Letting out a small sigh, Maxim leaned back into his chair as he looked over some of the gifts left by the crowd. Most of them were items that were the usual sight for their line of work. Bundles of various flowers, letters of enjoyment (with a few professing love), even some bottles of various wines. However, there were some that caused him to pause. One of the items gifted was a knuckle duster, made from steel. The craftsmanship of the weapons was rather sloppy, the sand from its casting not fully removed. However, as he rubbed the coarse and grainy metal, he felt a type of uniformity in it, almost as if sandpaper. Sliding his fingers through the grooves, he felt that similar roughness bite into his skin, as if talons were being dragged against it. Yet, as he flexed his fingers, he felt…secure, in a way. As if something was telling him that everything would break before he did. sliding the weapon off of his fingers, his gaze turned to the other items that accompanied it. One was folded parchment, a wax seal keeping it sealed. The other item, meanwhile, seemed to be a bottle of Hoarfrost Brandy, wrapped in pale fabric.
Grabbing the letter, he flipped it open before combing through the words. As he did, he felt his suspicions be confirmed. It spoke of being gifted with a ‘cold understanding’, giving reverence to ‘a cruel spirit’.
‘This is gonna be a pain,’ he thought as he tossed the letter back onto the desk. Not only did he have what is all but confirmed to be his Cousin, but he now had a wannabe adept who has started to worship his newest hire as a messenger of some kind.
Just lovely.
‘Let's just focus on a single thing,’ he thought as he leaned back into his seat. The ‘worshipper’ shouldn’t be that large of a threat. It was a single person who, by the looks of it, didn’t fully understand what exactly they were doing. The risk they held to anyone was limited, even more so with how the Seekers of the city seemed to be on higher alert.
Now, all he had to do was to find out where exactly Jake was from.
Closing his eyes, he silently went over what he learned of the boy throughout the month of his employment.
One thing that was obvious was just how blunt he was in terms of speaking. Whenever he tried to speak to him or simply overheard a conversation, he always seemed to keep things short, never giving more information than what was asked for. Yet, it was clear to Maxim that he never fully answered those same questions. Whenever asked for more details, he seemed to dance around it, giving enough information to satisfy curiosity. Whether the boy was simply wary or he knew something that could raise an alarm, it never showed on his stone-like face.
‘He could be one of the Lionhearts,’ he thought before shaking his head. While he had something similar to their cruel efficiency, it seemed much more…impersonal. Rather than the self-righteous fury that they used to put down anyone who offended him, it was simple and cold, as if it was simply another thing to do. Yet, it was still irrevocably familiar.
As he mulled over just who he belonged to, he heard the door to his office creak open. Suddenly, a faint, but familiar smell filled the air. The metallic scent of Blood Rose alongside what shifted from oak to pine and back.
“You can just come out, you know,” he said, a small smile on his face. As soon as those words left his mouth, Jill suddenly appeared in the seat in front of him, a small pout on her face.
“You could at least pretend to not notice me,” Jill muttered, crossing her arms.
Rolling his eyes, he couldn’t help but chuckle at her annoyance. Even when she was just starting out, she always seemed adamant on trying to catch him unawares.
“So, how are your interactions with our newest addition? Have any issues arised?” he asked, grabbing a half empty bottle of Hellfire Brandy (his own personal favorite) before pouring out some in a glass.
“I wish! At least that’d be entertaining,” she said as she leaned back into the chair.
Hearing the frustration in her voice, he silently grabbed another glass before pouring out the last of the brandy and setting it in front of her.
“Thanks, Maxxie,” she said before taking the chilled glass. Quickly downing the drink, she slammed the frost covered glass onto the table. “I swear, it would be easier to have a conversation with a dog.”
“Can’t be that bad. Perhaps you and others didn’t find anything in common,” he said before taking a sip of his drink, the familiar burn coming shortly after. While he did seem to be rather unsocial, there was a chance there was something that would allow him to open up.
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“Trust me, we all tried to get the kid to open about just…anything. Nothing worked, not even bringing up small things like a favorite food,” she exclaimed, a small groan escaping her lips.
“It might work to bring him to a restaurant. See what he likes, try to bring his guard down,” he suggested. After all, he has only been part of the group for about a month; there was time to let him open up.
