Completed Sudden Spy (Marcus Ahysen)

[Amolina]

~ Amolina Moletta ~ ~ 5th day of Summer 513 AV ~ A pleasant summer evening in Ravok, at dusk, a dark haired woman in a classically cut and elegant yet anonymous looking violet dress, came strolling slowly through the Docks. Her name was Amolina Moletta and she was on her way to The House of Immortal Pleasures. She was heading there because she had picked up an intelligencer job in The Spot and been sent to find a contact person that would give her more details. The codename was “Lush”. That was all she knew right now. Unnerving, but this was Ravok. She was used to things being a bit unnerving, sometimes. Her hairstyle was looking charmingly casual, like she had put the hair up without caring at all about the result, yet the result was becoming. Truth was that she had worked a great deal in front of the mirror to accomplish that careless look. She crossed the Plaza of Dark Delights. When she passed under a lantern the light fell over her face for a few seconds, and revealed an amazing piece of cosmetic art. It was the kind of make up that seems to not be there at all, but is in fact a painting that someone has put lots of effort into. A masterpiece of faint, nearly invisible shades of many colours that summed up to a face that was her face, yet not her face, but more a picture of how she could have looked. A picture of who she could have been. A role she could have played at a theatre, if she only had been lucky enough to be employed at a theatre But she was not. Amolina Moletta was an actress, and a competent actress, but not a well known one. In spite of her ambitions she had so far not succeeded to become a star, and here she was, living her wanna-bee life in the shadows of Ravok, taking on odd temporary jobs just to pay the bills. In her pocket was a black silken mask with bronze coloured embroideries. You never know when it’s time to hide your face, no matter what a good make up you are wearing. Disguise is good, but double disguise is better. And the fashionably arranged belt around her waist was actually a weapon, a whip, next to never used, but easy to carry and pass off as part of her clothing. When she heard where she was going she had felt it could be best to be armed. The cloth of her dress rustled silently as she went out of reach of the lantern’s light again and melted into the deepening dusk. Her steps on the walkway were silent as well, and she knew her way in the Docks, never stopped to hesitate or look around. She reached her goal. From the outside, The House of Immortal Pleasures didn’t look like a place of pleasure at all. Far from it. But once inside it was different. A crowd of incredibly, exquisitely beautiful women and men milled around, scantily dressed, wares displayed against the background of an elegant black and white environment. But enough of watching. According to the instructions she had been given, Amolina headed to the corpulent bartender of this famous and infamous house and told him discreetly that she was looking for “Lush”.

[Marcus Ahysen]

The bartender gave Amonlina a somewhat lewd look. She was pretty enough, though not nearly scantily clad enough, to be one of the women who worked at the House of Immortal Pleasures. After a moment of appreciation and perhaps a flicker of jealousy, nobody ever asked for him afterall, the bartender nodded and waved down the man known as Lush. He was a tall man, clad only in a loincloth. His body was covered in tattoos, and if Amolina was familiar with the race, she would recognize him as a Drykas. "This woman asked for you, Lush." Lush, a strange name for a man, nodded and immediately became flirty and interested. It wasn't as if he would have to work hard though, she asked for him specifically, and that meant she was already sold on him. Leading her by the arm, he eventually guided Amolina up some stairs in the back and into one of the private rooms. "So, beautiful, what can I do for you? Would you like me to help you out of that dress, or are you here for a show?" If he had any inkling that she was there for something other than the norm, he did not show it. His mind was on business of the House, or at least it seemed that way. He made no mention of The Spot, or any intelligencer based job. But then again, the Spot kept people anonymous, and he had no way of knowing if Amolina was there for a job, or entertainment, or both.

[Amolina]

~ Amolina Moletta ~ Amolina wasn’t experienced at intelligence but she was a competent actress.. Her reasoning when she took the job had been “fake it until you make it”. In the afternoon, she had went directly from The Spot to one of the shops in the city, Odds and Ends, where she had been lucky and found a battered common book named “The Intelligencers Handbook ”. In between working at her make up and hair, she had studied the book and found out the basics about working as an intelligencer. It meant observing and analyzing data. Some of the methods used for that very similar to acting, which had made it easy for her to understand. To her own great surprise she had found it interesting. Now she knew the basics. She was reasonably adept at observational techniques in theory but would need to do some trial and error to get it in place in practice. She had a fair chance to succeed with gaining information via rumors and hearsay and via observations from a distance. Being new at intelligence, she would need to gather more data than an experienced intelligencer to be able to make a good analysis and it would take longer time, in particular if the gathered information was shrouded in layers of subtlety. She would need to watch out for counter-intelligence measures. And if she would approach the target of her observations directly, that would be a high risk event - perhaps less so for someone with her competence in acting than for an absolute beginner at that art, but still. Amolina thought about all this while Lush guided her upstairs and started asking questions. She had a growing gut feeling she might already have done a serious mistake. Lush didn’t strike her as someone that would be involved in a secret intelligencer job. The big tattooed man in the loincloth and his behaviour had been a surprise, to say the least. And now this hideous, nearly naked being was trying to get directly to his business, with all the blunt ‘finesse’ of an oaf. Her actress skill kicked in to help her deal with the situation. “No” she said resolutely. “I have specific requirements. Just lay down on that bed over there please. On your back. Be obedient and do as you are told.” Lush had grabbed her arm and taken her upstairs like he was allowed to simply take command over her and move her to this room without even asking first. She would play the same game, like she was a goddess in the mood for taking over. Smiling benevolently she watched while Lush obediently did as he was told.

