Red Carpet Claim

A gaudy red velvet rope was cordoning off the central marble steps of the theater, pretending someone of actual significance was expected. I casually vaulted the brass stanchion with one effortless stride and hooked the velvet cord under my boot heel. A brief tug ripped the tarnished latch right off its post, letting the heavy rope spill uselessly across the polished stone. Now the grand stairway had a proper red carpet unfurling directly under my feet. I rested my gloved knuckles on my hip and paused at the top landing, letting the morning sun reflect off the brass fittings while I surveyed the empty courtyard. As expected, nobody around here knows how to make an entrance quite like this.