Mysterious Murder

https://www.fairytail-rp.com/t23190-murder-mystery

It was a fun day at the Oak Inn, bustling with life and social activity. There were plenty of people, local and visiting that had come to town for the Oak Inn murder mystery. A fun game for all,  a murder mystery that attracted even a renowned crime writer and a long since retired Rune Knight on more then one occasion. The Pirate caught wind of it, he was tempted to participate but decided against it, however his attitude quickly changed when he heard that they were hiring security for the event. He figured that a easy job would be nice for the meanwhile as he recovered.

When he entered the Inn at sunrise, he learned that there was someone else yet to arrive taking the job as well. Walking in, he looked a wreck, his vest and dress shirt were open. His chest had several scars that were old, but plenty of fresh scratch marks, and was almost clad in bandages. He was almost stumbling but seemed to keep walking with the bag over his shoulder. The Owner was not sure whether or not to accept Fantastico to take on the job, however Fantastico assured the man, and wooed his daughter the receptionist into believing that all he needed was a little rest, a bit of food and water, potentially some alcohol and he would be fully able to take on the job later.

In addition to the promised reward, they offered a free room since they had one available, and offered to have a doctor they knew to take a look at him, he accepted and rented out a room at the Inn. When he signed the contract, his right hand was shaking a bit, there was a bit of blood coming out of his sleeve.


In the room, the doctor, who just so happened to be the receptionists wife came in and unfortunately too fell to the charms of the pirate. She noted that he may have lost a bit of blood, and seemed to be clawed. She noted that there were a few deep cuts in his right arm but nothing too serious.  Fantastico ordered some room service, and after about two meals worth of food lied down for a few hours. The Murder Mystery wasn't scheduled until after dinner so Fantastico assumed he had time to recover. Roughly under two hours before the event was to start, he got up, groggy and in pain, but was in a far better shape as he was able to stand up and walk around almost normally. He put on his shirt and vest, barely buttoning his shirt more than halfway before putting on his coat, and headed downstairs.

He looked around, leaning against a wall as he could see everyone socializing, meeting one another before dinner conversation. Fantastico noted that he saw the doctor from before. However he made sure stay by the doorway, looking around for the other individual who claimed to be taking the job.

WC 500

Let it be said that Cerise was a sucker for a good mystery. In her youth, those were the only types of books that she read aside from lockpicking manuals. There was just a certain appeal about the genre, constantly making guesses as to what was happening while riding a novelistic roller coaster. As one would expect when she caught wind of a job that would involve being in attendance for a famous murder mystery, she was the first to go after it. Even if she was simply playing the role of a security officer, just being able to witness a real-life mystery while getting paid at the same time was well worth the lack of involvement.

She had arrived at the inn about midday, raring to go after the rather boring train ride. Upon entering she immediately learned that someone else was also partaking in the job. She wasn't dressed too fancily, a simple black dress shirt and jeans combo with her trademark red cloak fastened around her neck. The owner seemed rather relieved to see that she wasn't damaged in any way, claiming that her partner to be was bleeding and went to rest. She was a little confused as to why someone who was in a bad condition chose to take a job instead of healing but chalked it up to a need for Jewel.

After a short questioning process and a contract signing, they offered her a free room to stay in until the event took place, but Ciara quickly declined saying that she'd rather be doing something productive instead of resting. Not being one to turn down help, the owner asked her to assist with the decoration until her security services were needed.

After a little bit of instruction from the event planner, Cerise was on a roll using her nimble fingers to neatly place anything that was required of her. She was no stranger to doing basic labor jobs and proved to be a valuable asset to the Inn's staff, speeding up the process a fair bit due to her work ethic. It wasn't until after everything was decorated that she learned the event planner was the owner's sister, said woman promising to make sure she got a bit extra for her hard work.

After getting numerous thank you's from the various staff, Cerise went out into town for a bit figuring she might as well check out some of the town's weapon stores. She wasn't planning on buying anything, but checking out future prospects for her Requip arsenal was certainly something she didn't mind doing. She found numerous things that piqued her interest, the biggest item being an elemental whip blade-something she made a note to come back for in the future.

