The smell of ink and paper dominate the room, the quiet murmur of pen whispering across parchment drowning out the rain outside. There are a dozen things to be done before an Agency can function in Lethe, and far more bits of paper to fill.
But the fees have been paid, permissions have been granted and the final forms are before you all.
The elven Clerk across the desk scribbles a few final lines, and pushes three bits of paper across towards you. Each has a title above it.
What is the name your Agency will be known under?
"A brand is important, after all. People need something they can recognize. A name should be inticing, and if possible advertise what the people behind it hope to achieve." The Clerk clicks there tongue.
Where is your agency's building be located?
"Tradition states that an Agency has a physical office to allow people to find it, and acquire its services, without hunting across the city. Location can be an important factor. A small, expensive office in the Central areas will show you're looking for a higher class of clientelle, whereas a rambling office on the Arch suggests you want to focus on aiding the poor. Most agencies choose a location that fits with there goals." Shrugging, the Clerk adds, "And some choose the oppsite, hoping to tap new markets or simply because they're perverse."
What facilities are within your Agency?
"Some jobs require certain facilities, such as an alchemical lab or holy shrine. You'd be surprised. You can rent such, of course, but if you already have what people need, it pays to show that."
The Esteemed Lady Vulpina sits across from him, looking more accustomed in her finery to a banquet table than a desk in a government office. Still, she flashes a polite smile, and looks down at the paper, scanning over it twice to be sure. Iffy deals were common enough in Lethe, even if official city business tended to be more above-board.
She dips her quill with a dignified flourish, and writes in a swirling hand:
What is the name your Agency will be known under?
Where will your agency's building be located?
She pauses a moment to recollect and takes an almost dramatic deep breath, smirking as if amused by something.
What facilities are within your Agency?
She taps her quill momentarily upon the lip of the inkwell, then decides:
She will have the drow forgive her later.
Smiling, she signs her name in an exaggerated flow, pushing the paper back to the elven clerk. "I believe everything should be orderly," she states, "but do tell me if there are any concerns."
The immaculately-dressed drow stands up from the chair she was reclining in and walks over to Lady Vulpina, her nose wrinkling slightly.
"You did make sure to check the form in its entirety, yes?" Triel arches an eyebrow at her. "Bureaucracy tends to suffer misspellings & misfilings poorly."
A pixie clad in skin-tight leathers
"Is it time to get started yet? I mean, officially? Are we on the clock?" she inquires excitedly, ready to get down to business!
Cassandra hangs by the back of room quietly waiting for her Mistress to need anything and sizing up in threat...
Vulpina gives Triel a wide grin. "My darling, you know full well that the only reason your novels have yet to feature a character based on myself is because a good protagonist must have flaws and make mistakes. Consider the paperwork to be done to my usual perfection."
"Although I did spy, and subsequently correct, an error in the clerk's own hand. 'Where is your agency's building be located,' indeed." If the clerk looks, they will notice the line has been mended.
"Anyone who thinks themselves perfect is a flawed person." Lohn chimes in, sticking out her tongue at Vulpina. "We're not in a perfect world, after all."
"In my infinite grace and majesty, I have decided to forgive this transgression," she says with a twinkle in her eye as she regards the pixie. "After all, I have perhaps been guilty of not doing my exemplary part to counterbalance the imperfections and heartbreaks of this world with my own dignity and refinement. And thus..." she taps the corner of the paper she just signed, "Prismatic Investigations."
"You're not a god, so you don't have infinite locked down. Just saying." the small flittering faerie offers with another stuck out tongue. "And humility is kind of important, too, because otherwise you end up in the sewers in your finest clothing right before an important dinner."
There's a bit of a pause.
"No, that's not a threat! Honest! It's just what I've seen happen to people who think they're better than everyone else! Absolutely didn't do it myself!"
Lohn peers sideways.
"So what's our first case going to be? Something really meaty, or something boring, like 'Oh no, I lost my shoe, could you rescue it before the Grand Ball'?" she offers to try and change the subject.
Vulpina smiles and pulls a small note from her jacket. It looks like an old, crumpled pamphlet, the ink having long since faded, but when she opens it, there is much fresher, messier ink. "Several options have made themselves available to us," she states, "including rescuing the missing princess-- but every would-be adventurer in Lethe is looking for her already. Several among our number have expressed a preference for showing that our office is available to even humble petitioners, and so I asked our gnomish acquaintance to see what she could find. This was posted by some desperate smallfolk-- well, perhaps not literally so. But perhaps so."
She clears her throat and looks down her pointed nose at the note: "'My brother was murdered. We are not aware of whom the perpetrator may be, but should you find his assailant, we shall reward you in kind with a number of precious gems and the like. I humbly beg your assistance in this matter.'"
