Shiva laughs quietly at Ling's comment, and stands silently at her side as she speaks with Francesc. Shiva's eyes never leave him, even as she reaches out to take one of the confectionary treats. Popping the chocolate in her mouth, her icy stare remains trained on the seated exile.
"I couldn't agree more, to pleasure!" Ling raises the praline to Francesc like a glass before biting into it, closing her eyes as she enjoys the surprisingly sweet treat. She inspects the leftover half curiously, trying to work out what it is that she's eating, Looking over at Shiva, she purses her lips and mind-whispers: Not bad, eh?
She finishes her chocolate and continues: "I quite like your club, you have an unusually diverse clientele here."
Alaris eyes the tray with a touch of suspicion, before reaching out and lifting a chocolate with two fingers. As they bite into it, the flavor explodes across their tongue. SWEEEEETTTT!!! rushes through their mind, as the smoky luxurious delight melts in their mouth. They tuck the other half of the candy into a pouch on their belt. A melancholy verse floats across their mind - I think I was happier before I knew such powerful temptations could be had for a price.
Blushing a little at Ling's rebuke, Alaris rubs the back of their neck and swallows the candy, their eyes a little watery with surprise and the force of emotion. "Thank you," Alaris murmurs to Francesc before moving aside for Ling to take center stage.
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Caio gives an exasperated smile. “Mr. Dark and Handsome will be right back.” He touches his cheek where a prayer to the Raven Queen is tattooed in flowing elvish script underneath his human illusion, and vanishes into shadow. Thirty feet closer to the alcove, he reappears, though his form is ghostly and translucent. He strides into the nook in search of his clothes.
As Ling eats, Francesc raises his goblet of wine in return. He chuckles when Caio vanishes, but makes no further comment.
"Yes, Temnitsa is a haven for many who this city would rather pretend did not exist," he drawls lazily. "Your friends' new 'acquaintances' are no exceptions to that."
In Caio's absence, Shiva receives a momentary, but pointed glance.
"Nevertheless," Francesc adds, with a heavy sigh, "such guests sometimes bring their problems with them. For example, a client and benefactor of mine has some 'pets' who recently escaped their enclosure. It seems that they're quite feral. It would be such a shame if some poor citizen were to fall afoul of the beasts."
"This city is missing out on a lot of fun then. Neither Shiva or Caio are something you should pass up if you get a chance." Ling's eyes dart between Shiva and Francesc, twinkling with delight at the animosity between them. She clicks her tongue and shakes her head before she continues: "It seems like you are in luck, Francesc. My friends and I specialise in beasts. We could look into this matter, if you'd like to keep us around?" Ling raises her eyebrows at him with a grin, "What would you offer as payment? I like you, you see, but I think you've gotten off to a bad start with the rest of the band, so you'd need to sweeten the deal a little."
"Ah, but you see," Francesc replies, clearly enjoying the exchange, "your ashen-skinned friend has already agreed to lend me his services."
He holds up his right hand and clicks his fingers, prompting a hitherto inconspicuous kenku to step forwards from the shadows by the wall.
"I'd be in your debt," it repeats, in a perfect imitation of Caio's voice a few minutes ago.
"Of course," Francesc continues, "you owe me nothing. I'm sure 'Mr Dark-and-Handsome' will be perfectly fine carrying out the task all alone, with nobody to watch his back."
Alaris Forien grits their teeth in frustration, before looking up at the Breannian gangster, back rod-straight, neck veins pulsing and silver eyes glittering in the light of Temnitsa. "Agreed. Have a member of your staff provide us with the particulars, and the job will be done. Sir. We would not wish to impose any further upon your busy schedule." With a curt nod, they turn away from him and say, softly, "Ling, Shiva, let's find Caio and go before this gets any worse."
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Ling frowns and purse her lips: "He gave us sweets, what's your problem? And since when do we work for free?" She turns back to Francesc, all smiles. "I don't know about this benefactor of yours, but wouldn't you rather the job actually got done? If you send dear Caio here alone, as wonderful as he might be to look at, the outcome cannot be guaranteed. Is that the sort of work you'd like to have done in your name?" She steps a little closer. "It's fun to make a mess of things sometimes, but you strike me as the kind of man who likes to get things done, not half-done. And you'd get to see my lovely sister and I again, a little bonus. I don't owe you anything, but maybe you'd like to owe me?" Ling rests her hand on her hip and drums her fingers as she waits a moment for Francesc to consider, then adds: "What kind of 'pets' are we talking about here, anyway?"
From the corner of her eye, she tries to spot Jonathan and read his face for clues as to how dangerous Francesc is to play games with. She makes sure not to turn her head, however, as to not give anything away.