Having passed a couple of hours with a little exploration, Cerise returned to the inn with about an hour and a half to spare. Most of the guests had arrived already and seemed to be socializing with one another, no doubt talking about the murder mystery to come. She spotted what she assumed to be the other security officer if his appearance was anything to go by. Walking up to him she would give a friendly wave and a smile. "I'm assuming that you're the other mage who is working as security?"

WC: 569

Fantastico was reading the room, looking around as he made mental notes, however he realized that he might be in more trouble then he realized when he saw a face was familiar. "Well, I might be screwed." he thought as he looked at a woman across the room, five foot tall with shoulder length white hair and amber eyes, a journalist from Minstrel by the name of Isabella Wellington. She was renowned for her pieces on various pirates, such as groups Fantastico had been associated with. He briefly remembered her writing an article on him about nineteen months ago. She seemed to be talking with an older gentleman dressed in a blue suit without a tie, the former Rune Knight who was a local and a returning player of the event, Ivan was a long retired knight, while never being renowned, he did serve an honorable career. Fantastico couldn't clearly hear the two but he was able to hear enough to know they were talking about a recent string fo mu

The staff members seemed happy, except for one bell hop boy, named John Kantine, it was clear that he was easily disgruntled. From what Fantastico had heard at a few pubs that due to his attitude, John struggled with work and only got the job here for so long as he was related to the wife of the owner. His abrasive attitude seemed to get worse when someone tipped low or didn't tip at all. Fantastico knew that if anyone was a threat that it was him,  a disgruntled aggressive with prime opportunity such as being a bell hop is more likely to steal than any possible intruder. Fantastico knew that, because if he were to try and rob the place without his level of cunning and skills, that is the route he would most likely go.

Hearing the feminine voice that approached him, he looked down to see a rouge haired woman who looked like she could be one of the stereotype adventurers camped at an in for a night. Fantastico knew this wasn't a one man operation, especially with him being a 'little under the weather' as he cared to put it. With his left hand, he buttoned up two buttons of his dress shirt so only the top two were undone, concealing the bandages on his chest slightly more. He looked down and resisted the urge to whistle. His eyes quickly sized up the maiden, and he was not disappointed. "I know I'm a little roughed up and lost more then a pint, but heaven didn't need to send their prettiest angel for me." He said before he took out a flask, taking a sip as he would note the reaction. He figured it was best to break the ice, one way or another.

He put away his flask inside his coat pocket disappointed as he could tell by the weight it was now empty. He mostly used the contents to disinfect a few brutal wounds and didn't want to take a detour on his way to the Oak Inn earlier. His calm gaze with his gentle brown eyes seemed to be unreadable as he gave a slight smile. "But yeah, I'm the other one working security. My name is Fantastico."

After he said his name several heads in the room instantly turned, staring at the man, a tense moment passed as silence filled the room, before everyone slowly returned to what they were talking about before. It was at that moment Fantastico realized how many foreigners to Fiore were in the room, however he did not see anyone capable of bringing him down that has a reason to, so he figured he was fine.

WC 619
TWC 1119

Cerise immediately took note of the way her partner to be buttoned up his shirt, no doubt trying to hide the bandages that were wrapped around his chest. It was probably an act of subconscious pride on his part, not wanting to be underestimated due to a couple of wounds. Thankfully Cerise was no stranger to working in less than peak condition, there were many a time she had to go on a heist while wounded or sick so relating to the man wasn't so hard.

Upon hearing him speak his praise of her, Cerise could only quirk an eyebrow in obvious amusement. She was no stranger to this type of interaction, loose flirting being something that she herself could often be caught partaking in. Not only was it a good way to break the ice, but it could also be used for other less than honest purposes. Gaining trust, lowering people's guards, or even for a simple distraction against the weaker willed. That last one was something Cerise used often, it was ridiculously easy to swipe a key or a purse while someone was distracted by her 'features'.

She honestly would have criticized him for drinking on the job if that wouldn't have made her a hypocrite. While she wasn't a connoisseur of alcohol or anything, she was certainly no stranger to it. There were many nights where she went on a heist in less than a sober state, and usually, she managed just fine. She was sure the man knew what he was doing, and if he didn't then she would just have to pull his weight and get paid more. A win-win honestly.

