Porcelain Child/SessionThree

The Legend of the Porcelain Child - Chapter One - Session 03

Outside the Inn
<onine> It's been a short while since the Sub-Prefect made his request for an investigation, and for the moment, most of our valiant Archons are getting their kits together.
* Magpie , anxious to avoid Tara's glares, is sitting outside the inn, tracing circles in the mud. She didn't have any stuff, so all she could do was sit and hope Tara wouldn't decide to subject her to torture again- or worse, tell Anona that she couldn't have a jacket.
* Anona exits the inn, greeting the daylight.
<onine> You feel a little odd in the dress, its baggy and doesn't fit you well. And it smells funny.... that’s backpack smell. You'd be *fine* wearing your normal clothes, but Tara would have none of that. It was enough that she and Vana chased you sopping wet around the Inn, she didn’t want you running around in wet clothing. You'll catch a cold. Yeah right!
<onine> Anona, you see an awkward looking Magpie - already playing in the mud.
* Magpie heaves a deep sigh, and tosses her stick to the crow- who hops up and down with the stick in its beak, hoping to cheer her up. The crow squawks suddenly, dropping the stick, and Magpie looks up to see Anona. A little warily, a little hopefully, Magpie asks "Did Tara... tell you anything?"
* Anona inwardly sighs. You'd think the child could manage to stay clean for just a /little/ while...
<Anona> "No, she hasn't said a word to me, Magpie."
<onine> She's mortal. Being filthy and downtrodden is what they do...
* Magpie leaps to her feet. "Then we can go get a jacket?!" Mapgie exclaims eagerly.
<Anona> "Yes we can. That's what I was looking for you for."
<Magpie> "Really?! " Magpie gives Anona one of her impulsive hugs. And wonder of wonders, Tara's exertions have had some effect. "Let's go!" Magpie says, taking the Dragonblooded by the hand, and attempting to drag her into the street.

Streets of Noble
<Anona> "Hey, wait a minu-" Anona's caught off-guard by Magpie's boundless exuberance. "The market's THAT way."
<Magpie> "Oh." Magpie reverses course, and plunges into the crowd heading for the markets, chattering observations on the way about the stalls, the merchants, and the likely romantic fortunes of passerbyers.
<onine> As you are passing an old book vendor Anona, the cover of one particular book catches your eye.
<onine> It's octagonal in shape, and well bound. Its cover is that deep burgundy red, like that of a book that was once a bright hue, but has faded with age. The cover has a sword and shield on it, with the sword placed in front of the shield in the traditional manner.
* Anona attempts to rein in the rampaging girl, gouging a lengthy skid in the packed earth underneath with her feet. "Whoa, hold up there Magpie. I just saw something interesting..."
<Magpie> "Where?!" Magpie figures 'interesting' , for a Dragonbloded- particularly this Dragonblooded - probably involved explosions, and Anathema, and strange creatures from exotic lands. She stops, looking around inquisitively.
<Anona> Looks around to see if the bookseller is about, then picks up the book to examine it more closely.
<onine> The book seller is talking to someone else at present, and as you put your hand on the book, another hand comes to rest on top of it, as if you had both grabbed for it at the same time.
<onine> You look down at it, the fingers are definitely feminine, long and slender, the sleeve is a beautifully embroidered black lace.
* Anona follows the hand, hoping it leads to an arm, shoulder, and perhaps eventually, a face.
<Anona> "I beg your pardon?"
<onine> Her hand feels kind of cold. It does lead to an arm, shoulder and body, but the face is obscured by a hood laced with silver. You can see the lower half of the woman's face, pale but beautiful with scarlet lips. You hear her take a short sharp breath, startled a little.
<onine> "My apologies." She takes her hand away and turns, to walk away into the crowd.
<Magpie> "That's it??" Magpie asks, disappointed. "A stupid book?" She was literate, but only under protest. But maybe Anona would fight over it. That would be fun to see. Deciding that this detour was not a total loss, Magpie settles in to watch- only to groan in disappointment when the other woman leaves. But-
<Anona> "Strange person.... but first, the book!" It should be noted that Anona is not paying a lick of attention to Magpie at the moment.
<onine> The woman pauses to glance at Magpie, then simply interlaces her fingers together and walks away.
* Magpie examines the book herself. "Is that thing important?"
<onine> The book itself is familiar, it is a classic children’s story, especially amongst the Dragonblooded, and one of the few that don't feature the Empress in all her enemy slaying glory as the protagonist.
<Anona> "No clue. It just looks interesting. See the octagonal shape? Very unusual."
<onine> If you read the fine print, its written and endorsed by the Immaculate Order, though the actual texts of this story are rare, this book is quite old indeed.
<Magpie> "Huh." Boring. "What was that woman doing?" Magpie watches as the individual in question weaves her way through the crowd...
<onine> The woman moves quickly and easily though the crowd, and no one gets in her way, almost as if her path is intended to be clear when she finally steps there.
<onine> The story if your memory serves is called the Glory of Kreites. It is a simple swords and sorcery tale of a great demonhunting Dragonblooded warrior named Kreites, who wielded the most powerful sword ever conceived.
<onine> Apparently, according to the story, it was a sword made by the Immaculate Dragons themselves and gifted to the most worthy Dragonblooded warrior when the terrestrials slew their corrupt and evil Anathema overlords a millennia ago.
<Anona> "Oh, probably wanted to look at the book. She simply deferred the right of first look to me, as proper. And the book... Hm. I remember reading this story when I was your age. This is a very old copy, though. Good condition for its age, too."
