The Flea Circus [OPEN]

[Jig]

Innitiative:

- Meiko

- Inessa

 

 

---

Day 1

Ul'dah - The Weaver's Guild

psbEdw963X4

---

The attendant who actually was a cute red-haired Miqo'te spoke to her two new customers:- "So sorry. Master Redolent Rose is not available right now. But I presume you are interested in his crafting? He certainly is a talented person. He does some wonders with a needle and thread. Maybe you would want to take a look at his other work and choose something from it? The prices can be high, but you will be satisfied for sure! Come with me!"

She started leading the invesitgators further inside the guildhouse, showing them some outstanding weaving. All done by Redolent Rose himself. Golden threads, jewels and other expensive additions. Certainly masterpieces. Soon after they approached some big, steel-supported door.

- "Well... wa can't go any further. Behind those doors are master's most precious work. He's the only person who has keys to this place." - girl pushed the door handle to demonstrate, they're locked.

 

The door opened.

 

- "See? Locked..." - Miqo'te opened her eyes in ave just to pass out.

 

Did someone unlocked them while master was absent...? That could cause some questions.

[LiveVoltage]

((I fixed my last post because I did not know that the other person was a Hyur.   ))

 

Inessa's expression grew fairly alarmed. She grabbed the Miqo'te attendant and pulled her away from the partially opened doorway. Inessa, without saying a word, held her finger over her mouth as a visible sign to both of them to keep quiet while Inessa herself grabbed the grip of the longsword on her back. Not yet drawing it, she attempted to peer inside and see if there was anyone in there or something out of the ordinary.

[chaoticsleepy]

Meiko quirked at eyebrow at the other's dismissive response. "On the contrary, I'm here on the same job you are." But she didn't push the matter. Hara didn't write her paycheck. No need to cozy up to her.

 

The hyur woman simply followed along quietly as the attendant took them to the store room, not bothering to correct her on her purpose. Rather, she was very much interested in scoping the place out. And just as anticipated, there was a whole array of expensive, flashy product on display.

 

She had barely managed to leave her own thoughts when the attendant started to demonstrate the secured door, only to have it swing open. Despite herself, a sardonic smirk took to her lips. Could've seen that coming from a mile away, coming from this cheeky 'Flea'. She stood back and watched as Inessa went into an alerted stance, her own features remaining as stone-like and inexpressive as ever.

 

"Likely just a cute little note on the other side. Maybe some missing pieces of product." She explained quietly. "Doesn't seem like this man's motive to be violent as much as playing a game with us." At least, she hoped not, knowing the man was keeping an eye on her. Regardless, her hands did fall subtly to her knives. Just in case.

[Jig]

Innitiative:

- Meiko

- Inessa

 

---

Day 1

Ul'dah - The Weaver's Guild

---

Inessa peeked inside the dark room, letting some light through slightly opened door. Inside was some real fasion-trasury. Really expensive clothes, finished with gold, silver and platinum, along with jewels. In the center, on the floor, laid a golden top-hat with some red gems around the rack. It was just laying there, casually.

Was that it? Inessa lifted her eyebrow. Something was not right.

 

Meiko watched upon unconcious attendant before entering guild's fashion wault. Poor girl is so fired if Redolent Rose finds out...

[LiveVoltage]

Inessa followed in right behind Meiko but kept an eye out for trouble. A dimly lit room was a perfectly bad way to get shot by someone waiting in ambush.

 

Noticing the top hat, Inessa walks over to it and and examines it carefully. A hat that matched the client's description in many ways was conveniently lying in the middle of the room may have been a trap. She places her hand on it, taking a mental note to not pick it up yet because it might be wired to a mechanical trap of some sort. Inessa decides to examine the area around the hat carefully as well as looking towards the ceiling to check if there were any open windows or ways the intruder could have broken in. it was unlikely that he would have came in through the front door, unless he had an invisibility spell of some sort or was using masks that would disguise the thief as one of the people who belonged there, similar to the case that Hildebrand and his bunch were involved in not long ago.

[chaoticsleepy]

Meiko stood back as Inessa moved forward to get a closer look at the hat. As she got her closer look, the half-Doman woman started around the outskirts of the room, getting a closer look at all of the various pieces and the like, looking for clues. She was rather confident that the Flea had likely hidden some kind of note under that hat for them, but there was no harm in looking for others in other parts of the room. With how eccentric this guy was, there could be hundreds of cheeky little missive here, for all they knew.

