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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 10, 2023 11:31:08 GMT -5
Dante's story wasn’t hard to believe. She had a pretty good grasp at what life was at Darkveil, despite not lingering for much. It had it's own rules, it's own system.
And she wasn't willing to mess with it at the time being.
Which had a small, lopsided smile curve her lips.
"Such information is expensive if you were to have someone procure it for you. Are you sure you want to delve into it? Why was your father targeted by an Ashen Father? Answering that should help you find the answers you want."
Interesting.....
If Dante was after an Ashen Father, it could prove problematic down the road. What could his father have done to become the target of a mobster? It didn’t help that the identity of the Ashen Fathers was a mystery, and even if she had a favorable business relationship with the heir of one of them, that was still trickier than she'd like.
'Favorable business relationship', she thought with a hint of irony, as she recalled the last time she'd seen him he tried to wring her neck.
What about Dante? What would she do about it? Kamille stood his gaze for a moment, clearly pondering over the question. After a moment, she looked off to the moon before them.
"I'm willing to help you set your life straight, if you’re willing to work for me. However, I will not put a finger on Darkveil politics as of now."
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Post by Delta on Sept 10, 2023 12:00:27 GMT -5
Dante chuckled and said, "I didn't think you would. No, I'm not asking you to start a messy war and mix bad blood between Moonglade and the Ashen Fathers. Truth be told, the reason for my father's demise is comically simple: he was desperate to provide for our family, ended up taking out loans to keep a roof over our head, and he had missed one too many payments." He frowned and looked away.
"They made us watch. To remind us who was in charge. I didn't even see their face as they wore a mask. The cowardice simply makes the whole affair that much more detestable."
Dante gripped the bridge's railing and watched his own fractured reflection swim and ripple in the brook's current. He said, "I was robbed of a father as a child, and now I'm robbed of a home by some draconic god fuckhead. Maybe I never really grew past it; stealing gives me the feeling I have some damn control over my life. The Ashen Fathers might not even be all that bad in the scope and scale of politics and nobility, but I can't help but feel a little disheartened and existentially listless knowing my destiny is being paved by someone I'll never meet and towards a destination I'll never know until it's too late."
He took a deep breath and chuckled, saying, "Ah, this is refreshing. Who knew it would be so easy to be honest to one as steeped in espionage as ourselves? You more so I think. There is a kind of irony in interpreting spying as 'going straight.' I suppose a pinch of clout is all that's necessary to make the distinction."
Dante turned to face Kamille and stepped closer, arms folded and with a smirk wedged in the corner of his mouth.
"Well, now that I've made a devil's bargain with you does that mean I get to learn all the juicy details that are withheld prior to the agreement? Something tells me you have more interesting things to accomplish than sending handsome men to retrieve papers for you. I suspect once mother's somewhere stable and safe I'll need to find something to busy myself with."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 11, 2023 8:34:21 GMT -5
The Witch was cautious in believing anyone from Darkveil - especially charming, flamboyant fellbloods with a silver tongue and quick hands. If one was to owe an Ashen Father and have no way of paying it back, she easily could see that happening as a result. Still, she was cautious as to believe his story.
She wouldn’t press him now, though. The truth would come out eventually, as it always did... For the time being, she simply offered him a simpathetic, gentle smile, touching his arm gently. She was always warm.
"I hear life on the Ashlands is tough, and not for the gentle of heart. But smooth seas have never made good sailors."
Kamille was usually very upfront about her intentions. You spy for me, I pay you. That’s the business. That’s what she learned to do to survive. But even her father's influence couldn't taint what was at the core, even if she put up a facade of a business-like agreement.
She did want to help. She also chuckled at his remark about espionage.
"Don’t blame the weapon for the outcome. Information is a tool, and as any tool it depends on who yields it."
The notion that she would share her secrets upon hiring was... wrong, at least. But perhaps that showed that Dante was willing to go deeper into it?
"Usually that's all I require of my Sparrows. Listen in. Gather. Report. Does your mother have emotional ties to Darkveil? Because I have been meaning to reopen a winery that sits at the coast of Zeinav. If she's willing to make the travel, I could fix her housing and occupation."
Then, she turned her sparkling eyes towards him again, a mischievous smile slipping through and curving her rosy lips. If Dante was to make a bargain with the devil, it felt now was the time.
