Everything was going well at the ball, people were having a good time, at least they seemed to be and Demetrius was enjoying himself. At some point his servants started making their check ins to Deme, about the cats. He expected them to check in at least every few hours, since it was hard for one person who had a busy schedule to keep track of his thirty-two cats.
The check in came and went, but one servant didn’t check in. As Deme was overly attentive towards his cats, it didn’t take him long before he began to worry and spoke to Mal. His worry spread around the ball as they tried to get information.
Eventually search parties were needed, Deme was determined to go in one, and he ordered Mal to go in another. Quite a few people seemed interested in helping, and Deme was willing to take all the help he could get, where his cat’s safety was in question. There was a large palace to search, as well as the grounds, and possibly further depending on where the clues led.
The Eyes locked down the party, not letting any leave until the servant and missing cat were found. Deme moved to the edge of the ballroom as the groups were divvied up and waited until everyone was ready. He was eager to get started in the search, though he imagined some level of introductions and banter were going to be required before they got properly started.
Does anyone have any questions before we begin our search? He asked as the people gathered around him.
A party she hadn't really wanted to go too, and now roped into a search for a missing feline, had her wife not been there on duty that night, Kaczor would have already bowed out to go find some form of debauchery she could still indulge in, since sex with random strangers, and top much alcohol or drugs were off the table. She sipped, most of the evening, making sure to not let herself drink too much to go to her head. They where there, in the home of the Archon, in the middle of.. no where Kaczor wanted to be caught off guard -- it simply would not do to get thrown back into prison for another year of hell, being forced to live without her magic. No, never again would she be parted from the feeling of being able to defend herself, fully, capably, against any man or woman.
A year being leered at and forced to grow a beard had been enough, thank you, so allowing herself even to get caught with anything more than her usual vivacious flirty persona wouldn't do. Yes, hello, mage here to do her civic duty and help search for the poor lost kitty, now, am I to assume that all the doors to where the poor thing was allowed to roam were locked so that a guest couldn't mistakenly let one of the babies loose in the party, yes?
She smiled gently up to the older bastard thst was the Archon, imagining her father instead, her father, someone she would sass, lovingly, but not want to throw a fireball at for reasons, And a follow up to that, please, if we need to scour the grounds, what is this little angel's name, and do they respond to it in a higher lilt, or are they more accustomed to your own lovely barritone?
Kaczor's manicured nails played with the cuff of her jacket, wishing now she hadn't worn the ridiculous tuxedo gown and went for something more streamlined like her normal three pieces, the comfort of loose slacks and something she could appropriately fight in instantly and acutely needed, now that she may have painted a large target on her back.
They weren’t allowing anyone to leave. Ilaria stared at the gatehouse, chin raised, thinking incendiary thoughts. Andoral wanted their way, an explosion of destructive magic that the both of them might well survive – but not without losing much that she had built. She turned around and walked back into the palace, murmuring an excuse to the empty air. Ilaria Obsidian wasn’t trapped, she’d merely forgotten something inside …
By the time she’d made it back to the ballroom, the Archon had gathered a small group of guests. The woman from House Tilani was talking, an oddly breathless stream of questions. Poor thing, baby, angel. You would think that Arvina had misplaced a child.
Ilaria was relatively certain he’d done no such thing – that he had no living issue unless hiding bastards was the exclusive mission of the Eyes. It finally occurred to her that they were talking about those loose felines that had been underfoot all evening. It was very odd. If he cared about the animals, why hadn’t he kept them away from the guests? A very confident Archon might believe none of the Houses would act against him at his own party – but that hardly accounted for all the foreigners about. Enemies, all. Tevinter stood alone.
“I’ve never known a cat to come running at its name. The dinner bell, maybe. But perhaps yours are of a superior sort, Lord Archon.” If nothing else, perhaps this would be an educational opportunity to see how Arvina responded to stress.
Caesennia had tried to leave — and had been turned away from the doors. She still didn't feel the best, having over-imbibed in the alcoholic drinks. And she was unnerved by the female Eyes that had frisked her, without so much of an apology.
She was pretty sure that was inappropriate, if they were looking for a missing child. But she kept her mouth shut, unwilling to argue with someone with any kind of authority.
And as soon as she was released back into the ballroom, she hurried towards the one person she knew, even if she didn't want to be around her right now. Ilaria was as safe as this situation could be, though, and she glanced over her shoulder as she came up beside of her Lady.