 

[ OOC:  Sorry for the late reply! ; ; ]

[Jig]

Innitiative:

- Meiko

- Inessa

 

 

---

Day 1

Ul'dah - The Weaver's Guild

---

The room's inside seemed fine. No traps at all. No further notes around. Just some fashion masterpieces and a lonely golden hat laying lonely on the floor. Upon further investigation Inessa could confirm that the object is not rigged and will not trigger any trap.

 

Women's actions certainly gathered a few alarmed guildmembers who would like to check what's happening, since the precious vault was opened and the shock attendant experienced was so intense she passed out. Poor girl.

 

Meiko didn't found any clues around. Then Inessa finally picked up the hat. By checking it's inside she has found a note, plucked there.

 

[align=center][/align]

 

Then she noticed one more thing. The hat left some mark on her hands.

Her palms were covered by gold dust or dye. Hard to tell at first glance.

[chaoticsleepy]

No clues lurking about. That was a first. After finding nothing on her sweep, the woman turned around and glanced back to find Inessa inspecting the hat and the note. Stepping closer, she peered down at the other, though she couldn't rightly make out the words. She did, however, spot the gold that came away on her hands.

 

"A fake? Seems the Flea's a thief, poet and an artist." She scoffed lightly, nodding her head down at the note. "What's the bloody fool have to say this time?"

[LiveVoltage]

"A bunch of bloody nonsense is what. . . regardless, he is speaking a tone of riddles that hint to something very important. I suspect that this theft was not a simple grab at something rich. I think it goes beyond that. I would bet gil on the fact that there is bad blood between the Flea and Teleji or whoever the rude Lalafell asshat is."

 

Inessa sighs and tosses the hat to the side. "Only way we are going to get to the bottom of this is if we figure out what kind of BEEF the Flea has with Neneji."

 

Inessa directs her attention to Meiko.   "I can use some assistance with this case. You help me and ill help you and we split the reward in half. deal?" Inessa says getting back up and extending her hand to Meiko, offering to shake to their partnership if she accepted.

[chaoticsleepy]

"You're right. If it were simple profit the man was after, he wouldn't have left clues. That hat would've been sold on the black markets by now with nary a peep to be had. It is definitely personal." She paused. "Or if it isn't a personal grudge against Neneji, then at least this thief means to send a message."

 

As the proposition of partnership is offered, the woman stops to consider it for a moment. Cooperate and split the profit, fifty-fifty. It was the same deal she had offered Seth earlier in the day, though the other had turned it down. While she hadn't given it much thought at the time, having the same offer made to her now and the context of their conversation gave her cause to wonder, her brows furrowing in thought. Who in their right mind would turn down a one million gil offer, just for doing some running and gathering some information? It was easy profit, ripe for the taking, and he had passed without a second thought.

 

She pushed the thought to the side for now, for later contemplation. For the time being, dealing with Inessa was priority number one.

 

"Deal, then." She nodded to the other instead of taking the proffered gold-stained hand. "I would shake on it, but I'd rather not get that mess all over me."

 

Murmuring from outside drew Meiko's attention upwards to the door, where the throng of Weaver's Guild workers were starting to gather. Scowling lightly at the intrusion, she glanced back to Inessa.

 

"I would like to discuss what information we've gathered, but there are too many eyes and ears here. And as the Flea has proven with his gift for us, this storeroom isn't the most secure, either. Do you know of somewhere private we can speak?"

[LiveVoltage]

"Lady, there is not a single place in Ul'dah that's safe from prying eyes and ears. With that said, if you want a more private setting, we can always move to my office from across the quicksand. Ample enough amount of privacy and the Brass who usually who has a guard position outside of my office will stop any shady figures from dropping in on us unless they pay alot of gil."

 

Inessa looks out to the crowd of people gathering at the door. "Hey! All of you! Get! This is a crime scene and im quartering it off for the brass to examine and collect evidence."

[chaoticsleepy]

"Well, 'relatively private' was what I meant. Only a fool would think there's anywhere truly private within Ul'dah's walls," Meiko answered with a shrug of the shoulder. "The office should be sufficient, though. Lead the way, whenever you're ready."

[Jig]

---

Day 1The Weaver's Guild

Evening

---

As the crowd gathered to check what's going on, the investigators prepared the place for Brass Blades to further investigation and gathering evidence. Soon after a few of them appeared on a place. One of them has not been wearing his headpiece, appearing as a young, blonde haired man.