"Let's do them all!" Lohn says with an excited airborne loop.
"I mean, let's do the one where we look for someone's killer, but keep our ears open for anything else we might ALSO hear, because sometimes these things work in threes or whatnot! So we might come across clues for other cases while we're working on the primary! That way, if we get done with the first case we can then swiftly move to the next one and so on, and get a whole bunch done really fast and then build our reputation so we can really help a lot of people...and us make a tailtonne of money in the process.."
Triel walks behind Vulpina and looks over her shoulder.
She wrinkles her nose. "Hmm. An apt translation."
"So, do any of you have any extra business to sort out before we take this case on?"
"Yeah, we should figure out who gets what room to sleep in. Because I don't want to come in from working on the case and then find four other people in my room because they all liked it. Priorities!"
Vulpina chuckles. "The Lady Cassandra and I will spend our evenings in my home in the city, dear Lohn. You will need only worry about two other bunkmates."
She stands and smiles to the clerk. "If there are no further forms to fill out, then I believe it may be an appropriate time for us to take our leave. Time is money-- or murder, perhaps, in our case, and we'd like as little of that transaction as possible."
As she begins to leave, she turns back. "Ah, and... should you ever have need of our services, I believe you are uniquely capable of knowing where you might find our headquarters." She favors the clerk with a brief bow, and steps outward.
Lavi sat quietly in her seat at the clerk explained and remained quietly watching as the excited pixie and noble full of self esteem squabbled. At the mention of the lost princess, Lavi chuckled, "Last 'missing' ~princess~ I heard of around here ran off with the maid..." she commented quietly as she leaned in to read the note for herself. She raised an eyebrow at the 'translation' before Lavi's attention was drawn at the mention of 'rooms'.
"Well, my place has both shared and separate rooms. I'm sure you'll find something you like...and I do already have my own room." Lavi said as she rose to her feet, prepared to show Lohn and any others the way. Lavi made sure to thank the clerk for their time before leaving.
The Clerk watched this in something between awe and horror. "Right...well, everything on the paperwork seems to be fine." They ran a professional eye over it once more. "Yes, it all seems fine. Since you seem to have a job chosen already, we'll contact the client and tell them you've accepted on a provisional basis. We'll send them your address, and tell them you will be happy to meet them."
~~~~~~~~~
With the paperwork complete, and a meeting due, a return to the office seemed advisable. A fresh coat of paint covers the fairly large building - something that doesn't especially stand out on the streets of Central - but most buildings don't have a large sign, a carefully painted 'Prismatic Investigations' in impressive, neat letters. Three large crystals hang below on silvery chains, reflecting light onto the pure white walls in the colours of fractured light.
THe large property stood on the corner in a rough L shape, the courtyard hidden mostly behind the building and access through a double gate large enough for horses. The large bronze lampost outside would shed light through the night, assuring the crystals would gleam most of the time.
Pocketing her keys, Lavi walked into the office as she showed those who came in with her around. Looking up at the crystal decor, Lavi says, "Got those from a friend down the market. Lovely woman, really knows just the thing to lighten up the place...the sign I had made by an old chap down in the Steps, way nicer than my handwriting..." she said as she found a seat.
"If you wish to pick a bedroom, they're mainly upstairs. The larger bedrooms are above us here with the smaller shared lodgings I mainly use for guests and visitors to the city are on the other side. Currently, they're all open other than mine which is in the middle point - and locked. Feel free to look around, the kitchen is that way with the lounge on the other side..." Lavi said as she pointed over her shoulder with a smile as she sat back, relaxed.
Cassandra looks around and says,"This is very lovely place, Lavi." She looks at Lady Vulpina with adoring eyes and asks,"Which office would you like, Mistress Vulpina?"
Vulpina's eyes scan over the office. "We shall leave the sorting of bedrooms to our coworkers," she smiles. "Miss Lavi, I do believe these premises will do very adequately for our designs. You definitely do have a, ah, 'good eye for quality.'"
She spends some time considering the office, then smiles at her retainer. "Let us inspect the sitting room, darling. Should we ever need to appreciate a case from a family rather than a sole petitioner, it would be beneficial to provide our clientele with space aplenty to stretch their legs."
"You are most wise Mistress," She pauses and looks at Lavi,"How good are the rooms sound proofing?....for our clients privacy of course."
"Of course." Triel gives Cassandra a skeptical look.
"I'm going to make myself acquainted with the author's office. After that, I'll see about claiming one of the rooms--move my things in, and all that."
Lavi pulled some letters from her pocket to read while the others talked and looked around. "Ms., if you must. I haven't been a 'miss' in years..." Lavi corrected without looking up until Cassandra asked about the sound proofing. Lavi attempted to answer smoothly, though an amused smile came to the magus's face, "I've yet to have any complaints..."
