The Soul Bar was one of the charming places in Talonia that the guildless could go to. Not that Selina, or Hex, had any kind of connection to guilds of any kind. In the end, she was there for a change of scenery. While she often worked out from her friend's bar, the Black Cat Lounge, for all of her underground contacts and jobs, she had agreed to meet one of her 'clients' in this place.
How she was dressed was in her thief's attire, to help her identify her for her client-- and the fact she was among other unruly souls it wasn't like she was going to be easily identified. At least by anyone, she didn't want to find her. She sat at the bar, drinking a violet drink from her glass as she waited, a few of her Tarot Cards spread out before her. Her next job was hired by someone known only as 'the crow'. That alone was ominous and she chooses to presume she was dealing with another black mage. Either way, despite her lonely appearance and lack of talking, she wasn't alone.
The little black Exceed cat was nearby, stalking around acting like a regular cat if by regular cats had claw-gloves, long pointy ears and a witch's hat on her head. The two have been inseparable and so she was her back up in case anything got hairy. Even so, this kind of bar, while nice looking also was a bit seedy for darker fellows like the ones that drank in the corner or shot pool. While she could easily be in the mood for a more rougher atmosphere, she was here on business, not pleasure. For now, she just waited patiently as she flipped her cards in leisurely boredom.
As she read the cards, she heard the footsteps of a figure begin to approach her. She first thought it was a bypassing patron to the bar, but stopped behind her. She waited a moment but then realized how they leered at her, almost feeling the stare behind her head. "Don't you know its rude to stare at a lady?" she said, feinting ignorance if it was the client or if not-- just some lurker trying to scare her. One couldn't scare a witch easily.
There was a pause as the person waited-- then finally spoke in a deep voice. "Lady Temperance, are you not?" he asked.
Being called by name, Selina turned lightly to glance at the stranger. The man was clad completely in black, a cloak over his body so well that he could have been disembodied under it. A hood covered his head-- and to top it all off he had a 'crow' shaped mask with a beak, the truth being of a kind of old fashion mask used by those around the time of the Black Plague, or alchemist who were revolved around toxic and infectious disease. He clearly screamed "stay far away from me or I will personally deliver your carcass to a fire pit' in his attire.
"Yes, and You're 'Crow' I take it, or did you raid the Grim Reaper's wardrobe on the way here?" she replied with dry sarcasm.
The man just stood there, his breathing loud from behind his mask. His 'hands' were gloved. It was starting t o become clearer to Selina that perhaps it was the other way around. Perhaps he wasn't some rogue necromancer, but perhaps he was containing his own body, but still a name like "Crow" didn't cause much ease with his appearance.
Without much word, the man lurked his way to her right and sat down at the adjacent table. "As discussed, I have a job for you-- should you choose to accept. " he said
Normally, she gladly accepted jobs but this one gave her a bad feeling. An intuition as a Fortune Teller to know when an ill wind was blowing. "And, as discussed, I want to knwo more details before I decide to take you up on your offer. I do not operate being kept in the dark. You went through a lot of trouble to find me, so explain it to me if you would please."
The man paused with a sigh from under his mask. Hex, hiding nearby under the stools, gave a nervous growl as she eyed the crow-masked man, wishing to pluck his feathers. Finally, he spoke. "There is a facility outside Crocus. The Bauru of Magic Development. They are experimenting with brand new magics and concepts and so, I like you to steal a specific piece of information from them. The Magic in tail is called the Arc of Plagues. I would like you to get itt for me." he said in an oddly straight forward manner.
Selina paused as she looked at him, and flipped one of her cards, showing the symbol of the Devil on the table. "Why? Arc of Plagues-- as in disease and sickness magic? Why in the world you want something like that?" she asked.
"That doesn't concern you," he said flatly.
Selina sat up then, looking at the man in the mask. "You listen to me, 'handsome'," she said with a mocking tone due to the mask. "I'm a free agent, meaning I can accept or decline any job I want. Now I can get you anything... but I need a damn good reason if your asking me to help you aquire some book on a magic that could literally bring about an epidemic that engulfs all of Fiore. So let me ask you again, what do you want it for?"
She glared at the man, seeing no eye or hint of a human behind the lense of his mask. Finally, the man spoke as he glanced away. "I do not seek to create a plague... I seek to control one. The rumor is, the magic doesn't give command to just cause it-- but to control how it spreads, even recede it. In theory, it could also be used to cure diseases." he said.
Selina's eyes widened a bit, hearing the words. It made sense, but now she had to be curious by the nature of the man's appearance. "Are... Are you..."
"My condition is not of importance," he stated flatly, "If you are concerned of my intentions, don't be. I have no desire to cause some plague, or even the magic itself-- I just need that data. I will pay you whatever you ask, but I need it. And more important, there cannot be any remaining data in that facility. Do you understand?" he asked, his voice almost between anger and fear-- desperation even.
Temperance glanced to the corner, seeing Hex looking on. Finally, she looked to the mask man and her expression calmed. "I apologize for being so curious. I think we can work this out. You have a deal. This isn't an overnight job and will take me time to prepare."
The man soon handed Syeena a piece of paper, produced from his glove. "This is the code for the data. Use this to find the specific magic data. That is what I need." he said as he sat up. "I'll be in touch..." he said and swiftly left, moving silently like a phantom.