<onine> The story has the same feel and significance as say, the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur. Everyone knows the 'basic' tale, and it changes depending on the scripture.
<onine> It is in *exceptional* condition.
<onine> The significance to you Anona, is that you sort of remember your father reading it to you a lot, it was his favorite story. Odd that you became a sorcerer rather than a warrior with that influence.
<Anona> "I think I'll go ahead and buy this while we're out. It wouldn't hurt you to learn a little, Magpie, and I think you'd like the story. Maybe we can convince Tara to read it to you."
<Magpie> "I know enough. I know how to read, too. Gran said reading was all I needed to know to know everything." Magpie looks down at her feet. "And Tara's mad at me." She scuffs the dirt a little with a toe.
<Anona> "Well then, you can read it. It'll keep you in practice... but that's enough of this. Let's get back to finding a clothier for you." Anona makes the necessary transaction for the book.
* Magpie brightens immediately, all thoughts of strange women and enraged Tara's forgotten. She stands on her tip-toes, attempting to look over the crowd for a likely place.
<onine> The shopkeeper tells you the price, an extortionate one, and literally cringes after he says it to you.
<Anona> As much as Anona would like to harangue the man and generally make him feel as worthless as he /is/... Dynasts don't haggle. And it would be a bad example for Magpie. She grudgingly agrees to the price, but not before letting the vendor catch a little glimpse of the fire in her eyes with a very meaningful look.
<onine> He stammers about the age of the book, etc etc, then takes your jade and bags the book in a special pouch. He urges you to take extra good care of it.
<Magpie> It's a good thing Magpie isn't paying any attention to the stupid bookseller. If she knew Dynasts could be gulled as easy at that...
<Anona> "I know very well how to take care of books." But just to be on the safe side, maybe it wouldn't hurt to Air-empower this book when she next got around to that...
* Anona looks around for a clothier that might have a jacket or two for Magpie. And doesn't have anything else that might be breakable on the premises.
* Magpie trots happily after her, humming cheerfully to herself.
<onine> For the most part, the clothing being sold in Noble is simple armor and military garb. Silks and simple clothing are also common, but being a military town, most of the clothing is of a martial cut.
<Anona> "Hmm... well, we could always get you a surplus legionnaire's uniform. You'd grow into EVENTUALLY..." Anona teases.
* Magpie , for once, isn't making trouble, sticking close to Anona. "A legionnaire's uniform?" Magpie sounds thrilled. Magpie doesn't get the joke. She mulls this over for a few moments. "Well, it might make walking a bit tricky," she decides at last, eyeing a pair of trousers cut for a rather tall individual...
<Anona> Finally finding a storefront that has a selection of children's clothing more-or-less Magpie's size... "Here's some things... a bit more suiting for you, I'd think. Shall we look?"
<Magpie> "Sure!"
* Magpie darts into the store, narrowly avoiding bumping into a young patrician child and his outraged nurse, and begins rifling through stacks of linen...
* Anona browses the racked and heaped goods on display. It wouldn't do to get anything TOO fancy for the girl - not with her habit of finding the nearest bit of mud, dirt, or filth to play in - but something a bit better than common peasant's wear might be nice.
<Anona> No need for it to seem like the magistrate was dragging around a street urchin... well... okay, but at least he could be dragging around a NICELY DRESSED urchin.
<Anona> "How about this, Magpie?" Holding up that's about a size too small; This should give you an idea of Anona's clothing sense where children are concerned.
* Magpie holds it up to her body. "Maybe it should be a little bigger..." she says doubtfully. "I don't think my arms are supposed to jut out like that ..." Though she isn't sure. Upper-class fashion is a bit of an enigma to her.
<Anona> "Hm. You're right. Is there anything you like?"
* Magpie proudly presents her treasure. It's a long, mud-brown tunic- irredeemably ugly, but the cloth is very thick and durable, which is Magpie's definition of quality. It's also got at least a couple year's of growing room.
<Anona> "Hmph. Well, I guess that might do for *travelling."
* Magpie smiles. "No, no- it's good for streets too! See this color? Mud and dung and that kind of thing won't show up at all."
* Anona points out something about the same size, but quite a bit more delicate, something more suited for a patrician's child. "Yes, but if you're going to be travelling with the magistrate, you need something a bit more presentable, too. And I did say I'd get you *two* jackets."
<Epheri> After a short while of wandering around Epheri spots Magpie and Anona and jogs over "There you two are, Found anything nice yet?"
<Anona> "We're trying."
* Magpie shows Epheri her prize.
<Magpie> "It'll last ages" she says proudly.
<Magpie> And no doubt it will. All truly hideous things last forever.
<Epheri> Epheri holds back a cringe at what Magpie shows her and manages to smile at her.
<Magpie> "Anona thinks we should get that one- " Magpie points to a soft, sapphire blue overcoat- "but I figure, if we get two of these, I'll be set for years!"
<Anona> "Yes. And as I'm buying, I think I win." With that, Anona picks up the nice blue overcoat that will doubtless be ruined in short order, as well as the hideous Jacket Out Of Space. "We can get these two."
<Epheri> "That ones nice. You'll need something that looks classy for those special occasions"
<onine> Sometimes there’s just that special mud puddle that you want to wear something special in...
<Magpie> Well, Magpie figured she was at least coming out one jacket ahead. Tripping over the patrician child- again, really, didn't he know how to get out of the way? - and ducking under the nurse, Magpie at last locates the rather alarmed-looking proprietor. "Two jackets!" she points at Anona.
