Siobhan's fantasy epic of eipc fantasy (open, PM me first)

[siobhancan99]

Reply to Clancy

The trip to the clothing store is interrupted, briefly, by Kasia taking a long and contemplative look at the Elven Embassy below. She stares down at the rose colored quartz buildings peeking through the verdant late summer foliage and sighs "Do you ever wonder what life would be like with living parents?" she taps her fingers on the stone "I mean, I'd probably find out my elven parent was the village idiot or something, given my luck"

She grins her too wide grin, then heads to the clothier. She steels herself before the door, screwing up her face as they all seemed to regard her as someone's moral lapse more than a person. Still, this was the place to be and she pushed the door open.

The clothier looked past her to Clancy "Ah, Mr. Dunne. Returned have we? Excellent. We still have your measurements. I assume you'll be wanting some variant on the coat discussed prior? Should I summon Master Grachus?"

 

[siobhancan99]

The clothier arches an eyebrow and looks at Kasia who blows a hair out of her face and rolls her eyes "As you like, Mr. Dunne." He hmms and considers "No i think leather is best. The weight of your guns would, eventually, tax the stitching. I think your instinct to go with some sort of leatherworking for under the coat is a good one, and... properly accessorized might be quite dashing" He tuts and moves around Clancy. "I'll have some refreshments prepared for you and... your partner" the word seems a bitter pill to swallow, but he manages it with some grace. "It is beastly hot, and while we don't squander magic on ice we do have a cold cellar in the side of the mountain with a nice selection of white wine."

Soon enough, Kasia and Clancy are ensconced on a rooftop terrace, complete with small garden, waiting on the enchanter. Once he arrives, he assures Clancy for the same price as before he can swap out the extradimensional space to give him a coat that will protect him as surely as a suit of mail "it also has the added benefit of never really fraying or snagging... so it saves you buying a new coat unless you need to keep up with the latest fashion."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia considers "maybe a color change? so you can... properly accessorize" she mimics the clothier perfectly "and be quite dashing" she looks over him, salaciously. "I think if we ever break up you have a fallback position." She rolls her eyes and sips at her wine "Honestly, 1500 for a coat is already enough money wasted." she grins "though not wasted, as I know you can't cast in armor. It's honestly cheaper than bracers or something. I think it's a great idea"

She sips at her wine and eats a little cucumber sandwich, looking over the city "its not quite the heights but here in the rise you still get a nice view of the city, and the bay especially."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia shrugs "aren't we always? helping rich fucks get richer isn't exactly my dream of a better world." She smirks and sips her wine "though I'll admit the uh... pecuniary benefits of doing so aren't... awful" she swirls the wine a little and hmmms "I think this is Volkish. We don't really have a good white here. The Ludowy have one, but mostly its the Volks." She sits back and noshes another finger sandwich "There's lots of reasons to map out the catacombs besides wanting to destroy the city. If you want though, we can talk to some people about her and see what her deal is."`

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia nods "you do need to learn. Honestly though, it's hard. Maybe we should see if there's someone a little better than me to teach you. Like someone who teaches professionally? you can probably afford it. I mean I can teach you some dirty tricks and shit but... I'm not exactly a grand knight or anything" She grins and stares out over the city, and the hazy air from the August heat, trapped in the bowl of the mountains.

Down the street there are some words exchanged, and the ring of steel on steel. Kasia moves to the edge of the roof deck and shakes her head, watching A ludowy and Volk dueling in the street "They are really not gonna let this shit go. Word on the street is the Ludowy tried to assassinate Magistrate Konrad. What a fucking clusterfuck"

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia rolls her big green eyes at Clancy and steps back from the edge of the roof "Men" she snorts, if somewhat affectionately. After about 20 minutes of idle chatter, the clothier and the enchanter emerge, offering Clancy a similar price, and letting him know that the coat will take about 2 weeks to assemble, embroider and enchant. "you should come by in about 3 days, for a fitting so we can make alterations before the cloth is enchanted"

