Café de Nuit

Kaitou Kage wrote:"And in Hazlan, we do not have the --" Cyrus smiled and made a vague, all-encompassing gesture "-- relentless upheaval and borderline anarchy you have here."

"And it is easy to see why," Lia replies calmly. If she is suggesting anything, she at least has the good grace not to say it out loud.

"I am so thrilled you agree, Professor," Cyrus said with finality before turning toward Celeste.

"I fear we may be on different sides of this issue, Lady Viardot," the Hazlani's snakelike smile had returned, "I find disorder too lacking in artistic value. I prefer a method to madness. But differences are what make conversations so exciting, don't you think?"

Rock wrote:Shall we simply agree to respect each other's positions in this matter? I do not wish to deny anyone else their faith, and would appreciate if I am likewise left to my own religious devices."

"That would do well, Professeur, as it is not my duty nor goal to disturb the peace. This is, of course, if it could be agreed among...everyone." Nerit swung her gaze toward Cyrus.

M. Boucher & Mlle. Zweibach wrote:"Mademoiselle, I agreed with you," Theirri protested, palming the coin more agitatedly now. "What becomes of anyone once death claims them? The truth of them is rotted away - only a paper shell of half-guesses and lies are left, pasted together by others into their image. You must not think my stated admiration insincere. Faerie-tales and falsehoods are the greatest of mankind's affectations."

"To treat the memory of the dead like that dishonors them," was all Katja had to say.

“Ah, but I fear that both of you have the wrong of me, my fellow-philosophers.” Celeste gave a mediating smile, attempting to address both debaters equally. “Mlle. Zweibach, I should never dream of underrating the memory of each individual…without the individual will, after all, may any act of importance be undertaken? But History, Lady bless her, marches ever onward. I daresay I should have it otherwise, had I the charge of such things, but the motives of even the most doughty single actor may be lost to the mists of time, given the passage of years. What, then are we of the present to adhere to, when the individual is ages gone?” She cast her gaze about the gallery, taking in the entire scene. “Look about us! The glorious abstract may yet be our guide, even when memory fades.”

“And M. Boucher—for this inquiry leads me to you—I shall have no aspersions on the character of Glory, this night!” She gave the magician a wry smile, and a mock scolding gesture with her fan. “Simply because the likes of Honor and Valor are constructions of mere humanity, it does not follow that they are untrue! Ideals, perhaps, but surely ideals we may see in the world about us, and thusly strive to achieve, no? If believing otherwise should keep me from witnessing an occasion as glorious…why, then, I imagine the cynic’s path should be no pleasure at all!” She chuckled lightly.

M. Eisenwald wrote:"Next day, I'm up early, but I decide to say goodbye since my obligation is finished." Tomas turns to make eye contact, smiling hollowly. "The man's wound got infected from dirty sheets, bedbugs, sudden rise in his yellow bile...whatever." Tomas shrugs at this, adds, "I'm going to go ahead, make sure Andrei hasn't been waiting on us." and moves to do so.

Celeste had listened to the tale with mounting interest…and looked positively shocked by the end of it. “Oh, M. Eisenwald!” She trotted a few steps after him, trying to catch him before he left. “I had no…oh, forgive my lack of consideration! Mere philosophy has no place in the light of tangible experience; if my idle discourse gave rise to painful memory, I should not be able to console myself!"

"The same goes for all of those present—“ she nodded respectfully at Katja in particular, but to Thierri as well. “I am woefully unused to the acquaintance of the truly valorous professions: only alert me if I ever threaten to provoke such unhappy feelings, and I shall curtail myself with all speed.”

Guignol Museum, University of Dementlieu, Port-a-Lucine; March 9th, 770, 8:02 PM
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Rock wrote:Shall we simply agree to respect each other's positions in this matter? I do not wish to deny anyone else their faith, and would appreciate if I am likewise left to my own religious devices."

Nerit wrote:"That would do well, Professeur, as it is not my duty nor goal to disturb the peace. This is, of course, if it could be agreed among...everyone." Nerit swung her gaze toward Cyrus.

"That's all I wished," Richard said. He was all politeness, but rather stiff; he looked as though he'd be tugging at his collar if it wasn't poor manners. "I had, I have no objection to you, to anyone, stating their positions on, on faith, provided you have no objection to mine in response."

