"Mind games. Funny, coming from you. No, your spell may keep him from harming you, but it's far from keeping him from wanting you harmed. And I make it a point to know my people."
She purses her lips in a sour frown and shakes her head slightly. "You announced that you sought employment with me. Yet you are playing the power game with me. You cannot see beyond yourself to understand that you have completely undermined any sort of cooperation on my part. You wanted me here, and here I am. What do you intend to do now?"
"If you know your men well, why leave it to him to handle employment negotiations. If he was any good, he would have given me what I want, and he would gotten exactly what he wanted. Or he could have simply set up a meeting between me and you if he felt out of his depth. Instead, we have...this situation" Eris gestures, pointing and herself and at everyone present.
"I wanted you here, because I wanted to discuss employment options, because quite frankly, you offer the only business in town. I wanted to see what you would say."
A look of irritation flashes across Eliste's face, but she quickly replaces it with one of contemplation. "All right," she says after some thought, "you want employment. I'll give you a test. Salvarri Cattanei is trying to curry favor with Irovetti by running the Red Crescent Theater. He puts on plays that suit the king's tastes -- that is to say, bad. But I dislike the possibility of anyone gaining stature in his majesty's eyes other than me. So go, enroll as an actor at the theater. And ruin Salvarri. You're good at that, I see. Come back to me when Sal is in disgrace, and we'll discuss the terms of your future with The Darkwind."
Eris considers the offer. "Not really something within my area of expertise as it were, and such a task could take months to accomplish. Any suggestions as to where one would start?"
Of course. Not surprising at all. No, 'yes, ma'am,' or 'right away.' I wonder what she really wants of me, but it's certainly not to be one of my employees. I can't think of a worse approach to get in my...
Eliste rolls her eyes after Eris speaks. "I don't care for whatever it is you're on about. If you wish to talk employment with me seriously, you'll do as I say now. I've given you a task. You can either prove yourself... or prove yourself worthless."
With no sight or sign of Eris, Jon holds off on leaving.
Eris changes her tone slightly. "Yes, of course..ma'am. If you would permit me though, why would you even care? Irovetti will shut down all the trading houses except this one anyway, and you are currently the only one in the kings favor?"
Eliste leans back in her seat. She studies Eris for a moment before speaking. "I expect my employees to do as I ask without delay. Your interview is over. You have your test."
She nods to the man sitting next to Eris, who opens the partition and gets up. He offers her a hand to help her up out of her seat.
[ooc]Yep no surprises there, I'll probably leave and come back in a different form, since we are going in circles.
When Jon demonstrates that he is not ready to leave yet, the man nods to them. "When you're ready, the carriage will be outside." He turns and leaves.
A few minutes after the pixie-haired woman entered, Eris steps out of her private booth. After a quick survey of the tavern, she can see Jon and Kage at a table with two attractive ladies showing them lots of amorous attention. Alenaya is still at her table with the twins.
Eris smoothly heads out the door, closes it behind her, and immediately changes form.
Eris New Form
In start contrast to her earlier entrance, when Eris walks in again, she's careful to look a little lost, less confident, uncertain. The clothing she has selected is nice, and Eris still tries to ensure she has an attractive appearance, but less of the glitzy glamour fashion accessories, which might look out of place in such a trading house. She briefly flashes her eyes gold in the direction of her fellow Mantis, signaling her new disguise.
Kage was drinking sparingly, the red was very good but he didn't like loosing control. When the mask slipped, scary things slipped out of his subconscious. So he was far more alert than he seemed. He noticed Eris enter the room with a different woman leaving. Kage clocked the ring and the flash of gold from the eyes confirmed it was her.
He made a subtle motion that both Eris and Jon where sure to notice.
:TIME TO GO?:
Eris slips out of the Tavern, and the atmosphere of the place relaxes palpably.
Giselle and Uana continue their attentions, seemingly oblivious to Kage's secret message.
After his first glass, Jon has sipped sparingly on his drink. He is more alert than one might expect and is still wary of Mantis assassins.
