The Baker's girl - A tale of Gradzlata

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva shrugs, and plucks one of the pastries from the basket. "It's not exactly a sieve, but it's not great. Lockpick could do the back door and have their run of the place. Two person team could drop goods out a window, or hand them off to a trained bird or something. Or SOMEONE, such as a certain bard I recently borrowed a few gems from, or an elf who clearly took your advice about the trellis along with our lady's virtue, could simply pocket what they like and walk out the door. Ideally, I'd like one person on our lady, one person walking the ground, one on the front door, and two watching the... sketchier guests. You know someone we could contract in for the evening?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha hmmms "i mean, how many guests do we have? Lady simic? a bard, Trinthalas and a few refugees? Its not like she's holding a grand ball. I think if one of us is in the room and one of us is floating, we can make sure anyone who gets up to use the privy is JUST using the privy. But.. we can always call Yvginy and Jens-Dieter if you really want. Remember there's two door guards too. I think we will be fine. But if you want to call in the menfolk..." She smiled and reached over, touching Ziva's hand and then grabbed a pastry "I mean we can add a boy to the mix" She waggled her eyebrows, trying to flirt a little but still give the girl time to work out shit in her head "Up to you really."

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva snorts a laugh, blushing a little. "You know what Jerina said to me today? That if I wanted to be her husband's fling, she wouldn't mind. Basically threw the guy at me." She shook her head. "The guy is handsome enough, don't get me wrong but that is just a whole snakes nest of trouble. Plus I think the poor guy has feelings for her which is a damned shame, because I also think her offering him up was a way of soothing her conscience." She took another bite and chewed carefully, watching Ulricha.

"I don't ever want to be like that. I don't want to tie someone into something they don't want to be into, or... or offer pieces of someone else's heart to sooth my own. I like you Ulricha. In a way I never considered that I could like a woman. I like being around you, and I like being with you. I really deeply physically attracted to you, in case you hadn't picked up on that yet. But I do also like guys. I... it would be too self serving to claim I know what I'll want, down the road. I barely know what I want now, beyond wanting you to be a part of it. If that's not enough, and you decide we must part as friends, it'll hurt, but I understand and I'll bear no grudge." She set the remaining crust of pastry down, uneaten, her tightened stomach no longer wanting more food, afraid she'd just crushed a friendship, or even something more precious as it was just beginning to bloom. Ziva cleared her throat and stood, trying to keep a little ahead of her emotions.

"You're right, us plus the two on the door should be enough. I'm paranoid, I suspect, because I know just how dangerous the bard will be if it's the one I think. The conman is perhaps just as bad. Maybe they're just in it for the kicks and some cash, but I actually like the naive woman we've been set to guard, and she's all but handed them her heart... Ok. One on the door, one walking the perimeter. You guard her ladyship, I walk the party and keep an eye on the guests?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha stood up and cupped Ziva's face, then leaned down, quite a bit down as she was quite a bit taller, and kissed the little baker. She smiled at her, brushing her thumbs along her cheekbones "We will figure all that stuff out. Eat your pastry. Unless its not as good as your father's or something" She ran her fingers through the thick nearly black hair adorning Ziva's head, then slipped her hands down to the girl's shoulders and gently rubbed them. "I suspect, Ziva, that things are probably both more and less complicated than we know about all the relationships between these people. Humans tend to... " She searched for a word and frowned "they tend to uh. frustrate expectation. Nobody is wholly good or wholly bad ja?"

Her hand slipped off Ziva's shoulders to rest on her upper back "Keep that in your mind while you're keeping your eyes on things. People will not just surprise you in bad ways, but in good ways too. Unfortunately they surprise you a lot. That means sometimes bad revelations, sometimes good. Always interesting."

She let her hand fall away "I'm not running off anywhere, so you don't need to stress over what there will be between us. Things will be what they are and we will enjoy figuring out the extent of whatever it is that it will be. Life is about the road under our feet. Sometimes you can see clearly where it is going and sometimes you can't, but if you're always looking ahead you'll miss seeing where you are."

