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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone! This topic comprises 34 pages: 1 2 3 ... 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 ... 32 33 34 Author Topic: A Taxing Time - A Discworld RPG Mrs Wizzard
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posted June 28, 2008 02:29 PM
Thoughts rattled through Verurteilen's mind as she walked away from the restaurant, moving almost in a daze, she thought she was alone
she wasn't
If the smell of fur had not stung her nostrils, Verurteilen would not have noticed the heart beat of someone stalking her from not too far behind, she turned swiftly to see a matted furred, dark brown wolf sitting patiently on the ground before her, it's dark golden eyes stared directly into hers, as if it was expecting something of her
"Vhat is it, Mauria Barlesvay?" Verurteilen scowled, the wolf smiled, and shifted form into a young woman
"What is the hold up, miss Verurteilen?" said Mauria Barleysway, "you would have usually completed your contracts by this point"
"Give me time, Mauria," Verurteilen snarled, "it is not like I alvays get contracts on assassins, I must formulate a new plan if I vish to stalk ze guild undetected, I assure you, you vill be ze first to know vhen I have completed zis contract, save Mr Capenspire, of course"
"Just do not take too long with this," said Mauria, and with that, she was gone, padding her way back down the streets
Verurteilen growled at the sight of the retreating wolf, and then turned to continue on her way, and that was when she felt the heart beat of another person, though this one seemed to be high off of the ground, and it had felt quickened, as if some kind of rush had excited it
Verurteilen looked up, and could see a figure sitting upon a rooftop, but could not make out the face
Curiousity once again took its hold on Verurteilen, and she felt compelled to investigate this
Quietly, she had backed away into the shadows, and swiftly jumped up onto a rooftop not far away, but still close enough for her to get a better view
Ze dentist? Verurteilen said, in her mind, just vhat is he doing up zere? More importantly, just how did he get up zere? No human should have ze ability to jump zat high
[ June 28, 2008, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Blazing Moon ]
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"Talk to the paw, mister, 'cos the whiskers don't want to know!"
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Jake Member Member # 5102
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posted June 29, 2008 07:49 AM
Nathan nodded to Sasha as she left and, as it happened, paid for his meal as well. Talbot definitely seemed ill, his movements were jerky and it seemed that Nathan's presence was making him uncomfortable, or perhaps it was just being inside? The Dentist almost threw the notes at the waiter before disappearing outside. Nathan turned to leave and turned back to the waiter saying.
The one that left already paid for both of us.
He went outside the dentist was nowhere to be seen but Nathan didn't need to see where the guy had gone. As he went to follow the clocks of the city struck the hour and Nathan knew that if he didn't get back to work he would be late and Veinari would want to know why. Cursing the poor timing he scanned about and looked up. Others eyes might not have seen it, but Nathan sure did, he put his fingers to his lips and blew a sharp whistle. Before calling out to Verurteilen.
Oi, Come here, I need you.
His skin crawled, he recognised the figure from the square and had a distinct feeling she might just be something he wasn't going to like, but beggars couldn't be choosers. People around looked at him and then looked up, but they were all unable to see what Nathan could.
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Mrs Wizzard
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posted June 29, 2008 12:49 PM
Verurteilen winced as the sound of the whistle struck the vampire's ears, and left them ringing. She looked down and caught sight of the man who was sitting next to Sasha, beckoning to her. Other people were looking in her direction, but Nathan seemed to be the only one who could see her
Vhat do I look like, a dog? she scowled
Quickly, but silently, she leapt from the roof, more like floating down quickly, rather than falling. She landed a few feet away from Nathan, and turned to him
"Vhat do you vant?" she said, coldly
[ June 29, 2008, 12:50 PM: Message edited by: Blazing Moon ]
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"Talk to the paw, mister, 'cos the whiskers don't want to know!"
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Jake Member Member # 5102
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posted June 29, 2008 01:21 PM
Nathan took a moment to collect himself once she had landed and found himself wondering if this was truly a good idea, but was again reminded of his lack of options.