Once everyone was ready, Jon motions to the driver and disentangles himself from Giselle. "You are fine company, my sweet, but not tonight. If you would like, when I am ready, I will ask if you are available."
The girls pout as the men get up to leave without them. As promised, there is a carriage waiting for the two assassins outside the tavern. If they enter, the driver takes them several blocks at a brisk clip, arriving at an inviting inn in short order.
==============
Eris is able to leave, but at the late hour, she'll be unable to buy a new set of clothes simply. The drunken revelry back at the New Ruins may provide several opportunities to obtain a different outfit, however.
Alenaya is also able to extricate herself from the twins' attention, and can find Eris in the streets debating her next move. They see Jon and Kage entering a carriage.
Alenaya nudges Eris’ arm and points to the carriage, ”Looks like the boys have us a ride,” she says with a smile.
"I'm going to New Ruins, following up a lead" she remarks simply, heading over to one of the establishments. One of the more simple options would be to simply kill someone for their outfit, but Eris considers this a waste. The simplest option for Eris is to steal an outfit from one of the establishments. Such businesses often have outfits or something similar. If this also fails Eris attempts an outfit swap with another girl, before heading back.
Before the twins can follow her out, Alenaya slips inside the carriage ahead of Jon and Kage. She peers out the back and watches the two look up and down the street dejectedly.
The ride is a bit bumpy on the cobblestone streets, but otherwise pleasant and gives the three a chance to catch each other up on what they've learned.
Attendants waiting for their arrival quickly open the doors to the carriage and escort Alenaya, Jon-Wyn, and Sa'Kage inside the Shaded Breeze Inn. They are led upstairs and shown into an opulent suite. A table has a bucket with several chilled bottles of wine and an array of crystal glasses and decanters. Another table has a plate with some fruits and cheeses in a colorful display. Several upholstered couches sit near the glass entrance to a balcony overlooking the city. Two doors lead off the main room into what are no doubt the bedrooms.
Lounging on one of the couches are two scantily-clad women, each holding a crystal goblet. One is of Tian descent, with long, straight black hair, while the other has wavy, chestnut hair and mismatched eyes.
The porter bows and gestures to a rope cord next to the entrance to the suite. "If you'll be needing anything else, just pull this. Good evening." He slips out and closes the door.
The ladies smile and bat their eyelashes at the two male guests. "Why, hello, my lords," says the Tian one.
"And milady," adds the other. "What would please you, this evening?"
=================
Eris moves through the darkened streets until she comes upon a suitably busy taproom in the New Ruins. With a minimum of effort through her natural gifts, she is able to find a different outfit.
With a new outfit, Eris safely changes form again, showing her old outfit away. She knew where her fellow Mantis were, having observed before leaving on her mission, but heads back into the trading house, looking a little uncertain.
Kage cast a weary eye over the decanters of wine. He'd had enough for now, although he was sure it was excellent. Given the small fortune Jon-Wyn had handed over it better had be!
"It would please me to hear about the town and it's ruler," replied Kage with a half smile, "We are new to these parts and ignorant of local history and customs. I prefer not to insult anyone by accident..."
Alenaya moves to one of the couches as the women tend to the men. She hops onto one and kicks up her feet. "Lots of things could please me," she says as she tears free a stem of grapes. She picks one free and tosses it into the sky and catches it in her mouth. "But, what would please me most," she says as she chews, "is if one of you fellas can tell me you had more luck than I back in that s#+@ hole. Those two airheaded brothers I was talking to made some promises, some of which they might even be able to keep, but the best they could do was maybe a glimpse at him from a distance. And how are we supposed to talk to him like that?"
The tavern's atmosphere is much the same when Eris returns, but it seems slightly less raucous than her first venture within. Several heads turn her way as she enters. She gets a few blank stares and a couple sneers.
===========
The two ladies exchange a confused look at Kage's request. One of them ventures, "Well, are you worried that you'll be have to be punished?" Her eyes narrow with a sultry gaze.
Then Alenaya speaks up, and they sit back down, waiting attentively for when their services will be desired.
