Act I Siffrin Part 6 Evening Schemes
@0silverbluedragon1
Mirabelle's idea was to eavesdrop near the edge of town. Most people would be passing through Dormont's center before heading home for the night. Bonnie was able to show you all a nearby corner behind various buildings they used to hide from the guards. From the safety of the hiding spot you overhear two guards that had snuck off from active duty.
"-Look, I hate this job as much as you but I'd rather not get on the King's bad side over your lazy butt." the first grumbled.
"Will you just relax?" the second sighed.
"Look, think of it this way, right? With how angry the King is the the Head Housemaiden turned traitor our captain will be in no mood to give him more reasons to blow his lid. If we're caught then it will be a bad look on him too, what kind of captain would he be if he can't keep his soldiers in line? Logically, the best thing for him to do would be to let it slide. Besides, with all the chaos going around, he's got his hands full keeping the populace from panicking."
"Where is that guy anyway?"
"Last I saw him he was heading further towards the East side of Dormont. Took a few guards with him too. Probably a safety precaution to make sure the citizens get to their homes without any more incidents."
"...I guess you're right about one thing, it means less work for us."
"Sounds like Isabeau might be at the East side!" Mirabelle whispers.
"But there's also a lot more guards there too..." Bonnie winces.
"...And other people. We'll need to be careful!" Mirabelle nods.
Siffrin frowns. "Should we hide until we get close?" The guards they don't want might try to guide them back to their houses, and in the process learn that they don't have any to go back to.
He doesn't have anywhere to go back to.
...
They don't actually have to go far, as they hear a bigger cluster of guards just a few hiding spots along.
In the center of them is a taller man, mostly forgoing the uniform for some reason. Of the bit he has incorporated into his outfit, it looks plenty different. That's the captain, alright.
Although, calling him 'the captain' feels wrong. He's leading fine, but he doesn't look like he wants to be leading a group.
This is near where Siffrin started, so they recognize the stalls and stands. Last time, they were returning something. Now...
The nervousness in their chest morphs into a kind of excitement. These people will never know about their broken mind. They'll put on a show, and this character is all they'll be for a while.
Here goes nothing. He looks back at Mirabelle and Bonnie, flashes a smile, and dashes into the crowd.
"That's a good idea...." Mirabelle sighed.
"The less we have to be around the guards the better..."
"Tell me about it." Bonnie grumbled.
The guards don't pick up your movements as you weave through various cover spots to get close enough to the guard cluster further ahead. When you see your time to enact your plan, you take it. Looking back you see Bonnie anxiously holding their breath knowing about your risky, but necessary plan. Mirabelle's face carries the same fear.
"Siffrin, be careful...." she whispers worriedly.
You hear many panicked voices as you hide yourself among the villagers.
"To think that such a sweet girl like Mirabelle would suddenly go rogue like that..."
"She's lived here her whole life, what could she possibly have to gain from all this...?"
"What will she do next?"
"Will she do something dangerous...?!"
"For all we know she could be among us at this very moment...."
"...Right under our noses..."
Despite the scarily accurate guesses the crowd remains completely oblivious to you. The crowd is far too busy waiting on the guards' words to notice you weaving through them.
"Everyone! If I can have your eyes and ears please?" the Captain shouts firmly but politely. The people go quiet.
"...This is a stressful time for all of us....For my part, I had personally worked with the former Head Housemaiden and it saddens me that this turn of events has led to our working relationship ceasing to be. But the past is something we cannot change. Instead we should be grateful for the present day. Today at this moment everyone is here safe and sound. The safety of Dormont and all its citizens are our first priority and it always will be. You can all go home and rest assured that you will be safe."
At his speech the crown seemed to have calmed down a bit. But you could still hear distressed and uncertain mumbling as the citizens returned to their homes.
"Captain, if I may." a guard spoke
"Go ahead Phillippe." the captain responded.
"Perhaps we should investigate the citizenry before we send them off? The King gave us permission to frisk those that might be a threat and he expects us to leave no stone unturned."
"No."
"But sir-"
"Everyone here is innocent until proven guilty. Until then they are human beings trying to live their lives and protect their families. I meant it when I said protecting them is our top priority, and if we treat them all as criminals then no one will be safe. Tonight everyone has gone home safe and sound. I think it's safe to say that's a wrap."
Ooh, they like this guy. They wish more defenders had his mindset.
However, this does make him second guess committing a crime right then. Proving the other guard wrong, even for good reason, might cause them to push people around who have nothing to do with this.
...They can wait a little bit.
It makes them restless having to stay out in the open for so long. Especially when the crowd starts dissipating. Which is what they wanted, but it leaves them more exposed.