"as for her ladyship, I think we find natural reasons for one or the other of us to be in and out of there at any particular time. Make it look casual."

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Oh yeah, casual. I'm all about casual. Not a knotted up bundle of nerves at any given time, not me." Ziva grinned up at the woman, "... And for the record, come on, of course it's not as good as my fathers. But it's not bad either." She slipped an arm around Ulricha's waist and hugged her, before stepping back. "You know, I still am not a fan of the notable lack of spare knives I can hide in this uniform. How am I supposed to throw my blade at someone if I'm not sure I've another dozen tucked away somewhere?" She sighed wistfully, absentmindedly taking another bite of the pastry as instructed. "Well, neither here nor there," she mumbled with her mouth full, "... wanna see if her ladyship has anything for us to do before the guests start showing up?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha snorts "you shouldn't be throwing knives. When you throw the knife it only moves with as much force as when it leaves your hand, while when you stab you continue to apply force. You know what you need is one of those little one handed crossbows with maybe some poison on them. They don't penetrate very deep but deep enough that it can get the poison into the blood. Plus it would be stylish." She grins "oh wait you're a pistol girl. I forgot. Honestly I haven't been able to really make the transition. All the noise and smoke. I'm a staunch traditionalist."

The day was largely uneventful, and by evening a few carriages had rolled in. Trinthalas and the bard, with the ginger man wearing that expensive magical rapier at his hip. Kasia and Mrs. Simic. A small family of Sewochi refugees. The coachmen for the Simics and Trinthalas were in the kitchen, sitting by the fire and kept watch over by the butler and the other domestics. Ziva's admonition that they were not to be allowed to wander the house seemed to be taken to heart, and as she paused at the door now and again, they seemed perfectly content to eat and eat and eat and not do much of anything else.

The Sewochi's tale, what she heard of it, was terrible. They'd arrived seeking work as the famine in the south had made food prices soar. They didn't speak much of the language when they arrived, and even now were telling their tale in thickly accented Homines. Others from their country had promised them jobs, but they ended up in a warehouse, working 18 hour days, fed once a day or sometimes twice under terrible conditions. They said the situation was more and more prevalent and would only get worse as the famine wore on.

Trinthalas seemed to take all of this in with proper gravity, and of course it went noticed by Jerina who seemed to move closer to him with every proper expression of sympathy.

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva had to bite the inside of her cheek to convince herself not to roll her eyes, and was grateful when her turn to wander outside in the chill came. These people have had a horrible, nightmarish thing to go through, and that little prick is squeezing everything he can from it. She frowns, wondering where the refugees are staying. The bakery often ends the day with leftover bread. Most of them do. Perhaps she could organize to get it gathered up and dropped off at their refugee camps or something. She sighed, and stretched her neck, before returning to her patrol, watching the windows and the back exit specifically.

 

[siobhancan99]

A few minutes in to Ziva's walkabout, she saw the familiar crimson curls of the diminutive half-elf Kasia. The too wide grin split her features as she hoisted herself up onto the bannister overlooking the large entrance area "Tragic all that. I don't have enough room in my head for other people's tragedy though. I've got enough of my own." She looked down over the grand entranceway at the two door guards, inside due to the inclement weather. It had started to snow, despite being late October. "It's going to be a beastly winter. In the 35 years I've lived in this City its only snowed once this early. Hell, down in the basin it hardly snows at all." The peaks of the Stulkin Vid were perpetualyl snowcapped but the mountains that ringed the City proper were not that high. Still in winter the peaks were generally white. Kasia kicked her feet idly "Got someone to curl up with and fight off the chill? If not you better get in while the getting is good. People will be pairing up like crazy when they realize how brutal it will be this year."

