Havos Mansion-Ulysses' Home

[Ulysses Septimus]

My home

[Ulysses Septimus]

*training in the Arena*

[Ulysses Septimus]

"The pirates of Skull Island are becoming a nuisance." *Ulysses stabs a dummy in the skull* "they must be eradicated, and fast."

[Ulysses Septimus]

*goes to sleep*

[Ulysses Septimus]

*Dresses up in the Huntsman outfit and marches out the door*

[Ulysses Septimus]

"I must prepare for the Carnevale." Ulysses beguns to put on his outfit.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses nodded as the final steps were taken, now all he needs is to wait for the others to be here...

[Hannah Durante]

((Nice threads! ...I'll have to find one for Hannerz if google will stop showing me kinky costumes .))

It had been a week since the incident at Granchia, and Hannah had been relieved at the fact she had not seen that human Armada officer, Ulysses, once ever since.   Having run into him the second time and watching what he had done to his attacker had been enough to set her paranoia on edge, giving her great concern that she had been deemed suspicious in some way or another, a 'person of interest' the Armada had wanted investigated for one reason or another.   She had taken the entire thing seriously, perhaps too much so, refusing to sleep without her more impressive weapon- a pristine, ornately-decorated halberd she had gained as one of several rewards for the service she had shown during the Polarian war.   Just in case.  Thankfully it hadn't proven necessary, though the buccaneer still wasn't so sure it was smart to stray away from her ritual, until she knew for sure she was not one of the citizens regarded in need of observation.

So then, why was she here at the Havos mansion tonight, amidst a rather large, diverse, colorful crowd, when research had yielded that the man she had been relieved to avoid was currently the primary estate holder?   What in the name of the entire spiral could have possessed her to willingy walk onto his property, with how paranoid she felt?  And the little, but still unsettling information she had discovered about his less 'public' persona?

Well...perhaps willingly was a bit of a stretch.   Hannah frowned behind her mask as she shot a glare to the unicorn mare beside her, one of her mother's friends that had been rather insistent she attend the carnival as always- that somebody had to wear her mother's most cherished costume, and had been quick to rattle off an entire speech about how 'good' it looked on her, if it would convince her to tag along.   Bianca had not been willing to let her just stay home when excitement had turned into hesitation the second she'd heard the location of this year's festivities...and since she couldn't exactly go into great detail on why she had changed her mind so quickly, she'd had little choice but to make up as many pathetic excuses as she could until the unicorn had worn her down.

"I'm here against my will, just for the record."  The buccaneer reiterated for the umpteenth time as they disembarked the boat they'd hitched a ride on over, to which Bianca only gave a half-amused, half-exasperated whinny.

"Oh Hannah, you willa enjoy yourself here, you will see- the Havos estate is very lovely.   You are staring to sound like your mother more each and every day...She too, was stubborn about these things at times."

Hannah couldn't help but smirk at the mention of her mother, trying to imagine a much younger Bianca and her roaming around the Valencian party scene, and her mother being every inch the stubborn buccaneer she was.

"Hey, I got into the dress, didn't I?"  She laughed back, still fairly uncertain about this entire thing, but starting to calm down the closer they got to where the party was being held.   The crowd, much like the home and property, were huge.   Though humans were a little more inconspicuous in a gathering of any kind, there were so many people, so many faces, Hannah was starting to feel perhaps she could blend in the entire time...even when Bianca was inevitably asked to dance and dragged away from her by some strapping young stallion.   Despite the fact that man was probably here somewhere, with so many people on his grounds, what were the odds they'd have to interact at all?  He had much more important members of Valencian society to mingle with, judging from some of the more elaborate costumes she spotted amongst the crowd.

Maybe...Maybe this would be fun after all, like all the previous carnivals.  

"If only Rylee coulda see you now..I think she would be most touched."

Hannah snorted as she and the unicorn headed for the middle of the large crowd, though she personally was looking for any sort of refreshment setup, knowing it wasn't likely she would get much dancing or mingling in until later, when most of the unicorns and other citizens had loosened up and didn't mind dealing with a human like herself.

"I think she'd just be proud of all the scars out in the open.   Not that these high society types appreciate it..."

"Ah, they willa manage just fine.  The Havos family are known to throw parties so extravagant, I do not think anyone will even notice."

For once, the thought of being an invisible wallflower was actually comforting.   Hannah playfully punched the unicorn in the arm, not enough to actually hurt her, though enough to shove her aside just a little.

"Gee, thanks Bianca.  Try not to forget me when a gang of stallions will no doubt be fighting for your attention all night."

