Not for Me
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, was 'Honeybee' by the Clockwork Quartet, an impressive new band comprised entirely of Warforged! Can you believe it folks? Remarkable, were it not for the unsettling implications; if they could perform just as well as us in the arts, who's to say that they won't come for our jobs? Imagine it - instead of me, you'll be hearing from..."
The radio buzz fills the empty space within Cafe Morte, tucked between two towering apartments deep within Stonehall. The window is foggy and the aromatic scent blends paint a humble picture - the kind of place people came to grab a coffee, meet a friend, or hide from the world for a moment. A soft chime rings as the door swings open.
A woman garbed in a brown cloak and a wide-brimmed hat steps in, gaze sweeping through the cafe. She spots the barista - a young woman with wide eyes and an overly polite smile, who greeted her like she was just another customer. There was no rush, no stress in her demeanor.
The barista, her jet-black hair pulled into a sleek bun, met the woman's gaze her smile shifting just enough to signal recognition. She didn’t ask what the woman wanted. She didn’t need to. But it didn't hurt to ask.
"Good afternoon, ma'am! What'll it be today?"
The woman smiles, approaching the barista.
"I'll have a coffee - something light with a sprinkle of peppermint."
The barista nods with practiced ease. The woman smiles.
"Do you have a house special? I am in need of a gift for a friend, you see."
The barista glances briefly from her work, eyes expectant.
"Always, ma'am. Anything specific?"
"Surprise me, dear. But not too light, if you could."
"Of course. For here or to go?"
The woman smiles, though her expression turns slightly impatient. She slides a silver coin emblazoned on one side with half of a man's face.
"Here, dear. And privately, if you could?"
"Very well. Your order will be with you shortly, ma'am. Please take a seat."
Satisfied, the woman seats herself by the cafe's window, settling into the soft cushion. Soon, the cafe chime rings out again, and an elven man enters - garbed in nondescript, dark cloaks. He seats himself opposite the woman, whose gaze lingers still on the window. The radio drone shifts as another soft tune settles in.
"They're writing songs of love, but not for me..."
With an exasperated sigh, the woman leans back.
"You should really choose a different name, kid. It's incognito or whatever, but I do keep getting weird looks whenever I run your name by admin."
The man shrugs, shaking his head.
The woman signals to the barista, who nods as she moves mechanically to the door, flipping the sign and locking it, then closing the curtains on all other windows. The two settled into a brief silence, their fogged-up window the lone source of light in the suddenly gloomy room. Then, the woman grins.
"Lorem."
"Blue."
Blue chuckles softly as she finally turns to regard Lorem. The barista arrives with a tray, placing a cup of coffee and a small jar before Blue.
"Ma'am, the Episodic Fade. Works quick. Deadly, but clean. No mess. No struggle. Just... gone. No one ever sees it coming."
The barista cringes slightly, eyes scrunched up in recollection.
"Tastes quite sour, though. But surprisingly edible in incredibly small doses, and should be just as you asked."
Blue takes the jar in her hand, swaying it in her hand.
"Interesting. Give my thanks to your father."
The barista nods before turning away, leaving the room through a door labeled 'Employee Only'. Blue turns to Lorem with a wide smile on her face.
"You're in luck, Lorem. We've got a lot to unpack. I'm sure you heard the ruckus up in District 1, but unfortunately the Bureau got to that one quicker. And unfortunately for you, they want their target alive."
Turning to face Lorem once more, Blue plucks a single sheet of paper from her bag and slides it on the table to the wood elf.