<Anona> "Yes. I'd like to purchase these two, please."
<onine> "Oh yes, very well then madam!" He bows his head respectfully to you
* Anona takes care of the transaction.
* Magpie snorts, amused by the obsequiousness of the man. Her attention wandering, she sits down to watch the flow of traffic as Anona settles the bill.
<Anona> "Now, then Magpie, let's head back. Epheri... can I talk to you for a moment on the way?"
* Magpie takes the package, and prepares to set out, hugging it to her chest. "Two jackets!" she whispers happily to it.
<Epheri> "Sure"
<Anona> "You remember our meeting with the magistrate last night?"
<Epheri> "Yes.. I remember it... what's on your mind?"
<Anona> "Well, the sub-prefect wanting us to look into the villages that weren't paying tax... I was just thinking, that IS an awfully long way to walk, and who knows when the magistrate will get back... and wouldn't be nice if we could take care of this and impress him by getting it all done before then?"
<Epheri> "I'm sure that he would be impressed that we took the initiative and did it all in one go I suppose"
<Anona> "Continuing with that thought... didn't you learn Stormwind Rider back at the Heptagram? What better way to wow our new associates than getting us there really, really quickly?"
<Epheri> "Yes I did learn it.. although I've never used it before one anyone but myself."
<Anona> "I figure you could probably carry three people or so, if they pack lightly. And we only really have to worry about Yengo and Vana, though I suppose Magpie will demand to tag along regardless. But then, Magpie only sort of counts for half... smaller, after all...", she muses...
<Magpie> "Tag along?" Magpie looks up from her packages as she trudges along, sounding outraged. "I've done LOTS of useful stuff! I found the feathers, and, eh..." Magpie scowls and subsides, not being able to point to anything else.
<Anona> "Okay, you did confirm that the Anathema really must be able to fly, since you met her so far away." unwittingly helping the girl's case.
* Magpie grins triumphantly.
<Anona> (back to Epheri) "So, you see, it shouldn't be any trouble for you at all, and think of all the time we'll save! Not to mention if the trouble is bandits, it'll impress and cow them."
<Epheri> "I suppose we could give it a shot.. but we'll have to really watch how much weight we are carrying"

Back at the Inn
<onine> Tara is sitting in the common room wrapping up the straps of a heavy backpack.
<onine> "Oh you're back, good." Tara says as the two sorceresses enter. "How did it go?"
<Anona> "About as well as anything involving Magpie CAN go. I bought her two jackets. One was a rather nice number she will ruin, I am sure. The other... was... unspeakably ugly."
<Anona> "However, it won't show dirt. or at least it won't matter."
<onine> Tara looks a little crestfallen. "Wont show dirt... I guess I'll just have to rely on my nose in regards to the next time Vana and I have to dunk her in the tub..."
<Anona> "Or just dunk her whenever you figure it's about time. I'm sure she'll get the idea eventually."
<onine> "Well, you'd best all start packing if you haven't already. Yengo is negotiating some trail rations for us, and some other equipment we may need."
<Anona> "Oh, that. I was talking it over with Epheri, and I think we can make things a bit easier for us."
<Epheri> "I'm not sure how successful it'll be.. I can carry only 300kg MAX.. and I'm sure even with just people we'll be over that"
<Anona> "Hm... yes, if they insist on carrying armor and weapons - and I know I will - that could be a stretch," Anona allows. "But I really don't know how we can take all the time walking. You could ferry us over half-and-half in that time!"
* Magpie dashes up the stairs, calling out- "Vana, Vana look what I got- Vana?"
* Vana has just been cleaning her armor, thinking about talking to Diamandus. She looks up when Magpie arrives. "Hm?"
* Vana is in a room all her own, however.
* Magpie shakes out her two new jackets, and displays them. "Isn't this great?" she asks. "So thick and sturdy! Oh, and Anona got me this one, too."
* Vana looks at the pair of items. "They're very nice."
<Magpie> "Aren't they? Anona got a book, too." Magpie sounds very neutral about that.
<Vana> "Oh." She looks at the mud-brown jacket. "I'm guessing you picked this one out?"
<Magpie> "Yep! It'll last forever!"
<Vana> "I bet." She looks it over again.
<Magpie> "What've you been doing?" Magpie asks, plopping down on the bed.
<Vana> "Just cleaning my armor. It was getting a bit dusty." She indicates the now-gleaming red jade suit.
<Magpie> "Oh." Mapgie looks at the armor. "It looks very nice. But I thought you didn't have to clean magic armor."
<Vana> "Nope. It needs cleaning just like all the rest. It's a lot harder to damage than normal armor, though."
* Magpie looks down at her hands for a minute. "Vana..."
<Vana> "Yes?" She stops cleaning the armor, holding the cloth in both hands.
<Magpie> In a rush, it comes out. "Well...I was wondering if you could teach me to fight. With knives, I mean. I'm getting pretty big. By the time I get back to the Imperial City, I'll be even bigger, and I can't just be a messenger forever. I got two places I can go, and I don't want to go to a brothel- if they'd even take me, so..."
* Vana raises her eyebrows. "You want me to teach you to fight?"
<Magpie> "Yeah. I can throw things pretty good, but once people get close..." Magpie mimes a noose around her neck, and pulls, sticking her tongue and rolling her eyes picturesquely.