Eris approaches the bar hesitantly, trying to feel as self conscious as she could. [b]"Hi, I was wondering if there were any waitress work available?"[b/] she asks quietly, specifically avoiding bringing up entertainment work herself due to the red flag it might bring.
Haru frowns at the bashful girl in front of him. "Are the Riversongs that desperate that you'll come in here and beg for work, still wearing Vascari colors?" He points to the necklace with the blue stone around her neck. "Idiot girl, best you get out of here before Eliste sees you."
"Ladies, leave. Tell the operator that we'll need baths and dinner before bed." Once they have gone, Jon sits next to Alenaya. "The fellow we spoke to claims to be able to get us an audience with the king. He got us this suite for our comfort and to keep an eye on us while we wait. I suggest we enjoy ourselves."
”Oh...do you now?” with a hint of mischief in her eye. ”And you were so reluctant before! Why the change of...well...I suppose heart isn’t really the right word...” she adds with a smirk.
Eris gives her best desperate look, quickly removing the necklace and placing it on the counter. "I meant no offence, I just...I just didn't have much in the way of suitable or even alternative clothing, I'm not, not actually affiliated with anyone" she replies, desperately.
At Jon-Wyn's dismissal, the ladies stand up uncertainly. The one with the mismatched eyes gives a chastising glare at the other who had spoken. "Certainly," she nods.
"Apologies, milords," the Tian says as they leave the suite.
==================
Haru shakes his head curtly. "That's a shame. But you came at a bad time. There won't be much work during the Rushlight Festival. This place will be pretty slow all week."
Eris looks a little crestfallen but nods in understanding. "I see, I just wish there was work available, but I guess if there is nothing going, then theres nothing going."
Kage was nonplussed by the girl's reply, "Hardly. Call me old fashioned but if I've insulted somebody, I want it to be because I meant it." Kage was glad when Jon sent them away, it had been a long day and he was getting tired. Kage simply smiled enigmatically at Alenaya although after a while he suggested, "It seems we find ourselves in a gilded cage for now. I'd like to know more about this town and it's history, but so far nobody wants to talk about that. Perhaps we should find out what this rushlight festival is all about. Even if we don't get to meet our prospective client till later, it might be interesting. It certainly beats lounging around here."
Haru pours a mug of ale and passes it to Eris. "Here. Let me talk with the boss. My regular waitress might want a day or two to spend at the festival."
Leaving her with her drink, the bartender heads toward the back of the tavern. He's out of sight for a few minutes, then he returns with the tiefling waitress. "This is Marti. She'll have some work for you closing up. What's your name, lass?"
==================
The ladies leave, giving the Mantises some privacy for a time. After an hour or so passes, there's a knock on the door. The two reappear, moderately more dressed and with a cart laden with food.
After setting the food out, the one with the mismatched eyes pauses before leaving. Nervously twining a lock of hair around a finger, she asks, "Were you serious about wanting to know about the history of Pitax? I know a small amount."
Eris gives a shaky but grateful smile at Haru, sipping her ale carefully. "I'm Ella, and thank you so much sir, just getting any kind of work is a bonus for me, so I'll stay and help close up. Should I try and fix what I'm wearing somehow or is there something else I could use in the meantime? I'm a bit anxious I'm sending the wrong message."
Haru pauses, looking her up and down. "What sort of message are you looking to send?" He shrugs. "You'll be doing scullery work, is all, for tonight. Up to you if you want to change your outfit for it."
When Marti shows up, she appears nonplussed with Eris' new persona. "All right, follow me. You can start with the empty back tables." She leads her to a back washroom where several buckets and scrub brushes are. The waitress then goes back to tend to the remaining few customers.
Eris makes a non committal gesture. "I dont have a wide range of clothing, so I'll stick with this for now."
So saying, she obediently works the tables.
It is hard work. Eris endures the drudgery as the guests dwindle to a smattering of drunken sots. Marti has to endure a few slurred come-ons as she escorts them out the door.
The side door opens, and Eris is able to catch sight of a clothed Ryvan make his way through the tavern and out the front. A few minutes later, Eliste appears from the same side door, still shadowed by her guards. She surveys the tavern as a lord looks over his lands, then moves to the bar. She has a low-volume conversation with Haru.
