Spy Games [Ministry of Secrets]

[Tess Valnora]

Location: Ballroom Floor
Equipment: (1) Phrik combat knife (Concealed)
Wear: Dress

She hadn’t been long in the Ministry’s service when the letter had mysteriously appeared in her room that she had rented. And the means to how it had gotten there was a mystery as Tess has used an alias and was sure she had covered any tracks. A first test? That would be something one should expect from a service like this.

She stood across the ballroom floor from the buffet tables, looking around the room without being obvious for points and people of interest: the closest exits, possible threats, possible targets, anything that seemed abnormal to a social gathering such as this. As she did so a rather bulbous man walked up to her and introduced himself as the Viceroy of Dohlban. She had to keep herself from wrinkling her nose at the site of the man. He was well dressed to be sure, but the buttons on his jacket looked ready to burst if he jiggled the wrong way, “May I have this dance malady?” he asked with honey-smooth voice that belied his appearance. Every fiber told her to say ‘No’, but the invitation had said to mingle and not raise any suspicions to her affiliations. “I would be honored sir.” She replied as sweetly as possible as she took his outstretched hand. Besides this would give her the opportune time to watch the entire room without drawing attention.

The large Viceroy guided her to the Ballroom dance floor and they took their positions as the music played. The man was not too much taller than her, even in her two-inch heels, but she only made it to his nose, with her 5-5 height. As they began to sway and twirl Tess continued looking around: the group by the buffet table had dispersed some, unfortunately she was not able to track every individual at the party and what they were doing.

“It’s a lovely tune, don’t you think?” came the Viceroy’s voice as they continued their synchronized steps, to which she realized he was just making party small-talk. She didn’t really want to talk to him, she didn’t even want to be dancing with him at this moment, the man was three times her width, and jiggled constantly. She was sure if she tried to stab him the amount fat alone would save his life. Remembering herself she replied, “Yes, I believe it is a tune from the inner Core, I believe from Kuat.”

“Ahh, you know your music. Wonderful! I do enjoy the different musics of the galaxy. I am glad to have met someone else who has this knowledge about her.” His eyes lit up as he spoke. Tess smiled at him, she had to get away from him. They had danced two songs already and were nearing the end of the third, “I apologize Viceroy, but might we take a break? All this dancing has me a little winded.” She lied hoping he would oblige. He was startled at first as if he had forgotten they had been dancing.

"Of course! Of course!” he said as he took a step back from her, “May you have a lovely evening miss... uhm... I’m sorry I don’t recall your name.”
'That’s because I would never tell a blob like you my name' Is what she wanted to say, but instead said, “Sara Nightingale, have a wonderful rest of your evening Viceroy.” She then curtsied and turned toward the buffet table. The evening was still young, but Tess’s gut told her the evening was going to explode in excitement. She just couldn’t put her finger on why, maybe she just needed some food in her belly. Once at the buffet she filled a small plate with some snacks and sat near to a woman in a white dress ([member="Scherezade deWinter"]).

After sitting for a minute or two snacking on some cheeses and various meats, Tess attempted some small talk with the woman to gauge the atmosphere. “Lovely event isn’t it? Have you tried these cheeses?” she asked offering the small plate she held with a variety of cheeses and meat on it.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: By the buffet
Wearing: Dress | Pathfinder Boots
Wielding: 2 Czerka knives [concealed] | 1 Nastirci Combat Knives [concealed]
Tags: [member="Kelsie Sylvan"] [member="Holt"] [member="Ciri Jade"] [member="Nyx N1X3"] [member="Tess Valnora"]

Scherezade looked as Jaqueline took her godmother away, heading towards the bathroom, and grumped. She would have preferred to spend more time with Razelle, who could keep her entertained with ease at a gathering such as this, but alas, it was not to be. Not tonight. She was going to work all the feels on her godmother for this and see if she could guilty her into buying some Loth Wolf food for a few weeks to make up for it. The droid had also gone with them.