[Marcus Ahysen]

"Specific requirements" Lush inquired with a raised brow, his curiosity piqued. The prostitute did as he was told, lying down on his back on the bed. He wondered just what Amonlina's "specific requirements" might be. It was rare that his clients took charge of him. He was often chosen because he was forceful, and took control himself.. but, she was the one with the mizas, and in the end, he was hers to command. Or at least.. that is what he thought, until there was a knock at the door. "Ahem, Lush?" Lush looked up from the bed, now even more curious. Interruptions in the middle of a session were highly unusual, but the bartender came in anyway after seeing both occupants were fully dressed. He walked over to the bed and whispered into Lush's ears, whose eyes widened momentarily before he sat up and shook his head, clearly annoyed. "How could you just forget to mention something like that? Honestly, sometimes I wonder why they keep you around. Go on, get out of here." Lush stood up as the bartender left the room and opened the chest at the end of the bed, pulling out a night-robe and pulling it on, covering his mostly unclothed body and tying it shut. He then turned around, an apologetic look on his face, and motioned for Amolina to join him.. not on the bed, but at the small table to the side of the room. "I apologize for the confusion, miss.. but I was uninformed that somebody had taken the job from The Spot, and that I was to be expecting her. ...unless the bartender made another mistake, which he better not have, I believe that person would be you, correct?"

[Amolina]

The situation had become terribly odd and her gut-feeling had gone from bad to worse. Amolina decided to apply her new intelligencer knowledge to investigate the brand new situation. She started by making a few observations of Lush. Lush's behaviour had changed completely. The whole prostitute thing was gone. He had jumped up from the bed instead of laying there obediently. He had put on a night-robe to cover his body instead of flaunting it in a loin-cloth. He had become business-like instead of sedcuctive. He motioned for her to join him at a table instead of the bed. He spoke in an intelligent way instead of giving her calculated flattery. And he spoke about expecting someone that had taken a job at The Spot. The first step of the analysis was simple even for a beginner like Amolina. She was a professional actress and could see that Lush was just like an actor that had come out of a role. A few very relevant and natural questions rose in her mind. Who is this man? What is going on? What does he want? And why? This was however questions that you’d better be careful with asking in Ravok. ‘The less you know, the better’, was often true. The second step of her analysis was based on common hearsay in Ravok. Having lived all her life in the city she knew that in addition to the prostitution, The House of Immortal pleasures also carried a reputation as an unofficial spot for hired criminals to meet with their clients. People working in this house were prostitutes or criminals. This was what she knew about the place. Chances were that if Lush wasn't just a prostitue, he belonged to the latter category, she thought. Organized crime. People that knew too much about things that were not their business tended to end up dead in the canals. If she said she wasn’t the one he waited for it would instantly make her a person that knew too much. Lush had spoken openly, instead of using subtlety and code words. Code words could have given her a chance to back out, by simply not repeating them. Now it was impossible to pretend she didn’t know anything about a job from The Spot, and the odd things with Lush himself. Perhaps he already planned to kill her after the job was done, and that was why he was so careless? Her only option was to play along. But she was from Ravok and she couldn’t bring herself to be as open as he was. And she was certainly not going to be silly and ask questions to gain even more dangerous knowledge. “Intelligence” she said cautiously, acting cool in spite of feeling nervous. “I appreciate intelligence in people. All I know is that I would get a mission here. And that is all I need to know. Only the mission. Nothing else. People that don’t know things can’t speak, right? ” In her mind she assessed the possible escape routes. It looked bleak. She was on the upper floor, with a foreign, wildly tattooed man that seemed to be far stronger than she was, and even if she made it out of this room and downstairs, there was the fat bartender to deal with too. And they would find her anyway, even if she got out of here, if they wanted to find her. She followed Lush to the table.