* Vana smiles a little. "I suppose I could..."
* Magpie smiles. "Great!" She hesitates, and looks uncomfortable. "Uh, could you...not tell the others? I don't want them to laugh."
<Vana> "I won't, don't worry."
* Magpie lunges across the room to hang around Vana's neck and hug her. "When can we start?" Magpie asks, eyes shining.
* Vana is almost bowled over by the force of the girl's embrace. "Uh... will tonight be okay?"
<Magpie> "Thank you!" She dances out of the room.
* Vana brushes her hair back a bit, wondering if she's made a dreadful mistake.

Later that night…
<onine> It is now late in the evening, Epheri has retired to her room, for the moment, Yengo is still out.
* Magpie presents herself at Vana's room. She's already ditched Tara's dress, to don her normal rough sailcloth clothing. Having some hazy idea that one needed to be flexible when fighting, she has left off the brown tunic- for the moment. She shows an alarming propensity for wearing it whenever possible, regardless of weather.
* Vana is sort of ready... well, as ready as you can be when preparing to teach a young girl how to kill someone. "Do you have a weapon?"
* Magpie takes out her scalpel. "Will this do?"
* Vana smiles a little again. "Not really. Here." She pulls a small wooden knife out of her pack. "I don't ever use that anymore, so you can keep it."
* Magpie grins. "Thanks!" She puts her scalpel back up her sleeve, holds the knife awkwardly in her left hand.
* Vana leads her outside, to the courtyard. "I'm guessing the other option you were talking about is the Legion?"
* Magpie looks at her. "Uh..."
<Magpie> Probably best to preserve her innocence, Magpie thinks at last. "Sure."
* Vana raises an eyebrow. "Different fighting outfits have different fighting styles. If I teach you the wrong way, it'll be much harder for you to relearn it."
<Magpie> "Fighting anyway is better than fighting no-way."
<Vana> "I'd disagree. Finding a way to avoid fighting is better." Vana seems very different, now... her normal timid self has fled, leaving behind a cool and collected warrior.
* Magpie keeps her thoughts to herself. You weren't anyone, back home, if you could feed the other guy his teeth for dinner. But fight, and win, and you'd be respected.
<Magpie> "If you say so." Never argue with the teacher. Many whaps from Gran's cane had taught her *that* at least.
* Vana nods. "I'll teach you mainly defensive stuff... that usually doesn't vary, and it's much more useful than offence."
* Magpie nods docilely. She figured how-not-to-get-skewered would be a good place to start.
<Vana> "So here, hold your knife like this." She holds her knife down, directly in front of her body, with the point slightly raised.
* Magpie does her best to imitate Vana's posture. She wished now she hadn't laughed at the sailors.
* Vana walks over, and takes hold of her arm. "Like this..." She corrects her slightly, or not at all to Magpie's perception.
<Magpie> "Uh, okay..."
* Vana steps back and looks at her. "Legs out a little bit wider..."
* Magpie adjusts her legs, looking down at them with an expression of concentration on her face.

Inside the Inn
<Anona> "By the way, Epheri, check out this little find!" Anona shows Epheri her newly-acquired book.
<Epheri> "Nice, where did you get that from?"
<onine> The book is octagonal and colored a deep burgundy red, kind of what happens to a book that was once a rich red, but is now old and oxidized. It is bound very well, with a little metal clasp to keep it shut, and a design of a sword crossed over a shield on the front.
<onine> It is entitled The Glory of Kreites, and is a story that you've heard before. Its an old tale, kind of the same as the legend of King Arthur is to us, could have been real, but probably wasn’t.
<Anona> "My father used to read me this story before I went to bed every night. It's really something to find such a good-quality copy in excellent condition like this!"
<Epheri> "Ah.. where you just looking in the markets and found it.. or does it hold a special meaning to you?"
<Anona> "It happened to catch my eye while looking for a clothier to take Magpie to. A special meaning... well, whatever copy my father might have had is probably charcoal right now, so... well... you know."
<onine> Tara quietly pads in and sets down some tea and small bread rolls for the two of you.
<Epheri> "Yes...."
<Anona> "Mind you, I'll get around to fire-proofing THIS one. It'll even up the value!"
<Epheri> "Fire proofing it from what... YOUR kinda of fire.... or everyone else’s type of fire?"
<Anona> "That's what you never understood, Epheri. It's /all/ fire."
<Epheri> "But why do all the other fires NOT started by you seemed to be controlled more easy than the ones you do start?"
<Anona> "Well, some of us have more fire to share than others. It's not /my/ fault."
<Epheri> "I suppose that's true"
<Anona> "I mean, if the Dragons decide that what I really, really needed was a great big dose of Fire, well, of COURSE a little is going to spill out. It's just like taking a bucket and filling it to the very brim with water, you see? Except, of course, it's fire. Not water. Fire-water."

Outside the Inn
* Magpie was, for once, behaving impeccably- following Vana's orders without question or argument.
* Vana is a fairly good instructor, and a lot tougher on Magpie than she probably expected.
<Vana> "Here, keep your elbows down. It allows you to get a better swing when you push aside their blade, and lessens your chances of having your arm cut off."
<Magpie> For someone who acted so meek- and who usually did what Magpie wanted to her- she could even be like _Gran_ sometimes. In Magpie's estimation, there is no higher compliment.
* Epheri has joined #oninedice
* Magpie nods, struggling to keep good posture. This was a lot harder than it looked. "Do all Lookshy warriors learn like this? I mean, One-Eyed Rat- and a lot of HIS pupils, err, go to the Legions- usually just beat people up til they got it. Though they usually got it pretty quick, if they wanted to make it."
