(1310-05-20) Meanwhile, at the Bakery
Summary: Gauge, Belmont, Aziza and Charlotte branch off on their own investigations.
RL Date: 20/05/2018
Related: Arriving at Béziers
gauge belmont aziza charlotte 

Continued from this log

They are stranger in Béziers. At least Belmont is. "Where is this bakery, brother?", he asks curiously as he tries to catch up with Gauge, Aziza, and Charlotte. "And what do you expect to find there?"

Charlotte is moving along with Aziza and her guards as they go to follow after Gauge off somewhere into the city, the question from Belmont gets a look, then her eyes dart towards Gauge a little bit curiously to hear the answer.

Aziza keeps her gaze on their surroundings. Looking to Gauge as well she watches but speaks up. "How many bakeries does your cities normally have?"

"That dockworker told us that he knew the Baker before the attack, and that he was a part of it." Gauge rumbles to Belmont and the other two, "There is also a woman who sells fruits and vegetables at the market place. As for the number of bakeries… that really depends." He does look for street signs and such to lead them to the bakery the dockworker indicated. "What is clear though is we need to find these people before they disperse. If they are smart, they're already gone, if not… well maybe we'll get lucky. That kind of a display makes people afraid to talk. They might be staying in plain sight still."

"There's probably more'n one bakery in a city like this I bet." Charlotte says, "I dunno how easy it'd be to find, but maybe some of the others?" she says with a little hmmn as she walks along with Aziza, tagging along.

"Ah… I see," Belmont makes, glancing from Gauge towards Charlotte, and his brows wrinkle a touch. "I don't know you. Or should I? You're a… friend of my brother, aren't you?", he asks of her. Hearing her remark he stops, and addresses a passing craftsman. "Excuse me, good man. The bakery. Where can we find it?" The man points them to a building further down the alley, and Belmont smiles, as he shoots Gauge a glance.

"More the Ambassadors friend than mine, Brother." Gauge tells Belmont with a bit of a shrug, "There's also the market place too." And he asks in his gravelly voice, "Where's the market place as well?" Of the same helpful person. Hopefully they get a place to go if the Bakery turns out to be a dead end, and there aren't multiple vegetable & fruit stalls being ran by women at the market.

"I'm Charlotte, M'lord." Charlotte replies with a quick little curtsey, she doesn't elaborate on who's friend she is as Gauge offers the explanation, "I'm usually found off at the Kraken's Den where I work, though your brother drug me along on this little adventure with him and the Ambassador."

Aziza raises her brow at Gauge but says nothing. Looking over to Belmont as he questions the random helpful person. Licking her lips she seems to just waiting. For now her men were at ease but vigilant and on guard. Adjusting that bow the Menekhet woman waits.

"Ah, I see," says Belmont with a smile. "I know the Kraken's Den. I've been there now and then. Can't recall I've seen you there though. I'd have remembered." He looks to Gauge and then back to the redhead. "I'm Belmont, Gauge's younger brother." The introduction is probably meant for Aziza as well. "Let's check on that bakery first, shall we? It's over there." And with that said, he moves forwards, approaching said bakery in a casual stroll.

"That's exactly what I told her Belmont." Gauge rumbles in amusement as they continue on towards said Bakery.

"I only just started there recently." Charlotte replies to Belmont with a flash of a smile as she tags along with the motley band of Brothers, friends, and guardsmen.

Aziza looks to Belmont with a smile. "Younger brother? Well a pleasure to officially meet you. I only saw you in passing at court." Exhaling she then chuckles. "And forgive me for being quiet…I'm listening. But I'm Aziza….." And with that they head to that bakery!

"Is it?", Belmont quips back, quirking a brow at his brother. "See? Seems we're employing similar techniques after all." Aziza receives a smile and a nod, "Pleased to meet you, Aziza." Informal greeting, but here they are, in another city, on their way to adventuring. As the others seem to tag along mostly, Belmont takes the lead as he enters the bakery, glancing about curiously. There is no baker to be seen. Just a young woman of blonde hair, in a plain commoner's garb, standing behind the counter.

"Oh you two didn't know each other?" Gauge seems stunned by this revelation, "Lord Belmont d'Eresse, my little brother, and until I manage to spawn, Heir to Beaucare. Brother, the Lady Aziza Nimr, Ambassador from Menekhet." Then they are entering into the Bakery and Gauge's composure changes smoothly into something more… well, not the rough and tumble privateer baron he normally is. He walks over towards the counter and smiles down at the blonde, "Greetings Mistress." He rumbles in his gravelly voice, but keeps it soft and smooth like a purr more than a grating of boulders, "I would like to speak to the owner of the shop. I have a celebration to plan and am in need of his services. Could you attend him for me?" He lets his smile turn a little wider, sly and full of meaning, "There are many services I could possibly have use of here… more than I expected."

