”Since witchoil is so rare and dangerous to acquire, the cost would be astronomical,” Thalia says. ”Whoever is orchestrating this has to be quite well-funded.”
”I’ll have another team continue to read through all of these documents,” Assistant Chief Inspector Delft tells you. ”I’ve another task I need you for. Word has begun to spread that the Nevard Sechim is gathering a rally, to be held tomorrow afternoon. The old skysser has called in all his favors to help increase attendance, and he claims his vision is critical to protecting Flint from disaster. The rally will occur in Bosum Strand at Dawn Square.
“I want you there so that you can hear what he has to say, but also to keep the peace. With all the tension between the police and dockers of late, If a riot breaks out, the cops are going to be too disliked to quell it. Nevard trusts you, at least. Get some rest tonight and head there tomorrow morning.”
"Oui, monsieur Capitane!" Lucien says, snapping a salute. "Mademoiselles? Might I escort you 'ome?"
"Keepin' the peace?" Mel says, with a lack of interest. "Sounds like a demotion to me."
Turning to Lucien, with mischief in her eyes, she asks "I would rather get out there and finally have a good evenin' - we bloody well deserve it Lucien. Thalia, you're comin' too right? Let's go catch a buzz."
"A buzz. Yes, that is amenable," Thalia says. "How about the Thinking Man's Tavern down by the docks? It seemed like a good crowd when last we visited."
"You have such great ideas, Thalia. Let us ladies go get ready together. We'll meet you there in an hour Lucien - better look sharp!"
As Mel and Thalia freshen up ready to enjoy the evening, Mel insists they have a drink to prepare for the drinking.
"You know Thalia, I've noticed somthin'. Lucien seems awfully interested in you, don't you say? All that mon cherie and the eye contact and stuff. Is there somethin' goin' on there?"
Thalia changes out of her RHC uniform and into a little black dress for the night out on the town. She sips at her glass of wine upon Mel's insistence.
When the eladrin asks about Lucien, the deva smiles but shakes her head. "No, there's nothing going on beyond idle flirtation. On his part, at least. I do not know if he aims to pursue things further or if it just a game he is playing."
"I am at your command mademoiselles." Lucien says gallantly. "Lead on!"
------------------------------------
Having been commanded to 'look sharp' Lucien arrives having clearly done his best. He has opted for a black suit, whose jacket has a form-fitting military type cut to it, along with some piping at the seams which enhances the look. His hair is neatly styled, largely covering his horns, and his tail is not easily visible this evening.
Apart from, or perhaps because of, his scars Lucien looks quite dashing this evening - if somewhat overdressed.
Thalia changes out of her RHC uniform and into a little black dress for the night out on the town. She sips at her glass of wine upon Mel's insistence.
When the eladrin asks about Lucien, the deva smiles but shakes her head. "No, there's nothing going on beyond idle flirtation. On his part, at least. I do not know if he aims to pursue things further or if it just a game he is playing."
"I didn't know he was known for playin' games. Do you like him?" Mel asks, trying to ask as innocently as possible.
Thalia shrugs. "He is handsome enough, and charming. You are asking a lot of questions about Lucien. Do you like him?" The deva raises an eyebrow.
Mel, taken aback slightly pauses before laughing at the question.
"Me? No! Of course I don't. He's a colleague and that kinda thing is banned at the RHC right? He can be so pretentious, and arrogant and.....charmin'?" She adds, questionning herself, knowing how ridiculous she sounds.
"Oh, I don't know, its all just an act aint it? Like you said, he's just playin' games. Although maybe we should play him at his own game?" She asks, with a mischievous smile.
Mel looks down at her going-out attire, a dress fastened with large buttons down the entire length of the front. She shrugs and rolls up the hem a little before picking out her only necklace that admittedly looks a little tarnished these days.
"I think we can have a little fun with him in return."
------------------
Turning up to the Thinking Man's Tavern a little tipsy and arm in arm with the Deva, Mel sees Lucien sat at a table already. "Monsieur Fesch, you look dashin' tonight. How about you order some ladies a drink?"