The Whistler wrote:“Ah, but I fear that both of you have the wrong of me, my fellow-philosophers.” Celeste gave a mediating smile, attempting to address both debaters equally. “Mlle. Zweibach, I should never dream of underrating the memory of each individual…without the individual will, after all, may any act of importance be undertaken? But History, Lady bless her, marches ever onward. I daresay I should have it otherwise, had I the charge of such things, but the motives of even the most doughty single actor may be lost to the mists of time, given the passage of years. What, then are we of the present to adhere to, when the individual is ages gone?” She cast her gaze about the gallery, taking in the entire scene. “Look about us! The glorious abstract may yet be our guide, even when memory fades.”

“And M. Boucher—for this inquiry leads me to you—I shall have no aspersions on the character of Glory, this night!” She gave the magician a wry smile, and a mock scolding gesture with her fan. “Simply because the likes of Honor and Valor are constructions of mere humanity, it does not follow that they are untrue! Ideals, perhaps, but surely ideals we may see in the world about us, and thusly strive to achieve, no? If believing otherwise should keep me from witnessing an occasion as glorious…why, then, I imagine the cynic’s path should be no pleasure at all!” She chuckled lightly.

"Exactly!" Thierri said, his eyes widening in excitement. For once, he looked actually, genuinely pleased. "Just as I said, mademoiselle. I tell you again, do not mistake my admiration as insincere. Simply because they are lies does not degrade their merit - lies are truly mankind's finest works. What does truth matter if no one knows it to act upon it, or if it causes more trouble than good? No, a lie does just as well as the truth, and if enough people believe in it, it becomes the truth! It is truly marvellous!"

"Lies," Katja snorted. "An excuse for people to twist reality to their own liking. Perhaps this country has had too much of your lies, M. Boucher. The poor have looked up from their hunger and squalor and poverty and gotten sick of the rich telling them they are happy."

"You, I am certain, are a creature without deceit," Thierri replied archly. "Those from Lamordia have little use for anything you cannot see demonstrated and measured."

Katja did not seem moved enough by the comment to answer it.

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Tomas wrote:Tomas shrugs at this, adds, "I'm going to go ahead, make sure Andrei hasn't been waiting on us." and moves to do so.

Only a blind man could've gotten lost on the way to the exhibition hall. The corridors were broad and well constructed, and the carved plaster signs giving everyone directions were prominent and easy to follow.

Perhaps because you didn't need to pay much attention to directions, you could notice the ever-increasing numbers of gendarmes around the Guignol Museum. Having been alerted to their presence, it was easy to see that there were indeed a lot of them. In their blue uniforms they were easy enough to spot, though most had doffed the caps of their calling. And as you got closer and closer to the exhibition hall, more and more of the soldier-police of Dementlieu could be seen.

At a corridor just around the corner from the exhibition hall, the facade of being casual visitors to the museum was dropped. Four gendarmes, rifles at hand, stood across the hall, even as nearby a blank-faced couple examined a marble statue from the 720s. As you approached, you heard raised voices from the direction of the exhibition hall.

"Excuse me, sirs and madams, but this part of the museum is closed." One of the gendarmes said, gently but firmly. "By the orders of Captain Severin Reynaud."

"...imbecilic... clods..." Voices could be heard distantly. The gendarmes stiffened to a kind of nervous attention. "... how can... four foot long..."

"...very suspicious... your watch... never happened..." A second voice, just as strident as the first, retorted. The couple, a pair of pensioneers in their sixties continued to calmly regard the statue. They were probably half-deaf. "...will be displeased..."

"Displeased?!... throw a damn fit!" The voices were becoming clearer now, and you realized they were approaching you. "Lord Simon... will complain vigorously... lax security."

"Forced to consider... all involved as suspects..." The speaker turned the corner, and you were greeted with the vision of a tall, lean-featured gendarme captain in the blue uniform, with a hawk-like nose and thick, black brows. "There shall be consequences if it is not recovered."

"Yes, thank you, I rather figured that out for myself." The second speaker was a rather more familiar face. He was still a little pale, still with the same black hair, still looking a little damp, as if he'd just walked out from under a sudden drizzle. Professor Andre Theroux also happened to look severely annoyed at life. He stopped and looked at the gathered group in the hallway, relief flooding his features. "Thank you Lady. Sebastian, Charles... Lia, Tomas, Remy, tell me you're all real and not a hallucination of my over-stressed grey matter just now."