<FS3> Gauge rolls Seduction: Good Success. (4 8 1 8 3 5 7 3)
<FS3> Charlotte rolls Perception: Good Success. (8 3 6 1 7 7 2)

Once inside the bakery, Charlotte will start looking around the front room of the place, peering here and there as she looks over what might be displayed, the state of things, and drawing on her knowledge of baking to see if anything might be out of place.

<FS3> Gauge rolls Perception: Good Success. (7 7 8 3 3 1)
<FS3> Aziza rolls Perception: Success. (2 7 1 3 3)
<OOC> Belmont says, "You notice that she is nervous, glancing towards a door leading off to private quarters, now and then."

The young woman blushes - instantly! She almost jumps as Gauge moves in on her, mouth open in shock and wonder, that someone with such a gravelly voice could work it actually into a purr! The way he rolls that 'r' in greeting. For a moment she just stands there, stunned, before she realizes that he was posing a question at her. The question has her features sombre a little. "He's not here, m'lord," she tells him. "Services?" This she echoes, a bit breathlessly perhaps.

Aziza watches Gauge and just turns her attention to that door. Quietly she walks around the room but moves near to the door that she's looking at. Not quite seeming to be heading to it but close enough. Yes….she's just looking over the bakery.

<FS3> Aziza rolls Perception: Success. (3 6 8 6 3)

Gauge continues to keep the woman distracted and he chuckles, reaching out with one hand to run his fingertips along her jaw and chin to turn her head to the side so she is looking towards him and the entrance with a subtle nod towards Belmont, Aziza, and Charlotte towards the door, but he could also just be nodding at the girls profile from her perspective, "Mmmhmmmm." He continues in the low rumbly growly tone, "I am sure we could find much you could do for me…" A faint bite on his bottom lip as his eyes lock on hers, "So where is your Master that he isn't here?" He asks, smiling more wolfishly after the question, "And how much time do we have before he's back? I could eat you up here and now."

Charlotte will follow over towards where Aziza stands and scoot in a little closer towards her to murmur in a hushed tone to the other woman, "She keeps glancing over at the door there, like she's real nervous about what's behind it."

Narrowing her eyes she slowly moves from the door. Those kohl lined eyes look to Belmont, trying to gain his attention without speaking. Motioning to the door she then looks to her guards. Speaking in her native tongue she motions and they go to block anyone from escaping that room or out that door. "I know…." Aziza doesn't look at Charlotte but addresses her as she pulls that bow from her shoulder. "Belmont….door…." Aziza sounded more like a military commander than ambassador at this time. Stepping back she leaves some room.

"But…", the girl tries to object, but there Gauge is already working his charm magic on her. "Eat me? M'lord? We have bread here, and some pastries, if you like.", she replies, totally oblivious to his subtle signals towards the others in his group.

Belmont catches his nod, and Aziza's murmured… command? This earns her a surprised glance from him, but with a faint nod he acquiesces her request and moves to the door, reaching out to open it by the handle - as silently as possible.

<FS3> Belmont rolls Stealth: Good Success. (8 1 3 8 5 7)

He opens the door, and moves inside, sidestepping as to allow the others to enter after him.

Anyone looking into the room will see the form of a man of sturdy built sitting in his chair, his back turned towards them. Breathing evenly, as if he were asleep.

Charlotte is of course, waiting behind all the guards, and Aziza, and such, peering though through them to see what's going on beyond the door as it's opened.

That bow was at the ready in her hand but no arrow drawn. Her guards stayed outside as she walks in with Belmont quietly. Pursing her lips she looks to the 'sleeping' man but just looks to Belmont with a shrug and nod. Aziza takes a step but stops as she looks to Belmont as if waiting on him.

"Oh my dear, not that kind of eating." And then Gauge leans forwards to murmur something into the girls ear looking past her and into the other room. His other hand goes to the grip of his sword, starting to slowly and silently ease it from it's sheath. When he finishes whatever he is murmuring to the girl, possibly about how he was going to eat her, in very great detail and with much exposition. Finally though he chuckles, "Be a good girl and wait for me here." He tells the blonde baker girl before he moves towards the door where the 'sleeping' man is and goes to step in with the others. Sword already out he moves to walk around the man in the chair to see what he can see while also looking around the room for ambush and other details.

It was only a matter of time, until the girl would guess their true intentions, but in the moment realization hits her through a blur caused by blush-inspiring fantasies of a d'Angeline charmer, she can barely move, manages only a muted squeak of shock, as she watches them move into the room, where the baker sits.