"Of course, mon couer." Lucien replies, signalling the tavern maid. "Trois of your best wine, merci mademoiselle." He says with a smile and a generous tip, before turning back to his companions for the evening.
"Eet seems you 'ave started sans moi!" He says, affecting a wounded look. "'Ow will I survive ze 'eartbreak?"
"I think you will recover somehow," Thalia says with a smile. Her pale cheeks are slightly rosy already. "Perhaps you ought to drink two glasses at once to catch up to us?"
Lucien smiles and, when the wine arrives, does exactly that!
"Eet iz not ze right way to drink wine." He says, requesting another round. "But Reesur 'as no idea of good wine anyway."
Thalia laughs. "The fields and vineyards are blessed by the Archfey themselves. If the wine here is not good, then I don't know where it would be!"
"Een Danor of course!" Lucien replies, always happy to stick up for his homeland. "Ze ingredients may be good but zere is so much more to wine zan simply ze grapes!"
He proceeds to wax lyrical for some time on how best to make wine, press wine, drink wine and most of all, to enjoy it.
"Wine iz ze most romantic of drinks!" He declares. "Eef you are to 'old your lover and drink from ze same cup, a moment of passion and romance, you cannot do it wiz any old brandy! It must be a fine, smooth wine, zat tempts ze senses and tastes sweet upon ze tongue. 'Ow else do you encourage zere leeps to yours?"
"Oh?" Thalia asks slyly, arching a delicate eyebrow. "Is that what you are attempting to do here tonight, Lucien? Encourage one our sets of lips to your own?"
Lucien gives Thalia a smile that can only be described as rogue-ish. "Mon cheri eef your lips are drawn to mine zen could I be blamed?" He winks and strikes an exaggerated pose. "Zese good looks, zey can be a curse!"
He holds the pose for a moment and then swigs down another large gulp of wine. "You are both la belle femmes, any man would be lucky to taste your leeps." Despite his words however he makes no move on either of his companions, simply keeping the drinks coming. Unless one of them makes a move first...
Mel arches a not-so-delicate eyebrow. "Smooth Lucien. Smooth." She comments somewhat sarcastically, before catching herself, remembering what she had agreed previously with Thalia. "Well, let's see where the evenin' takes us." She tries a little more seductively, fluttering her long eyelashes, just a little. "Let's have a toast. A toast to ..... the three of us! A good-looking buncha officers who know when and how to celebrate!" Mel holds up her glass to chink with the others before drinking half of it in one go in a rather unrefined manner.
"Now I propose a game... Never 'ave I ever." She says with a sly smile. "But to play, we need more alcohol. I'll go get somethin' stronger than whatever this stuff is Lucien ordered."
Mel gets up to the bar and takes a few minutes to order some spirits to take back to the table whilst keeping an eye on Lucien and Thalia's interactions from afar....
"Oh, I just love playing games. Don't you, Lucien?" Thalia asks. She smiled and leans forward across the table, giving the tiefling a good view of her pale decolletage.
"Well I am always 'appy to oblige a enchante mademoiselle." Lucien replies with a smile of his own. He smoothly takes Thalia's hand and leans down to kiss it with a flourish. (If that means that he has to bend his head and gets a view in the process then no doubt that is simply chance.)
He doesn't press the matter any further however, choosing instead to swirl the wine in his glass and give Thalia a look that can only be described as smouldering.
"So, mon cheri, what sort of game do you eenjoy? I 'ave not 'eard of zis Never 'ave I ever. You will 'ave to explain 'ow it works for me."
When Mel returns to the table Lucien stands to pull out her chair and then retakes his own. "To knowing w'en and 'ow to celebrate." He says, taking a long sip of his wine (having purloined the rest of Mel's while she went to the bar).
"So... I trust zis game involves drinking?"
"Oh yes it will involve a lot of drinkin', don't you worry yourself." She says with glee, putting down 3 tumblers on the table accompanied by a bottle of some unidentified amber-colored spirit.