"Huh?" Tomas blinks, his little drama party sort of being foiled(Well, only Celeste seeming to have listened to the story did that.) by his own guileless nature. "Oh, golly, no. It's a museum, you're going to talk about art. Don't worry about it." Tomas grins, then, winking at Celeste before adjusting his coat. He has a plan. What is this plan?

"Andre!" Tomas booms as though he had not overheard these GRIM TIDINGS, and takes advantage of being over thirty by grabbing the man by the shoulders and pulling him into a hug that could well snap the professor in half were he not to soggy to break in that fashion. "It has been too long!"

"-but what is this questioning?" Tomas blinks, setting Andre down, and pinches his rear end. "There, logic prevails. Hay, you lot, get in a line, I need to check and see if we are real or creatures of smoke created by Andre's steam withered mind!"

"Oh, hallo." Tomas offers to All Those Cops, waving as though they were jolly traffic officers instead of hard broiled detectives. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I have not seen my old friend for some time. Is something the matter?"

"Andre!" Lia calls out, smiling widely - again without parting her lips. The hug she bestows on professor Theroux is a bit more civilized than the one Tomas gave him, but no less enthusiastic. "It's been simply forever," she enthuses, holding the other academic at arm's length and gently shaking him. "How are you?"

Tomas pinches Lia on the arm, after she's done.

"Need to make sure you aren't a hallucination." Tomas explains ruefully.

Kerrian disengaged from conversation on the possibility of charity balls, having come to the conclusion that yes, common sense was unfortunately anything but. And again, apparently there was a happy reunion of old friends that he would quite simply be intruding on.

So instead he did the sensible thing, and after a look around, turned to the gendarme captain. "Officer, what's wrong?" trying for his best "Look, the immigrant is trying to be helpful!" voice.

OOC:21 on a perception check...trying to see if there's anything obvious that could point out "Oh, that's wrong"

M. Boucher wrote:"Exactly!" Thierri said, his eyes widening in excitement. For once, he looked actually, genuinely pleased. "Just as I said, mademoiselle. I tell you again, do not mistake my admiration as insincere. Simply because they are lies does not degrade their merit - lies are truly mankind's finest works. What does truth matter if no one knows it to act upon it, or if it causes more trouble than good? No, a lie does just as well as the truth, and if enough people believe in it, it becomes the truth! It is truly marvelous!"

“My pardon, but I am afraid we do not quite understand one another…” Celeste’s expression was rather confused by the end of the magician’s speech, as if the two of them had started talking at cross-purposes somewhere down the line.

M. Eisenwald wrote:"Oh, golly, no. It's a museum, you're going to talk about art. Don't worry about it."

…Though she was distracted from the debate easily enough by Tomas’ comment. “Oh, splendid! My mind is set at ease. Come—we shall find this Professor Theroux and greet him as happy circumstance befits.”

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Celeste waits until Andre has a chance to greet all of his prior acquaintances before attempting to make one herself. “Celeste Mirielle Viardot of Bienassis—charmed, Professor! And who is this valiant defender of our city who stands beside you?”

Guignol Museum, University of Dementlieu, Port-a-Lucine; March 9th, 770, 8:08 PM
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Tomas wrote:"Andre!" Tomas booms as though he had not overheard these GRIM TIDINGS, and takes advantage of being over thirty by grabbing the man by the shoulders and pulling him into a hug that could well snap the professor in half were he not to soggy to break in that fashion. "It has been too long!"

Lia wrote:"It's been simply forever," she enthuses, holding the other academic at arm's length and gently shaking him. "How are you?"

"Tomas... Ribs... " Came a somewhat strangled voice as the Lamordian bear-hugged the dapper academic. Andre tried to breathe again, checking to make sure he wasn't missing a lung. "Hello Lia. I've been well, but who are all these folks, your new housemates?"

"And a few old tent-mates." Remy said with a subtle smile. He glanced at the rest of the group, then decided to get the introductions out of the way. "This is Professor Andre Theroux. Prof. Theroux, these are the rest of the lodgers."

"Charmed. Charles, you actually rented that thing out. I don't know whether to be jealous or appalled." Andre said, sketching a quick bow to the rest of you. "Sorry about all this. I'd planned to have a proper welcome but... something came up."

