Open Come One! Come All!

[Zandelia]

73rd Spring, 515 AV – East Street


It was a sight which she had not expected to see upon her usual morning walk, something which in point of fact filled her with a deep sense of unease. She had seen schemers, lawyers, double-dealings and laundering of gold that sought to undermine the city and those she was was employed by. She was hazy on the last two points but Anelda had been quite instructive, in her own way, that anything untoward should be reported because they were in the business of maintaining good governance. She was still unclear on how such things fit into her work, she was a novice at politics, but she trusted Anelda as far as she could throw her and that was more than most people had managed to achieve with her throughout her life.

She certainly has helped me more than most, for her own ends of course but still...she is worth some respect and appreciation. But this...this could be bad. Could turn ugly. Fast she told herself as she approached cautiously, keeping to the side of the streets and the morning shadows where possible.

As she got closer she noted that she was, in point of fact, not hallucinating. There, in the middle of the street, was a neat little pile of what appeared to be kegs and alcohol stores of varying kinds. It was early, early enough that she was the first upon the scene. She noted that none of them had been opened yet and the bottles in the racks filled all of the slots and thus none had been there to steal them away. She looked every which way she could, there were no law enforcers here. Likely they were busy with the rising of the day, she awoke early these days as her schedule demanded it. The fact that she had a day off this day didn't change the waking Bells. She sniffed and took what opportunity she had before it was contaminated beyond reason. There was a scent of strong cloves around some of the barrels, she knew not what that meant but dutifully committed it to memory.

“So...someone leaves this here. Knowing that as soon as it is found word spreads and the evidence is drunk and disappears. Bottle remain, kegs might remain. Enough to note the name of the merchant. Or merchants. Wait....that's interesting” she muttered as she clambered about and looked at the stamps upon the wood.

“They're all the same” she whispered to herself, “so someone wants to either send a message or give a very bad day to someone specific?” she wondered to herself as she circled them.

There were no footprints, the spot had been chosen well and no evidence remained of the perpetrators. She pulled one of the parchment stamps off of one of the crates and folded it before slipping it into her pocket. It could become useful very quickly indeed. Licking her lips she pulled a bottle of wine from an opened crate and peered at the top. It was corked and the wax was unbroken, she could see no evidence of tampering. She was, perhaps, being paranoid and looking a gift horse in the mouth but she was wont to be a careful sort. You never knew when a nice little trap was being set. Yet...she did not feel that about this incident. It seemed isolated but senses tingled and told her it probably was not, given the singular merchant involved. She counted them all, imprinting the numbers and types upon her mind. Someone, somewhere, would know where this came from. From there it could be trackable.

“Here! Everyone! Booze in the streets! BOOZE IN THE STREETS! Sailor's dream!” came the shouts.

She sighed and knew that now, for better or worse, her time as up and the party would begin.


oocSo! Here we are as promised. Ignore Zand's personal thoughts and paranioa,. Get stuck in all ye revellers!

One rule – keep posting order. If the next person has not posted within a week go ahead and post yours next. Be courteous to other writers. And have fun!

*rolls the kegs down the street*

[Demitri Maebourne]

OOCOh man, I was going to claim this one, but you did such a good job opening it! Free booze for all! "Booze in the streets," someone had cried as Demitri was dressing herself for the day. "Booze in the streets!" Upon hearing the shouts and exclamations of joy she had hurried herself, violently pulling on her plain clothes, slinging her backpack carelessly over one shoulder, and not bothering to lace up her boots before she rushed out the door of her small flat. She would have to see this. Outside there was a sparse gathering of sailors, beggars and the like, making their way toward the noise with murmurs of curiosity and growing excitement. She followed the sparse crowd, eyeing the less wary of them and wondering if she could get away with cutting a purse string or two before the day was over. Perhaps she ought to wait until the majority of the group was drunk before risking such a thing. Then again, she hadn't planned on doing any thieving today. Perhaps she could use a break from it. Perhaps it would do her well to be a bit less reckless in gathering her ill-gotten wages. Either way, the more important thing at the moment was getting a bottle or two of the aforementioned liquor before it was all gone. She needn't have worried. The streets may as well have been flooded with alcohol, and it only took a moment for Demitri to work her way through the crowd and grab two bottles from the nearest rack. She noticed that all of the kegs, crates and bottles were labeled with the same name, that of a well-off Zeltivan merchant. Interesting. It couldn't have been to promote his brand; no merchant here was that wealthy. It seemed someone just really despised this man. Not that it mattered to her. Booze was booze, right? In only seconds more the crowd had grown larger, engulfing East Street in a sea of laughter, shouting, and flowing ale. The small girl pushed her way through the gathering to lean against the wall of a building, then uncorked a bottle and took a large swig. It was delicious- far better than the fishy green kelp beer she'd been drinking for most of the season. She put the other in her backpack for later, then looked around, feigning a casual, lazy look but peering through the din to watch for Zeltivan officers. If none showed up in the next ten minutes, she might even pick a pocket or two. After all, it seemed every person who entered the crowd walked off with a drink, and it wouldn't be long before they were too jolly to notice a missing coin purse. She would put that thought aside for now, took another swig of the fine ale. The gathering cheer of East Street was quite a site, and she would enjoy herself while she still could.