Eris is very tempted to stop scrubbing and listen into the conversation, but didn't want to draw attention to herself and knew it would be the only way to hear anything. So she keeps scrubbing as hard as she could.
Jon uses the hour to tell Alanaya about their meeting with Kullen that lead to them being in this suite.
"We can expect that the organization will keep us under watch the entire time. I agree with Kage. I say we accept whatever watcher they give us and go out into the city tomorrow to enjoy the festivities and get to know the city better. It is imperative that we are able to learn as much as we can. Definitely more than they want us to know."
When the ladies return and offer information, Jon welcomes them in. "Please, join us for dinner."
The ladies nod and with permission pick a few morsels of food for themselves. They introduce themselves as Fiona and Namiko.
They test to see how receptive the men are, with Namiko sitting closely to Kage and running her fingers through his hair. Fiona moves behind Jon-Wyn and starts rubbing his shoulders.
"So, Pitax has gone through some changes lately," Fiona begins. "Before Irovetti, the four trade houses ruled. You've allied with the Strocalle Family and the Darkwind Trade House. But you know that. The other houses are the Serpent's Breath Trade House run by the Cattanei family, the Iron Fox Trade House run by the Liacenza family, and the Riversong Trade House run by the Vascari family.
"The four trade houses were descendants of the first four families that founded Pitax, hundreds of years ago. The kings were always puppets of one house or another, until Irovetti." She moves around the couch, looking to sit in Jon-Wyn's lap. "I was only a girl when this happened, so I don't know how he did it. The Liacenza family were mostly in charge, with the Cattanei family still recovering from their losses in the civil war and the Vascaris staying down at the docks like they always do. Somehow Irovetti gained almost total control over the Iron Fox Trade House. He became king with the alliance of the Strocalle. He made a lot of changes, like the art houses and theaters in the New Ruins. I remember back when the New Ruins were actual ruins." She pauses there, looking to see if the guests have more questions.
=============
After speaking with the bartender for a few minutes, Eliste strides over to where Eris is scrubbing a spot of blood off the floor from a knifing earlier that evening.
Standing over her, she studies the new employee. "Ella, is it? I'm Eliste Strocalle, and I own this tavern. Where are you from, dear? And why'd you pick this bar to look for work?"
The more they give us information, the more that Jon is interested in them.
"We were considering going out to enjoy the festivities and could use someone to guide us through the city. Would you be wiling to do that for us?" Jon allows her to sit in his lap and his hands begin to become more familiar with her form. "What about each of the houses? He feeds her something from the cart.
Fiona gets comfortable in her seat on Jon's lap and begins unbuttoning his tunic as she talks. She exchanges a glance with Namiko when he asks about the festivities in town. "There's not going to be much here in the city, my lord. I thought you would be going to the Rushlight Festival in the morning. It's several miles outside of town. But we would be honored to accompany you."
Turning to the topic of the trade houses, she leans back and lets Jon's hands wander, sometimes guiding them to lower and more intimate spots. "Let's see. The Vascari are easy to understand, because they control most of the river trade. They're based out of the large warehouse at the docks, but don't have many other holdings in the city. If you want to identify someone from Riversong, look for blue colors on their clothes. Think blue, like the river.
"The Cattanei are hanging on by a thread, but there's rumors that some outsider has bought up a controlling interest in the Serpent's Breath. I've also heard that Salvari Cattanei is trying to impress Irovetti by running the Red Crescent Theater. Their people wear black vests sewn with green threads. Think green, like a snake.
"The Iron Foxes own most of the vineyards and orchards, but now the king owns them. Gasperre Liacenza is still really young, taking over the family after his uncle and father disapeared without a trace. They still own the Fallen Star Tavern over in the New Ruins. The few people still with the Lizcenza wear a left glove marked with red. Red, like a fox."
Fiona pulls her top off, exposing her purple undergarments. As she removes those, she dangles them in front of Jon's eyes. "Purple is the color of the Darkwind house. Like a stormcloud, I guess?"