<Vana> "If you want to try beating me up, you're welcome." She arches an eyebrow slightly.
<Vana> (( welcome to try, rather. ))
<Magpie> "Well..." Magpie eyes Vana's lean musculature and easy confidence dubiously. "...maybe later. I never ASK for broken arms, you know."
<Vana> "Good plan." She looks her over. "Do you want to try practicing some of these now?"
* Magpie nods eagerly.
* Vana taps the daiklave strapped to her back. "I won't be using this... we'll stick to knives for now." She pulls a small blade from her belt. "Try the second stance I showed you."
* Magpie manages a fair approximation of the stance- though she seems to want to lean forward a little too much. She grips the knife tight in her hand, waiting.
<onine> (monkey knife fight!)
* Vana leans her back a little, and motions that she should loosen her grip. "Only tighten your grip when you're about to make contact. If you keep it like that all the time, your fingers will just get tired, and it'll hurt a lot more if someone hits you in the hand."
<Magpie> "Oh." Magpie loosens her grip. "Is this better?"
* Vana laughs a little. "Not that loose; you'll just end up dropping it. But you've got the right idea."
<Magpie> "Maybe that's plan." BUt she sighs, and struggles for some kind of medium. "Now can we do the fun part?"
<Vana> "Fighting isn't much fun, Magpie, despite all the stories. It hurts, a lot, even when you win." She steps back regardless, and holds her knife low, near her waist.
<Magpie> "Then why do sailors always get in fights, when they have shore leave? I mean, that's when they want to have fun, right, and get drunk and spend all their money. Now what?"
<Vana> "They get in fights because they're drunk, not because they deliberately set out to hurt someone. Though some of the bullies will do that." She gestures to Magpie's chest.
<Vana> "Now, when someone is trying to hit you with a longer weapon, they'll mostly go for here... a big blade means you have a good chance of hitting something vital. But with knives, you either have to go for important areas like the head or neck, or you wear down your opponent with lots of little strikes to the arms and lower torso."
* Magpie nods. "I bet you just cut people in half with that daiklaive. What if they have a bigger blade, though? I'd have to be pretty close."
<Vana> "Exactly. With a knife, you have to wait and watch, until they leave themselves open. If you rush in, you'll maybe get them once or twice, then your head is on the floor."
<Vana> "Basically, that stance is for mobility. It allows you to roll and move easily, and to bat away weapons if they get too close."
<Magpie> "So it's like...like a dance, kind of. You dart in, and then you dance out, and then you wait, and you dart in again, right? But that's probably pretty tiring. Lots of moving around fast."
* Magpie adds smugly, "So it's a good thing I'm _very_ fast."
<Vana> "It is tiring, yes, and being fast is an asset. The person with the big weapon will often get frustrated, and more tired than you... swinging a sword is harder than rolling away. And that's when you stab them."
* Magpie nods enthusiastically.
<Magpie> She looks prepared to take a swing right then. A naturally aggressive personality, perhaps.
<Vana> "So if I use my sword like this," she brings the knife down slowly, just demonstrating, "then you roll to the side, and bring your knife across in the other direction. It'll only push it away a little, but it's enough to stop it from cutting your arm off."
* Magpie grins. "Definitely a good thing."
<Vana> "Very. And if I use my sword like this," a horizontal cut, straight across, "then you just need to push in your forward heel, roll back, and bring the knife up. Same thing."
<Magpie> "Got it." She experiments with the dodge Vana had described, trying to get a feel for the movement with the blade.
* Vana teaches her how to control the fall for a while longer, then declares it a day. "You think you can remember all that?"
<Magpie> "Yeah."
* Magpie grins. "So, same time tomorrow?"
<Vana> "If you still want to keep going, yes."
<Magpie> "Great!" Magpie makes an experimental slash with the knife, and only just remembers the turn the blade away when she hugs Vana.
* Vana pats her back a little, smiling despite herself. "You're actually pretty good at this, you know."
<Magpie> "Yeah. I didn't drop the knife once! Not like those sailors." Mapgie chuckles. "Do you think...." Magpie's eyes wander to the deserted streets a bit speculatively.
<Vana> "Do I think what?"
<Magpie> "Well, this may be our last night in Noble...and we never really got to explore...and maybe those auction people know something they're not telling..."
<Vana> "No, Magpie." She crouches in front of the girl. "If you're thinking of using what I just taught you, then no."
<Magpie> "I was not!" Magpie looks insulted. "Only STUPID sneaks would do that. The point is to get in, look around, get out. Anything else is just too...stupid."
<Vana> "Magpie..." Her tone takes a slightly warning aspect. "You know we can't do that."
* Magpie looks innocent. "You're an Archon, aren't you? The auction was central to something the Magistrate was investigating, so..."
<Vana> "As an Archon, I can just request that we search around. We don't have to sneak in."
<Magpie> "But that'd give them time to hide things!"
<Magpie> "This way...they won't know."
<Magpie> "Sure. But," Magpie adds sternly, "only if you recognize that I have more experience with this kind of thing." Magpie chews this over in her head, "Unless you're a ninja. Are you a ninja?"
* Vana smiles a little. "I was training to be a ranger. They're sort of like ninjas."
<Magpie> "Well, I probably STILL know more about sneaking around in cities, and, uh breaking into places. So listen to me!"