She looked over at Ziva. "Nearly froze to death myself the one time I remember October snow. Must have been... 12. So before you were even born. I was living in the warrens behind the Grozno Company warehouses. People were hardly on the street to beg from, let alone steal an apple off a cart. I have never been fat but man. I was gaunt. I looked half undead by the time spring came. Some of my hair fell out..." She looked out the cloudy windows, though not much could be seen through the glass. "It's gonna be hard times for some coming up. Good thing for you you have this set up. Fuck. Good thing for me." She frowned and picked at the black outfit she wore as Simic's retainer on official business. "Not sure why I was sent on this particular jaunt. I think Mrs. Simic just prefers me to some hulking brute."

 

[DramaNerdette]

"I dunno, hulking brutes can have their charm. But I see what you mean, they don't really do well in the social scene. Or perhaps they are one kind of eye candy, and you're another. Mrs. Simic, sending a message with who she chooses as a bodyguard. Anything and everything can be a message, after all." Ziva looked up into the starless black of the sky, watching the flaked drop down into the lantern light. "Cold winter nights past, my father and I used to huddle up together next to the oven. We're not wealthy people by any means, but we were lucky enough to always have a roof to keep the weather off, and wood to keep the fire burning." She drew a dagger and flipped it in her hand, catching it by the blade, then the pommel, then the blade again. "You ever try throwing daggers in a fight, Kasia? Nearly useless on it's own, but a really great distraction if your real plan is to open someone up with a second blade. Never met anyone who wouldn't be distracted by a dagger flying at their head, no matter how poorly thrown. Which is all a really good metaphor for parties like this. Sometimes a party is just a party, and sometimes someone chucked a dagger at your head and they're just waiting for you to drop your guard so they can gut you. Anyway, long story short, this might be the last time I take a protection gig. I don't think my nerves are up to it on a regular basis." Ziva glances at the building, and her voice softened. "There have been some upsides though, I do admit."

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia nods "i throw them all the time!" She enthusiastically nodded "You're right. Nobody is thinking it might bounce off. they're thinking ...My beautiful face!" she laughed and threw her arms up as if to ward off a dagger to the face "and then you use your other dagger to stab them in the belly. Or in my case usually run like the dickens." She put her arms down and kicked her feet a little "Oh, some benefits huh? Like dreamy young count-to-be Banimir?" She grinned her too wide grin "or just all the rich digs you get to hang out in? Gonna admit... the nights I spend at the Simics are nice. And what they pay me I can afford to live in the mid basin even with paying off my debt to them. Nothing swank and gateside like your little setup with dad." Ziva's family did live in the upper-lower lower-middle class neighborhood of the north of the city, upriver so the water was clean and everyone there had jobs. "But you know... cleanest safest place I've ever lived. It's tempting if I ever get out from under what I owe them to keep working there, but at the same time.... golden chains right? Like... once you get that taste of the life you could have its hard indeed to let it go." She sighed wistfully, missing Ziva meaning Ulricha with her statement and focusing on her own perspective as someone perpetually broke.

 

[DramaNerdette]

"UUUGGHHH, why does everyone keep assuming I want to schtup the count! He's MARRIED. Nice, cute, and married. If he and his wife are ever going to get their heads out of their asses, they can't have me... er, or someone like me, getting between them." Ziva glanced over and rolled her eyes at Kasia's too-wide leering grin. "Oh shut up, you know what I mean." She sighed. "Don't know why I let that man talk me into this. Well, I do know why, it was the money. And his puppy dog eyes. At least they have a tub though, let me tell you, if you get a chance to take a hot back down at the Simic manor, or wherever, take it." She slipped the dagger back into it's sheath on her hip, and pulled the cloak tight around herself. "So, I get why the elf is here tonight, he's... managing his relationship with my client. I get why the refugees are here, those poor bastards are props. How about Mrs. Simic? And what about the bard? You have a take on them?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia grinned "Oh and incurable romantic. Girl you are gonna get huuuuuuurt" she smirked, she almost always was grinning or smirking. "I've learned a tub is truly one of life's joys. I zap myself with the clean wand and then get in so I don't even have to worry about bathing and I can just soak in all that delicious heat. Fuck. I gotta get rich. One of those tubs is only like... 1000 gold. you know. pocket change" she rolled her eyes and laughed. "as for the half elf and the bard... they're thick as proverbial thieves. Not actual thieves, since we're not that thick. Proverbial thieves. Kemal says they used to share a target audience. Rich, not terribly attractive men and women who were starved for their glamorous attention. They had a partner, a woman... there was a falling out... maybe a year ago. Bad blood between her and lord fancy pants Trinthalasalaslaslaslassla or whatever his name is. HE got the bard in the divorce. There was a thought they were a thing, but the bard seems to lean both ways and the elf doesn't" she shrugs "but I'm guessing they still provide each other a gateway into each other's contacts."