 

- Private Grad Tinkleweed at your service! From the courtesy of Captain Vincent Fitzroy I'm locking out this place for further investigation. Thank you detective! Dismissed!

 

The blades started gathering evidence as the investigators retreated to Inessa's office.

 

---

Day 1

Inessa's place

Night

7bW75OwVXZI

---

The inside of Inessa's office was quiet and felt a lot more private than Redolent Rose's Fashion Masterpiece Vault. The chalkboard were filled with a lot of stuff as usual, and the mess... Certainly it felt like a busy place. The investigators had a moment to think and discuss what to do next and develop a plan and some theories...

[LiveVoltage]

Inessa begins wiping all of her writings off the chalkboard and then takes a piece of chalk to it and begins writing.

 

"So we know that the thief is here to make some sort of statement at least. He took the hat and has left many, many clues behind, as if egging us on to follow him. Many of the clues point to him having some sort of history with the client, but why? This seems way too complicated of a manner to go about revenge this way, so why?"

 

the clicking and clacking of the chalk hitting the board finally stopped as Inessa took a few steps back and leaned backwards onto her desk, intently thinking with her arms crossed.

[chaoticsleepy]

Meiko watched as the Brass Blades made their appearance, finally dismissing them from the scene. She eyed the blonde haired boy for a moment, committing the name and face to memory, before turning to follow after Inessa. 

 

[align=center]-----------[/align]

 

[align=center]Inessa's Office[/align]

 

It had been forever since Meiko had actually stepped foot into a formal office to work. In Limsa, her 'office' had been the docks, the streets, back alleys and gambling halls. This was uncomfortable, almost stiflingly so. Frowning, she found a seat, sinking into the cushion as she watched Inessa from across the room. 

 

"I agree. Profit is almost certainly not the motive. And if it were an attempt at sending a message to the people at large, then I would expect the clues to be more public and less cryptic." Her arms crossed over her chest, hand propping up to tap thoughtfully at her chin. 

 

"Learning more about Neneji should be our priority. He's at the center of it in some way." As she sat, she pulled the throwing knife from earlier out of her belt, turning it over in her hands as she spoke. "You've had the.. pleasure of meeting with him in person, haven't you? What was your impression of him?"

[LiveVoltage]

"You should know my opinion of him by now. He's a prick by far, but he was extremely forceful and paranoid as well. He acted petulant like a child too. Basically, the generic spoiled merchant lord."

 

Inessa sighs.  "Anyways, he was keeping a man in his house prisoner when I went there. I had half a mind to report it to the blades but they would just ignore me. He was beating the man senseless, trying to get information out of him. I thought he would be willing to hand him over if I agreed to interrogate the man and get the information out of him but he was extremely refusing about it."

[chaoticsleepy]

"I'm aware of your opinion on him, and I share it. I don't have any love for his type, myself. But I tend to keep my opinions and my impressions of others separate on the job. Bias tends towards misleading convictions." She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. But as Inessa went on about the man kept prisoner, she let out a soft 'hmm'.

 

"Lines up with my brief interaction with him. He seemed bothered by your pressing the issue, and he threatened me to not be 'too curious' like you." Meiko kept turning that knife in her hands, glancing up to Inessa. "So, to sum it up, Neneji is a wealthy man with an appreciation for extravagant fashion at the surface level. He seems to be confident in his power and authority over others, as he has right to be. Gold is the law in Ul'dah and, even if you involved the Brass Blades on his prisoner's behalf, his coin would win out against your sense of justice."

 

"Yet as confident as he seems in his authority, he is threatened by us overstepping our bounds and digging into his background. He simply wants us to trail after the Flea until we catch up with him, not find out the root cause." Finally, the knife ceased its turning. "He is hiding something. Something that, I figure, not even a prodigious amount of coin could convince the authority to look over. So truly, I doubt the man cares at all about this ridiculous hat and its retrieval. The Flea likely knows something particularly damning, and his capture for the theft will keep that from coming to light."

 

A subtle smile gradually came to the woman's lips. There were many questions left to answer and connections to uncover. But if she was right, that meant that there was like to be even more of a reward to be had, if they could bring down a haughty Monetarist's shady dealings.

[LiveVoltage]

"Then it seems we share a common interest then."

 

Inessa walks over to an empty area of the chalkboard and starts writing.

