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Vulpina offers a smile. ”I’ve no interest in playing a game. Where I come from, it is simple: you have your title and your lands, and you are expected to maintain both.” At Cassandra’s reappearance, Vulpina takes to her feet. ”Are we all set to go, then?”
Vulpina does not think to offer a refill; that’s usually Cassandra’s job, after all. ”I have considered dabbling... but I lack the talent, I’m afraid, and have not the time a wizard must devote to learning. At least, not if I want to continue reading a certain drow’s work.” She ponders a moment. ”I suppose I could always see about moving into the office, but that would be... unbecoming, for a woman of my station. Worse, it would leave me susceptible to being granted property in return for my influence in some duke’s favor.” She makes a face of disapproval, then sighs. ”I suppose there will be time to consider one’s options.”
Vulpina chuckles, waving her hand. ”Oh, no—a Lady pays her own way, after all. It’s more daily wages of two servants that are likely to be an obstacle,” she explains.
Vulpina taps a hand on the table beside her chair as she considers. ”Well, it does put me in an... interesting position, if I am honest. I am a Lady with little to prove her title, and my funds are... largely strung up, at the moment. Finding a suitable replacement maid will be difficult, and as I’m sure you know her abilities as a bodyguard are indispensable.” Worse, Cassandra knows who I am. I can likely count on her silence... except to her future mistress.
Vulpina smiles. ”Of course.” She takes a sip of tea, then sighs. She seems to consider saying something, then settles against it.
Vulpina looks up from her book with a smile. ”Ah, Miss Triel!” she exclaims, setting her book aside. ”Miss Cassandra had just made tea, if you’re here to visit.” "Lady Vulpina? I was just speaking with Miss Cassandra, and I wanted to know if you'd like to join us for dinner at the Safest Clutch." ”Ah, dinner? Well, I suppose it’s simpler than trying to acquaint myself with the kitchen tonight. ...Miss Cassandra has informed you of the news, yes?” For a brief moment, she ponders offering Triel a job. No, no, then her writing would slow down, and I’d have to settle for Hutherford’s predictable plotlines.
Vulpina would sigh, if that were not improper. Truth is, she appreciates Cassandra, and having her closeby and loyal is essential, given her knowledge of Vulpina’s identity. Still, she finds herself having little interest in the... baudier things in life. Faking it for Cassandra’s sake would be... Well, it would be one more thing to fake, but Cassandra does not deserve to be lied to. ”Very well. I would be happy to put in a good word for you, of course, if you would like me to write a letter. You are welcome to stay here, until you—“ KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. ”A visitor? Miss Cassandra, if you would do me the honor of answering one last door for me?”
The lady considers for a moment as wheels turn. There is a silence for a few moments, then: "Ah." She considers a moment, then; "I of course have no objection to the way you choose to dress; how you present yourself is, after all, a matter of personal choice. However, I do not wish to mislead you; the relationship you are looking for is not possible with me." "I do not wish to keep you from following your desires, of course. If you would prefer to terminate our contract, you may; that said, I have no wish for you to leave my service, either, and it is of course more efficient for me to keep you than to go through the process of finding a new maid-- unless I were to borrow Miss Wulfdottir, which would be fortuitously timed but of course (as you know) buying out another person's help is frowned upon." "Your thoughts, then?"
Vulpina's eyebrows raise, and she offers a single finger in a universal gesture to give her one moment. Finishing the paragraph she's on, she marks the page and closes the book. "If you feel we need to talk, then we certainly do. Please feel free to put the tray on the table," she instructs, setting the book upon the small table beside her. She folds her hands and rests them on her knee, affixing Cassandra with an obliging expression.
Vulpina, lounging cross-legged in a good armchair with a book propped up in her lap, reaches for her cup without looking up. "Thank you, Cassandra." She takes a few sips, offering a small, pleased smile. "Excellent as always. Marius Verne posits that a pinch of ground arcstone in the powder would have interesting effects. Just the sort of ingenuity I'd expect from a gnome, though the associated costs and potential risk if it's poorly used could result in some adverse effects I'm not entirely ready to subject myself to..." mutters Vulpina, clearly rather intent on her book.
