The Adorable Archfae - vol. 01

The butler offers an insincere smile."Do not worry about the tray. Follow me, please." He turns and starts walking off in the direction of a new hallway. The two goons stare you down. They wait for you to follow before continuing uncomfortably close behind you.

The butler leads you to a library. Two stories tall with thousands of books stacked on the wall. There is one of those long ladders on wheels that can swing around the room to allow access to the top shelves. It doesn’t look like a book has been taken off any of these shelves in years. All the books are lined up to be perfectly flush with one another. The room is immaculately maintained though. Not a speck of dust to be found.

One goon stays in the hallway while the other enters behind you and shuts the door. He stands directly in front of it, blocking the only exit from this windowless room. Cheap Suit emerges from a shadowed corner and gives you a smile as he goes to take a seat in one of the leather chairs.

The butler motions for you to have a seat but makes no move to take one himself. "I believe you have already met Mr. Dustin Barris," the butler indicates Cheap Suit who is currently helping himself to some brandy. "He informs me that you have been taking advantage of this fine employment opportunity and helping yourself to items which do not belong to you. Would you care to offer your side of the story?"

Ah fuck. Of course it was him of everyone who had seen. The question was how much.

'I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure...I mean I understand how someone like me could be tempted, being in a place like this but I didn't..I mean you can search me if you want.' She tries to sound slight concerned and she goes to turn out her pockets to show they are empty.

The butler holds up his hands and shakes his head. "That won’t be necessary. We simply--" Dustin cuts him off.

"We simply know that any decent thief stashes their goods in order to avoid situations just like this one."

The butler gives Dustin a look of annoyance. "Well. If my services are no longer required here?" he lets the sentence hand in the air before turning to face you and continuing. "Mr. Barris will show you out once your discussion concludes. Your services will not be required in the future. Have a pleasant evening."

He steps out the door, leaving you in the room with the goon and Dustin Barris. Dustin indicates the chair opposite him. "Please have a seat and tell me all about what you’ve been up to. Are you working alone? Here with friends? What’s the target? Oh, but where are my banners? Would you like something to drink?" He pours another glass of brandy for himself and waits for your response.

Lex narrows her eyes suspiciously, mostly at the goon, but sits. 'Look I don't know..I just heard from a friend of friend about this place and gig and thought I could earn some money among these rich folk.' She leaves her sentence open, suspecting the innocent play was likely no longer working. So if they suspected something at least they could think she was just an opportunist..

Her suspicion does not change at the offer of drink but she nods, noticeably watching him and the glass the whole time.

Your attentive gaze brings a smirk to Dustin’s face. He pours the drink, without any funny business, and hands it to you. "Darling, being drugged is the last thing you have to worry about right now. With a snap of my fingers I could have that man," he says, indicating the goon by the door, "make sure you disappear in a very efficient manner. No one on earth would ever find a trace of you.

"Did you realize that was the type of environment you were walking into tonight? The laws are different inside buildings like this. I don’t think I have to explain that to you. Money can buy a lot of leeway that the common man can only dream of." He crosses his legs and down the glass of brandy in one quick gulp.

"I don’t give two shits about you stealing from anyone out there. I watched you during the fight. You didn’t seem to enjoy it too much. Why is that? Someone like you must be used to violence, so I don’t think that was it. Did you know one of those men? Did you want to step in and help them? Or maybe you did like watching it and that is what is bothering you. You wanted to be the one up there doing the damage and it scares you to learn this. Am I in the ballpark?"

'I had heard rumours, and that's it. And I don't need a goon to make sure there is no trace of me. I'm invisible, just like those fighters were. They could have been me or my friends and you and your posh lot wouldn't give a damn as long as there was blood. So no big surprise I didn't enjoy. Just because I am used to violence doesn't me I have to enjoy it, or am any good at it.'

She tries to copy him with the brandy only to a immeadiatloy start coughing as the burn rise up her throat. 'Fuck I didn't know you lot also liked to hurt as well' She coughs more. 'Not that you seem exactly in the same circles. Your suit is as cheap as my taste in booze'

Dustin chuckles at your inability to handle the brandy. He rolls his eyes at your attempt to mock his attire. "Appearances can be deceptive. Do you think these people want to believe one of their own would dabble in the type of work I do? No. Much better to look the part. It's all about giving them the show they want to see."

He uncrosses his legs and leans forward. For a minute Dustin does nothing but stare at you. Study would actually be a more appropriate word for it. Finally, he breaks his gaze and shakes his head. "You’re a tough nut to crack; you know that? Enough beating around the bush. Either you are interested or you’re not. I don’t have to tell you that the money is very good if you can win. If you lose... well at least you tried, right? So... Any interest in participating in a match?"