[Marcus Ahysen]

She was cautious and Lush, if that was his real name, could appreciate caution. She was right to be cautious. The House of Immortal Pleasures was far more than just a whore house. It was well known that criminals frequented the place. People whispered of assassinations and other nefarious crimes operating out of the place.. and there was the rumor seasons ago that a Rising Dawn operation once took place in the House. Yet despite all the rumors, the House of Immortal Pleasures still stood, it's business never hampered by the Black Sun or the Ebonstryfe. Nobody knew who actually ran the place, but whomever it was, they must have been powerful indeed to avoid being shut down despite everything that went on behind the rather plain closed doors of the House. "Right indeed," Lush responded. Despite dropping the role of prostitute, Lush tried to imagine what Amelia might have done to him had the bartender not interrupted. The thought brought a smile to his lips before he continued. "The mission, as you already know, involves gathering intelligence. You'll be learning about a man. What he does on a daily basis. Who his family is. What his habits are. Who he speaks to behind closed doors. Whatever you can learn. Accept and I'll give you the name. Decline, and I'll give you half a chime to get as far away from here as you can." Lush did not feel the need to go into further detail about what happened if she declined and did not get far way. In truth, however.. he wouldn't have done anything. Lush was not a killer.. not a cold blooded killer, anyway. Amelia was actually quite safe there in the room with him. He would not harm her, not unless she wanted it.. and paid for it. But Amelia had no way of knowing any of that.

[Amolina]

When Lush confirmed her statements he smiled briefly at her. Amolina took it he was perhaps thinking the same things she had been thinking. Then again, one of the most dangerous things you can do is assume other people are thinking the same way you do. Anything can be going on in their minds – absolutely anything. And there is no way to figure out what it can be until it’s suddenly revealed to you, sometimes as a complete surprise. Amolina didn’t want to be provocative, so she smiled back. It troubled her that he had not answered with emphasis on intelligence. And there didn’t seem to be any other code words either. He had just told her a bit more about the mission, in his unnervingly straightforward way. Amolina listened to him and thought carefully. She was observing and analyzing every word. Good thing she had acquired the intelligence handbook. Parts of the mission seemed to be pretty easy. Someone wanted to find out simple everyday things about a man that was the target for the intelligence job. It was facts she could try to rely on hearsay to get information about. This was what the handbook recommended for people new to the profession. Listen to rumours, chat and smalltalk in an innocent bypasser style with people that were likely to know something about the target. Try to mingle with the crowd and melt into the background, while making observations, if if was possible to find the target in a place where this could be done. Daily activities, habits, contacts, family. There could be many reasons for the mission. Business people or criminals trying to find out business secrets in order to outsmart a competitor? Blackmailers looking to find something a rich man would pay them to keep quiet about? An assassination in planning? Or – she didn’t want to think of it, but Lush had mentionend the man’s family. Before she had time to suppress the association she had already thought about the possibility of elderly parents, a loving wife …And perhaps, children. For a fraction of a chime she considered declining this mission. Decline ? Decline, and I’ll give you half a chime to get as far away from here as you can … Decline and die, was what this seemed to mean. Decline, die and be replaced with someone else Decline is not an option … Some things Lush was speaking about could definitely be harder and much more dangerous and complicated. Find out who the target is speaking to behind closed doors ? If people speak in secret behind closed doors it’s for a reason : they want to keep it a secret who they are meeting and what is said. This information was nothing she could count on getting from rumours and gossip, or by observing from safe distance. It seemed to entail following the target to places with closed doors, and spy there without being noticed. “I have already accepted, but there’s a few things …” She tried her best to act cool and businesslike now. She imagined this was the way to play a professional intelligencer. “I hope you are aware that gathering intelligence is complicated and can take time. And there’s no guaranteed results. But if all you want is a report about whatever I can find out during this evening – with no specific requirements – you can get it. This means I will check what facts and rumors are publicly known, as far as I’m able to find something, in the available time.” She paused a bit before she continued. “I can’t guarantee that it will be possible to locate the man and observe him though. He can be anywhere in the city at the moment. Perhaps in a place I don't have access to.” She explained to Lush that if he wanted her to take on more complicated operations, that would take more time, as it might include direct interaction with the target and deeper investigations. This could be done, but hardly by just suddenly looking around at random during this evening, without planning or preparations. But it could be done. The prize would depend on exactly how demanding and dangerous she would consider the work to be.

[Marcus Ahysen]

Lush nodded. What she said made sense, and he had not actually expected her to gather all the information he needed in a single night. But he did have to look a bit disappointed, since she brought it up. "Right.... well then. How about this," he replied, a bit of a frown creeping onto his face. "Get what information you can for us tonight. You will be paid, of course, when you return, assuming you have something to give us. If you do good, we may continue paying you for more information." Lush reached under the table and felt around with his hand a bit. After a moment, Amolina would hear a clicking noise which prompted a smile to cross the man's lips. Another moment later and he retrieved a rolled up parchment from some hidden drawer beneath the table. "Here is the information we have on him so far. Look that over, and see what else you can find out about him." The paper did not have much on it. The man was apparently named Marcus Ahysen. He was an agent of the Black Sun, and he was formerly working undercover as an apprentice at the poisoner's shop, Ino Vations. Some of the information might ring a bell for Amolina, actually. While she had never known the name of the man who gave her the last job she did from the Spot, she would know that the shop she robbed was called Ino Vations. Could this Lush be the person who had hired her the first time? Was it mere coincidence that she happened to pick up the second job, or was it planned? If Lush had any thoughts on the matter, he didn't show it from the look on is face. He only looked like he wanted Amolina to hurry up and get out, probably so that he could get back to his normal job. Of course, Amolina could always question him, or she could keep silent. The choice was hers.