Lady Vulpina looks somewhat irritated as the Prismatic Investigators make their way out of the district, the case closed with an ill-fitting lid. ”One cannot help but feel that we should have ended it there instead. I do wonder what will become of his service staff—if they can indeed recover at all.” Once the affairs of the day are concluded, she (and Cassandra, likely) make their way back to her residence. Walking into the door the vishkanya opens for her, she ponders. ”Tea in the study in fifteen minutes, please, Cassandra? I’ve a book I have been meaning to give another read about potential improvements to the black powder mixture.”
Vulpina smiles. ”So, you confess to the murders of two young men. But surely there are better ways of wresting footwear from aspiring cobblers,”
Vulpina mumbles something in Xhikanese. Xhikanese:
"Another, thirty-one." She looks somewhat satisfied with herself, but aside from the crack of her pistol, she doesn't contribute to the conversation when Lavi seems to be on top of it.
Readied Action: If He Monologues: Lady Vulpina cuts the man off with the crack of her pistol!
Vulpina follows the feline, raising an eyebrow at the statuesque staff. She gives Cassandra a look that says, "even for nobility, this is weird." She decides to get a closer look at one of them.
”I heartily agree. Save the dramatics for the adaptation, I figure,” she chuckles.
The corner of Vulpina's mouth pulls back into a smirk. "If it were just us, I certainly would... but as we now work as an agency, we may as well give the others a chance to prove themselves. Fret not, dear; there shall certainly be a monologue 'fore the night is through," she whispers in return.
The Lady Vulpina casts her eyes about the place, although she's not certain what to look for. She does not wish to impede those with soft paws or dextrous hands, after all.
Vulpina smiles at Lavi's signal, drawing her weapons and moving in behind her.
"Fret not, dear Cassandra, you shall find the bed the covers warm and dry upon our return," chuckles Vulpina. That girl always did hint at a desire to return to her blankets. She supposed it must be the cold-blooded serpent in her, preferring the warmth over the perpetual drizzle of Lethe. Or, at least, that's what she would tell Cassandra if ever her courtesan asked.
Vulpina paces, eyes taking in the building. It fits the standard for a vampire living in the city—nothing inherently criminal there. A touch small, perhaps, but she doubts their quarry built it himself. She leans toward Cassandra, and with something of a conspiratorial stage whisper, asks, ”Would you gather she’s made her way inside as yet, or is she still fiddling with the lock?”
"A drow after my own heart!" grins Vulpina, resting a hand on the pommel of her blade. "Although I need not hope not quite as literally as last time I said that." She does not elaborate further.
Additionally: do we have any way of communicating silently with an invisible Lohn? If not, I'm actually considering having different-color strips of paper that she can slide under the door from inside. Green means "no danger, enter," yellow means "enter cautiously," orange means "enter and expect a fight immediately," red means "we're leaving, NOW. Run, maybe." Possibly more/alternate colors. iirc, these slips would be invisible until they've left Lohn's grasp, which wouldn't be until they appear on our side of the door.
Perhaps first invisibly. (More specifically, Lohn scouts.) Then, guns ablaze. Or at least, that would be Vulpina's recommendation.
”I will let Miss Siadon determine whether she would prefer to act tonight or wait until dawn. I am slightly concerned that waiting will give our quarry time to act on his own... but then, attacking a vampire at the height of his power never seemed a particularly grand notion, either.” She seems a little put out at the lack of better options.
Vulpina rises with a smile. "Well, I suppose we have a few preparations to conduct. I am personally prepared to fight my second vampire of the day, so I am happy to watch over Miss Collette if anyone needs to run into town."
It's a mouthful, but also a good idea.
Point and shoot, maybe?
Vulpina smiles. "I have appraised the guards of the situation," she says, "and of course, Miss Lohn has the right of it. We may, should we choose, inform them of our new information, and it may not be unwise to leave Miss Collette in their care." She ponders a moment; bringing in Undead Affairs may slightly reduce their glory overall, but it would give them a more law-adjacent reputation. It also might make subduing (or "subduing") the vampire easier overall.
”Vampires always do choose the most domineering titles, don’t they?” she muses. ”The audacity!” She finds Collette’s grace during this situation endearing—she has known ladies of higher station to show less class in the face of such stress. ”Perchance is anyone certain as to what sort of material a vampire dislikes most, particularly if fired upon him from a handgun?” she asks. ”If not, I believe I will assume silver to be most effective. I recall it to be a most advantageous pellet against similar foes.”
