Darcon and the Ollie hustled off on their separate engagements, leaving Shade to watch the front doors of the chymic works. That yellowish steam continued to chug out of the chimney, the door remained closed, and the there remained no movement behind the grimed over windows.

In the factories and warehouses around the chymic works the traffic slowed as workmen arrived for the day and began their labors. The door of Vorkstag and Grine's never cracked though, even as the morning wore on. Nobody seemed to enter or leave.

In reply to GM (msg # 1):

The time had passed, and there was more than enough of this nonsense to go around.  Shade approached the Chymic Works once again and rapped upon the gate.  To the being to answer, she says sweetly, "It's been over two hours and the process was said to be done. I'm here to do health checks on the workers?

It took a few long minutes for Shade's hail to be answered, there was the pitter pattering of feet and then the slot shot open again. The black goggles and pointy nose peered out, this time craning suspiciously around to make sure that Shade was alone.

"I...asked the workers. They all...feeling fine. No need for checkup. Thanks for offer." He said curtly in his odd clipped accent.

His earlier conciliatory tone was gone and instead his words carried all of the curt termination of a dismissal. It was easy to tell that he had no intention of letting Shade in, and without her companions backing her up he no longer felt the need to be coy about it.

---

12:09, Today: Secret Roll: GM rolled 14,7 using 1d20+1,1d20+4.  Bluff vs Sense Motive.

"Oh dear!  Are you sure?  What about that rash there?  Truly, that looks as if it could lead to something serious!" Shade says, widening her eyes in alarm.

OOC: 18:56, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 14 using 1d20+11.  Bluff.
Also using Scar hex (DC 15 Will save to resist). Has no affect on his abilities or senses, but it'll look like a nasty blistered rash on his face or hands (whatever is most visible). And then I can use other hexes on him from up to a mile away. Hopefully if the Scar hex works it will bolster my claim.

The little figure hesitated, looking downwards through the slot in alarm. It was difficult to  see what he was doing behind the door, but the shuffling sounded like he was pulling off thick protective gloves and quickly examining himself.

At length he tottered back up to the slot to peep suspiciously out at Shade again.

"I already got an ointment for the rash. And I'm not giving you an eyefull of my undercarriage. I'm on strict orders not to...not to let you interfere with production."

---

The doorman passes his save and is unaffected by you scar hex, his alarm at the prospect does seem genuine.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:31, Wed 04 Mar 2020.

"I swear I would not cause any distress to your honest workers! For certain I can heal and talk and give advise whilst people work.  They need not even leave their seats or stations or wherever they are," Shade says with utter sincerity.  Because every word she says is true.

"Look, lady, I'm not letting you in here! Very delicate procedures. Very delicate experiments. Yes, yes? Cannot be disturbed. Cannot be observed. You leave now, yes?" He said, obdurate as ever.

EDITED

A little figure skittered down the laneway towards Shade. It was Olver, and he snapped his best approximation of a salute as he scampered up

"Message delivered, marm!" He said with a rogueish wink. He may be just a boy for now, but he would certainly be a jolly terror to anyone with a petticoat when he grew up.

But his seeming eagerness to help Shade had little to do with her beauty, or even the pair of gold coins jingling in her pocket. No, her generosity and good works towards the children of the street was well known. She was seen as something of a big sister by the collective urchins of Lepidstadt's underbelly, and Olver was determined to make good.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:45, Thu 05 Mar 2020.

Shade looked back at the door to the Chymic Works and silently cursed it and daylight and her exhaustion and the law being a stubborn ass.  But she turned to Olver with a smile and a nod of hearty approval for his swiftness and diligence.

"Olver, thanks, you're a good, clever one, and no mistake," she said, and then looked between him and the gates once more.  "I've got to go tangle with folks who pretend to be much better than they are, which is to say, in the courts."  She joins him in pulling a face, for hadn't they both run away from the Watch more times than they could count?  "This time, I'm on the right of it, but those ones here," she slid her eyes to the Chymic Works, "have masters more crooked than Snake Alley. Would you bide and watch for folks acting untoward and smuggling out stuff looking like a rat on the run from a cat?"  She flips a gold coin to him.  "And it's twin when I come back. If you need sommat to spell you or get you feed, silver for them as who aids you. Deal?"

Olver grinned a cheeky grin and tugged on his cap, making the coin disappear with a flourish.

"Me'n the gang 'll keep a right eye out. Not so much as a field mouse will get out of that building without our spottin' 'em." He said as Shade hustled off to join her compatriots.