The older woman laughed at the remark, ruffling the feather on her hat just a bit in retaliation as they found a fairly comfortable spot in the crowd and began looking around, waiting to see what would happen.    Hannah twirled a finger boredly around a locke of her blonde hair, which was loose for once; cascading down her back.   She had heard nonstop about Havos this, Havos that from so many excited party-goers that had ridden the ferry over with them.   For all the talk, she was expecting something quite grand from this admiral.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses stepped out onto the balconey, gazing down at the party goers below: he was dressed in his white assassin robes for once, a similar set to the one that he had worn when he was only a novice of the Assassin Order though much more elaborate, with a dash of real gold thread and plating here and there, along with a nearly full face mask that left only his chin and lips exposed.

"Welcome, fellow Valencians!"He spoke with a loud, pleasant voice that he reserved for public speaking. "To the 35th Carnevale di Valencia hosted by the Havos family, I am your host Ulysses Septimus, and I truly hope you will enjoy this stay at my humble home: I have prepared a dinner and drinks for everyone near the west wing, along with a little "Dance Floor"" He chuckled, "toward the eastern side... Toward midnight I also have a little surprise planned, so if you wish so, stay and witness... Along with gifts and a few little shows... But I desire to be paid nothing for this, other than for you all to have fun and enjoy yourselves!"

He held out his arms like he was about to embrace someone, recieving a wave of loud applaud from the audience before backing into his mansion, where some of his more "important" guests are.

The assassin bowed deeply at the new guest that just arrived, "You honor me with your presence, my Lord Kane."

Kane, in all his glory as the ruler of Valencia and Supreme Commander of the Armada, nodded politely. "You have a truly spectacular set up here, Archduke."Kane remarked, "optime... Now would you ever be so kind as to lead me to your Dining Hall?"

"Of course my master."Ulysses opened the heavy double oak doors leading toward the inner sanctums of his mansion, where a much more special feast had been prepared.

Meanwhile, outside, servants of the Havos family unveiled the banquet the rich Admiral had prepared... It was everything Hannah could possibly name, every expensive thing that it, stretching for what seemed like forever... With another table nearly the same sizing piled with all sorts of exotic and yet again expensive drinks.

[Hannah Durante]

((haha actually forget what I showed you on skype.  The silly venetian carnival dollmaker thing I made I think fits this situation better because of DAT HAT.


----

It didn't take long for the man of the hour to reveal himself, drawing hundreds of pairs of eyes upon him at once as his voice boomed over the gigantic crowd.  Like most of the partygoers, Hannah listened intently as Ulysses spoke, paying careful attention to where he indicated the various points of interest were...finding something both intriguing and unsettling about the idea of a surprise at midnight.   Though, one she was certain she would be present for regardless.  Either because Bianca insisted they stay to see what kind of surprise an extremely wealthy man like him would come up with, her own gnawing curiosity that likely wouldn't leave her alone so long as there was a crowd to blend in to, or both.  It was the last part that finally 'broke' her neutral expression in some way though, resulting in a quiet scoff that fortunately only Bianca seemed to notice, over the thunderous applause of the rest of the guests.

"Oh please."  Hannah muttered under her breath, as nobody but her friend could hear her anyway.   "He certainly knows how to sell himself and this party to keep the masses content and compliant, I'll give him that."

The rest of that though struck a bitter sentiment with the buccaneer. He desired nothing more than for them to have fun and enjoy themselves...right, she was so certain that was the case.  

As long as you forget the fact we are essentially prisoners in our own homeland and make sure you don't even look at an Armada officer the wrong way, she bitterly thought to herself; immediately recalling the blockade Kane had set up around nearly all of the kingdom's stormgates.   Not much of Valencia's population seemed to mind or pay much heed to the fact the Armada was essentially isolating them from the rest of the spiral, but then of course gatherings like this were marvelous for distracting the lot of them from it, as well as wonderful for the Armada's reputation amongst the more influential of Valencian society.   As much as she dearly loved the carnival and festivals, and always had fun with them,  Hannah couldn't help but think there was also a more sinister note to them now... or worry over what the supreme commander and his elite court had planned that 'required' Valencia to be so heavily guarded.   And not just from those who wished to come in, but any sailor who wanted to leave for any amount of time as well.

"Hannah, is something wrong?"

There was a note of concern in Bianca's voice, recognizing the way her face had fallen and how she had quieted herself after the first remark as something serious.  Hannah remained silent for a moment as she watched the admiral leave, turning to face her friend only once he was gone and the rest of the crowd began heading toward one of the two areas he had spoken of, chattering more excitedly amongst themselves than ever.