Lavi looked over to Triel, "It's just over that way. Just let me know if you want a hand carrying things in. I'm happy to help." before returning her gaze to her letters.
"Thank you, Lavi...though my comment about being so wise was to Mistress Vulpina I will make a note to be more accurate in the way I address my co-walkers in the future." She turns to Lady Vulpina, "After you, Mistress Vulpina."
”I believe it is me that is being corrected,” noted Vulpina with a small bow to Lavi. ”For which, of course, she has my gratitude—it would hardly do to mischaracterize our own colleagues.”
”Onward, then.” She steps through the door and heads for the sitting room, Cassandra in tow.
There comes a hesitant knocking at the door, light and rapid, almost like whoever is knocking doesn't entirely want anyone to respond.
Vulpina, halfway out the door to the office, turns on her heel and places her foot back into the room proper. ”Cassandra, if you would?” she asks, taking the opportunity to find a chair—preferably behind the desk.
Triel approaches the door and opens it, squinting as the sunlight hits her eyes and forces them closed.
"Yes?"
Looking at the Drow in the door with obvious trepidation stands a short woman, or perhaps a girl - she certainly looks young with large, liquid brown eyes and short brown hair tucked as neatly as she can manage beneath a small hat. Her clothing seems to be the best she has access to, and as a result appears to be a house maid's garment beneath a blue greatcoat too large for her slight frame. "Um. The clerk's said that you might be willing to listen to me? It's about my brother?" She glances up at the shining sign, no doubt checking for the tenth time that she's in the right place.
Lohn comes flying in from elsewhere in the building, possibly from setting up some sleeping arrangements and does a circling flight around the young lady.
"It was your brother? What happened exactly? When did it happen? Where did it happen? The more information you know is the faster we can help with your case... that is, if you want us to. We wouldn't dream of forcing someone to GIVE us a case, after all. You DO want us to help you, right?"
Triel blinks a few times to clear the spots from her eyes. "...Indeed. Please, come in." She says softly, and opens the door for her.
Cassandra gives the girl a warm welcoming smile and says in calm friendly voice,"Yes you are in the right place Ms. Kelmra? We are here to help." She reached out a hand to escorts her inside...
Lavi rose from her seat, pocketting her letters as she did so, "Would you like a drink or something to eat before starting on Lohn's questions?" she asked warmly as she attempted to put Saliask at ease. Lavi gestured the guest towards the chairs in the office though Lavi did not move to avoid possibly further crowding and overwhelming her.
Vulpina chuckles and can't help but note that the rooms can't be that soundproof if the sound of this tiny woman's knuckles tentatively knocking at the door summons the drow and pixie so quickly.
She favors the young lady with a warm, kind smile, but does not add to the barrage of questions coming her way.
Large, wide eyes widen even further at the barrage of questions from Lohn, and further still at Cassandra. She takes the Vishankya's hand with a slight tint of red to her cheeks, and nods at Lavi's questions. "Some water, if it's not too much trouble."
She allowed herself to be led to a sitting room, obviously trying to remember what she had been asked. "Um, yes, my brother was killed. Two days ago. 'E was found by his lady friend, a girl called Collette, when he didn' meet her for supper like they'd planned. She came running to our house, shouting poor Kadle wasn't stirring. My mum couldn't face it, so I went, and there he was, in his bed. He looked just like when we was kids..." She paused for a moment, and swallowed.
"It was only when I pulled the covers aside that I saw there was some blood, on the far side of the bed. I looked and someone had opened up his wrist, let the blood pour into the chamber pot." She looked lost, and confused, for a moment. "Why would they do that? Guard said he'd cut his own wrist, but he'd never! He was gonna ask Collette to wed soon, once he had the ring." She looked at Lohn and said, "Please, can you help? My mum won't stop crying."
"That sounds very hard to arrange. I mean, if someone was trying to slit their wrist on their bed... here, let me demonstrate!"
Lohn offers, using the 'IN' box of the desk to act as an 'impromptu bed', ducking her hand into a tiny glass of water before making a gurgling sound and flopping 'dead' into the box.
Barring obscure shenigans by someone else, the water dripping from Lohn's hand should go everywhere, not in one neat little spot like a chamber pot would be represented by Lohn's pixie-sized glass.
"Bleahhhh." she hops up with a bit of a startled expression on her face. "I think we're going to help, right!?" she says to the rest of the office, seemingly unaware of how macabre her little play-acting might be to the casual observer.
Triel nods. "We are."
She turns back to the girl. "What can you tell us about your brother?" The drow sits down next to her, sliding a journal & inkpen out of the flowing folds of her white dress.