<Vana> "Ok, I'll listen. But I don't want you running off on me."
<Magpie> "I won't!" Unless it's important. Or it would be funny. But only if it would be _really_ funny. Magpie's very responsible.
* Vana looks at her suspiciously, then stands again. "Come on, then. We don't want to be back too late."
* Magpie nods. "Right! Early start tommorrow..."
<onine> In the glade of trees a street down from the inn in Noble. Magpie is convincing a slightly reluctant Vana that there should be doings afoot and that THEY must be doing them!
* Magpie realizes, as she sets out at a trot through the inn gates, that she wasn't really sure where the auctioneers -were-....
<onine> A very true fact, indeed, neither of you do... you just know that there was an auction within the city recently...
<Magpie> "Hey, Vana..."
<Vana> "Mmm?"
<Magpie> "Where do you think we should go? I mean, where would they be...?"
<Vana> "Oh." She stops. "I... don't know. Maybe there's a main square?"
* Magpie makes a u-turn straight back into the inn. "Wait a minute...I've got an idea..."
<Magpie> She emerges a few seconds later with a big loaf of bread. "You wouldn't happen to have any jade, would you? Not much, just a little?"
* Vana fishes around in a pocket, and pulls out a couple of coins. "That's all I've got."
* Magpie looks at them critically. (hm...would it be enough to bribe a few impoverished people?)
<onine> Vana's riches are not extensive... but poor information sources would likely accept.
* Magpie nods. "It'll do, I think..." Magpie heads for the main thoroughfares of Noble, and then down into a narrow alley. It's clogged with trash, but somehow she manages to spot someone sleeping amid it all. She kneels to an individual of indeterminate sex, probably little older than her, who has burrowed into the garbage for shelter. "Hey, thrasher! Get up. Got some questions for you, and there's bread, maybe some jade if you're smart,yeeah?"
<onine> "Uaahh? Wha-? Waiiit, you're not the guardians..." it groans, "Go away and let me sleep...wait...bread, jade??"
<Magpie> "Yeah, so listen up good. I need some info. D'you know what's what here? Or can you, you know, show me to those who do? It's high-level stuff, Dragonblooded and the like."
<onine> He chides "Ohhhh you dun wanna be mucking about with those high-and-or-mighty dragonbloods little miss, bad news I say, bad news, always trouble."
<Magpie> "Yeah, know what you're sayin', bad news right?" Mapgie agrees, ignoring Vana's presence as a shadow behind her. She's rather pleased that she's a 'miss' now, though, instead of a 'wretched, miserable brat.' Moved up in the world, and no mistake. "Thing is, got no choice."
<onine> "Oooh sure ye dooo, sure ye do."
* Vana watches from a little way away.
* Magpie shakes her head. "Nah...anyway, ya want the stuff or not? You could start by telling me what the Dragonblooded are like, hereabouts."
<onine> He shrugs "Well okay.. they're... um... well, the same as anywhere else I'd say.. bossy, in charge. You know, Dragonbloods!"
<Magpie> "Yeah. So d'you know the gossip on them? Or can tell me someone who does?"
<onine> "Um well, I hear that old Tepet Krennell's daughter is comin' back from the Heptagrim... Heptagram. There was some big party of sorts down near the old military barracks near the western docks now that I think about it... something big and exalted, not sure. There as a big fire shortly afterwards down near that old place in the east side of the city."
<onine> He rubs his eyes
<Magpie> "Know what sorta big party?"
<onine> "Um, I dont know, they didnt talk to anyone else about it."
<onine> "Can I have some bread now?"
<Magpie> "Huh. Well, thanks." She leaves him most of the loaf. "Think we should check out that place near the western docks?" She's already headed that direction.
<onine> He takes it and chows down, now oblivious to your presence there.
* Vana nods, following close behind. "Seems like as good a place to start as any."
<onine> When you hit the barracks, it becomes fairly obvious that all the buildinngs and warehouses are dilapidated save one - what would have been an old ceremonial hall for commendations, announcements and other such affairs.
<onine> It is reasonably busy even at this time of night, the occasional guardian patrol here and there. Looking at the Realm after living in Lookshy, this place is about as well guarded as a preschool.
<onine> It doesn't looks inhabited as such, but its not run down like the rest of the area. Since the legions were disbanded this sector of the city has suffered horribly.
* Vana was good at sneaking around Lookshy too, thanks to her friends.
<onine> Yes, Lookshy is well kept, not super-secure, you were free to move around for the most part, but if there was ever trouble it got contained pronto.
* Magpie scouts around the perimetter of the building, keeping well to the shadows, looking for a good splot to make a decent clandestine entrance...
* Vana instinctively does the same... she's had a couple of missions requiring this sort of finesse.
<onine> There are a few lights on inside at present, and the front door is opened, but there is a guard out the front of the building.
* Magpie was thinking of a window somewhere on the first floor...
* Vana points to a likely choice. "There."
<onine> The both of you make your way to the side of the building unnoticed, and there are many windows to choose from, none of which open in this time of year. The night has a chill to it this season.
<onine> Its not exactly the Imperial Manse, getting in a window would be a relative piece of cake.
* Magpie takes the knife Vana had given her from her sleeve, works it in between the shutters of the window, and levers the window open.
<Vana> "Handy skill, that." Vana smiles a little.
* Magpie grins. "I'm pretty good," Mapgie acknowledges modestly.
<onine> The window opens obediently with only a slight rattle. It slides up a little stiffly, but both of you are slender.