Is there a child mi— She trailed off, as Ilaria spoke about cats not typically answering to their names, and the Tilani woman — she was pretty sure the woman that had just searched her was this woman's wife — rambled anxiously about how she might help find the animal.
Silently, she wondered how someone so anxious could be married to a War Dog, who couldn't even be bothered to reassure party-goers as she did her job. But she wasn't well-versed in the gossip of her new social circle, to know anything more than vague connections between those at the party.
The cats should have been put up, she whispered, to Ilaria. Unwilling to say it any louder, risking the Archon actually hearing her.
Despite the short moment where she had entertained putrefying the mind of some overly handsy Tevene, Adaria had enjoyed the ball. Her father, with all his wanderings across the South had never, nor entertained visiting the land ruled by mages. It was a pity, for she thought he would rather enjoy himself if this was the cause for such a reaction.
Returning from a brief respite on the balcony, the Princess found a number being refused exiting, turning them back. Their thoughts were loud, the murmurs of someone missing quickly informing her of the situation so instead of being parroted the same verbally, she turned back towards the ballroom. A level of anxiety caught her attention, jingled bells that rang in discord at the edge of her senses causing her to turn. Adaria steadily approached, catching the wisps of fading suggestions.
Maker, how her father would have laughed at all of this, all over a cat, which species were inherent wanderers. Though, there was the face he himself had derailed a whole ceremony to a halt because someone had moved something in his study. Eccentricities ran in every ruler's veins it seemed.
My apologies, I hear we have someone dear who’s gone amiss? Brows rose, silently appraising the few gathered. Then to the Archon, offering a respectful curtsy, Might I suggest sentry wards at cleared areas? If… Saxton? If he returns to those areas we may be alerted of the activity? Adaria offered a hesitant smile. The blue hues of her eyes glanced quickly around the others, hands playing, massaging pressure points.
Perhaps his favourite food? Or treat? The kitchens is a favourable first stop with that regard. continuing to play up the facade of a nervous foreign teen, not a careful observer of a number of Tevene.
Know thy enemy, well, potential enemy.
05-20-2024, 10:55 AM
Demetrius Arvina
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Deme expected there would be questions before they got into the searching. He was eager to start, but anything he could answer that would help the others search better, he had no problem answering.
Not all the doors were locked, and most of those that were the servants have keys for, as the cats do love their outdoor time, some more than others. I believe it is Saxton who is missing, he’s a a mostly white cat with a little yellow. Answers to Saxton or Saxy. He’s blind and wears a little special helmet because he often bumps into things. He may be a bit leery to go to a voice he doesn’t recognise, but that doesn’t mean he won’t, as he often has to get used to the sounds of new servants. Then it occurred to him to describe the servant that was watching over Saxton. The servant’s name is Elaria, she’s been with us since she was a child. Petite thing, a strong gust of wind could blow her over. Dressed in the yellow uniform I have all the servants wear that are tasked with watching over the cats. He explained and then turned to Ilaria.
Not all my cats come when called, but Saxton is usually good about it. Of course, if he’s scared or stuck somewhere he may not be able to. Of his thirty-two cats, he figured at least about a third were good about coming when called, the rest needed other incentives. Then he turned to Adaria and a small smile cracked his features despite his worry over his missing cat.
That is an excellent idea. He especially loves these little herring snacks that are prepared for them. I’ll send a servant to the other team with a message about your idea for sentry wards, so both groups are on the same page. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Deme continued, And let's not forget to check the less obvious places. Cats can be very clever when it comes to finding hiding spots. So don't ignore the closets, under the beds, or even high-up places. They can climb better than you'd think. Once everyone seemed caught up, he led them out of the ballroom and deeper into the palace.
The concerned look on her face vanished the moment Arvina's eyes were no longer on her. Six foot six, she stood out along the little group that had amassed there, so as she feigned listening, she searched the hall for her wife, being able to see Ella's eyes would give her an idea of how fucked they all actually were, but her search didn't last long as she turned to listen to each person talking, marking out body language and tone as they spoke.
Nothing completely out of the ordinary, that would make Kaczor think anything would be amiss with those in her immediate surroundings, so, she turned back to the information now, some doors had been locked while others had not, but every servant had a set of keys. Which meant that everyone was a suspect, the prime one being the servant missing, Elaria.
Yellow uniform, which meant that even in the dark that yellow would catch light. And the cat was white and yellow as well, both reflective colors in the dark, We may also want to put a barrier around each room as we search. It would do no good to startle the cat into running out, only to have to start over again. A barrier would ensure that if the cat, or servant, were in the room being searched at the time, they wouldn't be able to just, scamper out along their merry way.
