a mess of spilled paper, parchment, and dark pools that are most likely ink. Most likely:: * Glossaria sighs and shakes her head as she gazes at the mess. The glance she gives Vallel is sorrowful as she heads further up the stairs, moving library-quiet. <NPC> ::the doors to the third floor are slightly ajar, and no sound or movement is apparent beyond them:: * Glossaria peers through the crack in the doors, making certain there's no one there before exiting onto that floor. <NPC> ::there is, indeed, no one behind the doors. The floor of building plans lies open for Glossaria's perusal, organized by city sector, and then by construction year:: * Vallel eyes the stacks in the dock section. "Well, it was here when *I* got here. So anything after 1398 is out." He is not encouraged. * Glossaria smiles, cocking her head and blinking thoughtfully before heading to the dock section. "I believe the drydocks would likely have been renovated...hm. Forty years ago, I think? When the new step-masted ships went into production..." * Vallel blinks. "What's a... oh, never mind." He flips back to about thirty years ago. "I'll start on this side. You start at fifty and work your way up." <NPC> ::perusing the plans, Glossaria finds the blueprints for the renovation. While the plans only include the detailed drawings for the modifications, there is a note inside that says: "Detailed plans rest of complex, see original construction plans, 1334.":: * Glossaria makes a pleased noise and pulls the blueprints before moving down the aisle into the early 1300's. * Glossaria nods to Vallel. "Take a look in the King's District, would you? About... fifteen years ago, I think. The palace was most likely renovated when Ildool took office." <NPC> ::the drydock plans are firmly ensconced in their proper place, in the 1334 shelf:: * Vallel shuffles through the paperwork some more. * Glossaria tugs them free of their cubbyhole, glancing over her shoulder somewhat guiltily as she unfolds the key and, after a quick glance over it, consumes it. <NPC> ::Vallel finds a thick folder marked "King's Palace", but the pages have all been pulled out. The single sheet that remains says, "Filed in Secure Collection, Alturiak, 1399":: * Glossaria makes a face. "Ugk... bluing..." * Vallel holds up the empty folder. "I don't think they want us looking around there. Probably for Ildool's safety." * Glossaria looks over at Vallel and sighs. "Ah, well. It was worth the attempt." She scans quickly through the map index, separating out the fire maps and a couple of detail drawings. She makes another face, taking a deep breath and holding her nose as she begins to eat those pages, as well. * Glossaria looks a little green-- and rather full-- when she finally finishes. She scans quickly through the other documents before bundling them back together neatly and filing them back in their place. * Vallel makes a face. "Isn't there a... more sanitary way to do that?" * Glossaria pats her stomach and burps. "Ooohhh... I do hope I'm not going to be ill... it's the fastest way I have to commit them to memory, I'm afraid. I daren't carry anything out." She looks ashamed. "I promise, I'll replace them when this is all over." * Vallel offers her an arm. "Come on, then. This place gives me the creeps." <Glossaria> ::looking around, her expression a little sad:: I'm not certain of the protections on the Secure Collection... best not attempt that. ::nods:: I think I'm ready to go. ::she takes Vallel's arm and kisses her free hand, patting a file cabinet lovingly.:: Stay safe... * Glossaria returns to the stairwell, listening carefully once more before pushing through the doors and descending. * Glossaria passes the corpse of the dead scribe without a second glance, this time. Oddly enough, the stench has nearly vanished. * Vallel follows her out, trying not to look as if he's ready to jump out of his skin. * Glossaria pauses again at the bottom of the stairs, peering through the crack in the door and listening for movement, making certain the room remains deserted before exiting onto the ground floor and wending her way back through the stacks with a quick glance back at Vallel. * Vallel continues to follow her, pulling himself back into character as they approach the back door. * Glossaria frowns in consternation at the dropped planks by the door, and glances back at Vallel again to be certain he's ready. She listens carefully at the door again for any sounds of movement before easing out of it. <Vallel> ::hastily:: What are you planning to do about this? ::he gestures to the pile of planks:: <Glossaria> ::whispering back:: I'll try to reverse the spell. If it doesn't work... can't be helped. * Glossaria slips out the door, glancing quickly up and down the street and tugging the shoulder of her gown up a little as she waits for Vallel to exit as well. * Vallel slips out as well. "Now, where were we?" He leers at her for a moment. <Glossaria> ::smiling faintly as she murmurs the words to another spell, pressing the flat of her hand against the door as she leans back against the wall.:: You, sir, are far too easily distracted. <NPC> ::there is a firm *thunk* noise, and the door shudders under Glossaria's hand, and then is quiet:: * Glossaria slides her hand off the door and up Vallel's arm as she kisses him, murmuring against his lips, "I think it worked. Home whenever you're ready?" * Vallel tugs her dress collar down some, then gestures. "Lead on." He pulls his bored face back into place and follows her back through the city. * Glossaria retraces their route, taking care to swing up to Sunset Road before cutting back to Gate Road and heading east. |
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