<onine> Crow caws for you success... quietly
* Magpie jumps and heaves herself in through the window, landing with a slight thump inside. She gets out of the way so Vana can come through, and examines her new surroundings.
* Vana slides inside with barely a whisper. She does the same, adjusting to a new enviroment.
<onine> The corridor is unlit and turns off about 10 meters either side of you, the side near the corner leading to the front door is lit a little, and you can see light coming from under the double doors accross from you.
<Magpie> The offices, Magpie knows, is where they'll want to look- and probably, they'll be upstairs. Nevertheless, just to get an idea, she eases herself down onto the floor, and looks through the narrow slit of light into the room beyond the double doors. Suddenly remembering her scalpel, Magpie slides it under the door and uses it as a mirror, turning it this way and that to catch a glimpse of the lit room...
* Vana moves down the corridor a little way while Magpie does that, towards the lit area. She peeks around the corner, keeping low to the ground.
<onine> The room inside has been converted into a grand hall, with high pillared ceilings in a different style to that of the realm proper (it has a more roman style than an asian style)
<onine> The corridor on Vana's end loops around and you can see the open main doors. It seems as if this hallway completely encircles the ballroom in the center.
* Vana sneaks back... just what she suspected.
<onine> There is a large staircase inside the hall that leads to rooms upstairs...
<Magpie> "Did you see a staircase?" Magpie asks, very quietly. She doesn't whisper- whispers carry.
<Vana> "No... unless there's one right at the front, I think they must be in there." She points at the door Magpie just spied under.
* Magpie nods. "I don't think there's anyone in there..." Magpie flattens herself against one door as she begins to open the other, just in case.
* Vana sticks to the wall, until Magpie is ready to move.
<onine> The damn thing creaks quietly, but there are no shouts of outrage, no exclamaitions and thankfully no roars.
* Magpie slips inside, and scans the room a staircase.
<onine> The whole area is a little messy, you can see scraps all over, looks like the clean up wasn't finished after the previous event
* Vana stands in the doorway, looking behind them to make sure no-one is following.
<onine> Food, paper, all manner, there are even scraps of clothing here and there. The dragonbloods get a little... promiscuously rowdy when the alcohol flows...
* Magpie picks up one of the papers curiously, just to see what was on it.
<onine> There are other lewd comments both tasteless and extremely tasteless as well, drunken poetry and even some pictures of a suggestive nature
* Magpie wrinkles her nose, and fights a giggle.
* Vana turns one around a bit... wow. That's one complex position. She grins as well.
<Magpie> "Are Dragonblooded this way in Lookshy, too?"
<onine> You would require a special chair for that one, and no doubt it exists in the realm too...
* Vana winces at another picture, then drops them to the floor. "Not usually this bad... we do have parties, but not involving that." She points to a discarded drawing.
* Magpie investigates. "People do that for FUN?"
<onine> You'll likely understand when you're older... or maybe not
* Magpie shakes her head, baffled. She glances around. "Does this like a place an auction was held to you?"
<Vana> "Well... a very interesting auction, anyway. People sell all kinds of things, I suppose."
* Magpie sighs. "Well, we'd better look upstairs anyway..."
<Vana> "Yeah..."
* Magpie hunts around for the stairs...
<onine> The stairs require little searching, they are a large and well constructed affair at the rear end of the main hall.
* Magpie goes up them slowly, alert for any sounds from above.
<onine> As you close in, you can hear voices muffled inside.
* Vana pauses the instant she hears them.
<Magpie> Feeling exposed on the staircase, Magpie continues up the stairs, and flattens herself against a wall..the better to eavesdrop.
* Magpie gestures frantically to Vana to hide.
<Magpie> Magpie stays frozen in her spot. Maybe she could sneak in after they left...
* Vana flees down the stairs without a second glance.
<onine> Mere seconds after Magpie begins gesturing, the double doors fly open with a boom as Tany throws them open, the one on the left side slams against the wall, the right slams against a child with a thump.
<onine> Vana is only halfway off the stairs at the time and Tanu simply stops at the top of the stairs with an utterly surprised yet angry expression on his face
* Magpie remains in her hiding spot, protected now by the open door.
* Vana continued down the stairs regardless, and has now hidden herself as best she can.
<onine> From your vantage point Magpie, you can tell that Tany has well and truly spotted Vana while she was out in the open. He wears a slightly amused expression on his face, he turns his head to where you hide, and stares at the door out of the corner of his eye, and the way it doesn't sit against the wall the way the other door does.
* Magpie wishes she could sigh. He kept catching her!
<onine> He doesn't say any more, he just walks down the stairs and out the door opposite the stairs...
<onine> One of the men inside walks out as well and stands at the top of the stairs, a bitter expression on his face, and he pulls both the doors closed from the inside.
* Magpie decides they will probably won't be leaving anytime soon, and walks quietly down the stairs to where she'd seen Vana hidden.
<onine> The conversation inside returns to a bitter discussion about how the Tepets are so shifty and how annoying their Ledaal 'pet' is
* Magpie frowns as she walks downstairs, dredging through her memory. Did the guards outside wear a house mon?
<onine> They did not. Presumably Tepet, or Noble's guardians
<Magpie> When she reaches Vana, Magpie grins. "Well, I learned some things," she says quietly. "There's two more jokers up there-" Magpie points at the closed doors upstairs, "and there's some kind of paper they showed Tany. We could stick around, try to learn more, or we could get out why the going's good. Whattya think?"