Kaczor's tone was more subdued now, still the melodic up and down lilt, but not nearly as forced as her first line of questioning. And then they were moving, she waited for the other's to start moving first, before she fell in step, still thinking about what was presented. She had not expected her night to go about searching for a cat. At least she wasn't in her de-facto father-in-law's search party...
“Caesennia, dear. We keep thoughts like that to ourselves.” Ilaria smiled at Arvina, hoping he hadn’t overheard. She wished she had a better read on the man, anything beyond his sharing of his predecessor’s overfondness for felines. Defending her lady-in-waiting from the highest power in the land would be … Troublesome. Not impossible, but almost certainly expensive. And maybe not worth it. “Even when we’re right.”
Another woman joined the group – the young princess of Antiva. And it was very curious how she knew the name of the missing animal before Arvina said it. Ilaria watched her as the Archon spoke at length about the cat. She hoped, if anyone was expected to crawl around and look under beds, that it would be a task the Archon undertook personally.
Alas, probably not. He seemed entirely focused on finding his pet, not the exorbitant cost charged by any modiste of worth.
“I suppose a set of very fine ball gowns would be a small price to pay for your peace of mind, lord Archon.” They fell into step, a stately gliding procession for a ridiculous task. If she were to prick her finger and stretch out her magic in search of the recently dead … Would she find a small, yellow clad corpse stuffed into a side chamber somewhere?
Even a small missing human was many times the size of a house cat. Ilaria raised a manicured fingertip to her mouth, tearing a small wound. The spell snapped into place, partially overlaid upon her senses.
Of course, in a building this old – the center of so many centuries of power – quite a few people had died. The oily traces of death were everywhere, filling her mouth with the taste of dust and funeral flowers. What they were looking for could not possibly be more than a few hours old.
Caesennia frowned, as she was quietly scolded, and her mistress smiled pleasantly towards the Archon. She bit her lip and sank to the other woman's side; not quite touching her but most certainly making herself appear smaller. Less noticeable.
And she had the good idea to stay quiet, from this point on, sticking next to Ilaria.
An array of disturbances hummed in her mind as the others shifted, adjusted to Deme’s words cauthing the Princess’s attention, but she kept her attention on the Archon himself. Perhaps it was careless to have dropped the name, but others were already searching, she could have simply overheard them if an excuse was required. Instead she brightened at the praise given to her proposal, I can certainly do that, Archon Demetrius and, pardon me I’m unfamiliar with your name, but she’s right, barriers would definitely mean we’re not at this all night.
Now that they were congregated, he was leading them out of the ballroom and considering she was the only true outsider in a host of Tevene, Adaria decided on sticking close to the Archon himself. She moved curtains as they meandered down a corridor leading to somewhere deeper into the estate, checking the window seats and their cushions in case the beast was nestled happily asleep. Does he do this often? My father had an owl once which took great delight in winding up his butler. Mind you… Father did teach it that trick, now I remember. Cats… he didn’t quite trust for some reason.
It was the eyes, something about the way they changed and watched, ”always plotting, careful, they’ll eat you alive, it’s their goal to rule the world,” a softness slipped into her features, glancing at Demetrius to observe him.
Two guests are ushed in a side door by a member of the Eye asking them to stay put in the ballroom and out of the gardens while the searching is going on. The member of the Eye checks in with Demetrius and points out some strange noises coming from the garden hedge maze, but they were focused on escorting the guests back to the ballroom and didn’t have a chance to check it out.
Suggestions of things you could find in the Garden Hedge Maze:
1. star crossed lovers getting it on in a secluded corner
2. Saxton’s collar
3. A blood trail
4. a discarded Eye uniform balled up and tossed in a bag
5. a servant trying to escape the outer wall of the maze
6. a discarded tin of Saxton’s fav cat treats
What you won’t find in the Garden Hedge Maze:
1. Elaria the servant
2. Saxton the blind cat
06-04-2024, 01:03 PM
Demetrius Arvina
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Once everything was explained, Deme was about to suggest some places they could start searching that wouldn’t intersect with the other group, but then some party goers nearby started talking about strange noises they heard out in the garden before they’d been escorted in. Well, that seemed like the best place to begin.
I think we should investigate this, it could be something. With that, Deme led the group out to the gardens. On the outskirts it was your typical luxurious garden, in the centre of the garden is a small hedge maze, and in the centre of that is a fountain.