Kasia listens and sips her wine, then parks her narrow ass on the edge of the building "we need to check to see if the surveyors need more time of if that hollow connects to a map they already have."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia grins as the man takes the coat off to patch it "so, ancient mage lady is probably trying to flood the city to build her university, you think, and you wanna get in on whatever she's got going on? you're a complicated man Clancy Dunne" she laughs and nudges him, then kisses his temple. "Lets talk to the surveyors, then I know someone that might give us some perspective on her ladyship. Once that happens we can see about getting word to her about being available for other gigs if you want"

When the jacket comes back, patched, Kasia hands the glass off to the clothier "thanks for the wine" then moves down to the street with Clancy in tow. A brief chat with the surveyors later, they discover that the passage did indeed open up into an already mapped portion of the city. Kasia takes Clancy through the warrens of dockside, to another catacombes entrance near the harbor "not many people come in here because the water level is high, hard to scavenge when you're constantly getting flooded out" they move through some cramped caverns and then up, and into the actual mountainside. Kasia stops at a few points to tap out a pattern on the wall, and Clancy can hear a similar tapping in response. They move on unmolested, until they come to a door. Kasia knocks and talks low through the door and they are given entrance.

They move into a cavern, well lit through magical lights. tables and tables of goods fill the cavern, with men cataloguing the items in ledgers. a grotesquely fat man with disheveled clothes and sores on his face sits in a large chair, looking over a ledger. He snorts and looks up at Kasia "well, how are you?" he slams the book shut "love the dental work"

The girl shifts, looking over to Clancy "Listen Kemal..." as they get closer, Clancy can see the man's features suggest he's from Kesh, and the name supports that conclusion "we were wondering what you might know about someone.."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kemal purrs "oh my little pure one" making a reference to the meaning of her name. She rolls her eyes "not wanting to touch your gross body doesn't make me pure it makes me discerning." He laughs, and regards her "nothing is free in this world, Kasia"

She jangles a purse and tosses it over. he looks inside and tucks it away, then looks over the pair "who?"

"Livonia Scipii"

"Scipius, really. those damned elves always call themselves for the whole tribe but individually... anyway. now is not a time for lessons in classical Homines nomenclature" He hmmms "I'll be a few" he ambles off into some corner of the cave, and he is more than a few. Perhaps an hour or two later, he emerges.

"Livionia Scipii, baroness of Zelena Dolina. Protector of the rod of Amon, Battle mage to Duke Ljubomir, founder of the current line of Dukes of Gradzlata. Present at the battle of The Demonska Planina 500 years ago with the black dragon Mazdak." He sits, looking extremely self satisfied "don't know anything about her"

Kasia groans and looks over to Clancy "what should we ask about?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Kemal titters "two very good questions. one sort of ok one."

Kasia rolls her eyes as Kemal continues.

"The university is Kazimir's project, which she has leaned into. Her notion, I think, is to become headmistress. We... " he gestures around at the assembled underworld dwellers "have been keenly interested in the opportunities for graft that arise in large public works projects. Kazimir intends a small university to advance architecture, metallurgy, alchemy, and low level magical training. He feels that the guilds have a stranglehold on knowledge useful to the state and he seeks to break that, and also to provide his soldiery with some magical knowledge if they possess the aptitude. Being situated between two goliaths is no easy thing. Better metallurgy means better cannon. better architecture means better forts. The principal goal of the University is martial, with prestige being a close second."