"Ugh, I'm not in the right frame of mind for that kind of sappy speech is all."  She snorted a moment later, waving a hand around dismissively.   "I think I need a few fancy drinks before I can handle something like that...and I sure wouldn't say no to some food.  So, I think I'll head over to the west wing and load up.  What about you?"

She didn't even have to wait for the unicorn's answer to realize what it was she wanted to do, and that was head over to the opposite wing where the dancing was to take place.  Hannah could see that tell-tale look in her eyes, the one that was torn on whether to accompany her to the refreshments, or do what she wanted to do the most.  

"Ah, don't worry about it actually."  The buccaneer spoke up before Bianca could offer to come with her, cracking a smile.   " If you want to go dance, I can always just come and find you when I'm done.   Might as well let those of you who can dance properly get your fun in, before I barrel through and ruin everything."

She laughed at her own joke, hoping it set the mare at ease.   Which, it certainly seemed to.  Bianca laughed at the very idea as well and nodded.

"You area not quite that bad, my dear."  She assured her as she adjusted her own mask.   "But, I think I will... I will look forward to seeing you there, when you are done stuffing your face."

The human snorted as her friend wandered off with a majority of the crowd toward the eastern wing, and she followed the few who had decided much the same she had- that fuel was necessary to make it through a party, especially one with some sort of midnight surprise.    Hannah stopped dead in her tracks as the banquet was unveiled, momentarily shocked and mesmerized by the exquisite collection of food and drink that adorned several tables.  It was....It was beautiful really, especially with how hungry she currently was.   Her stomach rumbled as if to remind her of the fact and urge her onward, and the buccaneer didn't hesitate for another second; loading up a plate with as much as she could, and taking one of the most exotic drinks she could find just to try it.   There were a few people who gave her surprised looks to see just how much she was carrying, but Hannah hardly paid them any mind.   The nice thing about being a buccaneer was all the exercise she got, and the wonderful metabolism she had.   Besides, it wasn't like she got to go crazy like this all that often, and when everything was free...How could she possibly turn that down?

"Well Ulysses, I must admit you certainly know how to make guests happy."

She would definitely give him that much, especially since she was present on his land.   Balancing her plate and drink carefully, Hannah wandered off a little ways from the tables and the rest of those enjoying the refreshments, looking for a place to just sit down and enjoy this feast...before she had to start the task of trying to find Bianca amongst a crowd of numerous unicorns.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses pushed open the oak and metal doors that lead outside his mansion, still in his mask and Assassin robes as he stepped out into the crowds.

Even though this was supposed to be a night of relaxation and fun, the admiral could not help but still consider the chances of assassins--as in those ones hostile toward him and not of his Order--hiding amidst the crowds.

Especially not after that one time, when that one man attacked him in broad daylight: if those opposers are brave enough to attempt that, who knows what they might try during this?

He glanced toward the gates, where his butler--a crab warrior named Pagurus Maenas--hung around as security. To remain one step further than his enemies is always the key to success.

"I shouldn't be so paranoid, yet again, if those opposers are brave enough to make an attempt at assassinating me in broad daylight, they would definitely possess enough guts to take a stab at eliminating my Lord Kane."The Admiral kept his inner thoughts off of his face as he mingled with the crowd, "that I cannot allow to happen."


He walked through the grounds surrounding his titanic estate, occasionally giving a few handshakes and smiles, though not exactly participating much in the partying.

Taking a gold goblet of wine from the drinks table, he leaned against the railing at the edge of his garden of exotic roses, sipping on it while gazing up at the window of his dining hall on the fifth floor, where the Armada elites are staying at.

Ulysses' red eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask: why is he still getting this feeling that something bad is going to happen?

Without realizing it, his spare hand reached toward his other, feeling the familiar outline of his bracer's hidden weapons for a moment before falling back limp at his side.

At least he would be prepared if something really does happen...

[Hannah Durante]

"Mm...At least the grounds are pretty." Hannah mused to herself after she had finished her drink, as she continued to roam around the areas closest to the refreshments empty glass in hand. She was currently admiring a rose garden that seemed to stretch on for miles, some of the flora along the side roses she had never seen in her entire life- outside of certain books, that was. There was a part of her that felt envious of all this beauty and elegance; things she admired and loved as well, that she couldn't quite afford to even half of these extents. Even when her parents had been her primary source of income and her father in the upper wings of society as well, they had still never had anything quite so extravagant as this.