That left her alone with [member="Holt"], who, by the time she turned her head, seemed to have vanished as well.

Another grump, and Scherezade was left alone in her chair.

She folded her arms below her chest and looked around. Lacking people to talk to meant that she could do the job she was supposed to be doing – watching, learning, searching. But without her tools and without anyone other than a waiter actually getting injured and bleeding, there was nothing that she could detect.

"Anyone else found something?" she sent over the nanocomm device in her ear. Maybe that would give her something to do. If not, she decided, she'd go home in ten minutes.

It was nine minutes later that someone turned to her to ask about… Cheese?

Scherezade's eyes lit up. "I love cheese," she admitted, and then nodded enthusiastically, "try the purple cubes if you haven't yet! I'm not sure what the source of it but it has that wonderful combination of tangy and sweet!" Sure. Get a nerd like Scherezade to talk about cheese. If [member="Tess Valnora"] wasn't gonna get careful, Scherezade was going to tell her all about the wonders of making cheese on your spaceship.

And that was when the first earthquake happened. The ground beneath the building began to shake. It was nothing too violent – perhaps only a single glass at the entire event broke because it had been too close to the edge of the table. A moment later, every person in attendance shrugged it off, and the party resumed as usual.

 

[Nyx N1X3]

When the building trembled, Nyx aided in keeping Kelsie on her feet as she had feigned being of unstable footing moments ago. The Droid, however, released the woman and turned slightly away from her after the tremble subsided. Fortunately, her metallic features had no expression to convey a sense of alarm. A lack of attention toward the young organic might be construed as a 'tell,' though the droid had some doubts when people claimed such. The infamous 'gut' sense.

Most present regarded what had transpired as an earthquake, of course. It was far more likely than any alternative and would allow them to resume their lives like nothing had happened. A conversation piece soon forgotten aside from a brief mention later to those that had not attended.

However, Nyx was not so easily placated. In fact, the droid was downright 'worried.' The frequency of the tremor was wrong. There were certain patterns in the way matter behaved to the sudden upheaval or shifting of the great underground currents. You could not easily replicate them by any localized mean. Not without being seen as you erected such a monstrosity of a device. No, this frequency was much higher. Its amplitude too high. Close, but not enough, and the initial burst -- the "earthquake" itself -- too short lived; what most had felt was the effects of the quake. To creatures that measured things in minutes and hours the distinction was easily overlooked without an electronic device to show the distinction visually.

"Excuse me, I am afraid I am required elsewhere," Nyx said before she began to moving in the direction Holt had gone. She'd noticed his attention drawn to what appeared to be a way below. Yes, descending into the structure was best at this time. It would have to be concealed.

Tag: [member="Kelsie Sylvan"] | [member="Razelle Breuner"] | [member="Holt"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]​

 

[Paragon of Virtue]

The birds had been too slow.

The walls of the place began to shake again, this time harsher. Walls wobbled, many things fell and broke, and people now began to panic.

Amidst the panic, it took longer than one would expect it to before anyone noticed the center of the floor opening up like a flower, a ticking sphere that could now not be unheard rising atop a pedestal from it.

"BOMB!" someone screamed, and more panic ensued.

The shaking of the building became stronger, harder. Doors closed. A certain viceroy soiled himself with fear.

And then the bomb exploded.

At once, the shaking had ceased. From the bomb, now laid bare open so everyone could see what was inside, came clouds upon clouds of confetti. There was no fire, there was no danger. Just simple confetti, from a bomb disguised to look like one big enough to punch an entire crater into the planet.

Slowly, the guests began to calm down. Panic had given way to shock, which in turn was enough to convince many that they just wanted to go home.

What few if any people realized was that if they would pick a piece of confetti up and scan it with special equipment that could read such tiny print, for the naked eye was far from enough, they would read a message.

You will soon die.​

Creepy.

And of course, the mission was noted down in the books as a failure.

​

The story of Spy Games is over, but the birds are always welcome to continue writing in the thread if they wish to explore their reactions to the events or continue personal stories within! ​