At the sight of the Kenku, Shiva's anger radiates from her. Seeing that Alaris shares this anger, she moves to step forward to speak, but Ling's words stop her and remind her of their current circumstances. So, crossing her arms, she remains silent at Ling's side, staring daggers at Francesc.
From somewhere in her mind, her own voice comes to her "Hold on, this isn't the moment. You have so much rage, and I can see why."
Wherever Jonathan is, Ling can't find him. Francesc, on the other hand, clasps his hands in one another as he beams and throws his head back, laughing out loud at the sorceress's forthright manner.
"You, I like," he tells her, gesturing to the tiefling with a gently bouncing finger. He stands and begins to pace back and forth in front of his chair, hands behind his back as he muses on Ling's proposition.
"One favour!" He declares, stopping abruptly in front of her and holding out one stiff finger in emphasis. "Payable to you, and sealed with a kiss?"
The finger has become an open hand, reaching out for Ling to take it.
Ling touches Shiva's shoulder to calm her, leaning against her back. "I love it when you get jealous, but we talked about cutting off bits, remember?" She raises on her tip toes and extends her other hand over her tiefling sister's shoulder. With a courtly gesture, she offers the back of her hand to Francesc, playfully curling her fingers against the tips of his outstretched hand. "A favour owed, for me to claim at my leisure, sealed with a kiss on the hand. We have a deal." Her sly smile matches Francesc's and it is hard to say which one of them enjoys this game more. Ling rests her cheek against Shiva's neck, feeling like nothing in the world could hurt her at this moment. She watches Francesc through her eyelashes with a smirk and waits for him to accept.
As Shiva charges in between Ling and Francesc, the man pauses and blinks for moment as though caught off guard, clearly unused to being spoken to in such a manner in his own realm. Then Ling's arm comes snaking out over her 'sister's' shoulder, and his cool congeniality returns.
"Indeed, we do," Francesc echoes, taking the sorceress's fingers softly in his own and planting a gentle kiss on the back of her palm.
"Tell me," he continues, settling back into the comfort of his chair, a couple of steps further from Shiva's reach. "What do you know of Fleder?"
Meanwhile, upstairs, Astrid's attention is caught by a strangely-familiar dwarf with a shaven head and a thick black beard. There aren't many dwarves in Temnitsa, making his presence conspicuous in and of itself. However, something in the back of Astrid's mind tells her she's seen him before. Whoever he is, he appears to be deeply engrossed in a hushed conversation with a Sarameian man. The two of them are both leant over a small round table in a booth near the edge of the bar area.
Slinging an arm around Shiva's shoulder, Ling leans against the taller tiefling, ready to talk business. "Big bat things, right? How many pets does your patron have? And where were they last seen?" She inspects her nails, then looks up. "Oh and he doesn't need them back alive, does he?" Her canines flash red in the lights of the club as she smiles. In Shiva's ear, she whispers: "Told you we won't work for free."
"Close enough," he concedes with a tilt of his head. "I'm told there were about ten, by the last count. There's an old, abandoned church in Petrowsky quarter. It seems that they're nesting beneath it.
He glances down at his nails, and then back up at the girls with tooth grin.
"They're useless once they turn feral though. No hope of training them."
Shiva stands tall as Ling leans on her, quietly whispering in her ear "Feels like payment enough just to watch this prick piss his pants. I'll let you work your magic, as long as he doesn't try anything funny."
She then resumes the tableau of the stoic sentinel beside her companion "They feed on blood, if I remember correctly?"
As the gear Astrid has been toying with clatters to a stop for the umpteenth time something familiar catches the cleric's senses. Coming back to her surroundings, the dwarf finds her foot tapping along to the beat of the music. It is kind of catchy, I suppose. She looks up from the bar to find the one that broke her concentration and notices the vaguely recognizable bald dwarf. Raising a hand to flag the halfling bartender down, "Excuse me... Would you be able to tell me who that one is?"
"Perfect, otherwise I would have asked for a second favour." She bows, purposefully maintaining the position a little longer than necessary for the appeal she knows it holds, and adds: "My lord." Despite her courtly gesture, her tone and expression are teasing rather than respectful. She straightens and tugs on Shiva's sleeve, ready to leave. "Let's go find Nik, see if he's got some more paper chatter for us." Ling tries to catch Alaris' eye, making clear they're ready to head back upstairs now. She looks around for Jonathan as well, but still cannot find him. Shame, where did he disappear too...
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Shiva laughs quietly at Ling's comment, and stands silently at her side as she speaks with Francesc. Shiva's eyes never leave him, even as she reaches out to take one of the confectionary treats. Popping the chocolate in her mouth, her icy stare remains trained on the seated exile.