He shifts "as to who and how she fucks, we don't keep track of that sort of thing. Economics though, that is within the sphere of our interest. Her holdings in the hinterlands are small. Her barony means "green valley" in gradzlatan. It's an entirely unoriginal name for an entirely unoriginal place. her taxes are waived in exchange for service to the crown, though she is required to field a retinue of 12 knights and 100 men at arms in the event of invasion. She owns interests in shipping concerns and mining interests along the Stulkin Vid."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia shrugs "i know literally nothing about building codes. or even if there are such things as building codes. I think you're right to consider the possibility that she's incredibly amoral. She was already a big deal 500 years ago? most elves live that long, period, i think. they get like, bored and faff off. they technically can live forever but they just ... don't." she worries her lip "i mean, that sort of implies to me she has some sort of grand plan and the lives of a few ordinary people probably don't matter."

she grins "but you might be thinking too much into it. maybe you should just ask her why she doesn't want to build the university outside the walls where it's cheaper."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia nods "it is, but you're curious and we have access." She shrugs "I mean, if you want we can just look at some lower key jobs. See if we get summoned up to the rarified air of the mountain again. then you can always ask. you know, fly casual."

 

[siobhancan99]

Blazing hot August gave way to September, and cooler weather rolled down out of the heights of the Stulkin Vid. While the green of the trees had not yet given way to gold, there was a nip in the night air. Kasia had for a few weeks been largely staying at her own apartment, though spending the days with Clancy. After a few weeks, she and he moved her into a nicer area gateside, though not close to the river. "I'm not fancy enough to pay 10 gold a month in rent"

The apartment was spacious, 15 by 30 with a large fireplace at one end. She'd found an armoire somewhere, and some shelves and a new matress to boot. "there's room enough for you to stay here most nights... you can bring your cat if you want. I mean not permanently but time to time"

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia nods "i know. you scream in your sleep" She's not being shitty though, and wraps an arm around him. "It was pretty fucking awful babe. I can't imagine." She kisses his temple "maybe you should like, talk to your priest or something" She gathers up her stuff "lets go get your coat, and then we can look at what's going on for the day"

As they step into the street, the temperature is much nicer, and the breeze off the mountain pushes the smell of the city away, at least for now. They make their way up into the rise, where they arrive. The coat fits like a glove, and Clancy is shown by the enchanter how to activate the climate control portion of the coat, so he can remain comfortable in it in the summer time. After leaving, the couple make their way to an observation deck, looking over the city "Kemal has some work for us, if you want to make some money"

Kasia didn't mention it, but she still owed Simic a ton of money "quick and easy."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia smiles "i meant more just... you know. to talk to someone who isn't me about it. That's half the service churches provide. Priests hear a lot and know about people and whatnot." She shrugs "i mean you don't have to, but you should probably talk it out with someone who is good for that sort of thing. bartender, priest. whatever floats your boat. And yeah, Kemal wants information about something that requires a little stealth, so he came to me to see if I was up to the task"

 

[siobhancan99]

"I want you to come along because if shit hits the fan you're useful." She rolls her eyes at Clancy "but learning some silence or invisibility kind of magic might be a good way for you to go. At least like, as a last spell kinda thing. so you can pop it off and get the fuck out of dodge, you know? Anyway, there's a house up in the heights he wants me to watch and if I can get in, I should get in."

 

[siobhancan99]

The pair made their way into the western heights, to find a rare house surrounded by a wall and with trees in the front yard, partially obscuring a house with drawn shutters, though given the cooler temperature in the heights and the onset of autumn, that was not overly suspicious. The house had two guards at a gate, though the guards took an almost professional indifference to the couple as they passed. Clancy's expensive coat marked him as someone who might belong in the heights, after all.

They couldn't afford to take more than 2 passes, one up then one down, and on the second pass things were much the same. They had found, however, a decent vantage point in some trees up the rise a bit, from which they might watch the house after dark.