"Probably blood money." She assured herself as she reached out to touch one of the more exotically-colored roses, uncertain to feel about the thought. Half of her found it a disturbing notion, to think somebody could be paid so much and treated like such a saint amongst society when they brutally murdered others for a living. But the other half reminded her of the rewards she had gained during the Polarian war- how she had killed enemies of Valencia as well and merely crippled others, back when she had only 17. How proud she had felt about some of her victories, however bloody and horrible they had been, the very second....

No, she wasn't going to go there. Not now. The past was just that, and it wasn't ever going to come back. Thus there was no point in dwelling on that side of things- she had other positive memories to drudge up anyway. The great war and its aftermath were still just...entirely too confusing for her. She had thought the mixed feelings would have dulled over time, but if anything the years just made it all that much worse.

"Oh, whoops."

It was only after she forced herself to tear her thoughts away from becoming lost in all sorts of flashbacks about her past, that Hannah realized she had somewhere along the lines began squeezing the rose tightly. Too much so it seemed, as the flower now lay crushed in the palm of her hand. Not without a fight though, as she felt the dull throbbing of where she'd been pricked beneath her thin, black gloves. Glancing around quickly the buccaneer dropped the flower then decided it was high time to move on- maybe another drink was just what she needed, to numb everything except her desire to have a good time here despite whose home this was.

In such a hurry, she wasn't even paying attention to where she was going; constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody had seen what she had done. It was just a rose, but then again she was sure it was so expensive it had probably cost more than somebody like her was worth. Hopefully Ulysses wasn't one of those rich eccentric jerks, but given the other places she had seen him and his little 'hobby', she couldn't be too sure of that. Everything went smoothly enough at first, until-

"oof!"

..Suddenly she collided with something large. Which, only a few seconds after the fact, did she realize was another living being. Instinctively she threw one of her arms up, a habit of her buccaneer training she couldn't quite seem to break, before she felt both mortified and irritated with herself when she realized who she had run into. The man of the hour himself. Huh...maybe she should have gone dancing first after all...Had Bianca known she had 'been right' about something, she never would have heard the end of this.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there, my hat and mask...They took over for a second. I hope I didn't hurt you?"

She made sure to alter her voice somewhat, a desperate attempt to sound like another person, as she fiddled with her mask and hat to make it seem like it truly had been due to not being able to see where she was going...and not because she had been stupid enough to not look where she was going. Fortunately, she had managed to keep the glass out of harm's way. If she had broken that in front of its owner.....Then there probably would have been some exchange of words.

"A little too much to drink I think." She laughed weakly as she went back to the drink table, delicately setting the empty glass back down. "But, I must say you have excellent taste! I really am sorry though.....I wish I could say I could make it up to you, but I think you might already have everything, so I'm not sure how I could apologize further..."

There, that was a decent enough apology, she felt. As much as she didn't trust this man one little bit, in this instance she had been the one at fault- who had completely barreled into him. It was the least she could do, honestly. She practically added an afterthought about letting her know if he thought of something, but held back as that seemed...too much, and quite frankly could be taken in all sorts of wrong ways. Clearing her throat awkwardly she dusted herself off, looking around to see how many people she had just embarrassed herself in front of.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"It's alright."The admiral suppressed a smile when he realized who it was: as much as she tried to alter her voice, his powerful ability to distinguish things tore the disguise off like it was nothing.

His white hood concealing his eyes and moonlight reflecting off his mask, Ulysses gave a reassuring nod, showing that he wasn't one bit offended.

Though his lips soon straightened, since he was very sure he had seen, out of the corner of one eye, a black shadow darting toward the backdoor of his mansion.

His instincts as an Assassin screamed danger in his brain: anyone normal would have came through the gate, and with such an agility, what else could that be other than another assassin?

Excusing himself, the Archduke walked briskly toward that direction, his hands now clenched in fists and his wine goblet standing forgotten on the railing.

However, he did not notice that Hannah had seen everything as well, starting with the appearance of the black shadow...

Hidden Gun ready, he soon arrived at the door and ducked inside, thinking that no one else had seen him so he didn't bother to lock it.

Ulysses, once inside, activated his Eagle Vision and glanced upward: sure enough, one of those red silhouettes outlining a hostile presence may be seen, quickly heading toward the golden one that indicated his master Kane.

"You think you can best the Assassin Grandmaster in his own home?"He growled, his sword now drawn as he darted up the stairs...