I'll give you one hundred dollars to follow the man that came out of this restaurant before me. Follow him and I will meet up with you later and you tell me what he did and I'll give you the money. Normally I would be open to negotiation but I am running out of time, either yes or no.
Perhaps not the most polite way to address anyone, especially not a species as proud as a vampire, but he really didn't have the time for it. He waited for her reply.
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Mrs Wizzard
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posted June 29, 2008 02:04 PM
Verurteilen looked at Nathan as her mind replayed his request
He vants me to stalk ze dentist? she thought, sounding shocked
So? her mind answred back, what's the difference if it was you or him?
For one thing, she scowled, if I got caught, I vould be ze vone in trouble
But, you would get the one hundred dollars
I have got twenty times zat amount in my pockets, right now! Besides, I am an assassin, not a spy
It is either do this for him, or answer to Mauria Barleysway why you have not yet even thought about how you were going to take out the assassin
"...All right," she said, after a while, to Nathan, "it is a deal"
[ June 29, 2008, 02:11 PM: Message edited by: Blazing Moon ]
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"Talk to the paw, mister, 'cos the whiskers don't want to know!"
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adie
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posted June 30, 2008 07:36 AM
"Lunch was...short"
Candice looked at the sacks of money, then juumped when Sasha joined them.
"Hun, couunting money isnt as fun as peopel think it is. Its worse when its someone elses money, too."
She strecthed. "What time are we finishing today?"
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Video games dont affect kids. I mean, if Pacman affected us as kids we'd all be running around in a darkened room munching pills and listening to repetitive music...
-Just a thought...
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Tooth Fairy
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posted June 30, 2008 04:47 PM
Talbot felt another presence on the roof and could smell... vampire. He was just beginning to make out an unexpected shape on the roof when he heard footsteps and a sharp, ear-piercing whistle that made him wince with pain. Nathan appeared in the alleyway below and was looking up at him, giving instructions to come down. Talbot was about to comply after all, he was feeling thirsty when a shadow close by swooped down to the ground and transformed from an indistinct shape into a woman, standing with her back to him. So, the summons wasn t for him. Probably best not to stay around.
He turned and leapt across a few more rooftops, heading who knows where. The feeling of disorientation was unexpected and his thirst was increasing. A clomp of heels on the cobblestones below heralded the timely arrival of a passer-by. Anything would do at this point. He landed silently almost on top of the unwary stranger who had barely time to exclaim before Talbot s teeth had sunk with surprising precision into his bared neck. Moments later the man, drained of his lifeblood, slumped to the floor. Talbot looked at the still figure. It was not someone he recognised, but his victim seemed to have been clutching something in his hand that looked almost like the pouch he had lost. Curiosity getting the better of him, Talbot bent down to take a closer look and was about to pick it up when a faint sound from deep in the alleyway disturbed him and he decided it was time to leave.
Wiping traces of blood from his mouth, Talbot emerged into the main street and, recognising the buildings ahead of him, began to stroll nonchalantly in the direction of the River Ankh. He felt sated and alert. That had been just what he needed. He licked the inside of his mouth and found that his teeth had returned to their usual size. Perhaps now was the time to make his way home.
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"The banana is. I will eat the banana. There is no banana. I want another banana." - Ape Philosophy
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Jake Member Member # 5102
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posted July 01, 2008 04:12 AM
Annoyed that he was forced to leave the pursuit to hired help, he banged open the door to the Tax office and moved over to the map.
There s still plenty of daylight!
He shouted into the vault where the sound of conversation came from.
Let s go and shake a some thieves and see what falls out.
Something had happened to the dentist, someone had taken the pouch and their scent was strange. Most vexing of all, he knew that if someone had the pouch who saw it merely as something of value, they would sell it very quickly and it would be gone very quickly. The clock had started ticking again and instead of being what he should be, because of a couple of missing assassins and no proof, he was standing here giving back to the city . He hit the desk with his fist, making an ink well jump and sending the crystal inside spinning to the ground where it shattered, sending shards tinkling everywhere and ink oozing slowly outwards in an uneven stain.