After about half an hour, they deem it good enough. He can't imagine how nervous the others must be, waiting.
He takes a deep breath, stares at his target (a fancy looking pair of dangly earrings, among the clutter of stuff the guards aren't currently using (earrings? In a pile of weapons?)),
and sprints towards the small cluster of guards.
They're not relieved to feel the cool metal on their fingers, no! Of course they grabbed it first try!
They twist on their heel, skidding along the dirt path and brandishing the stolen jewelry at the people they just took it from.
Time to put on a show!
"Won't mind if I take this, will ya?" He raises the earrings up higher, so they catch light from a dying sunset.
As the guards start to yell, he interrupts. "My, so indecisive!" He laughs, almost innocent if not for the way he's steadily backing away to keep them at a safe distance.
"Lucky I'm here to decide what to do!" With that, they begin a chase through the small town.
"Oh, they would look lovely on you!" th captain says with seemingly complete earnesty.
"...Wait a second!" he suddenly blinked.
"Thief!"
"After him!"
"I told him he shouldn't have brought them..."
The guards are hot on your trail! You'll have to find a way to split them up so the the captain is alone.
"He's heading towards the center of town to the west!"
"No, I saw him go back to the east!"
"Well crab you two which is it?"
...It seems like you're on the right track. You'll have to be careful of dead ends in alleys between buildings, but if you play your cards right they might be useful traps to confuse them even further.
They turn corners, dodge what few pedestrians are still out, and laugh mockingly.
"What kind of defenders are you? Never dealt with a little robbery, huh?"
He snaps his fingers. A fork in the road. He can't use this one, but it gives him an idea...
Once he enters an area he recognizes, he's hit with a wave of unsurety.
Please be the area I think it is please be the area I think it is please be the area I think it is-
Oh, thank the stars! It's not the same as last time he was here (which is... oddly comforting?), but that split in the path is all he needs.
Well, he needs a hiding spot too.
He doesn't have much time. Uhhh-
They leap into an empty crate and crouch down as far as they can. Grabbing the lid would be too loud, so they feel horribly exposed.
Hopefully the guards all assume they want down one of the paths. Hopefully he can split them up.
Of the moments where you got a look at the defenders you had noticed that the captain had disappeared for a moment. Fortunately, you hear his voice again as he addresses the other guards.
"Everyone listen up!" he barks.
"We'll have to split up to catch up to them! Emile, Pierre, Rico, and Giovanni will take the left side, everyone else will go on the right."
"Yes sir!" They cry. Their boots crunch against the ground until you can't hear anything anymore.
"I'll admit, that was a pretty clever trick." the captain sighs.
"Looks like the coast is clear now, I better get back to see Bonbon right away!...Thank every deity known to man they don't seem to be hurt but...Well I guess I'll just have to ask them in person where they've been ever since they disappeared..."
It seems that Mirabelle and Bonnie got his attention in the chaos earlier and your plan was successful, you hope. Before you can relax you hear the air go completely silent. Crickets go quiet, distant sounds of pedestrians are gone, and even the evening breeze is stilled. It has happened again, the world is freezing over in time! The only light you see is the light from the stone in your pants pocket you got from the house earlier. It glows with greater intensity as everything fades to lightlessnes.
"H-Huh...?" you hear a voice that you recognize as the captain's. It drips with a stupor one would have when they wake up from a deep slumber.
"What happened...? It got so cold out of nowhere...I" his breath abruptly hitched.
"Is-Is this the curse?! Oh crab, it spread all over town! The birds, the bugs, and even the-" he loudly gasped.
"Bonbon!"
The only sound you hear is his boots crunching on the path as he runs off.
They shudder. No matter how many times they deal with it, the freeze will always be unpleasant.
His skin crawls with the cold, but the stone in his hands is... significantly warmer than their hands. About room temperature, but with everything else being so cold, it feels unnaturally warm.
He didn't crawl out of the crate immediately. He was still catching their breath, and... they were still a little bit cautious that it was a trick.
But when he runs off, they leap over the sides and follow.
They didn't think about this. Should they have thought about this? Mirabelle's immune, but what about Bonnie?
How did Isa not get frozen?
Will he have to loop ba-
His head. A lance of pain slices his head in half, digs itself into his abdomen. His stomach. He coughs, retches. His mouth tastes like sugar.
He's sweaty and pale when he gets back to his feet. These... migraines keep getting worse.
Wasn't it something about memories? Home? Family? They've never heard of memory-induced migraines, but someone... someone told them this.
They look at their hands...
and jump. It was them it was them it was another version of them that told them that.
How did he forget that??
If he's forgetting about his own magic doppelganger... how much else will he lose?