[Hannah Durante]

Though it was quite possibly the stupidest thing she had ever decided upon, or at least the second one, it only took the buccaneer a few seconds to decide she would follow the admiral. Why, even she wasn't fully certain- maybe she really was a lightweight when it came to drinks and was buzzed enough to think it was a good idea. Of course, it could have also been those instincts that had been drilled into her as a soldier during the war, all of her buccaneer training- that it was wise to see what anybody who could become a potential enemy was capable of. And though they were not at each other's throats at the moment and Hannah considered herself at least in neutral territory as far as the Armada went, she felt it would at least come in handy to know what this assassin was truly capable of when push came to shove- that way, she would know how to counter him better, if there ever came a time they would cross blades.

Cautiously Hannah trailed after him, certain to stay several steps behind so that he wouldn't notice what she was doing- not that he would have anyway, with how quickly he was darting ahead of her, his focus completely trained on the shadow that had slipped into the house. She considered following him up the stairs immediately but hesitated for a minute, not wanting to draw his attention. Only after several minutes had passed did she slowly scale the stairs, trying to cling to as much shadow as she could; hoping to find an open room to hide in where she could watch and not be spotted.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses stopped and backed into one of the darker corners as he saw the assassin stop before the door leading to the Dining Hall where Kane is.

He debated whether he should just use his Hidden Gun, which was already loaded if he remembered correctly, and take the assassin out before he reached his king, or wait for a chance to strike.

Ulysses however, wasn't able to decide upon an answer, as the next second, the black garbed figure kicked open the door, revealing the Armada elites inside.

"Merde!"The admiral cursed.

No time to hesitate! He gotta act NOW!

Taking aim with his Hidden Gun at the assassin's leg, he deftly clicked the trigger: he didn't really need to aim, thanks to the thin targeting laser Cristolbol had attached to the gun.

With a muffled sound like a musket firing, the assassin fell to the floor, only a few feet away from Commander Kane.

"Are you alright, my lord?"Ulysses planted one foot on the assassin's back, keeping them from escaping: his primary concern was his king.

"Of course,"Kane's black eyes were focused on his wounded would-be murderer, "who is this?"

The admiral removed his foot and hoisted the attacker roughly to their feet by the collar, slamming them against a wall before ripping off their mask.

"Oh hello there Mercilus."Septimus had a serpent's smile, "didn't expect this to happen, did you?"

[Hannah Durante]

Hannah halted as she came up the stairs, only to see Ulysses's figure dart into shadow- or at least, that was who she assumed she was seeing, considering the fact she could make out another one further down the hallway. Even the admiral, skilled as he was, couldn't be that fast.

Sure enough, the other figure brazenly kicked down a door in the next few minutes, something Ulysses surely wouldn't do in his own lavish home. The buccaneer tensed as the figure closest to her, who was indeed the admiral, seized this moment to rush forward and confront the other; feeling her blood race and boil with the excitement of battle as she watched the swashbuckler take out the assassin in one, well-aimed strike. She licked her lips out of a force of habit as she observed the chaos going on, always invigorated by the mere sight of battle...though this was hardly the time or place to let the more hot-blooded side of her take over. She lingered in the darkened hallway just a moment longer, until Ulysses had entered the room the attacker had attempted to barge into before she continued on; thanking her lucky stars when she spotted what appeared to be a vacant room directly across from where all the madness had happened.

Careful now Devereaux she mentally warned herself as she ventured closer to the rooms, inwardly giving a sigh of relief when she made it to the empty one without any problem whatsoever. Or, so it seemed. If anybody did notice, they said nothing, and she was more than content to take that as a sign her presence was still hidden. Getting out of the mansion without its owner noticing was going to be the real issue, but then again, so long as he left to rejoin his party, Hannah was certain she could manage to slip out before Ulysses was the wiser. For now, she would just satiate her curiosity on what was going on- as well as was making several mental notes about what she had just witnessed from the other human.

Wait...Kane?!

Her heart skipped a beat the second she heard that name mentioned, followed by a rich, smooth, superior-sounding voice echoing from the room just across the hallway. There was no mistaking it, she had heard him speak back during the great war. The supreme commander of the clockworks was actually here....only one room away. Apparently, Ulysses was far higher up than she had given him credit for. He had to be, if Kane could be bothered to make this trip himself. It was...Well, it was impressive the buccaneer had to begrudgingly admit, though her shock at just how much standing the admiral had within the ranks of the Armada soon took second place to her paranoia and fear. Her heart was starting to race no matter how much she tried to force herself to relax, and she could already feel herself starting to break out in a cold, nervous sweat.

Another note to make about this man..Hannah told herself, unwilling to speak out loud when she was so close to that particular group. She would most definitely have to tread carefully around him...or, if her friends in the resistance ever asked her to help them out in any way, make sure she didn't get caught or seen.