"More like royalty, Fiona," Namiko interjects, having stayed silent while attending to either Kage or Alenaya (or both).
"Whatever," she responds while getting more intimate with Jon, cooing softly. She breathily whispers in his ear, "Are you ready for your bath now, or would you like to get a workout first?"
Kage listens to Fiona's words like a hawk and pours the pair of them some wine. He considers for a moment before noting, "It seems house Strocalle has benefited greatly from Irovetti's rule, house Liacenza not so much..." He looks her in the eyes as he asks, "How are relations between the houses? Do they have need of house guards to keep the peace?" Kage expected the answer to be on the lines of strained with occasional murders...
Oh no. You haven't earned that yet.
Jon will only get so intimate with her. He allows Fiona to guide his hand a couple of times, then begins to stop teasingly close as she continues to speak, only to 'go further' as she continues to give information.
"What of those who are not affiliated with any of the houses? What do they wear?"
Namiko's words causes Jon to look at her. Really look at her. From head to toe, then from toe to leg, which, according to an inhilation of breath, he really likes, then back to her head again. "Not whatever. There's something there. Like it seems the Darkwind have a special relationship with the king. Or is that just a lie fool us into working for you?" There's a bit of menace underlying his words. His eyes will keep darting over to Namiko, like Fiona is losing his attention.
Then adding onto Kage's question. "And what of the king? What about him?"
Jon tries to discern if the information she's giving is accurate and if she's holding back anything.
At a repeat meeting with Eliste, Eris takes care to be respectful, and subservient, ducking her head and keeping her eyes downcast. "Thank you Mistress, for allowing me, through Haru, to find some work. I'm not really from here, as Haru would tell you, because I accidentally wore the wrong colors - although in hindsight what I'm wearing is about the nicest thing I currently own. About the bar, I was really trying to find work in the city, somewhere central, relatively busy, and stable. I'm just really struggling with employment at the moment."
Fiona takes the glass of wine from Kage and sips it, regarding him with her wide, mismatched eyes. "No, Irovetti keeps the peace with his wardens and heralds. That doesn't mean that the houses don't keep their own guards and enforcers. That'd be just silly."
"Most of the other houses don't like the Strocalle much," Namiko adds, noticing Jon's eyes on her.
"But it doesn't matter, since being 'liked' is overrated," says Fiona, her eyes narrowing at Namiko. "It all comes down to power and influence. And yes, the Strocalle has benefited from the king's rule," she adds, answering Kage's question.
"Anyone not affiliated with the trade houses wear their own things. There's no other real dress code, but it helps to know what places to avoid if you're wearing the wrong color. There's plenty of artistic fashions all throughout the New Ruins. There's no real point in watching colors when you're there -- it's mostly some clueless artist," Namiko says in answer to Jon.
When he asks about the Darkwind's special relationship with the king, Fiona shakes her head vehementy. "No! I wouldn't lie, my lord! Irovetti has the loyalty of the Guild, or so it's said."
Namiko gasps. "Fiona! You shouldn't be saying that!"
The other lady gives her a glare, then turns to Jon, looking him in his eyes. "It's true, even if it's never spoken aloud. Irovetti uses the Guild." She leans in and whispers into his ear. "But so do the Strocalles. They'll use anybody to get ahead."
Both Jon and Kage can sense a level of fear and vulnerability in Fiona's eyes. Namiko huffs a bit and folds her arms, unable to stop herself from glancing out the window.
==========================
Eliste give Eris a look of contempt. "Why would I want to hire someone as pathetic as you? I can understand Haru giving you a few coppers in exchange for you scrubbing the floors out of pity. But you want to stay on as a waitress? You'll be eaten alive within the first hour."
She spins on her heels and strides out.
After several minutes, Marti walks over to Eris. "We're ready to lock up. Do you have a place to stay? 'Cause I've got a little bit of room in my flat if you don't."
Eris takes the criticism well as potentially just another test, before smiling pleasantly at Marti. "I don't actually have a place to stay, so if you had somewhere small to offer me, that would potentially do the trick for me. Thank you for being so kind."