 

[siobhancan99]

Kas was less adept at dealing with the emotions of others than she was with her own and she was horrible at that. That was why she had suggested the priest. She wrapped an arm around Clancy as they sat against the stone wall that kept passers by from falling down the rise and killing themselves on the steep slope. She rested her head on Clancy's shoulder and closed her eyes "I think I'd like my man to hold me for a few minutes, unless he's got other plans" She smiled up at him, then closed her eyes again and let out a long slow breath "Then we can go down and get a bite before we sneak back up here. I think we just watch the house a bit and if we can get in...it's a ... find out what you can... vague sort of job. If we have a chance to go into the house I want to for sure."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia sighs contentedly as they enjoy a brief but important cuddle. She looks down the street a bit "yeah basically. Kemal implied that this guy wants to work with Kemal a bit on something, and Kemal doesn't know whether or not he can be trusted or what his end game is. These things tend to be long and boring. Usually you stake the place out from a nearby roof or something, but up here in the heights that's crazy dangerous, so we will probably have to roll by over a few nights and see if there's a time to get into the house without being noticed. As to you improving your repertoire well... a girl likes a man to learn a few new tricks."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia nods "up and up, or also just maybe what his real angle is. Kemal seemed to think whatever he was up to was big big money, but... I can read between the lines' she nestled in under Clancy's arm a little tighter, warding off the chill of the autumn air. "you don't pay big money to get whatever information you can unless you think something isn't right. I guess the more we deal with people with money and power, the more things just aren't ever right" She grinned her too wide grin "but there's 100 gold in it for us."

100 gold was a lot of money, and a testament to Kemal's uneasiness.

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia hmmms "I dunno. Simic had his first wife. Maybe too when your peers are all the same class as you, you can relax on that front. A woman with her own money loves you in part because you have money which makes your experiences the same, but not because of what your money can do for her? Honestly... I have little perspective on the lives of the rich" She laughs and playfully buries a cold nose in his neck, grinning when he squirms a bit "Having never been rich OR powerful myself."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia hmmms "these houses? they're the houses of the rich so they aren't likely to be abandoned, but ... one of them could be out of town. We should have a look tonight when we come back. see if any of them are empty and cold. It would be the perfect place to have a safe place to watch. Then we could pick an opportune time to break in."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kas identified a few houses that had no smoke coming from the chimneys, and made note of them for investigation after dark. When they returned, one that was a reasonable distance was unoccupied. Unfortunately, with homes only on one side of the street it didn't have the best vantage, but it beat being out in the cold by a long shot "before i break in, check for a magic alarm? that's.... that would be bad. they usually go off in some mercenary headquarters..."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia grins "well aren't you fucking useful." She grins and kisses him, tugging on his lower lip then bites. she runs her hand between his legs, squeezing his cock a moment "makes me hot just thinking about the utility you represent" She winked and moved away, kneeling down and opening a case full of bits of wire. she uses them to throw the lock, then they move into the darkness.

She lights a candle, "no fires obviously. we should bring some blankets up and such so we can stay warm. We will have to get some takeaway food." She licks her lips and rubs her hands together "probably should get a few bottles of wine."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia opens the coat so they can both sit under it and curls under his arm. Fortunately, she's pretty compact and fits easily into the hollow. Her hand rests on his inner thigh, making a little circle against his pants with the edge of a nail. The movement is absent minded and affectionate, almost just automatic. She nods "look at you, thinking like a thief. Maybe we should go more into my profession" she winks at him "Teleportation would be super great for getting out of well guarded jewel vaults and stealing magical shit across many lands"

She turned then, straddling his lap and ran her fingers through his hair "We could eventually even train an army of orphan pickpockets, and live in shabby luxury in a cave in the catacombs from which we ruled our criminal empire."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia laughs "that's what I like about you Clancy, you're so lowbrow" She bit his lower lip and tugged, letting him feel the edge of her teeth. Kasia's legs wrapped around him, holding onto him a moment. She rocked her hips to tease him "but we really need to go get food, blankets.... that sort of thing" she winked at him and disengaged, blowing him a little kiss. "I see better at night, so watch the house and I'll go get some things, then I'll sleep. wake me up around dinner and we can eat and maybe mess around. After you can sleep and I'll watch the house. Practice any new spells you got. This sort of work gets boring fast and if we just fuck the whole time we will miss stuff."