08-11-2024, 10:47 PM
New Riga, District 16
August 10, 2024, 9:54 PM
The soft pitter-patter of the rain nearly drowned out the sound of the woman in gray’s boots on the asphalt of the street. In this part of the Eirian port city, many of the shops had already closed down for the day, with just the occasional restaurant or convenience store still having their lights on. Not very many people were walking on the sidewalks, given the weather and the area’s distance from the nearest subway station. For some, that would make the street feel eerie or disconcerting. For others, these circumstances were perfect.
As the road began to slant downward towards the coastline, the woman ducked down an alleyway, counting the number of dirty doorways until she reached the one she sought. Pushing the door open slowly, she followed a cramped and dingy set of stairs down a couple flights before arriving at a significantly cleaner and more sturdy door. Some mild noises echoed from beyond the door, but the stairwell was still mostly silent.
Knock knock. The sound of her knuckles wrapping on the door reverberated through the stairwell. A grate on the door slid open, letting a neutral voice pass through. “Kēa eris?”
“A person who has words for the Lighthouse.”
After a few seconds, the door swung open, allowing the woman to pass through between a pair of armed guards. The basement of this dingy building had been transformed into a lively bar and casino, with finely-dressed patrons moving from table to table with a subtle grace. The woman in gray made her way over to the bar, where a bartender in a Prōtint-inspired mask moved down to take her order in a flash.
“Just a UpZert for me to start, thank you,” she said, examining the crowd behind her as the bartender opened a can and poured a purple soda into a glass.
“What color flag would you like?” The bartender asked, his mask not fully disguising his piercing gaze as he asked the seemingly innocuous question.
“Red, please.” In spite of the mask, the woman could feel the bartender raise his eyebrows at her reply. He did not make any comments, however, as he put a miniature red flag on a toothpick into her glass and went to attend to other patrons. The woman turned around, taking her own eye mask out from her pocket and putting it on. She held her drink further out in front of her, making sure it could be seen from all sides of the room.
It did not take long for a larger gentleman in a black suit to make his way to the bar, taking the open chair next to her. His mask was more simple than hers or the bartender’s, yet more ominous. “How may I help you?”
The woman gritted her teeth slightly, running her eyes up and down the man’s outfit to note the subtle decorations on his suit. “Where is the Lighthouse? I only do business with the Lighthouse or his two direct lieutenants, not contractors or family members. It makes things cleaner.”
The masked man grunted. “The Lighthouse has business elsewhere, and his lieutenants rarely waste time on customers who walk in without appointments. Now, shall we talk?”
“I’m sorry that I’m wasting your time, then.” The woman turned her body back to the bar, pointedly ignoring him. After what seemed like a minute, the man sighed and left, causing the woman to hold her breath a bit. Come on…
A few minutes passed before a taller woman in a similar suit and mask to the previous gentleman walked over to the bar, quickly making her way towards the woman in gray. “You didn’t have to be rude to my staff to get my attention, you know. You can just tell them that you have a personal delivery for me or the boss, and they’ll trust it.”
“Perhaps, but my way is more fun,” the seated woman replied with a slight smirk. “Besides, he should know me by now.”
“You underestimate how many guests pass through our doors, Lira. Plus, you do not come here for weeks or months at a time. I work with unpredictable informants quite often, but you are truly the most flighty of them all.” The tall woman adjusted the cufflinks on her suit, which were bronze and shaped like miniature lighthouses.”Why are you back, Lira?”
“Lira” took a sip of her drink. “The Ministry of Justice has taken quite an interest in the watchers again. I know for a fact that there are numerous undercover agents here, in Geminus, Serenity, and other areas. They’re posing as customers and informants, trying to take down entire clusters of Watchers. Warrants are already processing for three prominent Watchers and their associates in our city alone. A power vacuum is on the horizon, and if you are not careful, you and your boss will end up swept away in the chaos.”
“And you can help us avoid this fate, hm? I’ve heard rumors of agents poking around the financial side of the business, but nothing like what you describe. How do I know that you are not lying to me for a quick cash grab?”
Lira took out an envelope and placed it on the table, keeping it within her reach. “These are the personnel files of five of the government agents operating on this side of the city who would pose the most threat to you right now. I’ll give you this alone for twenty-five, but given my position, I can work on disrupting their investigation myself. For the right price, of course. I’ll let you talk to the Lighthouse about that payment.”
This reply evidently both intrigued and annoyed the taller woman, who looked at the envelope for a few moments before replying. “I understand that your price is final, as always?” After receiving a nod, she sighed. “Alright. I’ll be right back.”
The woman disappeared in the crowd for a couple minutes before returning, a silver key in her hand. “Show me them first.”
Lira opened the envelope, spreading the papers out so the Lighthouse’s lieutenant could get enough of a look to confirm that the deal was fair. Once she had done that, the taller woman dropped the key on the bar. “Safety deposit box two-eight-six, Renou Bank, Twelfth District. Wait two days before retrieving it.” The lieutenant also placed an old phone on the bar. “We will be in touch with further instructions.”
After the woman in gray watched the other woman walk towards the casino, she downed her drink, placed a Lunen note on the bar, and then made her way towards the exit. After all, she had work to do now. The government’s meddling may now have given her an extra job, but she would need to act quickly, lest she hop on board of a sinking ship.