Syeena took the paper, seeing the series of letters and numbers forming an ID code. As she looked at it, she flipped open the next card, showing soon 'The Tower" , being a symbol of ill omens...
TBC.
TWC: 1250
How she was dressed was in her thief's attire, to help her identify her for her client-- and the fact she was among other unruly souls it wasn't like she was going to be easily identified. At least by anyone, she didn't want to find her. She sat at the bar, drinking a violet drink from her glass as she waited, a few of her Tarot Cards spread out before her. Her next job was hired by someone known only as 'the crow'. That alone was ominous and she chooses to presume she was dealing with another black mage. Either way, despite her lonely appearance and lack of talking, she wasn't alone.
The little black Exceed cat was nearby, stalking around acting like a regular cat if by regular cats had claw-gloves, long pointy ears and a witch's hat on her head. The two have been inseparable and so she was her back up in case anything got hairy. Even so, this kind of bar, while nice looking also was a bit seedy for darker fellows like the ones that drank in the corner or shot pool. While she could easily be in the mood for a more rougher atmosphere, she was here on business, not pleasure. For now, she just waited patiently as she flipped her cards in leisurely boredom.
As she read the cards, she heard the footsteps of a figure begin to approach her. She first thought it was a bypassing patron to the bar, but stopped behind her. She waited a moment but then realized how they leered at her, almost feeling the stare behind her head. "Don't you know its rude to stare at a lady?" she said, feinting ignorance if it was the client or if not-- just some lurker trying to scare her. One couldn't scare a witch easily.
There was a pause as the person waited-- then finally spoke in a deep voice. "Lady Temperance, are you not?" he asked.
Being called by name, Selina turned lightly to glance at the stranger. The man was clad completely in black, a cloak over his body so well that he could have been disembodied under it. A hood covered his head-- and to top it all off he had a 'crow' shaped mask with a beak, the truth being of a kind of old fashion mask used by those around the time of the Black Plague, or alchemist who were revolved around toxic and infectious disease. He clearly screamed "stay far away from me or I will personally deliver your carcass to a fire pit' in his attire.
"Yes, and You're 'Crow' I take it, or did you raid the Grim Reaper's wardrobe on the way here?" she replied with dry sarcasm.
The man just stood there, his breathing loud from behind his mask. His 'hands' were gloved. It was starting t o become clearer to Selina that perhaps it was the other way around. Perhaps he wasn't some rogue necromancer, but perhaps he was containing his own body, but still a name like "Crow" didn't cause much ease with his appearance.
Without much word, the man lurked his way to her right and sat down at the adjacent table. "As discussed, I have a job for you-- should you choose to accept. " he said
Normally, she gladly accepted jobs but this one gave her a bad feeling. An intuition as a Fortune Teller to know when an ill wind was blowing. "And, as discussed, I want to knwo more details before I decide to take you up on your offer. I do not operate being kept in the dark. You went through a lot of trouble to find me, so explain it to me if you would please."
The man paused with a sigh from under his mask. Hex, hiding nearby under the stools, gave a nervous growl as she eyed the crow-masked man, wishing to pluck his feathers. Finally, he spoke. "There is a facility outside Crocus. The Bauru of Magic Development. They are experimenting with brand new magics and concepts and so, I like you to steal a specific piece of information from them. The Magic in tail is called the Arc of Plagues. I would like you to get itt for me." he said in an oddly straight forward manner.
Selina paused as she looked at him, and flipped one of her cards, showing the symbol of the Devil on the table. "Why? Arc of Plagues-- as in disease and sickness magic? Why in the world you want something like that?" she asked.
"That doesn't concern you," he said flatly.
Selina sat up then, looking at the man in the mask. "You listen to me, 'handsome'," she said with a mocking tone due to the mask. "I'm a free agent, meaning I can accept or decline any job I want. Now I can get you anything... but I need a damn good reason if your asking me to help you aquire some book on a magic that could literally bring about an epidemic that engulfs all of Fiore. So let me ask you again, what do you want it for?"
She glared at the man, seeing no eye or hint of a human behind the lense of his mask. Finally, the man spoke as he glanced away. "I do not seek to create a plague... I seek to control one. The rumor is, the magic doesn't give command to just cause it-- but to control how it spreads, even recede it. In theory, it could also be used to cure diseases." he said.
Selina's eyes widened a bit, hearing the words. It made sense, but now she had to be curious by the nature of the man's appearance. "Are... Are you..."
"My condition is not of importance," he stated flatly, "If you are concerned of my intentions, don't be. I have no desire to cause some plague, or even the magic itself-- I just need that data. I will pay you whatever you ask, but I need it. And more important, there cannot be any remaining data in that facility. Do you understand?" he asked, his voice almost between anger and fear-- desperation even.
Temperance glanced to the corner, seeing Hex looking on. Finally, she looked to the mask man and her expression calmed. "I apologize for being so curious. I think we can work this out. You have a deal. This isn't an overnight job and will take me time to prepare."
The man soon handed Syeena a piece of paper, produced from his glove. "This is the code for the data. Use this to find the specific magic data. That is what I need." he said as he sat up. "I'll be in touch..." he said and swiftly left, moving silently like a phantom.
Syeena took the paper, seeing the series of letters and numbers forming an ID code. As she looked at it, she flipped open the next card, showing soon 'The Tower" , being a symbol of ill omens...
TBC.
TWC: 1250