 

'Im going to sneak into Neneji's estate tonight and exfiltrate his prisoner. Once rescued, we will care for him till he can flee on his own. This will give us time to interrogate him since we did him a favor and kept him from dying. If your with me, I can give you the details now.'

 

Inessa points to the chalkboard for Meiko to read, then after a moment, writes.

 

'Partially the reason why we are not speaking about it is because it might get out if they overhear us and talk about it.'

[chaoticsleepy]

Meiko watched as the other started writing on the chalkboard, waiting until she was done before really reading it. She nodded, pushing herself up from her chair and replacing the knife in her belt as she strolled to the board.

 

"A common interest, indeed." As she answered, she pulled out the note that had come with the knife, handing it to Inessa to read:

 

[align=center][/align]

 

 

Her own subtle way of letting the other know that she was being watched, without speaking a word. She waited for the other to read the note before picking up her own piece of chalk, beginning to write in her plain, if not slightly crooked handwriting as she spoke. 

 

"Get some rest tonight, Detective Hara." If there were any windows in the room, she would make an active attempt to use her body to block the sight of what she was writing. "I have a feeling that this particular job is much more complicated than a simple theft, and potentially much more dangerous. It would serve us well to both be at our best. Though, I think before I retire for the evening, there is one more place that I would like to check. Regardless, we should meet back here in the morning. Is that acceptable?"

 

Meiko turned her body slightly towards Inessa, still trying to keep her writing secret from any potential window-watchers, while still letting the miqo'te woman read:

 

[align=center]Not a great idea for me to come. Watched by Flea,

both of us potentially followed by Neneji's lurkabouts.

Agree to retire for evening. Feigning interest in another area

on other side of city to draw their eye. Sneak out when coast clear.

No one can be two places at once.[/align]

[LiveVoltage]

Inessa begins to write on the chalkboard. 'As long as you do not go and take the glory or the prize on your own, you can do whatever you want for all I care.'

 

'Also, take care and lay low for a while. City should get stirred up when Neneji loses his playmate.'

 

((also, there was no window in the room. Only way in and out are the doors so visual security is pretty tight. Here is a picture of the layout.))

[chaoticsleepy]

Meiko nodded silently to the other before turning, making for the door. "Have a pleasant evening, Detective Hara." She slipped past the door and started off towards a seedy little tavern across the city, in the opposite direction of the Goblet, where a few information brokers she had ties to tended to ply their trade. Hopefully she could track one of them down and ask some questions, and draw eyes her way at the same time.

[Jig]

Initiative:

- Meiko

- Inessa

 

---

Day 1

The Quicksand

Night

W6imm8t4B0o

---

Meiko turned her way back to the Quicksand. If any place was filled with gossipers, that should be Momodi's tavern. The place was crowded as usual at this hour. Meiko leaned over the railing in front of the entrance to watch the patrons and notice any possible informer. Then she heard a familiar voice.- "Well, lookie here." - Seth smiled. Lucky her...

- "Fancy seeing you here." - she replied.

- "I could say the same about you, Miss Amano." - Seth bowed sligtly, then added - "Hello, detective."

- "I am hardly a detective. Just after the bounty" - Meiko waved her arm dismissively.

Upon exchanging some attentions, the chat went to some more serious tone.

- "You're ridiculous, you know that?" - Meiko crossed her arms.

- "Ahem! Sorry. Part of my charm... I wouldn't change even if you pay me..." - Meiko smirked on that and adopted a more joking tone.

- "Good think i never planned to pay you, then."

- "Charming as always... Stick to bounty hunting and leave the jokes to entertainers."

- "I don't get paid for being charming."

- "I see. Money don't grow on trees. No rest for the wicked, eh? I got your drift..." - Seth leaned over the railing and gloomed a little. Meiko quirked her brow upon his reaction and shook her head.

- "Anyroad, don't suppose you heard anything else, yeah?"

- "Not really... Except that someone might just saw the guy."

Meiko looked mildly surprised when Seth made that statement. 

- "Is that so? There's often some truth to rumors. Any idea who might've caught a glimpse?"

- "One cute lala-girl I once robbed from some junk... I was running from her, man she was nuts. Threw fireballs at me! Suddenly when I approached hustings strip... my stuff... uh... I mean... her stuff vanished!" - Seth gesticulates while telling the story.

Amano paused at the wording, if only briefly. - "Figured there was something crooked about you."

- "Oh come on... I was just having fun. I planned on returning it to her. It was just some aether infused ink or whatever magic mumbo jumbo..."