Cassandra winches at the pixie's antics...thinking to herself, We might want create rules on who does clients contacts . She gives the women's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"It is all right. We are here to help...do you need a tissue? A hug? A moment?" Cassandra says trying to sooth the woman.
Watching the small feys demonstration, the woman looked both horrified and fascinated. She shook her head at Cassandra's offer. "Um...Kadle was normal. He worked as a Journeyman at Volca's cobblers. Was supposed to be trying for a Masterpiece soon. He was scrounging up all these special leathers and lace and such. Um, he was coutring Collette Wulfdottir. Her pa's a tanner, it's how they met."
Taking a sip of water, she added, ""Does...does that prove he didn' kill himself?" she asked, looking at Lohn again.
Triel writes carefully in her book, her eyes flicking over to Saliask every couple of seconds as she speaks.
"Aside from this Collette, did Kadle have any friends? Co-workers?"
Vulpina heaves an irritated sigh at Lohn’s potentially-traumatizing demonstration. ”We cannot yet determine what might have occurred, dear one, but we do intend to ascertain the truth of the matter—and the why.. If—as you suspect—there is also a who, we shall determine that as well.”
She stands from her chair and gives an empathetic smile... as she picks up the “IN” box, pixie included (and pinned with a free hand, if necessary), and carries it back to the office, away from the sitting room, with a door between.
”I do not know what you hoped to accomplish with that scene, but we must hope that the girl lacks the imagination to conjure her dying brother’s image over yours. That was abhorrently tactless. Do you wish to have our company become known for traumatizing witnesses further?” Her voice conveys only enough fury to show that it is there, as one might expect of nobility.
After having brought through the glass of water as requested, Lavi disappeared to the kitchen again for a moment - leaving the door open so she could hear if not see some of what was going on. In an effort to play good host and soothe the young woman's nerves, Lavi soon came back through with a plate of small cakes that she placed on a table next to Saliask before the Magus found a comfortable seat nearby to continue listening. Lavi did not yet make further comment or question on the case - or on whatever Lohn and Vulpina were up to - but seemed quietly content in her seat to listen and wait.
Lohn was going to fly out of the box but rides along with the 'IN' box to the room a bit of a ways out of the way.
However, once the box is set down, she leaps into the air... and vanishes.
After Vulpina has had a moment or two to discuss her concerns and take a few deep breaths, the pixie comes back into view balancing on the edge of the 'IN' box.
"Liars and cheats have tells if they are being deceptive. By being bold and direct, and hitting the facts of the case as they are known it can shoot holes in any fabrications. We don't want to be chasing wild fowl for three days while the trail goes cold, do we?"
"Was that out of line? I have such a hard time telling with big-uns sometimes. I mean, it's not like I went and took her on some madcap adventure to Pixieland for six hours or tried to kill the client, right?"
Lohn is squinting at Vulpina. "I was attempting to boil down to the facts of the case quickly so we could go investigate NOW. Too many times big-uns get this whole 'we'll see' sort of mentality about them and that turns into 'never gets done'. Not because they're deliberately fibbing, but because people FORGET. Now can we go and find her brother's murderer and bring her peace and quiet and us some serious cash? I've got a design for a toy in mind but I need money for parts."
Pausing to watch Lohn and Vulpina leave for a moment, "There are the other apprentices and Journeymen in Volca's, and he had a few mates he'd hang around with when he wasn't too busy. His best friend was Lekoa. I don't know what he does, these days." Hesitantly she picked up one of the small cakes and looked at it for a moment before eating half of it in a bite.
The drow nods and scribbles something else in her book.
She looks at Lavi & Cassandra. "Do either of you have any questions for her?"
Lavi's soft smile grew slightly as Saliask began to enjoy the little cakes. She nodded briefly to Triel's question...
"What part of town was your brother found in? Would you feel comfortable at some point soon showing one or more of us some of the important related places or introducing us to Collette or some of the others? You mentioned that he was found in bed by a lady friend, I'd guess that it was his own...or hers..." Lavi said, trying to keep an even professional tone as possible when discussing such a horrible situation.
"We should talk to his employer also."
"He had a little flat at the top of the steps, near where he worked. One of those places where it's a room and you get meals served. No sharin' the bed, although I think they were tempted. Her dad would have his hide for leather if he if he kne-." She put her hand to her mouth, having let more than she intended slip about there private life. "Yeah. Well. His landlady said she would keep his room locked, as found, until we could have someone look it over. That's right, isn't it? That's what they do in the stories."
"We'll be sure to look it over." Triel nods and writes some more things in her book.
It'd better be how it's done. Otherwise, I'd look rather foolish as an author.
"Perhaps we should interview the landlady as well. See if she has any insight."
She flexes her writing wrist for a moment. "Did your brother say what sort of masterpiece he was working on?"