'I can't even start to think what you assholes do. Super rich, or more middle. I don't give a fuck. You're all crazy assholes'

'I'm not a nut, that's why. She growls her dislike of Dustin obviously showing. The surprise at the offer also clearly shows as she tried to quicly think through it, obviously hesitating. If she said yes, she would be in thei location everything was going down. But also potentially a injected with shit juice. You..what?..like hell I'm gonna try and fight fuckin' Fido. I saw what bloody happened. To shit woth the money I would be in shreds The words came even as she was still trying to consider. If he took no for no, then she met the other guy where she said. If he tried to convince her, she got more info.

Dustin breaths out a sigh of disappointment and leans back in his chair. "Ever heard the saying ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs?’ Your unwillingness to break eggs is what makes you an egg and me the chef. Best of luck with your future endeavors."

Dustin gets up and walks to the door. The guard opens the door and lets him out. The guard the motions for you to follow him. As you walk back down the hallway he says, "We will return to the changing room. Leave your uniform in the designated spot and then exit the changing room. I will be waiting outside and will then show you to the exit. Understood?"

The party seems to be dying down. A few of the elite guests have already left and the servers don’t look like they have much to do anymore. Most of them are gathered in small groups throughout the room and chatting with each other. Sam is in one of these groups, until Dustin walks over and pats him on the shoulder. They exchange words, Sam looks at the large guard that accompanied Dustin and then follows the two of them into the kitchen.

Your guard leads to you back to the locker room and ushers you inside. He then takes up his stance right outside the door.

'So you are saying you are a cannibal?' Lex fixes him with a look to hide her surprise he gave up so easily. She had hoped by saying no she would get at least a little more info. Still this way she would be able to meet up with that other guy.

Except she may not be able to retrieve the guys break in gear, with the guards insistence on keeping an eye on her. She guessed it made sense if they thought she had hidden her stash somewhere. She nods and follows the instructions even as she looks for a way to sneak back in after. At least till she sees Sam being led away. That may not be good. Was he going to be given the same offer? Which would he choose?

She doesn't think she's ever changed so fast before. To be fair it was amazing to finally be free of that tie. 'I'm ready she calls to the door' The second she got kicked out she would find a place to transform, and see if she could eavesdrop, or at least retrieve the break in gear.

Dustin laughs at your cannibal comment. Just before leaving the room he turns to look at you one more time. He spreads his mouth wide and comically chomps down, taking a big bite out of the air, and then he walks out.

---

The goon leads you back to the parking garage and closes the door as soon as you step through. He must think you drove yourself.

You find yourself alone among the cars. Surprisingly there does not appear to be any security cameras in the room. You should probably be safe to change into Archfae, if you wish.

As for getting back in... You test the handle and find it is locked, but you could probably pick it. Waltzing directly back down the same hallway you just came from could prove problematic, however. Overhead you see some spacious ducts that you might be able to squeeze into. No telling if that works as well as it does in the movies though. There is also a button near the garage door which appears to open it. You could venture outside and see what your options are out there.

This was torture. Also these cars, no camera's and she had to break back into the house with bloodthirsty rich assholes, rather than seeing how many cars she could raid, before leaving in the fanciest one.

She sighs and wanders towards the garage door to open it. If they had camera's they may find it odd she never left. As she leaves, not bothering to close the garage door, she moves into a jog, keeping an eye out for any cameras. She needed to make sure Same wasn't in trouble, and get the gear, but she had to make it seem like everything was normal.

The second she thinks she can get away with it, and is not being observed she ducks behind cover and changes. She stretches her wings before continuing to circle around the building in cover for a bit, before taking to the air and scouring either a place she thinks she can eavesdrop in on the kitchen, or a place on the roof she can use to get access.

You fly up above the three story leviathan of a home. It only takes a moment to locate a skylight that will easily allow you to regain entrance to the mansion. You quietly land upon the roof right next to it and peer down through the glass. It appears to be the single most spacious bathroom in the history of humankind. Luckily, it is not in use.

You ease the skylight open and hover above the jacuzzi bath. Seriously, this is bigger than Brian’s entire apartment. You slowly make your way out of the bathroom, through the connected bedroom which looks like it receives very little use, and into the hallway.

The kitchen is down on the first floor and it has already been several minutes since you saw Sam led away from the party. You are going to have to move quickly if you have any hope of catching some of the conservation; if it hasn’t already concluded.

Quickly, but quietly, you move down the hallway. You come across an elevator, a staircase, and an opening that looks down below to the second and first floors. Unfortunately it also is well within view of the main area where the party is taking place. The festivities have certainly quieted down but there are several party guests, guards, and servers still milling about. You could hop the railing to quickly get to the bottom floor, but it runs a higher risk of being spotted.

She'd been waiting all evening for the chance to disrupt these assholes. She quicly peaks around the corner to get a lay of the room, before thinking on her idea, letting the arcane words come to her. As she speaks a wind batters against one of the fair windows, hopefully even knocking it off it's hinges and buffeting the tables and those nearby. The second she thinks everyone sheould have the attention on the commotion she jumps down the stairwell.