She eyed the other, then let out a soft, thoughtful 'hmm'. - "I'm sure you were.. Got a name for this woman?"

- "Uh... Not sure... let me think..."

- "Don't strain yourself."

- "I remember she had dark skin and dark blonde hair... combed in two... pigtails? She was wearing those huge nerdy glasses. And had those big, cute, hypnotising green eyes!" - Seth scratched his chin. -  "Her name... her name... M... M... Damn it... Mel? Something like this..

Meiko listened intently, seemingly paying close attention to the details. - "You took her ink and planned on returning it to her, but you don't even really remember her name?"

Seth ignored this mean statement - "She was wearing pink shirt and pale-green leggings. Melody? Melodia? Melodd... Uh... something with music?"

The bounty hunter nodded. - "Close enough. I'll keep an eye out, then. Don't hurt yourself, thinking about it so hard."

- "Ha-ha.... hilarious.  I think she saw him from up close."

- "And you said you saw him from a distance?"

- "Yeah. He gave her back her stuff and vanished in a puff of smoke. I'm kinda using same trick when want to escape or hide myself. Distraction you know."

- "Sounds about right." -  She shook her head. - "Anything -you- can tell me, then? Maybe what race he could've been? And, for that matter.. What makes you so certain that he's the Flea?"

- "No. You?

Amano shook her head again. - "I'm not so much interested in the Flea himself anymore, to be honest. Not in tracking him down directly, anyway. I've leads, but I'm not wont to discuss them. Quicksand has too many eyes and ears." - Meiko stated as Seth lifted his eyebrow.

- "Oh what. You're being watched?"

She quirked a brow at him. - "That's not what I said."

- "Kinda sounded like that. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid..."

- "I only said that the Quicksand had too many eyes and ears, not that they were specifically directed at me." - she dropped her voice a bit. - "Might be that you know something about someone that does though?"

- "Hmm?"

Meiko's lips slowly pulled into a smirk, and a shake of the head followed. - "Aye, but nevermind. Not a conversation to be had here."

- "It's not like I'm bound to the place. If you need to talk in private just lead the way."

- "I would, but truly, I need to be off." She took a half-step backwards, towards the door. "But I'll be in contact soon, don't worry."

- "Do I look worried...?"

 

---

Day 1

The Goblet - Neneji's estate

Night

61FhUYLLiN8

---

Neneji's mansion looked heavily guarded by the night. His roegadyn goons patrolled the place with lamps. Good for Inessa - the garden had some dense plantlife where a skilled Miqo'te had no problem to hide. She slipped inside behind one of the guards who opened the door. When sneaking inside, she overheard the conversation.- "You think this guy is The flea?"

- "Hardly. We captured him with no real hardship. Wasn't even fighting back."

- "So why boss is giving him such a hard time?"

- "I dunno. I dare not to ask."

- "Really? Are you afraid of this wimp?"

- "Shhush you idiot... are you nuts?"

- "Ah forget it... where is he anyway."

- "In the basement. I think Swylbryn guards him."

- "Swylbryn? Damn it... this guy couldn't even notice a fly on his nose..."

Lucky. Inessa made her way straight to the basement where a single guard was sitting on a stool, by the table with a single candle lit. Lucky for her he was asleep. She noticed a single, slightly opened door behind him. With ease, Inessa managed to sneak inside. She saw an unconcious, brutally beaten up Miqo'te from earlier. He was cuffed by the chains to a wall. His face was all filthy from blood and covered in bruises and cuts. He was gagged with a dirty rag. Looked barely alive...

[chaoticsleepy]

[ OOC:  I'll take a pass for the evening and let Inessa have at it! Meiko wouldn't have done anything related after her conversation with Seth, and then would've just retired for the evening. ]

[LiveVoltage]

Inessa notices the man was shackled to the wall. The Jailer probably had them but she didnt want to go and wake up the bear of a man. Inessa then takes out a lockpick and what appears to be a small utility knife of some sort out of her satchel and begins quietly picking at the shackles around the Miqo'te's legs and arm's.

[Jig]

---

Day 1

The Goblet - Neneji's Estate

Night

---

The prisoner began to slowly wake up. Upon seeing Inessa he'd let out a small gasp. He began to move in panic. He mumbled something quetly, probably not even strong enough to scream. Inessa looked upon the doors. Hopefully he didn't wake up the guard...