As a side note, when it comes to the particular topic of "what sort of bullet do you shoot at a vampire?", Vulpina has about 5 knowledge.
Vulpina offers a slight smile. "I suppose it might be an inopportune moment to request the return of my firearm, but I assure you that this is not the solution I have in mind. ...To Collette, that is. It makes a rather nice solution to the vampire problem." She doesn't seem to have much of an answer to the mind-affecting concern.
Vulpina allows herself a self-satisfied smile. ”I wished to spare Collette the more unfortunate particulars. I do not know how familiar she was to our Mister Kadle’s friend, but this Lekoa fellow is felled as well—by my blade. I believe, though not the mastermind of Kadle’s death, he was the instrument of his downfall... and was most definitively turned into a vampire spawn for that purpose.” With this, she lays his journal upon the table, as well as the sword and its ”Brothers in all but blood” inscription and the container with the coinage. ”He describes much in this journal, but notably, he mentions a manor with singing nearby. I believe our master vampire operates near the Temple of Shelyn.”
Vulpina smiles. "Not to worry, dear. Lohn, it may be best if you keep our guest company for a moment. I would like to disclose a few crucial pieces of information to our associates in privacy, and as I have already filled you in..." Should no one object, she ushers them into the next room... and immediately begins passing out stakes, which she prepared while she was lighting the room earlier.
Vulpina's eyes light up. "A missing box? It would not be overly serendipitous to presume this is our container, would it?" she asks, procuring the coin container found beneath Lekoa's floorboards from her pocket.
Vulpina's face glows in the lamplight as it turns to greet the two of them. "Ah, salutations to you both," she grins, shaking out the embers of a tindertwig. Her eyes flicker to Cassandra; they will need to trade weaponry in a moment. "You will be interested to know that I have found and neutralized the murder weapon, the details of which will need to be limited to my colleagues at present. I do hope you understand," she says with a nod to Collette. "We can speak on that matter afterwards, of course. I take it the charming ingenue is Miss Collette?" She steps forward and smiles at the pair. Should Cassandra introduce her, she offers a ringed hand-- first to Cassandra, then to Collette.
Vulpina smirks a bit at being the first ones back. With a word and a wave of her hand, four twinkling lights fizzle into existence around her head, and she uses this brightness to illuminate the office while she sets about lighting the lamps and candles.
Vulpina heads for the office, one hand resting on the pommel of her estoc.
Vulpina smiles as the two enter Lekoa’s room. ”The town guard, i presume? I wished to avoid having this one’s master return and unstake my claim, as it were.” She rises, looking at Lekoa with a moment’s pity. ”I shall leave him in your hands, then. You may find me at the office of Prismatic Investigators during business hours, should you have any questions.” With that, provided she is not stopped, she brushes past the two and heads for the office, having counted on Lohn to take a closer look at the officers.
Vulpina arcs an eyebrow as the pair discover the blade and coin. The blade alone is likely worth more than Lekoa would have seen in his lifetime. These coins may be greater than months' pay, unless dockhands make more than I would have wagered... She withdraws a scarf an inside pocket, wrapping the blade in it and slipping the coins in her pocket-- a separate pocket than the one she keeps her about-town money in, of course. She glances over at Lekoa's fallen form. Is it wise to leave him alone? It is... unlikely that his master will find him and remove the stake before someone from the police office arrives. Especially since he seems to have been turned for a singular design. "I shall keep watch for the police to arrive," she says, having had a second thought as she draws her coat pistol and goes about swapping the lead in the barrel for silver. She sits on a piece of bed, her heel resting upon the wooden stake in Lekoa's chest. "Best to make sure that when someone arrives to collect him, it is the proper authorities."
Vulpina stands straight and sniffs, considering. As delightful as it would be to return to their new headquarters with the vampiric mastermind’s head, she can’t guarantee her own success in this matter alone—or even (especially, perhaps) with Lohn’s assistance. ”I believe I should return presently,” she mumbles, taking a last glance over the home. ”There is much to discuss.”
Provided she sees nothing more of note, she leaves and takes a meandering route back to HQ.