Celeste wrote:“Celeste Mirielle Viardot of Bienassis—charmed, Professor! And who is this valiant defender of our city who stands beside you?”

Kerrian wrote:So instead he did the sensible thing, and after a look around, turned to the gendarme captain. "Officer, what's wrong?"

"Bonjour, Mademouselle." The gendarme's voice turned moderately more polite. "I am Captain Severin Reynaud, and I am in charge of this unholy disaster."

"What is wrong, I shall tell you what is wrong." The lean-featured captain said his voice rising. "Soon everyone shall know what is wrong!"

"It's... a bit of a private situation." Andre said hurriedly, giving Reynaud what could only be described as a please shut up look. "We probably shouldn't talk about it till I talk to Lord de Casteelle."

"But monsieur, the young man asked a question. Surely you free-thinkers would wish me to answer a question, yes?" Reynaud hissed. He turned to Kerrian. "What is wrong is this entire University! For centuries, since the founding of our nation, the descendants of the original Council of Brilliance have held our nation's artifacts in sacred trust. For three months, for three months, they are given over to the University."

"And it takes the University not quite three months to lose them!" Captain Reynaud said with a spiteful glare at Andre. "The most sacred symbols of our country, even the Sword of Leon, have been stolen!"

"Well...So much for secrecy." Prof. Theroux sighed. "Congratulations Reynaud, you exemplify the very best of Dementlieuse petty-aristocracy. Spiteful, stupid, and histrionic."

"Well...So much for secrecy." Prof. Theroux sighed.

"Not necessarily Professor." Mr. Agale stepped forward and addressed Theroux and the Captain. "While I cannot speak for the others, I personally have no reason to further spread rumor regarding this matter. Should it assist you, my lips are sealed on the matter."

He clasped his hands behind his back and continued. "Now Captain, if I might render assistance in suggesting a course of actions to rectify this unfortunate circumstance Sir. First and foremost, discretion is key. Should my new neighbors also agree to remain silent, there is no reason anyone beyond ourselves and your men need know what has occurred tonight, at least in the short run.

Second, obviously is to solve the crime itself, capture the thieves and recover the artifacts. No small task, and perhaps not a quick one either.

Should that be the case, I would finally advise you to quickly secure facsimiles of the stolen antiques so as not to alarm the public. Due to the nature of the theft, I would conjecture that that the perpetrators did not seek financial gain. Dementliu's treasures are far too conspicuous to liquidate, even on illegitimate markets. Instead, I would imagine public unrest rather than direct financial gain is likely the thieves' objective. It would be unwise to allow them to succeed in that respect.

As Mr. Boucher was just remarking, sometimes lies can as well if not better than the truth. That is, at least until the matter is resolved."

Diplomacy 34 to convince the captain to follow my suggestion.

"The ... sacred symbols of Dementlieu?" Lia ... blinks. And raises one hand to cover her mouth. She coughs a few times and her shoulders slightly tremble, but then control seems to have been regained.

"Just to be perfectly sure, monsieur Renaud, which artifacts are these in all? In which room were they kept? When was it discovered that they had been stolen? Speaking for myself, I have little to no desire to reveal this ... unfortunate business. The preservation of artifacts of the past is part of my life's work, so if I can aid in retrieving these ..."

(OOC: Insight checks for who wants them. )

The first thing Tomas thinks is, didn't Leon just sort of meander over the border and take over through sheer force of personality?

The second thing he thinks is, wow, Agale seems to have had experience in this. Another spy?

The third thing he thinks is not pronounceable but he does make a note to speak to Lia about not openly antagonizing people who can arrest you.

What he says is, "What, are they, how you say, enchanted? Whomsoever finds this sword shall become the rightful king of Greater Mordent, that sort of deal?"

(OOC: 15 on the insight roll, Rock. Knew my hot streak'd end soon enough.)

Nerit blinked.

"Well, that is most unfortunate..." she trailed off, watching the others. Were they really expecting to get involved in a legal matter?
She nodded toward Lia. "Yes, which sacred symbols do you refer to?"

"What, are they, how you say, enchanted? Whomsoever finds this sword shall become the rightful king of Greater Mordent, that sort of deal?"

The nun's face contorted into skepticism, and a hint of something else. Hardly sacred in the greater picture of things.


(10 for Insight. Nevermind.)