Ziva remembered the bard introduced Trinthalas to Jerina as it was.

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva blushed furiously, but didn't disagree with the assessment. She wasn't entirely sure it was wrong, so chose to ignore it instead. "So... hypothetically, if those two little leeches were sinking their fangs into your charge... and your charge wasn't some crazy dangerous criminal mastermind... what would you do. Hypothetically, of course, because if word got out, you'd be pissed to have your confidence broken." Ziva reached into her pocket and pulled out a paid of ginger cookies, one of the special ones her father made, with the spices that made your whole body tingle with heat. She offered on to Kasia as she bit into the other. "I'm worried my options would narrow down into letting the two-bit con artists get away with it, or trying to take them out and making an enemy of...wait. They had a third. A woman. Were you familiar with her? Could you describe her?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Kasia's description matches the woman perfectly that was blackmailing Jereni's father. Kasia continued discussing the situation. supposedly, the falling out occurred some time before that, a few months or so at the very least perhaps longer. "something happened over the spring. Something to sour the deal" she shrugged and ate another cookie "these are fucking good by the way. Why on earth don't you want to be a baker? I'd be so fat. Do you make those little pastries stuffed with sausages and onions? I like a really spicy sausage more than a smokey one, probably because when you're super poor the sausage makers hide the fact you're eating rat and cat by smoking the shit out of everything. I really really like a nice pork sausage where its spiced with some fennel and maybe something to give it a little heat, but you can still taste that its all pig you're eating and not some kind of mystery meat you know? that's my favorite. And i love it in a nice roll or something with onions and maybe like, some garlic. Yeah. So I mean, if you go back to baking and all like... when you're middle aged and ready to settle down, I'd totally be your assistant." She hmmmed and looked wistfully at a crumb of ginger cookie "I mean, you never really get out of that place of food insecurity you know? No matter how long you've been off the street and like... I haven't been off it that long" She rolled back, flipping over onto her feet. "But don't let me make you all maudlin. We should get back to our charges."

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Well... if you ever find yourself out again, come by the bakery. We'll keep you fat and happy, ok?" Ziva said, looking distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of a friend doing hungry. She also mentally made a note to put a spicy pork sausage and onion roll on the menu, it actually sounded pretty good. She followed Kasia back into the building mentally planning out how to follow the elf or the bard home. It would need to be the elf, actually. She knew where the bard lived, and more to the point, she knew he kept his blackmail stash close at hand. The elf would hopefully be less careful. By the time she re-entered the building, she had a vague plan, but it still turned around getting everyone through the evening. She walked up next to Ulricha, scanned the crowd, and when she noticed no one was paying them any attention, snaked an arm around the woman's waist and gave her a quick hug. "Everything going ok in here?" She asked softly, looking for Jerina.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha nodded and slipped her hand subtly down to brush Ziva's ass "right as rain. It's all very sad, but everyone's behaved."

The bard had his lute out, and was singing some melancholy song in Sewochi, and everyone was dutifully listening and sipping the excellent wine Mrs. Simic had with her. After the song, the party seemed to be breaking up. The coachmen looked out into the winter weather and Trinthalas' seemed to balk at heading down the heights in it but the elf would not be moved "If we end up walking, we walk." The coachman sighed "Don't think it will come to that yer lordship." and went out to ready the coach. Lady Simic was less enthused "The road to the estate is steep. If you don't mind Jerina, We will make ourselves at home until its light and the path less treacherous."