[Amolina]

There were other powerful people in Ravok, but The Black Sun was the greatest power of them all. They ruled Ravok on behalf of Rhysol and kept them all safe and happy in all the days of their small mortal lives, with the Ebonstryfe to protect them from all evil. And now she was supposed to spy on an agent of the Black Sun. THIS was the target she was supposed to gather information about ? A Black Sun agent, formerly undercover as an apprentice at the poisoner’s shop, Ino Vations. That poison shop again ! Amolina had a vague feeling of nearly remembering something, but only nearly. Like there was something she should have remembered, but did not. At first the memory of the poisoning itself overshadowed all other memories. Memories of how she had made her way home to her small NHC cubicle after collecting the pay The Spot. The illness and the pain.The fear and the conviction she would die. The reality shivering and falling apart, the sensation of a nightmare descending on her like an endless scream. The spike of terror and the memory that had triggered it faded again. But her heart was beating far too fast, so fast that it seemed to make her shiver inside, and her mouth felt very dry. No matter she had recovered, the poisoning had been the worst experience in her life, ever.In an attempt to compose herself and conceal her reaction she looked at the paper Lush had given her. A Black Sun Agent named Marcus Ahysen. The reasons she had already been thinking of were still possible causes for the espionage. But now she could add more things, like political intrigues, religious matters, and treason. Marcus Ahysen. There had been no information on the paper bar the name and the information that he had been working in the poison shop … at this point Amolina’s mind made a sudden detour to avoid thinking about the shop. Instead her thoughts made a leap to the start of the robbery job, the man in the temple, the painting of Rhysol. Again she felt the feeling of nearly remembering something, but only nearly. So who was Lush and how came there was a connection between The Black Sun and that poison shop … here Amolina’s mind made a leap away from the shop again. An impression of the drunken poison makers face and eyes and his rude and clumsy style in the diner flashed past and she suppressed this too. Now what had she been thinking, Lush, The Black Sun and … she stopped thinking. She would think later, but not now. “I will gather what I can and will be back to report at latest after a few bells or so” she said, assuming Lush would stay in The House of Immortal Pleasures. Now when he had told her the mission he seemed to want her to get out and start at once. Amolina decided to oblige and be quick. After asking him just a few questions, like if he could describe the man's appearance or if it was known which places in Ravok he frequented, she left the room and went downstairs ...

[Amolina]

Amolina had stopped in the middle of the stairs to look out over the room below, but also to try to calm down, think and plan. The description Lush had given her of the target for the intelligencer work she was going to do was vague, to say the least. It had seemed to her like Lush wasn’t completely sure of this himself, and was sort of groping blindly for a shadow in the dark. He had not wanted to admit it, but the target seemed to have eluded all Lush’s previous attempts to gather information about it. This didn’t surprise Amolina : it was after all an agent of the Black Sun, this target named Ahysen. Lush had given her a description with all the miserable simplicity and lack of evaluation that seemed to be the earmark of all men. They simply didn’t seem to see much in other people, and it was like they didn’t even search for it – like they were satisfied with a few simple things that met the eye and happy to disregard the rest. “Well, he looks like most men. A bloke with short curly hair . Brown. But when he was infiltrating the poison shop it was dyed. Sort of dirty looking blond color and simple clothes. But normally a fop.” “A fop?” Amolina had asked cautiously. “What do you mean?” “Well, you know. Fashion. Spiffy suits. Looks like one of those businessman that are wasting lots of mizas on their looks. ” Lush didn’t say it, but the tone in his voice made Amolina feel a few unsaid words like “not a real man” and other opinions of Lush’s were in the air. With this scant description and a tip that she could start by having a chat with the burly bartender downstairs he had dismissed her. Reluctantly she continued down and approached the fat man. He seemed to be involved with Lush already so she thought it safe to question him, albeit it wasn’t so ideal with all those people around. In order to prevent the conversation from being overheard she walked up close to the bartender, leaned even closer and murmured a question near his right ear. “The man upstairs seemed to think you are the right man to ask for some interesting hearsay and fun gossip … he had heard there’s some entertaining tales about a fop named Marcus Ahysen. “