Belmont seems to hesitate, even as he catches Aziza's glance, but then he moves over to the man's side, and places his hand upon the massive shoulder, leaning over to look at his face.

He will see the same as Gauge will, as the latter moves in and around the seated man, a man who sits there all still, and who gazes at the wall in front of him with an empty stare.

"Something is odd with him!", the girl contributes from behind her counter. "Ever since… since the Festival of Lights."

"How did he get like that.." Charlotte asks as she moves closer as the others head in, to get a better look at things, peering in just a little more to take in the scene before. "Someone or something else must be behind it all, right?"

Charlotte adds, "Maybe it's a Tsingani curse or something?"

Aziza put her bow on her shoulder and walks up with purpose. Licking her lips she slowly crouches down by the man. Murmuring in her native tongue as she looks him over. "….it's like he's in a trance…."

"If he is like this, then we must find what connected him to the others." Gauge says seriously in his gravelly voice, "Was your master meeting with others at any odd hours of the night?" He asks the girl out behind the counter, "Did he have any friends over or take any customers back here when he should not have?" He then considers Aziza and Charlotte's words, "Maybe we can wake him from it." He growls out, "Maybe some pain will pull him out of it." He considers the bakers fingers.

Aziza raises a hand up. "No….." Her voice was soft as she considers the man before her. "Let's save that for last…." Slowly her hand moves to the man's face as she keeps her eyes locked on him. "Wake up…." Whispering softly in Menekhetan she seems to be saying something soothing but speaks in his tongue again. "Wake up for me…."

<FS3> Aziza rolls Seduction: Failure. (5 3 3 3 6 1 3 3)

"I've always had a.. way with men." Charlotte suggests as Aziza leans in to whisper sweet nothings to him and she'll step in towards the catatonic man, looking over at Aziza a little, "Want me to try?" she asks curiously, waiting for an affirmative from the Ambassador before she does anything though.

Aziza chuckles a bit as she looks to the woman with a nod. But she keeps a firm grip on the man just in case. "Just stay closer to me…."

Charlotte will reach up to lightly caress the other side of the man's face, "It's time to wake up my friend, I'd really love the chance to get to know you better, and we can't do that while you're in such a state.." She murmurs softly, leaning in to deliver a light kiss to his cheek before drawing back.

<FS3> Charlotte rolls Seduction+1: Failure. (2 4 1 2 1 2 4 4 3)

Belmont spends 1 luck points on Spending this on boosting Medicine roll.
<FS3> Belmont rolls Medicine+20: Good Success. (8 1 1 6 5 6 3 3 8 1 8 2 3 2 3 5 3 4 6 3)

"My way seems a lot faster…" Gauge rumbles seriously, folding his arms across his chest and lightly tapping the flat of his sword against his shoulder.

"Wait." Belmont considers the man, reaching to touch his face, to pinch him into the cheek - only to see that the man fails to react. "I don't think your strategy is the right course, ladies. You should save that treatment for others who actually are able to appreciate your efforts." Said with a faint smirk that dims instantly. "I don't know. Maybe… he was drugged. Or something. Perhaps we have to wait till it wears off."

Aziza nods. "Then I can have my men carry him back. Bind him up and take him with us.". A firm nod as she smiled. "At least that's my suggestion."

"We can bleed it out of him, or see if we can jump start the nerves with a shock." Gauge rumbles, "Otherwise, we have no guarantee that whatever this is, will wear off at all." He then looks at Aziza, "I don't want a traitor on my ship. What happens if he slips his bindings somehow? Or talks someone into letting him loose if he comes out of it? It's a big risk."

"Did you have anyone in mind who our efforts might better be directed to, My Lord?" Charlotte asks with a glance towards Belmont as she steps back to allow him in to examine the man, "Maybe you're right about what we should do with him though, I've no knowledge of such things."

"Actually, I did.", Belmont replies to Charlotte with a smirk. "But that seems like a topic for another time. "As for him… I'm not sure. I'm also not sure how it would look if a group on non-locals begin to torture a local baker in Béziers. This could get us in deep trouble. Maybe… maybe we could try to leave the torture to others. The local authorities."

Aziza nods then. "Well I can smack him with my bow…." Chuckling she just shrugs a bit then smirks. "But I am just here as backup…."

"Honest, we just found him like that…" Gauge rumbles with a chuckle and he shrugs, "Fine, let's take him to the castle and the others. I've never seen anything like this before so I'm just guessing. Men usually start to talk when they start losing body parts in hopes of saving the ones they have left."

"Whatever you think is best, My Lords." Charlotte says as she listens to the two nobles discuss the best course of action, hmmning quietly as she looks at the man, "Maybe one of the other ships would take him back instead? I don't really know."

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