Are we going?
He said again, he was certainly not in the mood to take s**t from ANY of the guilds.
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Mrs Wizzard
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posted July 01, 2008 02:15 PM
After Nathan had left, Verurteilen turned to take out her orders, only to find that the dentist was no longer on the roof, she could feel his heartbeat, retreating quickly
She swiftly followed it, easily keeping on his track, until she found the body, it was stone cold, already, being drained off all of its blood, some of it staining the ground, Verurteilen idly nudged the corpse with her boot
Heh, she thought, this man is lying here, dead, and Talbot has just come this vay, unfortuneately, I think zat I know vhere zis is headed, but I am not surprised
It was then that she noticed the small pouch in the dead man's hand, leaning down, she carefully pried it from his clutch, and placed it in her cloak, Nathan might want to know about this
Continuing along the path, Verurteilen found herself stalking about twenty yards behind the dentist, she attempted to hide in the shadows as she persued him, reminding herself to be cautious, afterall, his senses might have hightened
[ July 01, 2008, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: Blazing Moon ]
-
"Talk to the paw, mister, 'cos the whiskers don't want to know!"
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Tooth Fairy
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posted July 01, 2008 03:22 PM
The acrid smell of the Ankh was potent and threatened to overwhelm all his senses but Talbot sensed someone watching him. It had happened a lot that evening and he wondered why. Normally his life followed an unexciting and routine path but over the past few days it had become disjointed and strange. He wondered if this accounted for his sudden illnesses . Was his metabolism becoming unstable?
As he walked, Talbot began to feel more and more like his usual self. Whatever had been ailing him seemed to be subsiding and the paranoia that had overtaken him earlier was diminishing. He shook his head as if to dislodge the remnants of the evening s events. That was better. Everything around him seemed normal well, as normal as it ever did in the City and so close to The Shades. As if under autopilot, Talbot s steps turned towards his lodging and his face resumed its placid, daydreamy look. And as for someone watching him, he must have imagined it. The street was deserted apart from a few rats scurrying in and out of a nearby eaterie.
Inside his shirt, the amulet sighed contentedly and drifted off into its equivalent of a deep sleep. To all intents and purposes it seemed now no more than a simple necklet. Whatever had activated it was no longer in evidence.
A scuffle in a nearby alley heralded a Thieves Guild encounter but Talbot was back in a world of his own and observed nothing.
[ July 01, 2008, 03:26 PM: Message edited by: Tooth Fairy ]
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"The banana is. I will eat the banana. There is no banana. I want another banana." - Ape Philosophy
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Jeannie
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posted July 02, 2008 07:52 AM
Sasha had been stood just inside the vault when Nathan yelled inside and she came out now wincing and banging her right ear with her hand.
"You know, me actually paying for my own lunch is a rare and remarkable event, let alone being gracious enough to foot the bill for someone elses and what thanks do I get? Being rendered half deaf"
Shaking her head to try and clear her ringing ear she walked into the office then stopped and watched the inkwell fall and shatter. Sasha crossed her arms, giving Nathan a raised eyebrow
"Dare I ask?"
When he asked if they were going to the Thieves Guild now Sasha was silent for a moment, her grin fading. After a few seconds she shrugged "Ah what the hell, might as well get it over with."
She wandered back towards the vault leant around the door frame and called over to Illyah "Hey boss? Are we going after them today or what?"
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"Were you proposing to shoot these people in cold blood, sergeant?"
"Nossir. Just a warning shot inna head, sir."
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Mina Harker
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posted July 02, 2008 08:56 AM
Mirabell started in surprise at the sound of Nathan's shout, and emerged from the shady corner of the room where she had been sitting watching the money fall through the machine.