Hannah slumped down against the wall as she continued to listen intently to everything that was going on in the other room. She dared not even risk poking her head around the corner of the door to view the events, instead concealing herself in the space just behind the door where she could hear everything but not risk being seen. The more information she gained the better, and she would have to wait for them to move elsewhere to vacate the mansion anyway.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Master Kane, I fear this place may not be as safe as I originally thought."Ulysses said to the clockwork after he had tied Mercilus to a chair, with some chains that the Spymaster Deacon provided, "I would like to request your permission to post two of my Assassin Mentors here as a extra precaution."

"I thought only commoners and a few other aristocrats are here."

"Master, forgive me for not explaining earlier, but several of my men from the Order is here as well."The admiral gestured to the windows: only now did it become evident that several of the partygoers were dressed in a similar style to Ulysses, with the same styled robe and hood only in different colors and masks.

"Very well, you may, Grandmaster Assassin Ulysses."Kane nodded slightly, "however, I want to know exactly who this one is-"He glared distastefully at Mercilus, "and why did he make this attempt at assassinating me."

A devilish smile spread the admiral's lips, "As how you command, my Lord Kane."

In two strides he went from the window where he was, to Mercilus.

His Hidden Blade unsheathed from his sleeve with a shing, and was quickly pressed against the assassin's jugular vein, "Tell me, Atticus Mercilus, why are you here tonight? Who sent you?"By now, Ulysses' voice had turned from his once pleasant public speaker voice to those of a madman, almost demonic.

"Who else would it be other than your enemy Adrian Devereaux?"Mercilus spat back, unfazed, "this clockwork menace must be eradicated! And the throne of the Grandmaster returned to its proper owner--me!"

"I figured."Ulysses chuckled, "you were foolish to come here alone, Mercilus, foolish for trying to be a hero when you aren't... Now tell me, what else are you going to get out of this? Who else are in this conspiracy?"

"Never will I betray my brothers, vile Armada scum."The assassin spat, "if you think you could extract information regarding the Skull Island Assassins out of me, then you are wrong."

"No..."His blade pressed into his opponent's neck, not enough to hurt, only enough to draw blood, "you are wrong: I cannot be denied, what I want, and what my lord here wants, will be ours... I suggest you spit it all out, Mercilus, it will spare you a lot of pain.... and if you want to live."

"Go f*** yourself, traitor."

Ulysses laughed, insanity now clear in his voice, "Brave, but foolishly so... Hmmm, I think Bishop here could use another test subject, and I believe Phule would love to have a new toy to play with... Hehehehe, why don't you say hi to them while I go fetch my Mentors? General Rooke, if you may, watch him and ensure he has no chance of escape"

A mechanical clink indicated the titanic clockwork's nod of agreement.

Exiting the room, Septimus begun to walk down the stairs, though he was sure he had heard something stir in the room across the hall.

His red eyes narrowed behind his mask, his Eagle Vision once again active as he scanned the room.

Like how he had thought, it was another presence, though grey, indicating neutrality, so he gave it no other thought and resumed walking until he exited his mansion and back into the party.

[Hannah Durante]

((TIME FOR A VERY CRAPPY, RUSHED POST. XD since stupid Hannah muse wants actions....fine Hannah, but that means you need to be stupid first. I do apologize though! and yes to any outsiders, we agreed on this. XD I don't want to seem like i'm powerplaying or anything.))

Hannah sat there, listening intently to the heated discussion the entire time, absorbing every ounce of information that she possibly could. Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of this Adrian fellow, wracking her brain to determine whether there was anybody on any side of her family with that name...but she couldn't think of any. It was just a coincidence they had the same last name, a horrible one she hoped would not come back on her simply for sharing his surname, but one she pushed out of her mind as soon as possible; cringing in some form of sympathy for the fate that was to befall this assassin. Still, he had been a fool to try assassinating Kane like this, especially since all of the elite seemed to be gathered in one place. He and those who had sent him truly must have been desperate....

The buccaneer jolted somewhat as Ulysses mentioned assigning more guards to help watch over his special guests here inside the mention, immediately torn from her thoughts by that piece of information. She certainly couldn't linger here for much longer, if he was going to be bringing more soldiers into the house- she had to leave, and soon. The blonde shifted in her hiding place, pushing herself up off of the floor and peeking her head around the corner, immediately withdrawing back into the shadows when she noticed the admiral moving as if to leave. It wouldn't do well to be caught now, so the buccaneer backed away, looking for any other potential doorways to escape through...or at least to wait until Ulysses had gone.