Jerina nodded at the wisdom of that, and before dismissing the domestics had them make up a room for Mrs. Simic and Kasia. The coachman would sleep in the kitchen by the fire, it seemed. Ulricha looked down at Ziva and then up at their room with a questioning glance, but said little else.

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva blushed, and nodded. She tool Ulricha's hand in her own as they headed up to their room. Once well and truly out of everyone's earshot, she said quietly, "Is it weird that I trust Mrs. Simic and Kasia more than I do the conman or the bard? I'd kinda considered tailing them back to whatever cave they slithered to, but I didn't wanna freeze into a Zivacicle. Other reasons were also compelling." She finished, giving Ulricha's hand another squeeze, and tried not to grin in TOO self satisfied a manner. Once actually inside their room, Ziva went to the bed and started piling her weapons on the bedside table, aside from a dagger she slipped under the pillow, and one pistol which she tucked into the edge of the bedframe under the box spring. Then she glanced at Ulricha, not sure what to do next.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha was busy stuffing purloined blankets into the window well to ward off the drafts. The house was well made but it wasn't exactly airtight. She closed and locked the little gate, then turned to see Ziva's uncertain expression. "You going to sleep in that?" She gestured at the girl, then popped the stone into her mouth to clean her teeth and sweeten her breath. She set it aside, then stripped out of her clothes and put on a shift. Turning down the blankets, she got into bed, but left enough space for Ziva to get in if she chose, an invitation but a silent one that could be easily refused. She lay on her side, looking over at the dark haired beauty, watching her with a small smile on her face "put out the candles before you get into bed. With the blankets in the windows it will be nice and dark ja?"

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Totally Ja." She leaned over, eyes on Ulricha, and puffed out the candles. In the pitch dark, she began undoing the strings clasps of her uniform, carefully laying it out over the chair near the bed. It was dark as pitch in the room, but the young woman was perhaps more familiar working in total darkness than anyone her age should become by legitimate means. Soon, she was naked, the chill of the room like ice across her skin, but she didn't shiver. Something about the cold of winter always appealed to her. He father had called it 'bracing' and ever since she was old enough to work the ovens, a quick trip out of the shop and into the winder chill had been something like a treat. But as much as she liked the cold air of the room, it was heat she was looking for tonight.

She walked over to the bed, and blinked, realizing the darkness was so complete she could barely see an outline of the gorgeous blond that was offering to share her bed. She rolled her own smooth cleaning stone over her tongue, before setting it down on the bedside table next to her knives with a soft click. Then the leaned over to touch the mattess, fingers searching for then linens. The grasps them, and slid forward, under the covers and up against Ulricha's shift. Ziva caught her breath at the sudden closeness, their bodies pressed together, cold air from the night still sliding across her bare spine. The thing that kept entrancing her about Ulricha, she realized, was the softness that came with her strength. Yes, yes, the blond was tall, strong, a fierce warrior, but she was also gentle, careful, and oh gods so delicate when Ziva leaned in to kiss her, fingers on the taller woman's cheek, carefully tucking a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. The kiss was soft like a summer promise. Ulricha tastes like a summer rainstorm, somehow. Ziva broke the kiss, and touched their foreheads together. "Hey." She said with a whispered grin.

 

[siobhancan99]

The dichotomy between Ulricha's strength and tenderness was immediately on display. One arm wrapped round Ziva "come here you'll be cold wearing nothing." wrapping her in close against the larger woman. Her lips though brushed gently along Ziva's, the touch gossamer, ephemeral. She lightly plucked at each of Ziva's lips "wouldn't want you to be cold." Her full soft lips pressed a little more firmly to Ziva's, sucking softly at her upper, letting her tongue drift along it. Her strong hand stroked Ziva's back, exploring it. The pads of her fingers ran along Ziva's skin, tracing it, memorizing it. Her breath was a soft sigh through her nose against Ziva's skin as her lips continued to pluck at Ziva's, kissing her softly over and over, nibbling gently at her lower lip even as she cradled her against her curvy body.