Wind wreaks havoc inside the mansion. Glasses are thrown from tables to shatter on the floor, chairs tumble over, a tablecloth flies into the air and tangles up a guard, the flirtatious elderly woman’s dress gets blown upward ands shows everyone way more than they wanted to see. You have no problem using all of this chaos to your advantage.

You leap off the balcony and slow your descent right before hitting the ground. One quick glance down the hall confirms that no one is looking this direction, so you sprint for the kitchen while doing your best to stay as quiet as possible.

Luckily there is a rear entrance to the kitchen which has a two way swinging door that is easier for wait staff to manage when they have full hands. It is already swinging slightly from the wind and you only need to nudge it a little further to slip into the kitchen. Once inside you are able to hide behind a stove and listen to the conversation taking place.

"What in the hell is going on out there?" Dustin asks no one in particular. A guard that is leaning out the door tells him its wind. "What!? Get out there and make sure everything is alright." Dustin shakes his head in frustration and turns back to Sam. He places a hand on Sam’s shoulder and it is obvious this is not appreciated at all.

"Now where was I? Right. The fights. You keep on coming to these events. This is, what? The fourth or fifth time I’ve seen you at one of these? Seems like you must be seeing something you like. Most people are scared off by the first one and never come back."

"You don’t think I’m just in it for the cash?" Sam responds.

"No. Not at all. You like the violence. It makes you feel alive, doesn’t it? Something inside of you wishes you could be the one up there throwing the punches. Am I in the ballpark?"

Sam seems very uninterested in Dustin’s used car salesman speech. He waits the appropriate amount of time, places a full glass on the table, and replies, "Are we done here? Thanks for the drink, but I think I'm going to get going." Even from here you can feel the heat of rage coming off Dustin. He is 0 for 2 on the night.

Dustin waves Sam off and a guard escorts him from the kitchen. Dustin grinds his teeth and kicks a nearby table out of frustration. You and Dustin are the only ones left in the kitchen.

The smart move would be wait for Dustin to leave, grab the gear she had hid early and leave. Sam had just also made teh smart move walking away. She was slightly surprised he gave up the in, but then again so had she. They had both seen what happened to those who fought. Still that he had been given the offer, Sam at least seemed in the clear. Maybe Brian had misunderstood, or the goons who had taken his friends were pretending to be from Micha.

The stupid move of trying to deck Dustin and take him out now however was very tempting, and would be extremely satisfying. It would achieve nothing though, that was she tried to tell herself. He had some of the stolen goods on him, they could follow the trackers, save the fighters. If whatever had been done to them was reversible.

So against the wishes of her fists she remans put, watching him rage, waiting for him to leave, or perhaps give something away that would come in useful later.

Dustin stews in anger for a while longer. He slams his fist on the table, nearly knocking Sam’s drink to the floor. He decides to down the drink and then tosses the glass onto the table; paying no attention as it rolls right off and shatters. He walks out of the room and you are let alone to collect your stolen goods.

The party is all but over at this point. No sense in hanging around. Luckily, getting back out of the mansion proves even easier than getting in. From up above you can see the headlights of dozens of cars making their exit down the long winding driveway.

You fly back into the city, keeping an eye out for Sam’s car. You are unable to spot it with any certainty. You still have his number and can fill him in on what happened later, so you instead take a detour to the meeting spot you set with the would be thief at the party. A time and street address was written on a napkin left on the tray that you passed him before going to chat with Dustin Barris.

Silently, you glide through the air. The only indication that you may be up above is the increased breeze which sends trash fluttering about the street below. The server from the party doesn’t seem to notice any of it as he waits on the corner of the street. He is out of his car, leaning against the side of it and checking his watch.

To be a fairy or not to be, that was the question. She disliked the appearance, yet it may be risky to let her actual form be seen getting caught up in all of this. Sean and Micha already knew she was, and Archfae could be a nice ace in the hole.
Plus they guy may run from a supe.

So she lands out of sight and changes back, before strolling out of an alley and stopping a bit of a distance away and holds up his gear.

'Looks like you were planning a different party than everyone else. The kind of party I'm interested in. I found the previous one...not to my tastes.'

Baggy Pants looks up when you speak. His expression changes from surprise to confusion when he sees the items he stole, along with his case containing pressings of keys. Now out of his wait staff attire, Baggy Pants still stays true to the nickname. He’s wearing a bright green tank top, flip flops, and beyond baggy cargo shorts.

He looks you up and down with suspicion. It is clear that he remembers you and does not feel he has any reason to trust you. "Mine either. I was only there for the money. What’s that stuff you got there?" He nods to indicate the items you are holding. He looks up and down the street to make sure there is no one nearby and then casually strolls up close to you. He whispers, "You a cop?"

'Do I look like a bloody cop?' She lets a short laugh. 'Well if it's not your stuff, I guess I'll keep it. Though it is odd someone else would misplace their stuff in your pockets.'

'Look I;m just interested in a partnership of sorts with someone who owns this stuff as we may have the same goals.'