Hannah was startled when she backed into something large, though she relaxed when she spun around and saw what it was she had bumped into, a case full of pristine, shining weapons. The buccaneer felt more than just a little twinge of envy as she gazed upon the beautiful things, many of which would take her years to be able to afford...and in that moment, something snapped. She could only see red at the very idea he could have such a lavish life, be so 'blessed' by the elites, have all the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands...when she couldn't even have half of this, when her accomplishments and loyalty during the Polarian war seemed to be shoved aside so easily for the next person willing to let go of their free will and suck up to the clockworks...somebody with less issues when it came to murdering others. It...it wasn't fair! It was insulting to her and all the other living veterans of the war.

Completely on angry impulse, Hannah became brazen enough to open the weapon case and snatch one of the more elegant, hefty sabre and shield sets she could find, glowering at it. So, Ulysses thought he was so great, so special. Well, he had plenty of luxury laying around his estate and even more weapons..what was one missing one? He had spoken about prizes and enjoyment after all, and weapons were something she dearly loved. The buccaneer gave a twisted little smirk as she tested the sword out experimentally, and attached the shield to her right arm.

"This bitter war veteran thanks you for your generosity.." Hannah snorted to herself, her expression becoming more ugly by the second as clarity returned to her and the more logical side of her mind screamed all sorts of obscenities at her for being so impulsive, so stupid. But she refused to acknowledge it, at least enough to put the weapon back. No matter how stupid it was to do so. "...But I think I've overstayed my welcome."

Glancing over her shoulder, Hannah snuck her way across the room toward where another door fortunately lay, and hurried out of the mansion before the guards Ulysses had assigned could get there. She clung to the shadows and foliage outside as best as she could, attempting to make her way toward the other wing, where Bianca and the dancing was taking place unnoticed. She knew it was better to just leave, but though she had just stolen this weapon set....she had to at least tell Bianca what was going on, that it was time for her to go anyway.

[Ulysses Septimus]

The archduke returned with two men following him, one in a set of blue assassin robes and the other in red and gold.

"I expect both of you to serve him as you would serve me, "He turned to his 'brothers', "Archus Dodus and Phrixus Aldos, you are two of the best Mentors of my Order, it shouldn't be so hard, should it?"

"No, Grandmaster."Archus, the one in blue chuckled; he was of a slightly bigger built than Phrixus, though not big enough to be noticed.

Phrixus, the one in red, echoed his colleague's agreement, "We won't disappoint you."

"Good, now I believe you should go fetch some weapons for yourselves, if I remembered correctly."Ulysses pointed to the Armoury, "take whichever one you need."

The Assassin Mentors did, like how he said.

However, the moment Ulysses was getting ready to walk down the stairs, Archus' voice called, "Grandmaster, you might want to take a look at this!"

Puzzled, Septimus returned, entering the room the Mentors are currently occupying, his red eyes widening in anger as he realized what was going on.

One of his most prized sabre and shield sets was gone! Gone!

"Stealing from the Assassin Order's leader, eh?!"He growled through gritted teeth, remembering just how much he had to go through to get those things(he had taken them from the body of one of the toughest opponents he had fought).

Ulysses, however, was no hothead idiot, so even if it angered him to know that someone was brazen enough to steal from him, he kept his anger down: drawing several deep breaths, he turned to his men.

"Take what you need and stand guard outside the Dining Hall, make sure no one unauthorized comes in or out, alive."He hissed, "I shall personally deal with this."

Ulysses stormed down the stairs, his side cape billowing.

[Hannah Durante]

"Come on Bianca where are you?!"

The buccaneer had half a mind to just leave the unicorn here and make up some excuse the next time they ran into each other about where she had vanished off to. Though she felt at least somewhat vindicated for stealing this pristine weapon set, she knew it wouldn't end well if Ulysses figured it out and caught up with her. Besides, the second she got home he could kiss this weapon set goodbye- out of all the partygoers with an open mansion it would be difficult for him to say who had been the most suspicious. Even if he did figure out she was here and decide it must have been her, he never would find where she lived in time. She was pretty sure even the clockworks didn't know that much, as they had never had any pressing reason to.

But, as much as she knew it was wiser to leave sooner, at the same time Bianca was her friend...she couldn't just leave her without saying something, no matter how drastic a move she had made. It sure would have helped matters if she could find the unicorn in the huge crowd of dancers, however. At this rate, it would take all night to find her, and she didn't have that kind of time. Oh, if only-

"Hannah?"

Relief exploded through every inch of her body the second that familiar voice called out to her, and she let out a loud, heavy sigh to indicate that fact. Sure enough, Bianca was not far behind her, resting with a few other unicorns from dancing for the moment. The grey mare gave her a puzzled look at the reaction, and an even more confused one when she caught sight of the weapons she had most certainly not brought to the party.

