[ota] nobody's gonna have an orgy in their mansion all over their nice furniture

[hassaran]

WHO: OTA, more or less
WHAT: An all-hands infiltration mission ends up being rather more hands than anticipated.
WHEN: Nowish
WHERE: At an estate outside Ostwick
NOTES: Sending crystals are allowed but must be used with the utmost discretion to avoid discovery. A general warning for Eyes Wide Shut-type party nonsense, but more fancy swinger makeouts than sex dungeon. Please make sure to communicate OOCly to ensure everyone's having fun. NSFW content is likely, but if a thread is going to turn into prolonged porn please shift it to an inbox.

Word has come through reliable sources that Baron Hounsford, secretly a significant financial supporter first of the Inquisition and now of Riftwatch as well, is to be the target of an assassnation attempt. Precisely why or by whom is unknown, just that the threat is imminent. Worse, the Baron has left behind his personal guard to attend a somewhat mysterious event at the home of Lord Esterhauzy, outside Ostwick. All Riftwatch has been able to learn on such short notice is that the estate is secluded and the event extravagant. The massive scale is a blessing and a curse: it's certainly big enough to sneak in quite a lot of people, so long as they look as if they have money, but by the same token it will be easy for assassins to sneak in as well, and difficult to quickly locate anyone.

On arrival, everyone willing to dress the part is ushered in to Lord Esterhauzy's glittering mansion, where the difficulties of the mission suddenly become much greater: each person, whether disguised as guest or staff, will be handed a random mask, and informed of the rules:

1. Masks must be worn at all times.
2. When the musicians play the famous Merry Widow of Wycome, every guest must kiss the person to whom they're speaking, or who is closest. They must continue until the music stops.
3. If they aren't interested in stopping, slipping away somewhere more private is an option (but given the competition for space, finding somewhere completely private may be a challenge.)
4. Any person found to be breaking these rules, or the spirit of them, will be unmasked, removed from the premises, and forbidden from attending in the future.

The dimly candle-lit ballroom is already loud with masked guests, so many that they spill out onto the torch-studded terraces and garden beyond. The room is overwarm, but not sweltering thanks to the efforts of oiled footmen posted near the windows with large fans, and the servants circulating with trays of icy-cold champagne. Somewhere in this crowd are Baron Hounsford and those who wish to kill him, and the only way to find them is to spread out, speak to as many people as possible, and regularly pool information among themselves to try to zero in on their targets. They must mingle as if lives depend upon it.

Those reluctant to participate if it might be avoided will discover that locations where private conversation can be had without complying with the house rules are almost non-existent. Lord Esterhauzy learned his lesson the last time he tried this--it is a common subject of gossip among the crowd that the last party he had advertised as the most debauched of the season fizzled out into merely a slightly racy cocktail hour with underdressed staff. This time he has taken precautions, blocking off most of the house, monitoring access to the rest to ensure it's for sexy purposes only, and empowering staff to have anyone not complying with the spirit of the event thrown out--lest they think that an idle threat, shortly after they arrive several people are unmasked and thrown out for not obeying the musical cue, much to the laughter of the crowd. Even the grounds are patrolled.

There are several spots they've overlooked: a linen closet, a stairwell alcove, a corner of the library, but Riftwatch aren't the only ones to have discovered this, and there is no guarantee any particular hiding spot will be available when the music stops.

As the night goes on and the crowd gets drunker, the tone gradually shifts from slightly giggly titillation to more serious debauchery (much to Lord Esterhauzy's delight. If at first you don't succeed!) but there remains a veneer of decorum that keeps it from sliding into obscenity: people may saunter off to the garden or a private room with someone else's spouse(s), but nobody is just openly fucking on the piano.

Comments

[hornswoggle]

"Most likely. It's what I would do."

Impatience aside, the information will be valuable. John knows this.

"It will ruin Lord Esterhauzy's evening either way, but it must be done."

And John truly does feel badly for the idea of ruining the party. Lord Esterhauzy seems to enthused about it each time John caught a glimpse of him across the room.

"Tell me, what's the best bit of gossip you've heard since we arrived?"

[sulahnan]

Athessa lets out a sigh that puffs out her cheeks, then purses her lips.

"Well, let's see... Serrah Genesius who is currently gorging himself on pastries suspects his wife is having an affair with Lady Caelia, who makes wine and sells it to...I don't remember who, but he doesn't mind the affair itself, only he wishes she was fucking their servant, Tiberius. I suspect it's so he can watch."

[hornswoggle]

"Well, I suppose there's something to be said for convenience."

Also some of this gossip might actually come in handy later on. John feels the need to make a diagram of every weird combination at play here.

"I've heard about a few illegitimate children. Give it about ten years and we'll all have some entertainment."

A few people are going to be shocked when it comes inheritance time.

"Do you think there's any point in trying to get close to some of the merchants here?"

This is a question not exactly for Athessa. It's the kind of question he'd ask Flint, or even Max, were either of them present. But John came on his own, in the spirit of being useful in some respect. He'll have to make due with the sounding boards he has available.

[sulahnan]

She chews on her lip. Yeah that's not really her wheelhouse. Her perception of most merchants is that they always overcharge and would likely sell you to Corypheus for one corn nugget. However...

"Maybe, if we need a fence? If there's anyone that can shift things for a good price it'd be the merchants here." All of them are already suckling on the funds of lesser nobility, taking as many as they can for as much as they can steal above-the-table.

[hornswoggle]

John, a man whose profession is often in need of a fence, makes a thoughtful noise.

"Assuming they were open to such a thing."

Not saying whether or not John intends to find out.

"I wonder if we shouldn't be trying to win some of them over, but I'm guessing tonight that would take a lot more physicality than many of us are willing to engage in."

It's phrased in a way that shifts the blame to everyone else, but John certainly isn't interested in strolling into a cupboard with someone. He's already locked lips with enough people that it feels like he's transgressed, that he would have to offer an apology whenever he was next lucky enough to see Madi.

[sulahnan]

"Or some light blackmail," she suggests with a shrug. Seducing merchants seems like the kind of prospect that'd have more cons than pros. Much better to appeal to their greed, or failing that, twist their arms.

"If only we had a way to get dirt on all of them."

[hornswoggle]

"If we'd brought a more sporting set of comrades, we might have been able to."

Unfortunately most of the people who volunteered for this seem outright miserable. John can't even pretend he's not among them.

"Even if this doesn't end in an attempted assassination, I'd say we've already heard enough that it hasn't been a total loss."

It'll be useful at some point. Perhaps even long after Corypheus has been put down and John's attention returns fully to Nascere, he'll be able to leverage something that they've uncovered tonight to help them on the island. He looks forward to that day, when he has a single set of priorities rather than trying to balance Riftwatch against the vision Flint and Madi have breathed life into.

[sulahnan]

"Yeah it doesn't seem like a lot of people are having much fun," she agrees, nodding. "Guess that means it's up to me."

Said like a true martyr, laying her head on the chopping block, taking one for the team, etc. But of course, like most instances of her saying anything even remotely serious, she can't keep a straight face through it.

"Well, as fucked as it sounds, I hope there is an assassination attempt so everyone can feel better about all the spit swapping. And it looks like the band is about to start up that song again so--" She bounces up onto her tip-toes to give him the most chaste peck on the cheek. "--Time to go find someone I haven't kissed."