Mel pours everybody a good measure each before grinning, wickedly. "So, someone suggest somethin', and if you've done it, you have to drink! Easy right? So for example, if Thalia said, never have I ever been late to work then I'd have to drink!" Mel, takes a swig of her own tumbler, for good practice. "It's always good fun and you get to know one another so well!"
"So, I'll start with a super easy one."Mel ponders for a moment, trying to start slow, not wanting to play her cards just yet. "Never 'ave I ever broken a bone." Before anyone else even gets a moment to drink, she takes a sip of her own and points to her ever so slightly wonky nose.
Lucien nods and takes a swig. "Menee. Ze life of a soldier ees a dangerous one. And I once broke four toes at a ball!"
After looking to Thalia he decides to have a go himself. "Never 'ave I ever... 'ad body art. Tattoo's and zo forth." He clarifies. He also doesn't drink.
Thalia drinks for the first question, then drinks again for the second one. "I have a tattoo. Somewhere not many people have seen..." the deva says coyly.
"Alright, let's step it up a bit," she says with a smirk. "Never have I ever... been naked in public."
"Deefine public." Lucien requests, with his tumbler half raised. "Does an armee camp count?"
Thalia nods. "I would say so. Drink."
Lucien smiles, inclines his head to Thalia and drinks.
Mel laughs at Lucien's question, and Thalia's answer, before taking a hearty swig of her own.
"Well, there was this one time." She says with a smirk when the deva poses her question before drinking again. "And no Lucien, I ain't sayin' no more about it!"
Her glass is dangerously low already and Mel swirls it as she thinks about her next question.
"Never 'ave I ever taken someone 'ome on the first night." She says finally. Her own glass continues swirling but she doesn't drink.
Thalia takes a drink. "Life is short. Even when you've lived multiple ones," she says with a knowing look at Lucien.
Lucien raises his glass, pauses and then puts it down again.
"Not exactlee." He says slowly. "I 'ave... rules zat I follow. So I do not... what iz your words? Put ze 'orse before ze cart?"
Since it's his turn Lucien takes a moment and decides to lighten the tone a little.
"Never 'ave I ever... beecome so drunk zat I was locked out of ze 'ouse."
He smiles and drinks, twice.
Thalia doesn't drink for that one. Once it's her turn again, she brings things right back to the risque. "Never have I ever... been intimate with more than one partner at the same time."
The deva drinks.
Lucien smirks, an expression which makes him look darkly handsome and drinks. Twice - again.
"Wat can I say?" He asks with a grin. "Ze ladies love a man wiz stamina... and a tail."
Mel gives her companions a look, which seems torn somewhere between being impressed and slightly appalled. She doesn't drink either.
"Damn, guess I'm the stiff in this 'ere partnership." She says after a few moments, trying to stop her eyes trailing off the table in an attempt to get a look at Lucien's tail.
"Okaaayyyy, never have I ever been arrested." She drinks and then gives both of her companions a challenging look, as though daring them to ask.
Lucien leaves his drink on the table this time and looks at Mel with honest curiosity.
"You are a most intreeging partner Mel. Every time I zink I 'ave, what is ze phrase, figured you out, you surprize me again."
He doesn't ask for further details, but does turn to Thalia, finding himself excessively curious as to her answer.
Thalia doesn’t drink, either. ”I’ve tried to stay on this side of the law, in all of my lifetimes.”
She gestures to Lucien. ”Your turn, if you want to keep the game going.”
"When does eet end?" The Comte asks, eyeing his low drink level. "Eef we wish to play much more zen we will need anuzzer bottle. Steel, I can ask one more."
He pauses and looks between each of the women at the table.
"Never ever 'ave I wanted to kiss someone at zis table." He picks up his glass, raises it to Thalia and drinks. Then he turns to Mel, repeats the gesture and drinks again.
With his glass empty he turns it upside down and puts it firmly down on the table. The click is audible in the sudden silence that surrounds their table.