WANTED: Sahir al-Saudade
REWARD FOR CAPTURE: 45,000 GOLD Lorem's face turns to a sneer as she glances up at Blue. "A Bureau bounty? Really? Nothing from our end?" "Unfortunately not - not with our longstanding agreement with them, and I wouldn't tarnish our relation for your sake, dear. No offence." Blue hums for a moment before smirking. "It really wouldn't hurt you to take the job either, you know. Adds a little legitimacy to your name." Lorem shrugs. "Pass - it's not for me. Anything else?" Blue's smirk turns to a frown, and Lorem can see a glint in her eyes - the telltale signs of her about to turn the tables on him. And so, Lorem braces for it. "Again, unfortunately for you, that's not a decision for you to make - the Valentino are fiending for Sahir's head, see. And unless you'd like to go sponsorless and with a black mark on your record, I suggest at least hearing me out." Lorem grunts in displeasure, eyes narrowing. "Figures. Even after all we went through, Blue?" Though irritated, Lorem knows Blue well enough to know that she gives as much as she takes. And so far, all she's done is take. Blue raises her eyebrow as she reaches for her bag once more. "Hold your horses there, kid. It sounds bad, but I think we can agree that there's an opportunity here. See, when the Valentino wrote their writ of request to me, they had that Lano kid of theirs write it out. Stupid kid forgot to specify the Illude of which year, and no one read the fine print." Blue hands Lorem the writ, detailing the request of the Valentino family; true to her words, the writ specified the month of Illude, but did not say which year exactly is the target to be delivered. The broker leans forward, twirling a stray strand of her hair. "So as far as I'm concerned, we have all the time in the world to shop for... better offers." Lorem frowns, but in all honesty the reasoning is fairly sound. "Surely that's not all, though. What else do you got?" Blue's expression turns excited. "You know of the Torchbearer? Expert golemancer and arcane consultant?" Lorem nods. "He's been excommunicated. The first in years." Lorem does not immediately react, but intrigue fills his eyes. "He was a weird one, but he's respected our rules all these years. So, what was he kicked out for?" "Spilled blood at the hotel, actually. But no one knows why. Here's the kicker though: apparently, his room was bathed in blood and ritual etchings. So maybe he's starting a cult or something." Blue takes a sip of her coffee, then shrugs. "Whatever the case, this presents me with a very interesting opportunity - for you and me both. Word is, Sahir's out of town now, and headed for Qadar's Stand. And thanks to our friends at MC&D, we have good reason to believe that the Torchbearer recently attended an auction there as well. Why exactly I'm not sure, but that gives you with the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." The woman gets up, readjusting her hast as she leaves the two sheets of paper on the table alongside a single stone etched with a rune. "The risks are quite high to say the least, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And at least one of those targets you don't need to immediately kill. Let me know once you reach Qadar's Stand, and happy hunting." Blue departs the cafe, leaving Lorem behind. But it's not long before the elf stands up, papers in hand, and leaves. Soon, as the barista reenters the cafe and reopens it, the radio droning on as if nothing happened.
REWARD FOR CAPTURE: 45,000 GOLD Lorem's face turns to a sneer as she glances up at Blue. "A Bureau bounty? Really? Nothing from our end?" "Unfortunately not - not with our longstanding agreement with them, and I wouldn't tarnish our relation for your sake, dear. No offence." Blue hums for a moment before smirking. "It really wouldn't hurt you to take the job either, you know. Adds a little legitimacy to your name." Lorem shrugs. "Pass - it's not for me. Anything else?" Blue's smirk turns to a frown, and Lorem can see a glint in her eyes - the telltale signs of her about to turn the tables on him. And so, Lorem braces for it. "Again, unfortunately for you, that's not a decision for you to make - the Valentino are fiending for Sahir's head, see. And unless you'd like to go sponsorless and with a black mark on your record, I suggest at least hearing me out." Lorem grunts in displeasure, eyes narrowing. "Figures. Even after all we went through, Blue?" Though irritated, Lorem knows Blue well enough to know that she gives as much as she takes. And so far, all she's done is take. Blue raises her eyebrow as she reaches for her bag once more. "Hold your horses there, kid. It sounds bad, but I think we can agree that there's an opportunity here. See, when the Valentino wrote their writ of request to me, they had that Lano kid of theirs write it out. Stupid kid forgot to specify the Illude of which year, and no one read the fine print." Blue hands Lorem the writ, detailing the request of the Valentino family; true to her words, the writ specified the month of Illude, but did not say which year exactly is the target to be delivered. The broker leans forward, twirling a stray strand of her hair. "So as far as I'm concerned, we have all the time in the world to shop for... better offers." Lorem frowns, but in all honesty the reasoning is fairly sound. "Surely that's not all, though. What else do you got?" Blue's expression turns excited. "You know of the Torchbearer? Expert golemancer and arcane consultant?" Lorem nods. "He's been excommunicated. The first in years." Lorem does not immediately react, but intrigue fills his eyes. "He was a weird one, but he's respected our rules all these years. So, what was he kicked out for?" "Spilled blood at the hotel, actually. But no one knows why. Here's the kicker though: apparently, his room was bathed in blood and ritual etchings. So maybe he's starting a cult or something." Blue takes a sip of her coffee, then shrugs. "Whatever the case, this presents me with a very interesting opportunity - for you and me both. Word is, Sahir's out of town now, and headed for Qadar's Stand. And thanks to our friends at MC&D, we have good reason to believe that the Torchbearer recently attended an auction there as well. Why exactly I'm not sure, but that gives you with the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." The woman gets up, readjusting her hast as she leaves the two sheets of paper on the table alongside a single stone etched with a rune. "The risks are quite high to say the least, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And at least one of those targets you don't need to immediately kill. Let me know once you reach Qadar's Stand, and happy hunting." Blue departs the cafe, leaving Lorem behind. But it's not long before the elf stands up, papers in hand, and leaves. Soon, as the barista reenters the cafe and reopens it, the radio droning on as if nothing happened.
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