"What else are you willing to do? Are you willing to kill for me?"
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Post by Delta on Sept 11, 2023 9:03:11 GMT -5
Dante was a little taken aback by the question of killing but refrained from any outward shock. He smiled and said, "I suppose I would be willing though I'm not much in the way of an assassin. I'd recommend supplying me with poison for my fast hands in that regard. I've dabbled in a little bit of magic, but I haven't learned much in the ways of lethality. Unless of course you plan on giving me lessons as part of my employment training. Was that giant meteor your doing? If so, I wonder why you bother with assassins at all except to cover more ground and hide your tracks."
He noted her answer by omission regarding workplace secrets. Well, he thought, that just means I'll have to find them on my own time. She couldn't blame him for poking his nose in her business, and he needed a pinch of leverage in case Kamille decided he wasn't worth her time.
"Must it always be two forces playing tug of war for power? I could ask you the same questions, ply for the same advantages. It must be quaint operating from a position of power like this. You say you're not noble, but you certainly wield power like one. It's not a flashy mind you, but just as effective. I guess I can't complain too much: I'd do the exact same thing."
He smiled a toothy grin and took a slight bow. He said, "I hope this is one of those agreements that's sealed with a kiss. Dangerous of me to propose, but with how much of my ass hanging in the wind here it's akin to a gentle sea breeze."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 11, 2023 10:28:08 GMT -5
Dante seemed eager to learn - of course she couldn’t just tell her secrets to someone she just met, yet alone someone she knew to understand how the game is played. The Witch was often quick to trust, but even then it wasn’t that quick.
"The meteor was me. His name is Mayhem, and he's an elemental I befriended, so to speak. It's a long story..."
Her eyes glinted when he mentioned learning magic. The fellblood could see that was a possibility she was pondering over, yet she had just only met him. As if to buy herself some time, she pulled up the envelope she asked the fellblood to retrieve. Her eyes wandered the document as she read it - as it became clear, it looked like a will. The contents seemed to be rather dissappointing, as she furrowed her brow lightly. Still, that's the information she needed, and she sighed as she put it all back in the envelope before giving it back to the fellblood. As part of the deal, the papers were supposed to be returned where they were found, so that their absence wouldn’t be noticed.
The fireflies idly danced around them, definitely not the right mood for talks of spionage and murder. The woman couldn’t help but chucke at the fellblood's toothy grin and suggestive gamble. Ah, yes. The risk taker. She liked that.
"Usually a handshake is enough. But if you insist..."
And then, instead of closing the distance, she offered him her hand for him to lay a kiss, as a lady would do. Although he probably already knew of the Witch's penchant for drama and mischief to understand she relished in messing with people.
And now, she was clearly messing with him.
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Post by Delta on Sept 11, 2023 11:14:15 GMT -5
Dante laughed and said, "Come now, you must admit this is far better." He indeed give his bow a little flourish and kissed her hand in kind. It was soft and pleasant to the touch as he expected, and he sad that the moment ended just as quickly as it began. He withdrew and brushed himself off, saying, "Well that was fun. I'd open a champagne bottle if I had one on hand.. oh wait! I do!" With a flourish of his hand, he seemed to magically apparate a bottle of champagne from his sleeve and popped the cork. In a similar flourish he had two glasses and offered one to her.
"So hero of the realm and all powerful Witch of Moonglade. Was there more to add to this particular business conversation, or should we turn our attention to more recreational activities? Dancing, star gazing, merriment and all that. Maybe even a sleepover. I have my pajamas." He winked at her and added, "I noticed you weren't exactly thrilled with what you found from my handiwork. The least I could do would be to offer you a good time. It's what I'm technically paid to do though I suppose spying can be added to that list."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 13, 2023 4:20:34 GMT -5
Well.... She had to give it to him... He had the balls. Or maybe it was only that these flamboyant handsome fellbloods had a deathwish? Either way, she appreciated it, despite the man being a bit too forward.
"I'm sorry, I don't drink while I'm working."
A blatant lie, he could probably see right through it. She took a step closer to put the envelope away, into the same pocket she saw him pull it from.
"I'll be keeping in touch, don't you worry. The contents of the document were... not what I expected. Yet, it's what I needed. Don't worry about it. If you want to discuss further our arrangement and the situation of your mother, we could arrange a place to meet and talk better after all of this is done. Maybe I could even read your palm."