<Vana> "Well... we did come here to learn something, didn't we? And you were bragging about how you can run fast, if you need to." She grins.
<Magpie> "I -can- run fast!"
<Vana> "Exactly. So we might as well stay a bit longer, and sprint for it if we get found out."
* Magpie sneaks back up the stairs, and resumes position. *Probably* Tany would leave them alone, not having given them away immediately...
* Vana follows, rather more cautiously.
<onine> The two inside are still griping about it, and admitting that they found whatever it was that Tany found wierd, also seemed odd to them.
* Magpie hopes they don't dance around the issue. After all, they're in private- on their own grounds...no fear of eavesdroppers....
<onine> Voice1: "What so special about a junkie old sword hilt anyway?"
<onine> Voice2: "I dunno... the rich and their vices? Maybe old Krennell wants to make a nice sword for his wife or kid or some such?"
* Magpie tries to picture what Epheri would do with a magic sword...
<Magpie> Probably nothing.Epheri wasn't the most exciting person around.
* Vana crouches next to her. "Anything interesting?"
* Magpie nods. "They're speculating about the sword hilt...Maybe they know something we don't."
<onine> For the moment they seem to be complaining about not being paid for their work...
* Magpie rolls her eyes.
<Magpie> Yeesh, people. Stop being boring!
<onine> These guys are very boring, from what you can tell they are sorting out paperwork regarding the auction... if they're doing paper work, they probably aren't exalted... you hope
* Vana catches a small snatch of conversation. "Well, this is... fascinating."
<Magpie> "I think these guys will be a while."
<Vana> "Yeah..." She relaxes a little.
<onine> Voice2: "Well... it sounds like Tepet Juno is officially 'mad' he had his eye on the hilt as well..."
<onine> Voice1: "Hrmph, dont get why, there were plenty of better things for sale... I wonder why they went to such an extent to get their hands on it, I mean, couldn't Ariadnei just pull some strings?"
<onine> Voice2: "I think it had something to do with how the items were set up.. I mean, they were to be sold anyway, just not outside the family, and not as an auction..."
* Vana looks a little tired, not to mention bored.
<onine> Voice2: "See, the Ledaals couldn't resist the extra money of an auction, and with the Tepets managing the party, it was a pretty nice deal."
<Magpie> "Dynastic politics." Magpie agrees with a sigh. She glares at the door. "I wish these people would leave...maybe we can poison their tea. I wonder what house they are, though. And what deal they cut with the Tepets.."
<onine> Voice1: "Guess Juno didn't expect Krennell to tip his hand like that..."
* Magpie 's brow wrinkles as she concentrates, trying to memorize everything they said...
* Vana yawns quietly. Tea would be nice right now.
<onine> The pair of you are left for quite some time, sitting and listening, every moment increases the risk of discovery...
* Magpie stirs. "I think we should go. I think they're going to be there all night." She nods toward the door.
<Vana> "Yeah... did you hear anything of use?"
* Magpie nods. "I think so."
<Vana> "Good. C'mon, let's go." She seems a lot more relaxed that usual... maybe it's Magpie, or maybe it's just their current situation.
* Magpie nods, scoots away from the door, and makes her way out the way she came in...
<onine> The pair of you little home invaders make your way out the window and into the night, it is growing late, and there is an early start tomorrow
* Vana walks side-by-side with the girl, just thinking to herself.
* Magpie grins up at her. "Now, wasn't that fun?"
<Vana> "Yeah, it was..." She smiles a little, then looks down at her. "Doesn't make it any more illegal, though."
<onine> Indeed it was, the trip was valuable, you learned among other things, that Tany is annoyingly all over the place. Also that there were quite a lot of under-the-table deals going on at the Ledaal-Tepet auction... Most importantly the buyer of the hilt has been possibly pinned...
<onine> ...too bad the Anathema made off with the hilt-piece
<Magpie> "Bah, if it was legal, it would be safe! And then it would be boring."
<Vana> "True."
* Vana sneaks back to their room, making sure not to wake anyone else up... especially not the sleeping Tara.
* Magpie suddenly realizes. "So, do we wake the others up to tell them what we found out? Or wait til morning?" She looks rather pleased with herself.
<Vana> "We should wait until morning... give us time to get a story straight."
<Magpie> "A story? Why do we need a story?"
* Vana smiles. "Hello, everyone. We snuck into the auction house to try and get information. Tany saw us, but that's not a problem."
* Magpie digests this. "Okay, so it's embarassing that Tany saw us, but...why not?"
<Magpie> One day though, Magpie vows, she will even the score with Tany.
<Vana> "What we did was wrong, Magpie, even if we did help. Archons are supposed to be upstanding individuals."
<Magpie> "It's not wrong! Why would it be wrong? We didn't even do anything!"
<onine> The conduct of the archons is largely varied from Magistrate to Magistrate, most are upstanding, but a few are not above a little skullduggery now and then.
<Vana> "Breaking and entering. Just trust me, ok? It's better if we find another way to tell them."
* Magpie nods at last. "Okay. But I think you're being stupid," she warns.
<Vana> "Well, I'd rather be stupid than in trouble."
<Magpie> Vana, Magpie decides, has a very different life philosophy.
* Vana sneaks up to bed, then, after they've finished talking.
* Magpie watches Vana go up the stairs to her room, and leaves the inn again. She comes home at last with a few- just a few, not -that- many- coins in her pocket, and with a hideous yawn, falls onto her cot asleep.