Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-5999656-20190205035159

Once every two years, in a large offshore facility on the coast of Mistral, a great congregation of sales was hosted, one without an official name, and without official knowledge. It was said that you could acquire things of value there that couldn't be found anywhere else - things like stolen paintings, tailor-made Hunter weaponry, ancient artifacts, military technology. Even slaves. It existed as a whisper on the wind, an urban legend. But all legends begin with some kind of truth, and this one was no different.

At first, when it was only a gathering among a few shady entrepreneurs, they called it, "the Big Event", or "Mr. X's Gala", named after the mysterious, faceless benefactor who organized it. However, a more colloquial name had emerged in the last decade as word spread, more organizations were brought onboard, and the products diversified. "Mr. X's Auction" had become the tentative name for the gathering, and it was referred to as such when two representatives of the Daybreak Syndicate set foot in the massive storage facility on the stormy, fateful evening.

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Alyxia Hei'An tugged self-consciously at the sleeves of the black, large-hooded windbreaker draped over her frame, and her burgundy eyes darted around at the large crowds of people around her, either milling about or congregated around the raised, lit stages arranged around the perimeter of the venue. It had been 6 months since she had worn this uniform, 6 months since she was unceremoniously stripped of her membership and dumped in a foreign kingdom after her failed one-woman coup against the CEO of her crime family. She had never thought that she would find herself employed by the family again, but here she was, with a parting word of warning dangling ominously in the back of her head.

''This is your chance to redeem yourself, "Maris". ''

"They say Mr. X is probably a high-ranking government employee."

The words from Alyxia's partner startled her out of her apprehension, and she glanced over at him. Short cropped black hair, gleaming red eyes, and a distant cousin of hers. He was twenty-four year old Sorrel Hei'An, recent graduate of Haven Academy, and loyal agent of the Mistral branch of the Daybreak Syndicate. He toyed with the zipper on his windbreaker as he mused aloud.

"That's how he has the funds and connections to organize something as massive as this, and still keep it confidential," Sorrel continued, turning to her. "That's what they say, at least. Personally, I'm banking on him being a family member of one rather than a government official himself. Someone with an actual position would come under far too much scrutiny to be able to host something like this for so long."

Something like this. It was no small accomplishment that one man, through his connections, could successfully unite multiple criminal markets under one roof for a single night. Each stage was held by a single gang, and as the night proceeded, they would display their goods for all the equally-criminal buyers who drifted between the four venues comprising the facility. The threat of mutual annihilation, and the loss of a valuable supply chain, prevented any strong-arming from breaking out, for the most part. Even so, Alyxia doubted the night would go by without at least a few fights starting.

"Let's stay focused on our task," Alyxia replied, as much to Sorrel as to herself. "The network needs more connections now than ever, so keep an eye out for anyone who looks promising."

Sorrel nodded. He pointed at the small stage at the very left of the room.

"Let's work our way clockwise, then. Sound good?"

"That's fine."

They set off side by side, black jackets rustling lightly against the ambience of the hushed conversations around them. If one looked closely enough, they might make out the outlines of hard-edged objects underneath the waterproof fabric. Just a safety precaution. Only a fool would walk into a congregation like this unarmed. 