Vulpina’s face makes a rather strange expression as her suspicions are proven close to fact—somewhere between a smile of satisfaction and a frown of discomfort with the book’s contents. It comes out rather thin-lipped and tense. She takes a moment to wrack her brain. Fancy houses are rare amongst commoners, after all.
She heaves a sigh and holds it up in the air, as if wishing for some small, invisible creature to secret it away. No use letting it get reclaimed if its owner-by-proxy came calling. And besides, if a noble vampire whose eyes could see true stumbled upon the two of them, Vulpina would need to bind him in silence regardless.
Vulpina smiles, thanking him for his time. Upon returning to Lekoa's home, she performs a full investigation, assuming that she is not assaulted.
Vulpina nods. "Understandable. Regrettably, Lekoa was meant to be the 'someone he knew' for Kadle." She smiles, rising from her chair. "Thank you for your time. I thought it better to inform the authorities of his death rather than be found snooping through his belongings whilst holding a bloodied blade," she chuckles, meaning no offense, "I shall see what I might find at his abode. I trust you will be sending someone this evening to investigate as well-- or, at the very least, remove the body?" Should no particularly interesting topics arise, Vulpina will collect a stake and bid the Sergeant a fair evening, returning the long way around to Lekoa's home.
Vulpina favors him with a chuckle. "We have not found the killer, but at best, the murder weapon-- and, I daresay, a secondary victim. No, I would say that the true killer is still at large. Do you happen to have any information that could assist in my search?" she asks; it doesn't seem unlikely that Hargraves might have some leads and suspects, after all. "Failing that, of course, would you favor a girl with a wooden stake to carry on her way back home? I hardly thought I would need one when I set out today... but it's not entirely unlikely that I have made myself the target of a vampire lord this afternoon."
Vulpina sits back in her chair, rapping her knuckles upon the arm. "My colleagues and I have been inquiring into the untimely ruination of a young man named Kadle Kelmra. As I understand it, he was an apprentice shoemaker in life, working on his masterpiece. I find my suspicion to be that Kadle was killed by his, ah, 'drinking buddy,' Lekoa-- although I do not suspect that Lekoa would have done so without the taint of vampirism. We found precious little blood at the scene-- if it ended up feeding a vampire, that would of course account for it." She ponders a bit; what would a vampire want with a young shoemaker, unless he feared getting kicked to death by mithral and darkleaf? "We were not acquaintances with Mister Kelmra; if any item was missing from his room, we would not know it. It is possible he was in possession of something a vampire would kill for, or perhaps he came across information he should not have held. My colleagues are out inspecting the body and asking questions of those that knew him. I believed I would be too, in fact," she says, with a somewhat flippant chuckle, "but one's path is never as straightforward as it seems."
Vulpina's handwriting is quick and neat, and it isn't long before she's taken a seat in front of Hargraves. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sergeant," she says with a friendly smile, "although of course the circumstances are a bit grim for my liking. I am Lady Vulpina of Prismatic Investigations. Have you been briefed on the basics of my situation?" she asks. If not, she repeats herself almost word-for-word from before.
Vulpina nods. "Very well! Then, if you're prepared?" If the receptionist must make ready any paperwork, she waits. "I have come directly from the domicile of a man named Lekoa," she begins, giving the address as well, "and it is imperative that I report that I have slain him in self-defense. The man has-- I must assume quite recently-- become the spawn of a vampire, and as he lost control of himself and attacked me mere seconds after seeing me, I have reason to believe that he was involved in the death of Mister Kadle Kelmra, either as the murderer himself or as a secondary victim in his recent murder at the hands of his new master." She waits patiently for him to jot down the necessary details, then: "If possible, I'd like to speak with someone about making quite certain that the city guard is briefed to be on the lookout for signs of vampires, and is carrying wooden stakes with them at all times. My company, Prismatic Investigators, will be searching for the vampire who is likely behind the entirety of this sordid affair, but I will not begrudge the matter should these proud executors of the law find and bring him to justice prior to our own encounter with him."
Vulpina enters the building with a smile; it's good to be walking tall again, and speaking with dignity once more. She crosses the room to a receptionist. "Pardon me, sir; how would one go about reporting an incident here?" she asks. While she's happy to go into details with the receptionist if that is the way of it, she'd prefer to keep matters in the proper channels.
...and heading for the office of the police.
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