"I couldn't agree more, to pleasure!" Ling raises the praline to Francesc like a glass before biting into it, closing her eyes as she enjoys the surprisingly sweet treat. She inspects the leftover half curiously, trying to work out what it is that she's eating, Looking over at Shiva, she purses her lips and mind-whispers: Not bad, eh?
She finishes her chocolate and continues: "I quite like your club, you have an unusually diverse clientele here."
Alaris eyes the tray with a touch of suspicion, before reaching out and lifting a chocolate with two fingers. As they bite into it, the flavor explodes across their tongue. SWEEEEETTTT!!! rushes through their mind, as the smoky luxurious delight melts in their mouth. They tuck the other half of the candy into a pouch on their belt. A melancholy verse floats across their mind - I think I was happier before I knew such powerful temptations could be had for a price.
Blushing a little at Ling's rebuke, Alaris rubs the back of their neck and swallows the candy, their eyes a little watery with surprise and the force of emotion. "Thank you," Alaris murmurs to Francesc before moving aside for Ling to take center stage.
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Caio gives an exasperated smile. “Mr. Dark and Handsome will be right back.” He touches his cheek where a prayer to the Raven Queen is tattooed in flowing elvish script underneath his human illusion, and vanishes into shadow. Thirty feet closer to the alcove, he reappears, though his form is ghostly and translucent. He strides into the nook in search of his clothes.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
As Ling eats, Francesc raises his goblet of wine in return. He chuckles when Caio vanishes, but makes no further comment.
"Yes, Temnitsa is a haven for many who this city would rather pretend did not exist," he drawls lazily. "Your friends' new 'acquaintances' are no exceptions to that."
In Caio's absence, Shiva receives a momentary, but pointed glance.
"Nevertheless," Francesc adds, with a heavy sigh, "such guests sometimes bring their problems with them. For example, a client and benefactor of mine has some 'pets' who recently escaped their enclosure. It seems that they're quite feral. It would be such a shame if some poor citizen were to fall afoul of the beasts."
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"This city is missing out on a lot of fun then. Neither Shiva or Caio are something you should pass up if you get a chance." Ling's eyes dart between Shiva and Francesc, twinkling with delight at the animosity between them. She clicks her tongue and shakes her head before she continues: "It seems like you are in luck, Francesc. My friends and I specialise in beasts. We could look into this matter, if you'd like to keep us around?" Ling raises her eyebrows at him with a grin, "What would you offer as payment? I like you, you see, but I think you've gotten off to a bad start with the rest of the band, so you'd need to sweeten the deal a little."
"Ah, but you see," Francesc replies, clearly enjoying the exchange, "your ashen-skinned friend has already agreed to lend me his services."
He holds up his right hand and clicks his fingers, prompting a hitherto inconspicuous kenku to step forwards from the shadows by the wall.
"I'd be in your debt," it repeats, in a perfect imitation of Caio's voice a few minutes ago.
"Of course," Francesc continues, "you owe me nothing. I'm sure 'Mr Dark-and-Handsome' will be perfectly fine carrying out the task all alone, with nobody to watch his back."
A cruel grin graces the man's lips.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Alaris Forien grits their teeth in frustration, before looking up at the Breannian gangster, back rod-straight, neck veins pulsing and silver eyes glittering in the light of Temnitsa. "Agreed. Have a member of your staff provide us with the particulars, and the job will be done. Sir. We would not wish to impose any further upon your busy schedule." With a curt nod, they turn away from him and say, softly, "Ling, Shiva, let's find Caio and go before this gets any worse."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Ling frowns and purse her lips: "He gave us sweets, what's your problem? And since when do we work for free?" She turns back to Francesc, all smiles. "I don't know about this benefactor of yours, but wouldn't you rather the job actually got done? If you send dear Caio here alone, as wonderful as he might be to look at, the outcome cannot be guaranteed. Is that the sort of work you'd like to have done in your name?" She steps a little closer. "It's fun to make a mess of things sometimes, but you strike me as the kind of man who likes to get things done, not half-done. And you'd get to see my lovely sister and I again, a little bonus. I don't owe you anything, but maybe you'd like to owe me?" Ling rests her hand on her hip and drums her fingers as she waits a moment for Francesc to consider, then adds: "What kind of 'pets' are we talking about here, anyway?"
From the corner of her eye, she tries to spot Jonathan and read his face for clues as to how dangerous Francesc is to play games with. She makes sure not to turn her head, however, as to not give anything away.
At the sight of the Kenku, Shiva's anger radiates from her. Seeing that Alaris shares this anger, she moves to step forward to speak, but Ling's words stop her and remind her of their current circumstances. So, crossing her arms, she remains silent at Ling's side, staring daggers at Francesc.
From somewhere in her mind, her own voice comes to her "Hold on, this isn't the moment. You have so much rage, and I can see why."
Wherever Jonathan is, Ling can't find him. Francesc, on the other hand, clasps his hands in one another as he beams and throws his head back, laughing out loud at the sorceress's forthright manner.
"You, I like," he tells her, gesturing to the tiefling with a gently bouncing finger. He stands and begins to pace back and forth in front of his chair, hands behind his back as he muses on Ling's proposition.
"One favour!" He declares, stopping abruptly in front of her and holding out one stiff finger in emphasis. "Payable to you, and sealed with a kiss?"
The finger has become an open hand, reaching out for Ling to take it.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
At Francesc's last statement, Shiva moves to step between him and Ling. Staring him down, her eyes blaze with rage, as this was the final straw.
"A favour, fine. Shake her hand or lose a limb."
Ling touches Shiva's shoulder to calm her, leaning against her back. "I love it when you get jealous, but we talked about cutting off bits, remember?" She raises on her tip toes and extends her other hand over her tiefling sister's shoulder. With a courtly gesture, she offers the back of her hand to Francesc, playfully curling her fingers against the tips of his outstretched hand. "A favour owed, for me to claim at my leisure, sealed with a kiss on the hand. We have a deal." Her sly smile matches Francesc's and it is hard to say which one of them enjoys this game more.
Ling rests her cheek against Shiva's neck, feeling like nothing in the world could hurt her at this moment. She watches Francesc through her eyelashes with a smirk and waits for him to accept.
As Shiva charges in between Ling and Francesc, the man pauses and blinks for moment as though caught off guard, clearly unused to being spoken to in such a manner in his own realm. Then Ling's arm comes snaking out over her 'sister's' shoulder, and his cool congeniality returns.
"Indeed, we do," Francesc echoes, taking the sorceress's fingers softly in his own and planting a gentle kiss on the back of her palm.
"Tell me," he continues, settling back into the comfort of his chair, a couple of steps further from Shiva's reach. "What do you know of Fleder?"
Meanwhile, upstairs, Astrid's attention is caught by a strangely-familiar dwarf with a shaven head and a thick black beard. There aren't many dwarves in Temnitsa, making his presence conspicuous in and of itself. However, something in the back of Astrid's mind tells her she's seen him before. Whoever he is, he appears to be deeply engrossed in a hushed conversation with a Sarameian man. The two of them are both leant over a small round table in a booth near the edge of the bar area.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Slinging an arm around Shiva's shoulder, Ling leans against the taller tiefling, ready to talk business. "Big bat things, right? How many pets does your patron have? And where were they last seen?" She inspects her nails, then looks up. "Oh and he doesn't need them back alive, does he?" Her canines flash red in the lights of the club as she smiles.
In Shiva's ear, she whispers: "Told you we won't work for free."
Francesc chuckles.
"Close enough," he concedes with a tilt of his head. "I'm told there were about ten, by the last count. There's an old, abandoned church in Petrowsky quarter. It seems that they're nesting beneath it.
He glances down at his nails, and then back up at the girls with tooth grin.
"They're useless once they turn feral though. No hope of training them."
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Shiva stands tall as Ling leans on her, quietly whispering in her ear "Feels like payment enough just to watch this prick piss his pants. I'll let you work your magic, as long as he doesn't try anything funny."
She then resumes the tableau of the stoic sentinel beside her companion "They feed on blood, if I remember correctly?"
As the gear Astrid has been toying with clatters to a stop for the umpteenth time something familiar catches the cleric's senses. Coming back to her surroundings, the dwarf finds her foot tapping along to the beat of the music. It is kind of catchy, I suppose. She looks up from the bar to find the one that broke her concentration and notices the vaguely recognizable bald dwarf. Raising a hand to flag the halfling bartender down, "Excuse me... Would you be able to tell me who that one is?"
"Aye," the barman replies, sliding on up to Astrid. "That there's Marchak. He's from out west, towards Kazad Grimm, if I'm not mistaken."
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"Perfect, otherwise I would have asked for a second favour." She bows, purposefully maintaining the position a little longer than necessary for the appeal she knows it holds, and adds: "My lord." Despite her courtly gesture, her tone and expression are teasing rather than respectful. She straightens and tugs on Shiva's sleeve, ready to leave. "Let's go find Nik, see if he's got some more paper chatter for us." Ling tries to catch Alaris' eye, making clear they're ready to head back upstairs now. She looks around for Jonathan as well, but still cannot find him. Shame, where did he disappear too...