"We're going to the Thieves guild now?" This was bad news in a way. It was only a matter of time before they started on the assassin's guild..
"So.. did we get the right amount there? What do we do if it's less?" Meera stretched and becoming more awake again added "actually, what do we do if the people we're collecting from don't have the money to pay us?"
An image of Mirabell's family being forced to part with all their hard-earned savings popped into her head, and Meera fell silent. As she did so, she appeared to melt back into the shadows again.
Tax-collectors are evil round where I live. What will my family think when they find out that I am one?
It was a funny old world indeed when government officials were considered evil while assassins were deemed perfectly acceptable.
[ July 02, 2008, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: Mina Harker ]
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Thumpy
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posted July 02, 2008 01:03 PM
Illyah shut down the machine and walked out of the vault into the office. The glittering pile in the bucket down below had grown.
"Well, I hadn't thought we'd be able to make two calls in one day, but seeing as how smoothly we did this morning...why not?"
Noticing the agitated state Nathan was in and then failing to hit the mark, Illyah figured that Nathan was just getting excited about the new job.
He consulted the ledger on his desk and found the entry for the Thieves Guild.
"Oh my."
Fumbling for a pencil and paper he copied down the numbers and then checked again to make sure he hadn't made a mistake.
"We're going to need a bigger coach."
He almost didn't see Meera - again she seemed to melt into the background.
"I don't think we'll have to worry about the Guilds not being able to pay. As for the regular folk, their share won't be that big. Actually, I'm hoping that once we collect enough from the Guilds, there could be an opportunity to lower the taxes owed by the citizens."
He wasn't sure if he could do that - that would be something Vetinari would have to do. But somewhere, there had to be a bright spot, there had to be a bit of good that could come of this.
"I'll have to speak with his lordship anyway about getting us some proper coaches and such, maybe I can put a bug in his ear."
You do and he'll put a spike in yours.
"Alright then ladies, sir, let's go and introduce ourselves to Mr...er, Mr J.H. Boggis."
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Go on, prove me wrong. Destroy the fabric of the universe. See if I care. -Terry Pratchett
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Jake Member Member # 5102
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posted July 04, 2008 09:01 AM
Once again Nathan found himself standing before a large and very solid door. The small golem stood next to him and a pair of very suspicious eyes peered at the small group through the slit in the door.
What do you want?
A small crowd had formed around the entrance to the guild, people had obviously read the latest edition of the Times and where hoping, as so many Ankh-Morpork citizens do, that something exciting would happen to someone else.
We are from the newly formed Tax Office and are here to perform some licensed thievery.
Nathan smiled sweetly and held up Vetinari s letter.
Oh, the Irony.
The eyes behind the slit did not get any friendlier, in fact one might say that they became decidedly unfriendly. One might think that Nathan was not the most diplomatic of the party, yet this was his second time doing it.
Gonna, take more en a piece of paper to get you in ere.
Nathan appeared to brighten like a child, but there was a decidedly nasty gleam in his eye.
You don t know how much I was hoping you d say that.
He cleared his throat, but before he told Spinner to open the door He felt a hand on his shoulder and tensed. Looking round he smiled innocently.
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Mrs Wizzard
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posted July 04, 2008 08:18 PM
As Verurteilen continued pursuing the man as Nathan had ordered, she noticed that his heartbeat seemed to drop and steady itself, and she felt hers do the same, now feeling safer, and less threatened by the chance of being discovered
No sooner had hers gone back down, had it begun to once again pick up, as she sensed the presence of another one or two hearts beating, in an alleyway not to far away, the way they seemed quite set in not moving brought her to the conclusion that the beats must belong to a pawn of the Thieve's Guild
Ze man is a dentist, she thought, to herself, vhat does he have zat ze Thieve's Guild vould possibly even vant to steal?
[ July 04, 2008, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: Blazing Moon ]
-
"Talk to the paw, mister, 'cos the whiskers don't want to know!"
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