He led them to start looking with a systematic approach, checking the outer edges before delving deeper into the maze. The maze was vast, with unending turns and dead ends. They would need to be careful not to overlook any potential clues.
As they began their search, Deme urged everyone to be thorough and not to overlook the smallest detail. Remember, our main priority is to find Saxton and Elaria. Keep your eyes open for any signs of them, he reminded, guiding the group further into the maze.
Then Deme saw something, but it was balled up and stuffed deep into some bushes. His mind instantly raced to the worst possible outcome, someone had killed Saxton and stuffed him into a bag. Deme got down on his hands and knees, not caring about his clothing getting all dirty, and retrieved the bag. He then stood back up and opened it carefully. A look of both relief and surprise at its contents.
It looks like someone’s worn Eyes uniform, all balled up. That couldn’t be good, he wasn’t sure what he was hoping about Elaria and Saxton being missing, perhaps that Elaria had just taken a shine to Saxton and run off with him, but a discarded and hidden Eyes uniform suggested something else was afoot.
Her ears didnt miss the whispered bits about being right, a smirk of amusement crossing her face as she went to tie her hair back, out of habit, before her hands stopped. There was no hair there for her to pull back, only the current short curls that could in no way tamed. One day, one day she'd have those locks back, but that was not today. As they moved, Kaczor placed wards along their path, eyes glowing faintly at the magic use, before falling back in line with the group.
Tilani, dearest, Kaczor Tilani. She introduced herself to Adriana, I've not seen you before as a bed mate so I'm going to assume you're not Tevene? It was a guess, and the woman seemed to be smart. But when the uniform was found, she was back on task, warding the area quickly and then came over to look over the edge of the bag, another quick spell muttered under her breath, old magic, magic her family learned and passed down for many generations, the back to back casting giving her little trouble as she winced at the sudden assault of smells that rushed through her nose, the enhancement. It had been a while since she had done anything but, well, the basics, but she took a few moments to orient herself.
Champagne, expensive perfumes, soaps, and colognes, menstrual blood, sweat, the sour scent of semen and piss, cat grass and herring, the shit that went into the fertilizer there in the garden.. and when she thought she was able to start picking out the individual smells, she pulled closer to Arvina's side to stare at the uniform, trying to see if she could place the scent lingering on them. Can you think of any reason, Archon, why one of your Eyes would abandon their uniform, or should we treat this entirely as a theft..
Her eyes went to the other three women for help in figuring out what they could possibly do next. Kaczor knew her limits, Ella her wife, was the brains of their marriage after all, and for good reason.
The Archon led the way out to the gardens. Ilaria found them far preferable to the ballroom and hallways of the palace. Best of all, there were few people still lingering out here beyond their own impeccably dressed troupe.
“Of course, Lord Archon. We’ll find all there is to find.” Baseless flattery, it still came annoyingly easy to her. Caesennia trailed after her steps, reminding her of children’s games and curses — something treads on my shadow …
Rather shockingly, Arvina got onto the ground and dug into the hedge. He produced a black bundle of clothes and identified them as the uniform of the secret police.
“Hm. I’d say we’re either very late or a little bit early, depending.” Whether it was stashed to hide the uniform’s theft – or if it was meant to aid someone’s escape. Whichever Eye had let this go missing would be in deep shit if they weren’t already dead. She glanced up as the Tilani woman scented the wind, quirking a single brow.
The Archon on his knees and a noblewoman playing bloodhound. It was a rather diverting night.
“Do you have anything, a direction perhaps? I don’t think we have time to walk the maze.” Ilaria held up her palm, a defoliating sphere of noxious green energy blinking in and out of existence. There could be other things hidden here. The owner of the uniform or tools laid away for the job.
“Are you inclined to pardon crimes against your garden, Lord Archon?” The hedge wall nearest to her shivered and dropped a few anticipatory leaves.
Caesennia stayed near, even as the Archon got on his hands and knees. After a moment of watching the ordeal in front of her, she slipped away from the group. Cautious in her steps, she trailed her fingers through the hedges that made up the maze, as she walked.
Not going too far — not willing to get lost, she made sure she stayed in sight of the overall group. And when she found a cats collar, she paused long enough to read the name tag, before she was on her way back to Ilaria, specifically.
This was that way, she held the collar out, as if reporting to her mistress was more important than reporting to the Archon, himself. Or perhaps she was just afraid to talk to the Archon...
