Closed Refresher

[Kelmar Hedos]

A few chimes later, Kelmar's second target antered the cafe. In stark contrast with the other petty noble, this man looked a lot more like Kelmar clad in dark and dull clothes with a hood pulled up over his features. Trying to remain inconspicuous (and failing somewhat), the man made his way opposite his well-dressed counterpart and sat down. The noble's attention snapped to the man before him as soon as he sat, and pretty quickly the two became engrossed in a conversation of hushed tones. That was the operative's cue. He quickly downed the rest of his drink, not bothering to savor it. Once it was finished, he excused himself from the woman sitting opposite him rather abruptly and stood up to make his way over to the counter. He placed the empty cup and its little dish in front of Yae, unwittingly standing right next to his own watcher. "Thank you for the drink," he said aloud indifferently. Though he could not remember, he'd said the exact same thing in the exacts same place over six years ago, back when his family name still meant something. Then he was there - allegedly - for nothing but recreation. Now, he was working. Instead of returning to the table he had been sitting at, Kelmar took a seat by the window only two tables away from his targets, with his back to them lest they see his face and get suspicious. From there, he cast his gaze skyward, as if pretending to daydream, but as a matter of fact he was directing his attention to what was being said behind him. The more he listened, the more he learnt, so that was what he dedicated his focus towards. The words were quiet but distinct, and Kelmar had some experience drowning out other unnecessary noise. "So what now?" asked the hooded target. "Hmm. Given what yu have told me, you may need to break in there yourself to find out the locations and times. I can't see any other way it would happen." "Alright, but just so you know I'm charging extra for this. It wasn't part of what I'd originally signed up for, I wasn't supposed to be doing anything risky that could get me caught."

[Coltyn]

Okay, the situation was becoming a little clearer now as a third individual entered the cafe and took a seat with the eager man. However, Coltyn remained focused on the hooded man who was now sitting closer, listening - but pretending not to listen - to the two men exchange words. Having returned to his seat, where he left his hat and book as a placeholder, he continued to play the part of patron as he himself pretended to not listen - but intently listen - and enjoy his tasty roll and drink. So they're planning a break-in, he reasoned as he heard snippets of their conversation. I wonder where and what for? And what is this other man's interest in the situation? As Coltyn finished off his morning meal, he noticed that Wylodor was now clearing a table right next to the two men. He would have to remember to ask her what she overheard, if anything at all. Even the smallest comment could aid him in understanding the situation better. Granted, it was the man seated by the windows that he wanted to know more about. Why was he so intent on finding out what these two men were up to? How did he even know they would be here? Was he somehow linked to the location they were planning to hit? "Excuse me," Coltyn called to Wylodor as she began to walk away with her tray of dirty dishes. "Would you mind taking these as well?" he asked as he motioned to the empty dishes before him. However, as soon as she arrived at his table, he whispered, "Get a read on our hooded friend."

[Kelmar Hedos]