"Bianca! Listen I'm sorry but I uh, i have to go. Turn in early. Have fun without me, and tell me all about it tommorrow will you?"

"Wh-what? Wait. Hannah, did you-"

Bianca never got the chance to finish the question, before she had given her a half-hearted wave and quickly started making her way through the crowds back toward the docks. There should have been a ferry coming along in the next few minutes if the schedule was to be believed, but if not....she had made sure to pack her ship in its bottle tonight, just in case she had been so bored she needed some kind of escape.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"I know all Devereaux named ones are thieves!"Ulysses growled: Adrian Devereaux, one of his archenemies, had been a rather famous burglar before he was caught.

He scanned the area, Eagle Vision activated, since he had remembered to leave a special marking on every weapon he acquired to ensure it would be recovered, if any was to be stolen.

THERE! He could see the emerald symbol!

Ulysses turned to his butler, giving a nod and a sharp snap of his fingers; meaning "stop them!"

Maenas recieved the signal and moved, stopping Hannah, "Excuse me, but I believe you've got something you aren't supposed to have.."

[Hannah Durante]

Hannah stopped dead in her tracks as a rather large crab moved into her path, blocking her from her sheer surprise. She hadn't even been paying attention to the rest of the partygoers, so it had come as quite a surprise when he had sprung seemingly out of nowhere. She eyed the admiral's butler quietly for a moment, before giving a scoff at what he said. At least he was polite, she would give him that much. It was enough to make her almost regret the idea of thrashing him just to get away from this madness.

"Something tells me that the same can be true for its so-called 'owner'. Tell me something, did he actually buy this, or did he steal it from an adversary as well? If the latter is the answer, well then he can consider it karma. Just the way the spiral turns. Sorry, by the way."

Immediately after the odd little apology she had uttered at the end of that, Hannah pretended to lunge for the crab like she was actually about to try and run him through only to sidestep at the last possible second; channeling the strength of the whale as she darted to the side and put a good deal of power into bashing into his side, hoping only to knock the butler off balance and surprise him so that she could get closer to the docks.

"Tell your master if he wants his precious shield and sabre back so much, he can come and take them from me in a battle!" She shouted over her shoulder as she started running, as quickly as she could for the docks. She certainly wasn't one to shy away from a challenge....especially if the swashbuckler cared so much about this trinket he would actually chase after her and catch up before she could make it to the docks, unbottle, and prepare her ship.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses was glad that he had learned free running and that his house had the kind of set up that all VALENCIAN assassins love--plenty of rails and edges over very steep drops that would have scared the living crap out of any other assassin.

Parkouring over the roofs of his mansion(it's so high that he doubt if anyone could see him), he jumped and landed on the warehouse roofs, next to the docks before drawing his sword.

"Return what you've taken to their proper owner!"

[Hannah Durante]

Hannah skidded to a halt for the second time as the admiral beat her to the docks, there was no way she would be able to unbottle and board her ship, let alone get away on it without a fight now. Though, rationale had been thrown out the window long ago, she realized. The buccaneer smirked at the way Ulysses addressed her, actually chuckling at the exclamation like it was nothing more than a joke.

"Oh, well, if you tell me who you pilfered it off of, I'd be happy to...Admiral."

She gave a mock bow of politeness, the adrenaline rushing through her veins overriding the fear she might have otherwise felt. Her blood was boiling, racing through her veins, itching for conflict, a fight. All of her muscles were tensing in preparation for a showdown, under no delusion there was any way she would get out of this now without some sort of scrap. She had gone too far to just buckle now...and as Ulysses was a human and not a clockwork, he didn't frighten her quite as much. Yet.

"Or....You can take it back from me like a true warrior." She suggested, idly waving the sword back and forth as she waited for his next move, watching his body language carefully. "Why not have a surprise carnival duel, while we're at it?! You get the added bonus of completely shaming me, if you win."

She suspected he would not stop at just that and go for the jugular if given the chance...but Hannah didn't intend to give him the opportunity to kill her, no matter how the battle went if he attacked.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses snarled, "Fool, dare to challenge the Grandmaster of the Assassin Order?" Faster than lightning, his second sword unsheathed, its wicked blade glinting in the moonlight; who knows how much blood it had feasted upon...

Hidden Gun and Bolt both loaded, the Grandmaster leapt from his spot and onto the docks with the grace of a well trained assassin.

And since he was wearing Assassin Robes, it made his movement much easier and lighter, just as how he liked as he slashed hard with one blade, the other second chopping in from the other side.

[Sponsored content]