She was a bit surprised that numerous people seemed to be familiar with Fantastico, the resounding silence and staring upon hearing his name being a clear indicator that he was no mere drunkard. She would have pried if there wasn't a job to do, but since there was she settled for giving a simple introduction instead."It's very nice to meet you, the name's Cerise. Oh and you don't look half bad yourself, you pull off that roughish look rather well."

The fact that no reaction was given upon uttering her name made her relived. Before she became a mage her whole career was built around secrecy, eighty-five percent of the people she stole from never got to see her face much less learn her name. If people had recognized her she might have been screwed out of any future job prospects. Not that she had many to begin with considering she was a novice mage, but the point was clear enough anyway.

WC: 454
TWC: 1023

Fantastico chuckled slightly at the complement. "Well, I was in a slight skirmish with the mother of one of my kids. She's a real beast at times and her husband called me for help as they are expecting a kid on the way and she's gone a little off her rocker again." He said nonchalantly as he cautiously kept his gaze around the room, making sure there was no more surprises. It was clear that most of the room was aware of his record by now, so he was slightly cautious of attacks from both sides.  However he did keep his gaze primarily on the person who claimed to be his ally, specifically her fingers and arms, he recognized the instincts that were practically pressing up against the conscious mind like a loaded gun, just waiting for the right time.

However Fantastico didn't have the weakness of a lowered guard, his mental abilities and tolerance of alcohol seemed to allow him to be ready at all times. Using the background chatter as a filter, he whispered quietly just so she could hear. "You a thief or Pirate? I recognize the signs. I'm a known pirate so you may wanna be careful. I recommend the fat cow at your five if you're looking for a target. He acts like he's got jewels to throw, odds are he won't miss anything over thirty five thousand."

He quickly shot a glance at Robert Sampson, the rather obese man in a green suit, bald head but he had been very generous with his spending to others, often bragging and boasting about his lumber company and wealth. It was annoying the people around him as it seemed the people he was talking to weren't even listening to his rantings. Fantastico considered whispering. "I came here for a wizard job, but I can't stand greedy bastards who hoard and boast about wealth, especially when they think it gives them status. Personal rule, I only steal from the needlessly rich or when it feels right. I wouldn't mind knocking him down a peg once the night is over."

Fantastico did find the beauty of the girl appealing, that was clear from his eyes but his guard was not down. "But, if there is something else you wanna do later, I might be interested... After all, not every day I get a chance to work with someone as drop dead gorgeous as yourself, I'm sure we have a lot more in common then you think."

WC 417
TWC 1536

Cerise gave a rather sly grin at the man's question of her profession, being able to identify her field of work at a glance was very impressive, especially taking into account his less than sober state. "I'm the former, and a rather good one if I do say so myself. Although, to be completely honest it's currently more of a recreational gig as opposed to a full-blown job." She paused for a moment to take a glance at the potential target he mentioned, the man's appearance causing an almost predatory grin to split her face.

He was exactly the type she was known for going after, boastful and full of confidence earned off the backs of others. He was like a steak, juicy, tantalizing, and practically begging for someone to sink their teeth into him. Honestly, if she wasn't on a job she would have already attempted to make a move against him. As she began to visualize ways to later make her move, she found herself nodding in agreement as the man talked about his personal ideology.

Such a robin hood-esque lifestyle greatly resonated with her, considering for the longest time that was exactly how she lived. Of course, back then it was done out of necessity, but the fact that she could relate remained regardless.

At the Fantastico's next offer of later, 'activities' Cerise couldn't help but let a predatory gleam form in her eyes, almost perfectly matching her grin. "Mm, that offer sounds awfully tempting, if you impress me well enough on this job I might actually consider it."

Looking over the members of the room for a second Cerise couldn't help but pick out a few people that gave her the imminent feeling of trouble. There were about one or two gruff looking men leaning against one of the walls, considering that this event was an open-invite she knew that there would be an assortment of people out and about, but those two just gave off a sort of 'mercenary' vibe that rubbed Cerise the wrong way.  The two men just happened to be leaning on the wall close to the other person that gave off a bad vibe. He appeared to just be a normal bellhop, but with the way, he kept sending glares towards the hosts Cerise couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious of him.

Looking over towards her partner with a bit more a serious look she began to voice her concerns. "That bellhop and the two men near him are giving off a vibe that I don't like, it might just be my paranoia but keep an eye on them regardless."

WC: 454
TWC: 1477