The taller woman wrapped a leg around Ziva, then paused a moment to draw the blanket up over the little thief. Her hand resumed its light wandering, drifting down over the pert globes of Ziva's ass. She cupped it, kneading it, massaging the toned muscle of it even as her tongue drifted along just behind Ziva's upper lip. Her fingers brushed just between the cheeks, then her hand rested on the small of Ziva's back, holding her close. She pressed her forehead back to Ziva's, then brushed her nose around hers. "there now we can be nice and warm." her soft kisses trailing along Ziva's jawline towards her neck.

 

[DramaNerdette]

"I don't think I ever could be cold with you, 'Richa." A hand slides down towards the blond woman's knee, then back up her leg, bringing the hem of the shift with it. Ziva slips her leg up between Ulricha's thighs, even as their mouths meet. She holds them close, her hand continuing it's journey, over the blond's tight ass, up her back along her spine, into her sun blond hair. Ziva tugged, gently, a question more than a command, and bent her lover's head back so she could taste her throat. Ziva found herself purring like a cat, and shifted their weight, rolling Ulricha onto her back. She found herself down at the woman, strong, thick thighs on either side of her hips. She swallowed, her nerves still ringing with the thrill of this amazing woman's kiss. She leaned down, eager for another, sucking a lower lip between her own, mouth wide as their tongues slid against one another.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha's hand gathered in Ziva's dark hair and tugged at the roots. She sighed into the kiss, her tongue spiraling teasingly around the tip of Ziva's, tangling and wrestling playfully. She sucked on Ziva's lower lip "Someone's getting a little bolder" She whispered as she kissed to the young woman's neck. She bit softly, then tugged with just her lips, her one hand sliding along Ziva's back, the other tugging at her hair. She moaned into Ziva's neck, then kissed to her ear and tugged at the lobe. Her strong hand grabbed Ziva's toned ass, massaging, tugging the smaller girl tighter against her. "I like it" she kissed and nibbled along Ziva's neck, her strong fingers cupping Ziva's pert rear, her other hand locked in her hair "Lucky me, to be snowed in with such a pretty little thing. Maybe we won't be able to go anywhere for a few days."

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Hah! You'd be so lucky. Poor Kasia was out there lamenting the lack of someone to cuddle with through the cold winter nights, but I've got my space heater right here." Ziva grinned, "...and you should know by now, I react to nervousness with bold action. Which, thinking about it, says a lot about me." She shivered at the feel of lips on her throat, and pressed her hips forward, grinding in between Ulricha's thighs. He own legs spread, parting Ulricha's wider. "I seem to remember someone implying they like a little boldness in the bedroom." She rocked against the woman, hand flowing up her torso, running across her breasts. She ducked her head to catch another kiss, hot and eager, before leaning back.

Ziva sat up, cloaked in shadows, the dim light of the room outlining her form as her fingertips trailed back down her lover's body, brushing lightly over her lower lips, teasing little touches. "I guess if I'm going to fuck you how you like it, you should show me what that means, right?" she asked quietly in the dark.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha ran her strong hands along Ziva's lithe body, then cupped her breasts "well I like a lot of things pretty girl." She pinches lightly, plucking at the other girl's nipples. She lay otherwise still, her body not really moving, just warm and solid in the dark beneath Ziva "but... if you scoot up a little and position yourself over my face I can show you at least one of the things I like." Her strong calloused hands roamed along Ziva's back then down to her ass. She gently tugged, encouraging but not requiring her to move forward "I like kissing and touching each other, but this other thing I like too. We can try a few things. See what works best for you too"

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Ah. Um. Huh. I guess I should have figured girls did that with each other when they're in a relationship." She leaned back down, and kissed Ulricha, already climbing up her body. Her thighs were tense when she broke the kiss, climbed till she kneeled over Ulricha's mouth, looking down into her eyes shining in the dark. She stroked back that sun blond hair, as she lowered herself onto the waiting tongue, and the first touch brought a whining moan from her throat. "Oh, oh gods... you're gonna be so much trouble 'Richa..." she laughed with joy into the dark.