The merchant grumbled, clearly displeased with the statement. His brow furrowed and he leaned forward over the table, his soft sleeves draped over the edge as his arms crossed on its surface. "You signed up for this job knowing that being caught meant that you would get no support from me," he whispered in hushed tones, yet despite the lack of volume there was tension creeping into his voice. "Nothing has changed since that understanding had passed, and as such there is no need for me to pay you any more than what we have already agreed upon. Opposite him, the hooded man leaned forward as well and raised his voice slightly, unaware that Kelmar was listening to every word just a table behind him. "You said that I would be investigating a warehouse, a troupe of independently hired guards, and digging into some information regarding your rivals. Nothing about that agreement included the act of breaking into some noble's house and forcing open his private business while it is under watch. I'm sticking my neck out a lot farther with this than our original agreement called for, and as such I believe I'm entitled to a greater compensation to balance out the risks." This was all just noise to Kelmar, who already had the basics of what he needed to know. His employer was going to be the victim of a robbery soon, a highly illegal action in this city like any other with a unified center of authority. That robbery had been collaborated and masterminded by the rival merchant, which if Kelmar could testify to - or rather find someone else willing to testify the facts - would be more than enough for his employer to latch onto and put his competitor out of business. All that needed to be done was to capture the rival agent and get him to confess to the collaboration, then either get him to confess to planning the crime or catch him in the act. The latter would be more ideal as it would provide more legitimizing proof of the crime, with several witnesses and then complete authority over him until brought to court. All that he needed was a time frame, after these two nannies stopped arguing. "When I made my offer, and don't forget I paid you a third in advance, it was with the comprehension that I would be paying for all your clandestine services, not just the ones you found easy or convenient," the merchant countered, his own voice rising but still low enough to not attract too much attention. At this point they were nearly in each other's faces, both of them leaning forward over the table. "I've already wasted enough on getting this far, I won't be cheated out of even more mizas just because you suddenly get scared." "It doesn't change the fact that you need me to do it. If you don't like the price, I can always just cut off our deal here and find someone else." That was the stickler for the merchant, the fact that he still needed the cloaked man opposite him to actually do it. However, Kelmar was not worried that the opportunity would slip by. These two had come too far to just call it off, and the merchant had gained so little so far to just walk. He was powerless to refuse, and with an upset grumble he nodded reluctantly, none too happy with the course of events. "Good. I'll make an attempt soon, so expect the list in about a day or two..." That was all Kelmar needed to hear. A pause after that was said, he stood up and began making his way through the cafe, making sure that his chair slid quietly across the floor and his footsteps made little sound so as to not draw too much attention to himself. Neither of his targets behind suspecting him of eavesdropping, the agent too wrapped up in his plotting to pay attention to his periphery and the merchant only casting a quick glance in Kelmar's direction, assuming he hadn't been listening in. As soon as the operative's employer knew of this planned robbery, he'd be able to easily take care of the rival merchant without much more assistance. This little foray had uncovered a good deal of information, and was more than enough to make the expensive seating worthwhile. Unwittingly passing by both the woman he'd been sitting with and the man with his little book, the operative walked well out of the cafe and immediately asked for a Ravosala towards his employer's abode.

[Coltyn]

Just as the assistant baker made her way toward the hooded man, he stood and left the shop. Clearly, he had gained whatever information he came looking for. So now Coltyn had to make a quick call. Should he follow him or remain here and continue to listen to the two men? Come on, Colt, stay or go? Stay or... However, in the time it took him to decide, the two men were excusing themselves as well. Damn it! he inwardly cursed as he rose from his seat and made his way for the front door. Now he had three paths to follow as he watched the two men part ways once they left the shop. Was it really worth his time and effort to tail any of them? They were leaving, so they were no longer a threat to the establishment. What did it really matter to him if they were working on a hit? He did his part. His job was done here as far as he was concerned. It was up to some other security team to handle the situation. Stepping back inside, he made his way toward the counter once more. He would put Yae's mind at ease and then return to his normal duties. Although... "Wylo, may I borrow your...," he pointed to the writing implement she usually kept tucked behind her ear. "Thank you," he muttered as she handed it to him, just as he was snatching up a scrap of parchment with his other hand. Writing down a brief description of each man, Coltyn thought it best to keep a record, just in case they crossed paths again. If they were trouble for someone else, they could potentially be trouble for him. Having these notes would be the perfect refresher.

[Verilian]

. . Thread Award . . Kelmar Hedos +3 Observation +1 Acting +1 Rhetoric +2 Intelligence Lores: Attempting to Appear Social, The Art of Eavesdropping, Learning Useful Information, Bunielle Birdy Nothing to award. Coltyn . . Thread Grade Pending This thread has been graded, but for one reason or another the grade cannot be awarded. I have sent you PMs detailing why the grade can't be awarded. Once you respond to these PMs and correct whatever I have asked you to do, the thread grade will be updated. Thankyou, ~V You Question My Logic? : XP explanation goes here. Notes: Notice As per the request of the Founders, threads cannot be graded unless your CS is up to date. This means you need to add threads to your thread list when you make new threads, keep your skills up to date, ledger, living expenses, ect. If you aren't up to date, you'll get a PM from me before i grade your thread. If you are up to date, disregard this notice.