“Yeah, that might work. He doesn't seem to have much to do, anyway,” she said before getting up from the seat, “Thanks for the drink. I’ll get you a new bottle when I can.”
Watching her step out of his office, Maxim let out a small sigh before downing the rest of the drink. He might as well try out his own advice. Get the kid to open up, rather than simply come up with shit on the spot. Finishing the last of the glass, he turned his gaze back to the gifts laid out across his desk, his eyes landing on the three items left by the wannabe.
Gonna have to deal with that first.
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As he pulled the blade away from the grinder, Jake looked over the knife before putting it back in its sheath. That was the last thing he needed to repair, so he was now set to head out. Grabbing the bow on the desk, he slung it over his shoulder before stepping out into the alleyway. Bringing out his Cell, he quickly put in the search for anything related to dungeons that were nearby. While that bar was the one closest to his residence, he knew it was relatively smaller in terms of scope, only for things within and just outside of the city. Eventually, he was going to need higher grade materials on tap.
Eventually, he was given a route to one such location which was rather close. A simple walk and short bus ride, and he would be at where he needed. Making his way out of the alleway, he followed the route to the nearest bus stop, weaving through the crowd of people. However, as he got closer to the bus stop, he heard a slight drumbeat. Looking around, he eventually found its source. It was from what seemed to be a drumming circle, the sound echoing throughout the street. Yet, nobody seemed to be annoyed or apathetic to the music. In fact, people even seemed to stop what they were doing and join in, either adding in immediate lyrics or the occasional instrument. As he listened to it, he felt that…oddity, again. The thrumming against his skin, the twitching in his fingers, it all called for…something.
Pushing the feeling aside, he continued towards the bus stop, stepping between both those in uniform and those in casual dress. Yet, as he climbed on the required bus, he couldn’t help but have that thrumming echo in his mind. It was faint, barely above the idle chatter of the other passengers and the growl of the bus. Yet, something about it seemed so familiar. It was as if he knew what it was, but not what it was named.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he thought as he exited the bus. He had more important stuff to do. Continuing to follow the route given, he eventually found himself in front of an office building. Stepping through the building’s glass doors, it was like he stepped into the waiting room of a hospital. The walls were a marble white, the only difference in color seeming to be a large screen on one of the walls. Walking towards the screen, he was met with the reflection of his face. Tapping his finger against the screen, it suddenly came to life, showing a multitude of dungeon records. As he scrolled through the dungeons posted, one caught his eye.
Vampiric Estate
| Rank: C
| Reward for completion: 8000 MaCre
|WARNING: Locale Corrupted
‘This’ll be a good one to do,’ he thought before pressing the acceptance notice. Immediately, a metal tablet appeared in front of him, seemingly waiting for him. Plucking the piece of metal from its invisible grasp, he silently looked over what was on it. It seemed to be a general contract, stating terms and conditions for how things would run. It didn’t seem to be anything notable, aside from a few conditions and financial splits. Walking over to the front desk, he saw that the person there was on their Cell, not fully paying attention to the world around them. After all, it seemed completely empty to them.
Bringing his finger to their forehead, he silently pushed their head back. Noticing the unknown force, they looked up, only for both surprise and recognition to paint their face. Almost instantly, they were at attention, Cell nowhere to be seen.
“Hello, how can I help you?” the receptionist asked, a false smile on their face.
“Gonna need access to a teleporter,” he said as he gave them the metal tablet.
Looking over the tablet, he saw their eyes widen and quickly go between him and the tablet. However, that brief showing of surprise was quickly covered up with a smile.
“Let me take you to the room,” they said before getting out of their chair and making their way down the hallway, with him following behind.
As the two of them made their way through the white hallway, their footsteps echoing against the tile floor, the receptionist eventually stopped in front of one of the doors. Bringing the tablet to the sensor, it let out a small beep as the light changed color.
“Here is your room, sir. I hope you return safely,” they said, the same smile still plastered on.
Giving a small nod, Jake stepped into the room, only to immediately be hit with what felt like the smell of broken glass. The air seemed to ripple around him, small bolts of lightning crackling from the portal. As he looked into the ever-shifting tear, he felt like something glanced back at him. A creature that seemed to be aware that it was being looked at, that it could see him.
How strange.
Putting that faint feeling aside, he silently made a step towards the portal. It was time to get to work.