And in the port city of New Riga, sinking ships were soon to be much more common…
August 10, 2024, 9:54 PM
The soft pitter-patter of the rain nearly drowned out the sound of the woman in gray’s boots on the asphalt of the street. In this part of the Eirian port city, many of the shops had already closed down for the day, with just the occasional restaurant or convenience store still having their lights on. Not very many people were walking on the sidewalks, given the weather and the area’s distance from the nearest subway station. For some, that would make the street feel eerie or disconcerting. For others, these circumstances were perfect.
As the road began to slant downward towards the coastline, the woman ducked down an alleyway, counting the number of dirty doorways until she reached the one she sought. Pushing the door open slowly, she followed a cramped and dingy set of stairs down a couple flights before arriving at a significantly cleaner and more sturdy door. Some mild noises echoed from beyond the door, but the stairwell was still mostly silent.
Knock knock. The sound of her knuckles wrapping on the door reverberated through the stairwell. A grate on the door slid open, letting a neutral voice pass through. “Kēa eris?”
“A person who has words for the Lighthouse.”
After a few seconds, the door swung open, allowing the woman to pass through between a pair of armed guards. The basement of this dingy building had been transformed into a lively bar and casino, with finely-dressed patrons moving from table to table with a subtle grace. The woman in gray made her way over to the bar, where a bartender in a Prōtint-inspired mask moved down to take her order in a flash.
“Just a UpZert for me to start, thank you,” she said, examining the crowd behind her as the bartender opened a can and poured a purple soda into a glass.
“What color flag would you like?” The bartender asked, his mask not fully disguising his piercing gaze as he asked the seemingly innocuous question.
“Red, please.” In spite of the mask, the woman could feel the bartender raise his eyebrows at her reply. He did not make any comments, however, as he put a miniature red flag on a toothpick into her glass and went to attend to other patrons. The woman turned around, taking her own eye mask out from her pocket and putting it on. She held her drink further out in front of her, making sure it could be seen from all sides of the room.
It did not take long for a larger gentleman in a black suit to make his way to the bar, taking the open chair next to her. His mask was more simple than hers or the bartender’s, yet more ominous. “How may I help you?”
The woman gritted her teeth slightly, running her eyes up and down the man’s outfit to note the subtle decorations on his suit. “Where is the Lighthouse? I only do business with the Lighthouse or his two direct lieutenants, not contractors or family members. It makes things cleaner.”
The masked man grunted. “The Lighthouse has business elsewhere, and his lieutenants rarely waste time on customers who walk in without appointments. Now, shall we talk?”
“I’m sorry that I’m wasting your time, then.” The woman turned her body back to the bar, pointedly ignoring him. After what seemed like a minute, the man sighed and left, causing the woman to hold her breath a bit. Come on…
A few minutes passed before a taller woman in a similar suit and mask to the previous gentleman walked over to the bar, quickly making her way towards the woman in gray. “You didn’t have to be rude to my staff to get my attention, you know. You can just tell them that you have a personal delivery for me or the boss, and they’ll trust it.”
“Perhaps, but my way is more fun,” the seated woman replied with a slight smirk. “Besides, he should know me by now.”
“You underestimate how many guests pass through our doors, Lira. Plus, you do not come here for weeks or months at a time. I work with unpredictable informants quite often, but you are truly the most flighty of them all.” The tall woman adjusted the cufflinks on her suit, which were bronze and shaped like miniature lighthouses.”Why are you back, Lira?”
“Lira” took a sip of her drink. “The Ministry of Justice has taken quite an interest in the watchers again. I know for a fact that there are numerous undercover agents here, in Geminus, Serenity, and other areas. They’re posing as customers and informants, trying to take down entire clusters of Watchers. Warrants are already processing for three prominent Watchers and their associates in our city alone. A power vacuum is on the horizon, and if you are not careful, you and your boss will end up swept away in the chaos.”
“And you can help us avoid this fate, hm? I’ve heard rumors of agents poking around the financial side of the business, but nothing like what you describe. How do I know that you are not lying to me for a quick cash grab?”
Lira took out an envelope and placed it on the table, keeping it within her reach. “These are the personnel files of five of the government agents operating on this side of the city who would pose the most threat to you right now. I’ll give you this alone for twenty-five, but given my position, I can work on disrupting their investigation myself. For the right price, of course. I’ll let you talk to the Lighthouse about that payment.”
This reply evidently both intrigued and annoyed the taller woman, who looked at the envelope for a few moments before replying. “I understand that your price is final, as always?” After receiving a nod, she sighed. “Alright. I’ll be right back.”
The woman disappeared in the crowd for a couple minutes before returning, a silver key in her hand. “Show me them first.”
Lira opened the envelope, spreading the papers out so the Lighthouse’s lieutenant could get enough of a look to confirm that the deal was fair. Once she had done that, the taller woman dropped the key on the bar. “Safety deposit box two-eight-six, Renou Bank, Twelfth District. Wait two days before retrieving it.” The lieutenant also placed an old phone on the bar. “We will be in touch with further instructions.”
After the woman in gray watched the other woman walk towards the casino, she downed her drink, placed a Lunen note on the bar, and then made her way towards the exit. After all, she had work to do now. The government’s meddling may now have given her an extra job, but she would need to act quickly, lest she hop on board of a sinking ship.
And in the port city of New Riga, sinking ships were soon to be much more common…
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