I'm Not Home Right Now, Please Break In and Leave a Message...
[Offscreen, Puz has invited Mlle. Beringer to a leisurely boat-cruise "in the near future".
Puz needs to learn to follow-up his invites much more briskly. Especially ones made to impetuous women.
An Active RP where Cecile sneaks into Puz's house while he's hiding (unbeknownst to her?) at the Brass Embassy. Warning: Secrets abound.]
The walls are solidly built (for run-of-the-mill slat-n'-daub stuff) and seem to have some sort of coating on them. Cecile might recognize this as a sort of flame-retardant chemical... or rather, 5 layers' worth of some flame-retardant chemical. And soot, rather a lot of it, on the south side of the room.
The miniature 'amphitheater', its 'seats' each home to a foxfire candle, seems to be facing north towards the unusual racks and the curtain. The backing of each aisle, reflective but not a clear mirror, is soot-free; someone must be keeping the contraption quite clean, for whatever reason. Though its back area ('under the bleachers', so to speak) is hollow, Cecile finds no hidden items or traps there.
As for the curtain across the room... it seems to be made of flame-retardant. Many fabrics in storage become musty, even moldy: this specimen bears no sign of mold, probably because mold would never dare to grow on it... the curtain manages to be crusty and tacky to the touch all at the same time. The sensation of feeling the fabric causes Cecile's mind to reel for a brief, terrible moment. Perhaps this is why the contraption seems to be drawn across the rail via a pulley next to the door.
The racks... the first, made of haphazardly-strung thin wires and twine, bears letters. None are to-do lists, or in Puz's hand. They are cool to the touch, having been here in the quiet for some time. Something about teeth negotiating with devils and bishops. Another is about a rag-tag shroud. None of them make any sense.
The second rack, which defines the North end of the room, is much more sturdy, rigidly built out of small slotted-rails. The few panels in place radiate warmth -- she immediately knows them to be formed of Nevercold Brass. Each panel is set directly behind a letter. And each panel has been embossed with the exact script of the letter dangling before it.
Cecile has not tripped any traps. The light of the two lanterns burn as normal; they both seem well-supplied with fuel. Nothing stirs in the room. The house is quiet.
[Your orders? Examine in more detail? Leave room and head to next item of interest? Take items? Leave items?]
Reply
She is confused by this whole thing. Does Monsieur Puz have a bigger secret that anyone could have guessed? Her thoughts of collecting valuable secrets and selling them for wealth is quickly shoved aside as her own curiosity kicks in. She makes note of the interesting things -- the fabric which caused weird feelings, the racks, the wires, the weird letters about teeth and devils.
She observes and walks a little bit around the room, wondering if she should try to use something or return later. It could be dangerous, she doesn't want to burn her hands quite yet -- this is risky! Risky Curiousity!
She folds her arms and decides to definitely return on her way out, steps through the destroyed door, then steps out to look for a nearby room or a set of stairs.
Reply
A few steps beyond the small room's door Cecile is between a line of filing cabinets and stars leading down. In the lantern's light she can make out semi-ordered piles of paper on the cabinets, as well as some unlit lanterns. In the distance on her right she can make out something in the darkness... something round, about the side of an urchin. That, and more darkness due East.
To her left, the stairwell is bright with gas-light; it is a steep flight, but not as narrow as one might expect from an attic stair.
The rest of the room is as before.
[?]
Reply
Maybe.
Second plan: Poke that round thing.
Reply
Cecile moves Northward, following the row of filing cabinets on the Western wall, lighting their lanterns set amidst piles of paper, a single shelf of books and a half-eaten sandwich.
The additional light allows her to examine most of the North side of this floor now. The cabinets are not labeled; most likely, Puz has either memorized the location of necessary files, or has a master-file list somewhere.
Cecile might recognize the round thing (from either personal encounter or from description) as closely-resembling an archery target. The round thing is painted like such a target, and is rather thick, like such a target. However, most archery targets do not have a heavy metal backing, nor are they riddled with rifle rounds. (The wall behind the target has a few bullet-holes, as well, but only a few).