[Telor Riptide]

73rd of Spring, 515 AV

The sound of men in the streets was not an unusual sound for Telor to wake up to. Sleeping below deck on his tiny casinor, just outside the East Street docks, he was close enough to the sailors and bars to hear every fight and every party that went down on the docks (and sometimes beyond, should they be loud enough). Usually, Telor could roll over and drown out the noise with another hour of sleep.

But today was different.

Today, the racket grew steadily louder until he couldn't sleep through it no matter how hard he tried. Neither pillow nor blanket nor irritated hands over the ears could keep out the din of the excited world this morning.

"Booze in the streets! Booze in the streets! It's a sailor's dream! Get it quick, before it's gone! it'll never be gone- there's so much of it! Who did this? Who cares? It's better than Kelp Beer, at least. Today, we party!"

Although he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, so to speak, by the time he heard the word "booze" being uttered, his eyes were open and there was a smile on his lips. He hadn't had a drink in days, and now, rmeinded of his dry spell, he was determined to get a hold of some.

Once the Svefra was in a state of relative dress, he found his way to the streets, and soon to the booze. It wasn't hard to find, considering that the kegs and cases lined the walks and seemed to draw Zeltivans from every corner like mice to cheese. Telor approached the nearest woman for information, but she would give none. She would say nothing more than "You want some? Take some! It's free."

Not one to question good luck, Telor returned the woman's smile and made his way closer to the center of the ruckus, absentmindedly pushing past sailors, students, and drunks alike.

"Aye!" He hollered, "Someone grab a keg for me!"

[Anouk]

The previous night had been an exhausting one. Anouk had barely slept, going to bed only after spending what seemed like endless bells standing in front of an easel. Inspiration had struck Anouk late that evening, and she'd wanted to ride the artisitic wave for as long as possible. But eventually, as Leth began to drop down in the night sky, fatigue had embraced the Konti and her muse withdrew for some well-earned rest.

In turn, she had gone to bed for five or so bells. But her sleep had been cut short by the general sounds of a busy urban morning. Still exhausted, Anouk had decided to take a stroll in the fresh air to try and wake up. Despite spending nearly a season in Zeltiva, the Konti was still adverse to crowds. The pushing and shoving did not suit her mild nature. Why were people in such a rush anyway?

This morning seemed particularly bad. Waves of people appeared to be running and pushing in a particular direction. For a tick, she wondered whether Laviku had graced the city with his presence again, felt that lurch of excitement that she had done before. But no: the cause of this upsurge of excitement was something far less... holy.

"Alcohol! Beer! In the streets! C'mon!"

Despite maintaining an almost sober lifestyle, Anouk found herself swept up in the excitement. She enjoyed the odd pint of Kelp beer every so often, but alcohol this early in the morning was unfamiliar territory. How rebellious!

Anouk passed three men, each trying to carry a keg or as many bottles as they possibly could. Just how much alcohol had been abandoned, and more importantly, why? Niva Pavarti's warning about the dangers of such generosity in places outside Mura rattled round her daughter's mind: Keep your wits about you. A stranger offering you a drink may be trying to drug you

It was certainly suspicious why someone would leave heaps of alcohol, for free, in the open streets for anyone and everyone to enjoy. If it were an act of kindness, surely someone would be there to take the credit? Which left three options: a prank, an act of revenge, or some kind of plot to spread poison around the city. But looking at the drinkers around her, Anouk failed to notice any sign of illness or wrongdoing. Instead, everyone looked delighted.


Still, the Konti drifted amongst the crowd somewhat warily. She did not want to dive straight into a keg and drown herself in potentially deadly alcohol. But did she really want to be a stick in the mud whilst everyone around her seemed to be having so much fun? Cautiously, Anouk selected a bottle. Upon opening it, she gave the substance a gentle sniff and tentative sip.

Smelt fine, tasted fine.

[Demitri Maebourne]

Demitri continued her pattern of quick swig and thoughtful gaze for a few ticks more, deciding as she did so to scan the crowd for persons of interest. Whether she would rob them or start up a conversation, she hadn't decided yet- she would begin by finding one, and see what felt best. The drink, she noted, was far beyond superior to the swill of the Kelp Bar. She looked down at her bottle, a quarter already gone due to sheer boredom. It must have been expensive. Again she wondered why it would just be left out here; it had to be some sort of revenge. Curious, wasn't it? Ah, well. Demitri had better things to do than consider the evil-doings of random salesmen. At least, she usually did. Today was looking to be another case entirely. "Aye," a familiar voice shouted above the cheerful din. "Someone grab a keg for me!" Demitri looked up to see a man with scraggly blond hair and the look of a seafarer. He seemed awfully familiar... hadn't they met before? She was sure she had talked to him, even if it was months ago; the voice struck so at her memory. Something about cards, and ale, and a god named Ovek. His name escaped her, but his words somehow lingered. She lifted herself from her leaning position against the wall and stepped in his direction. "Hello there," she greeted with a grin, just loud enough so that he might hear her over the laughter of a tipsy East Street. "I know you, do I not?" Just as the words left her mouth, she saw behind the sea-worn sailor a young woman with blonde hair and a gentle demeanor. This one she certainly recognized, as they had encountered each other only a few weeks before. A Konti- was it... Annick? Annie... Ann... something with an "A," she decided. She was just terrible with names... Nonetheless she smiled back up at the man she'd addressed, wanting to greet the Konti girl in a similar fashion but vehemently opposed to such rudeness in the face of her original target. OOCSorry I didn't post sooner! I thought Zand was going to go again... my bad!