Meido (Play Thread)

[CodexGigas]

5th of Ascending Air, RY 758. The sun rose red over Meido, the purple-stained roofs making the capital look like a dark bruise on the hills. The night-vigil for Taejo II was ending, new prayer-fires lit in shrines as the celebration of the former king began in earnest.

Visitors to the city were met with the smells of sweet incense and roasting boar, while choruses of mourners wailed in harmony with street musicians, alternately praising Taejo and calling on a host of deities to protect and guide him in the Underworld.

"Better late than never," an old boneguard muttered as she spotted the Guild caravan winding its way toward the gates. Death anniversaries were a time for celebration, and times for celebration were times for profit as far as the Guild was concerned.

[CodexGigas]

The Wok in the Park was not known for class. It was a high-volume noodle joint concerned with getting food in people and silver in the till. The atmosphere didn't matter. As long as it didn't kill too many people.

Cooks only half-seen through murky smoke pushed the daily specials, "Deep-fried noodles! King Taejo's favorite in this life and afterlife! Buy for you! Buy for ancestors! Buy for sacrifice to ghost of king!" There were at least 20, maybe 30 employees hurrying around in the greasy brown smock that was apparently the restaurant's uniform.

Crowds were packed into the dim, rickety wooden structure. It was technically three stories, but the floors were little more than crisscrossing catwalks and platforms, letting the smoke and noise rise up through the whole building. Shamans in ceremonial masks came up through the catacombs to grab a bowl in between rituals, sightseers wandered in from the streets, and tenants from adjoining buildings got in dragons-know-how.

The second floor was harder to get through than the first. Originally just seating, the proprietors had decided to make a little extra silver by renting space to purveyors of drinks and entertainment. It was impossible to go more than a few feet without being accosted by an amateur musician plucking away at a broken pipa or trying to sell you muddy looking tea to go with your noodles and entertainment.

Rooms were on the third floor. They weren't quiet, but they were cheap and everyone minded his own business.

[AlaskanWyvern]

Flipper sat near the window of the Wok in the Park, just a few tables from the door, nursing a bowl of fried noodles. Razor, his mentor back West, had always told him, time and again, "Flipper, don't sit near the windows." "Flipper, don't sit near the door. If someone comes in looking for you, you don't want to be where they can sneak up on you." But Flipper didn't particularly care for that advice, at least not in a place like this. Getting lost amongst the crowd might be advantageous, as would seeing all the entrances, but on a day like today, the Wok in the Park was alarmingly claustrophobic. The breeze coming in the window helped alleviate the smell of smoke and tightly-packed people that too easily overwhelmed the much more appealing noodles.

The stranger sitting across the table from him seemed to have the same idea; he wasn't terribly interested in the company, and neither of them had said a word to each other since Flipper asked if the seat was taken. His tablemate mostly seemed like he wanted to be back outside, where the more interesting parts of the celebration were. Flipper hardly blamed him. Ordinarily, he liked the Wok more, but when the place was packed like this, it turned into a noisy nightmare. When breakfast was over, he intended to be as far away from here as possible, doing pretty much anything. Right now, he was having serious flashbacks to his university days, where everyone else in the dorm but him in was having a loud party, and he needed to study.

He heard there was a Guild caravan due to arrive any time now, and that might provide a pretty good source of something to do, be it checking out the wares or finding some packages that needed to be delivered.

[CodexGigas]

((Roll Wits+Awareness.))

[AlaskanWyvern]

((Wits-awareness))

[The_GM]

The member 'AlaskanWyvern' has done the following action : Dice roll

'd10' :

[CodexGigas]

All of the staff was busy today. Presumably someone, somewhere was slacking out of sight, but all the visible workers had the slightly irritated, jumpy look of the overworked. One waitress had the same air of purpose as the rest, but never seemed to be carrying any bowls of food, or utensils, or really anything that indicated work of any kind.

She just stalked around the Wok at an almost run, threading in and out of crowds, through doorways, and around tables.

[Ji]

Glass had never had advice such as Flipper had from his mentor,  but Glass did have a basic sense of self preservation that superseded any claustrophobia he might have had. He was currently enjoying his third helping of noodles, having forgone eating for several days thus far. His wagon had only recently pulled into Naraka, and after getting the lay of the land, his next task was to figure out wherever his mentor had gone to.

Still, the noodles were good, and the noodle house was warm, and relatively safe. This was good enough for Glass at the moment, and he couldn’t really ask for much better. He’d secured his wagon well enough, locked the doors, never had windows, he was probably fine, and no one would ever find his treasured spoon collection.

[CodexGigas]

((Wits+Awareness))

[Ji]

((Dice rolls are go))

[The_GM]

The member 'Ji' has done the following action : Dice roll

'd10' :

[CodexGigas]

Conversations drifted around Glass like clouds of gnats. Mostly inane chatter, but snippets of news surfaced a few times. Political machinations meant the Guild caravan was headed to the market in the south eastern ward. Sijanese diplomats were staying in the palace. Immaculates were protesting.

[eagle788]

Shadow walks in, wearing a large black cloak. He looks around spots flipper, and proceeds to find a seat near him. As he sits he greets flipper with a silent nod. All while thinking to himself that the Wok was unusually busy today.

[eagle788]

((Wits+Awareness))

[The_GM]

The member 'eagle788' has done the following action : Dice roll

'd10' :

[CodexGigas]

Obsidian noticed nothing out of the ordinary, except people's excitement for the Guild caravan.

[AlaskanWyvern]

Flipper tried not to look too much like he was looking as he watched the waitress go back and forth doing basically nothing. What was she working at, anyway? Had someone lost something, so she was looking for them to return it? Or had someone not paid their bill?

Pall sat down near him, and he returned the nod.

His curiosity somewhat piqued, he waited until the mystery waitress came his way and flagged her down. "Hey, I ordered a Fish Surprise Bowl an hour ago, can you go see how much longer that's going to take for me?" After she answered him, he had no intention of letting her walk away until he asked her at least one more question, this one a little less businesslike. That said, he also didn't want to seem overly much like he'd been staring, hence his asking about a fictional bowl of noodles.

[CodexGigas]

"Fish Bowl. Right." Hands thrust into her apron pockets, she scanned the room. "Give me a minute to find the kitchen and then I can get right back to you."

[AlaskanWyvern]

"Find the kitchen?" Surely that had to be a figure of speech.

"What do you mean, 'find the kitchen'?" he asked. His tone was joking, but the look he gave her was incredulous. "You do work here, right? Or is that what you've been looking for? You look like you've been trying to find something for the last couple minutes, if you don't mind my saying so."

[CodexGigas]

A look of horror flashed across her face, almost too fast for Flipper to see, and she shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

"Of course. It's just...it's just the crowds make it difficult to get anywhere on festival days. Lots of people. Lots of orders to keep track of." She smiled. "Now, how about I track down those noodles for you?"

[eagle788]

Feeling uncomfortable in the large crowd shadow motions a waiter over, and orders a large bowl of noodles and shrimp to go. After ordering he moves over to a open spot near the door to wait for his food.

[AlaskanWyvern]

((Wits/socialize to figure out what she meant, with that look in particular))

[The_GM]

The member 'AlaskanWyvern' has done the following action : Dice roll

'd10' :

[CodexGigas]

The waitress was, as far a Flipper could tell, clueless as to the location of the kitchen. She'd been caught doing something other than her job, which explained her look of consternation.

[Ji]

On edge Immaculates was unfortunately something that could prove very disastrous for anathema such as Glass. Thankfully the Immaculates would likely be be focused on the upcoming festival which, it crossed Glass' mind, would be a very nice place to make a bit of money come time. Musing for a moment, and finishing his meal, he attempted to flag someone down to pay for it and go. There was a lot he needed to do in this city, and he didn't have time to waste, and hey, the Wok in the Park needed a cleared table anyhow.

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