To the East, at the edge of the light, stands a short row of filing cabinets, with some newspapers & one unlit lantern atop them. They do not glint and shine in the glow like the cabinets she has passed... they seem dull with dust.
The stairwell remains well lit and still. No indication of potential company.
[What would you like to do? Specific actions might include: Examine the West-wall filing cabinets, Examine the books on the shelf, Examine the loose papers, Eat the sandwich, Use the target, Head downstairs, Extinguish the Lanterns, Head East.]
Reply
"Quite a businessman, I see." She considers going to look, and she walks over to peek at the books on the shelf, but she has no desire to read any unless they are an odd topic. However, cabinets are a must see.
The sandwich... she'll see how hungry she is on her way to the stairs.
Reply
First and foremost, unless Cecile is dying of hunger, this sandwich (of a flavor bordering on putrid) will be quite to her disliking... further evidence that Puz has not been in the house for at least a week.
As for the books, many of their spines contain titles using the word "Cypher" or "Code" or "Cryptology/Cryptography". One or two even have the word "French" upon them! It seems that Mr. Puz keeps abreast of the trends in secret messaging. For whatever reason.
As for the western filing cabinets, they are, most likely to Cecile's disappointment, more than half-empty. Some do have interesting files, though... title things like "RING" and "CRIMSON CIRCLE", with sub-files within them bearing names like "SCARLET" and "ATTFORD" and "FNORD" and "BERINGER"...
The target silently bears her business card spot-on the mark; the eastern cabinets are still east; the stairwell is still courteously lit. And the sandwich is starting to smell.
[Your preferences?]
Reply
She looks around, touching.
Oh. The books can be ignored but those files. She pulls them out, one by one, and squats down on the floor (something in her skirts clank when she settles). Interesting names and titles, but the one she aims for first is her own file.
Reply
All in all, there are at least four files that catch Cecile's interest; they have labels, but her mind translates them into, "Moi", "Monsieur Romantique", "The Party Hostess" and "The Courageous Fille". Nathan's and Scarlet's files are rather thicker than Honoria's & her own. They, like the other files, are availble for Cecile's present or future perusal.
[Items acquired; Files BERINGER/ATTFORD/SCARLET/HARLOWE. Your actions?]
Reply
Cecile crouches down and scans through them, but doesn't find herself interested in any major information. Well. Some of The Party Hostess's information... Perhaps it will become useful~ ♪
When she gets to her own, she frowns at how thin it is. Her file should be the biggest! What is this?!
She pulls a pen out of her hair and gets to work, filling in spots. There is no need for him to not investigate her!
Well.
She doesn't quite like when people investigate her -- especially for those pesky legal reasons. But still!
When she's done, she puts her own file on top for anyone to see. There. Now it's one last peek at the files near to top of the room, then off down the stairs.
Reply
Map: http://pics.livejournal.com/notary_puz/pic/0002c0sg/g70 ]
The other files are people Cecile will find of little note, except perhaps Midnight's. Any in-depth reading will only further illuminate what she already knows; files kept on subjects are updated irregularly, seemingly as information avails itself (information which, by the way, is ^not^ always accurate).
Apparently satisfied, and wasting no time, Cecile makes for the well-lit stairwell. The treads do not creak underfoot, for they are rather solid, sturdy wood, uncarpeted but well-varnished...
When her foot touches the 7th step~, the reason why becomes more than aesthetic. The steps collapse with a coordinated mechanical *KRRUNCHCK* into a steep, polished slide, sending Cecile (and her still-lit lamp) careening downwards! She is tumbling and sliding towards the closed door at the base of the stairs, and possibly to whatever lies beyond it.
[How good are her reflexes/acrobatics? Might she re-gain her footing? The door ^is^ made of solid wood...]
~The 7th step from the bottom, for those who are counting.
Reply
SMACK
Before hitting the door, she manages to crouch her legs to soften the blow, sliding upward. There she sits, legs straight up in the air, skirts and hair everywhere. Several things from her hair slide down to meet her as she sits.
Her eyebrows lower. Then they lower more and she frowns. Who would design such awful stairs?!
Carefully standing up, she rubs her very sore backside. She glares at the door. "Terrible!" She gives it a swift kick before observing the door and trying to open it angerly.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment