The Bastard’s Walk

[The Forgotten God]

Jun 26, 2020 19:00:04 GMT Ceutinde said:

A vision glid down the stairs into the bar. Fully six and a half feet tall, impossibly slender, with dark curled hair down to the small of her back, the inhuman beauty of Ceutinde the Widow had a knack for turning heads, even in a simple linen blouse and long skirt. She and her healers made regular visits to the city's other brothels (not that the House of Peace and Respite for Our Heroes was a brothel, but outside observers did tend to lump them into one pot) to check up on the workers. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Ceutinde appraised the crowd and drummed her fingers on the banister. She chose to stay for a drink. It had been a long day, and a bit of slumming helped to keep one grounded.

She approached the bar and waited in silence.

The bartender smiled at her, much more inclined to the beautiful elf than the strange old wizard. “M’lady,” he said politely. “The King’a Thieves says drinks are on him. What suits yer thirst?” His voice was awkward. Royal looking elven maids did not often frequent the Walk.

[Damien Chevalier]

"Vittoria... I know her well." Damien replied with a smile, looking back into the past. He took a sip from his wine and smile at Silvia, "Well Awillindon has a Countess who is the renown beauty of all the local lands, but she always wanted to be known as a master of the blade. She trained for years under blade-master, after blade-master. Yet all the Imperial Court talked about was her hair the color of the Sun at dawn, and her eyes that resembled a glade in the heart of summer." He took a sip to clear his throat, "She grew so frustrated that she took her own rapier and scarred her own cheeks. That is why she is known Sabatha the Scarred now." He shrugged as he finished, "I honestly think it is an improvement, myself."

Damien cocked his head, "They call you the Skylark? How did you earn such a by-name. I am willing to wager it is story worth telling." He sipped his wine, and nodded his head to a man passing by. He made a little flourish with his hand as the fellow walked by. He made a gold coin appear in his hand and flourished it along his fingers before laying it on the bar like he was making a bet.

[Ceutinde]

Her smile was polite, but showed no teeth. "If the King of Thieves weren't throwing coin about for everyone's drinks, he might not have to thieve so much. But a gift is a gift." She glanced at the bottles behind the bar. "Something red and dry. But not too dry."

[Silvia Raizer]

Silvia watched Damien play with the coin. The glint of gold always fascinated her, despite her penchant for giving away her ill-gotten gains. She took a glass of wine from the barman.

"I'm a bard," she said airily. "The best bard in all of Bastion. They call me the Skylark for my voice. One of my admirers said my voice made his heart soar. Flowery words worthy of a bard, I'd say."

"To be honest, although I can;t imagine purposely scarring my own cheeks, I can quite see why the countess was frustrated. It is so vexing when a woman is considered nothing more than a pretty face. It suits some , I know - I have a cousin who was very much interested in looking pretty when we were girls, and one of my sisters was near as bad - but I would rather be remembered for my swordplay and my voice than for my face."

[The Forgotten God]

Jun 26, 2020 19:20:13 GMT Justine-Juliette de Vair said:

Justine narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man who had bumped her and quickly checked her pockets and things to make sure he wasn’t a pickpocket. Places like these...one could never be to careful.

She paused in checking her pockets to accept the old man’s strange gift. Tea? “Thank you, sir,” she said. But he was gone before she could continue. Hmph. People were always busy in the cities. That’s how she and her comrade could drift about so well. No one paid attention to anything unless it was screaming in front of their face. She spared a thought for her sister with a shudder and checked the room again for a face that looked like hers. Nothing. She was safe, for now.

And it would be the Comte’s free drink that would take her mind from it. “Please, night I have a glass? She asked the bartender sweetly, nodding toward the merry man and his pile of coin. Her attention was captured by the strange small beast as it hopped up onto the bar and swiftly fled. She barely bat an eyelash. She was used to stranger.

The bartender poured her and the elf a cup of wine. He took an extra few seconds to fill it right to the brim. “M’ladies,” he said. “Red and solid but nothing too extravagant as you said.”

[Damien Chevalier]

Damien shrugged, "I believe you lost the wager my dear. That is hardly a story worth hearing." He took a sip of his wine and leaned back on the bar eyeing the well dressed Elven thinking that was a flower worth plucking, before turning his eyes back to the Bard, "If I were you I would add some fun details to the story." He stroked his chin for a moment, "For example say that you were in a singing competition with a bird, and the Emperor himself, that giant horses ass, commanded that you were to be called the Skylark because no bird could sing as sweet." He considered his words and shrugged, "Or you could just tell people you can fly. That would really impress them, but they may ask for a demonstration." He gave a small shrug, "But there are several ways I can think of to solve that problem."

The King of thieves thought a moment, and then shook his head, "As to your other point about woman who work so hard to appear beautiful, I do not fault them in slightest. As long as foolish men are willing to throw away their fortune and their lives for a beautiful face then I can not blame them in the slightest. It is just another tool to master. They are using it to advance themselves, just like you use your voice and sword." He looked down at his coin as if expecting to see another beside it.

[Silvia Raizer]

"I suppose you are right," she said.  "I have often painted my face and worn a low-cut gown whilst performing, simply because it will prompt more people to listen to my song, or to toss me a coin or two, but it is just that, a performance.  My true self - the part of me that is Silvia, rather than the Skylark - does not care for such artifice.  I brought my lute with me today but if I perform at all, it will be as myself."  She gestured at her faded shirt and bare face.  "Perhaps one day you will attend one of my performances at a different kind of establishment and then you shall see the difference."

[Ceutinde]

Ceutinde's nose twitched in annoyance when she heard the swaggering fool whose drink she had accepted. But manners were manners. She raised her glass and gave a nod with a reasonable facsimile of a smile down at the supposed King of Thieves, before turning back and trying to look deeply involved in introducing herself to the woman next to her. "Good evening. Seems we have similar taste in free drinks."

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

Justine struggled not to roll her eyes at the boastful King of Thieves. However one got to be that old as a thief, much less to the top of the stack as he claimed to be, she doubted that it was by screaming ones own name in a tavern. Even one as low-rent as this one.

She turned toward the elf, who was among the most beautiful people she had ever seen and raised her glass to her. “Well it was free...I couldnt really complain even if it were sour.” She drank deeply, slowing her pace when she realized the vintage was among the finer she had tasted. She couldn’t help but lick her lips. “You’re very beautiful, my lady. I’m surprised to see anyone like you in a place like this.”

[Damien Chevalier]

"You are a strange Bard Silvia Raizer. All the bards I have known before were born of Artiface. The cloaked themselves in lies and tales so that half of their work was down before they ever started to sing a a note." Damien looked around the establishment though and breathed in deeply. "I think you are wrong about this establishment though. She may look a broken shell of a building, but the people who fill her this day are gold among dross. I know people. It is a necessity in my line of work, and there are no finer in all the empire." With that he turned to Ceutinde.

Damien bowed deeply to the elf woman as he had done to the Bard before, "All my drinks are free. It is the one advantage of my profession." He smiled at her and said, "It is a fine plum wine. Finer then I would have expected to find in Valgard." He raised his glass to toast Ceutinde, "I am Comte-in-Exile Damien Chevalier. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. He could not help but appreciate and try to appraise any jewelry the woman was wearing.

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

Jun 26, 2020 19:17:13 GMT Tehol Nookington said:

A small and apparently smelly beast, though it washed more then it's master and even smelled faintly of vanilla. Jumped up onto the bar and threw down some coins for another ale, presumably for it's missing master. After acquiring a mug to much chattering and and mumbling, it hugs the mug and starts waddling it out the door towards the back.

Achie's eyes went wide when the creature jumped onto the counter. Against what most people would thought possible, his smile broadened even further.

"By the Dynasts!" Archue exclaimed loudly, ignoring any social convention of not shouting like a crazy person. He now produced a small notebook and a piece of charcoal, and started sketching the little beast. " Yordlelus Gnarriensis! Right here, in the middle of the city! Most impressive, most impressive..."

"What brings you here, lil fella?" He kindle asked the little monster, actually seeming like he expected him to answer. "Who's your owner, eh?! You are a very well trained fella."

[Ceutinde]

A giggle echoed out of the wineglass as Ceutinde took a sip. "Is it so strange to see a pretty woman in a brothel? I did think it was much of our business plan. But thank you." The smile was real this time. "I had some business seeing to the boys and girls upstairs, and a drink seemed apropos. I am Ceutinde. Who would my lovely drinking companion be?"

She did her best not to look miffed at the 'King''s interruption. "The pleasure is mine, I'm sure, Comte. Ceutinde." She replied, before turning back to Justine.

[Tehol Nookington]

K'rull continues to just waddle to the back being careful to not spill the drink while looking anxiously at the crazy old guy following it with a notepad. Eventually they reach an open patio outside the back of the establishment where Tehol sits. "Oi, why you following K'rull you old geezer. Leave him alone." He says gesturing with his own mug, as the little pet finally makes it safely behind his masters leg where he sits down and starts lapping at the ale in the mug still eyeing the old man cautiously.

[Justine-Juliette de Vair]

Jun 26, 2020 20:42:30 GMT Ceutinde said:

A giggle echoed out of the wineglass as Ceutinde took a sip. "Is it so strange to see a pretty woman in a brothel? I did think it was much of our business plan. But thank you." The smile was real this time. "I had some business seeing to the boys and girls upstairs, and a drink seemed apropos. I am Ceutinde. Who would my lovely drinking companion be?"

She did her best not to look miffed at the 'King''s interruption. "The pleasure is mine, I'm sure, Comte. Ceutinde." She replied, before turning back to Justine.

“A pretty woman yes, but you’re a different sort of person than, well, all of us.” She glanced at the man as he interrupted them, then back at the elf. “Do you uhhhh...work...here?”

“I’m Justine de Vair,” she answered, giving the simpler version of her name. She waited to see if it would be recognized. Her name was not common, or particularly renowned, but anyone who made a study of politics might recognize her surname as that of an unfortunate man who had been put to death for his crimes against the crown. “A pleasure to meet you, Ceutinde.”

[Ceutinde]

Jun 26, 2020 20:47:50 GMT Justine-Juliette de Vair said:

“A pretty woman yes, but you’re a different sort of person than, well, all of us.” She glanced at the man as he interrupted them, then back at the elf. “Do you uhhhh...work...here?”

“I’m Justine de Vair,” she answered, giving the simpler version of her name. She waited to see if it would be recognized. Her name was not common, or particularly renowned, but anyone who made a study of politics might recognize her surname as that of an unfortunate man who had been put to death for his crimes against the crown. “A pleasure to meet you, Ceutinde.”

The elf was not a student of politics and the name unfortunately did not ring a bell. She hunched down at a bar a bit to be closer to eye level, laughing once again at the question. Might as well lean into the slumming. "A pleasure indeed. I don't work here, no, but are you asking because you are curious or because you want to know whether you can afford a little time together?"