A mischievous smile. Nobody who's have had their palm read ever suspected of anything.
She didn't take the drink, but she wouldn't leave him that coldly either.
"How about I offer you my last dance for the night?"
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Post by Delta on Sept 13, 2023 6:55:48 GMT -5
Well, it was worth a shot. Or maybe not since she did have the power to crush him with a meteor if she so chose. Gods, he thinks, that's even more attractive. A mix of looks, brains, and a pinch of danger was hard to ignore. He took the rejection in stride, feigning heartbreak as he placed a hand over his heart and another across his forehead.
"My heart! It shatters in your cruel, cruel hands."
Even he couldn't hide the coy smile, his line too cheesy and over the top for him to keep an entirely straight face.
"Well, I'm still breathing for now so if nothing else, I can walk away knowing you have grace and humor. As for mother..." his playful demeanor hardened somewhat as he said, "Look, I know the business I'm getting involved in has no guarantees of safety of any kind. So I'll say this much: if you ever find yourself for whatever reason or another screwing me over because of this political reason or that expedient advantage, I just ask a small favor of you."
He frowned and said, "Just leave my mother out of it. She's had a hard life enough as it is."
Dante smiled softly, realizing that such a declaration could potentially kill the mood. He would have said it even if she flung herself into his arms; his mother came first, and even if he didn't have any real power to stop her, he hoped Kamille with have the compassion not to use her as a bargaining chip. Perhaps I'm assuming too much, he thought. But I can't take chances. Not with her.
"My gods what's wrong me? Asking out my new boss and then immediately telling her not to mess with mother. I'm sure there's a psychologist somewhere who would be laughing it up at that flow of conversation. But to your other offer..."
He took her hand and put a hand around her waist, using his feet and his grace to express his desire to dance with her. He didn't do anything too flashy. Boldness was charming in small doses but could be grating if overdone, and attempting to seduce her met his quota on boldness he thought.
"A palm reading you say? A bit on the nose with the witch theme, but it's on brand. What is my future Kamille?"
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 21, 2023 10:01:08 GMT -5
Oh, Dante.......
Regardless if she had always been the kind of person to wear her heart on her sleeve, she knew the foolishness in it. Her shortcomings were well known for those who wanted to harm her - and yet she had gathered enough power and influence to have people think twice or thrice before using it against her.
And yet, here he was, opening up his weaknesses to her. Her feet followed his movement, one of her hands resting on his shoulder while the other went to meet his. It was second nature to her, her feet naturally falling into the rhythm of the waltz as they talked.
"Your mother is lucky to have you, Mr. Dante. I'd keep your life story to yourself from now on if you want to protect her. You must know that my main business is dealing with secrets, so... Yours is safe with me."
Her eyes twinkled in a charming way, even - but it shouldn’t escape Dante that she made no promises about what she would or would not do.
....that was her whole deal, wasn’t it?
The Witch merely chuckled at his remark about asking her out.
"I'm not unreasonable - you'll rarely see me being a tyrant, or getting riled up by small things. But I hope you don’t take this as an invitation to betray me or make a fool out of me. For your sake. And your mother's."
Her skirt brushed sorfly against the cobblestone as she twirled gracefully - clearly she had enjoyed her dance classes well enough as a little girl raised amidst nobility.
"I'm better at seeing people's past actually. But now that you mention it, a palm reading does feel awfully out of place here... Perhaps... Next time we meet?"
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Post by Delta on Sept 21, 2023 11:51:24 GMT -5
Dante didn't view his admission as weakness; in truth, a spymaster like her would discover this information rather easily. Still, it wasn't exactly a great habit to indulge in despite how disarming she was. Dante chuckled and said, "Well I'll leave such occult activities to your best judgment. Perhaps we can discuss it further as you said. And perhaps the logistics of controlling heavenly bodies and what not. I'm sure I could learn quite a deal from you."
He spun her once and ignored the comment about her mother. He said, "I know you could simply say it's just the nature of your business to be paranoid, but you still speak as if you have already tasted betrayal. I find the whole concept quite overrated. It of course harms the person you betray that was your ally, and it communicates that the person or organization by which your betrayal is for that you can't be trusted. A short term solution that creates far too many long term problems that I care to solve. That, and well.."
As the dance finished, he winked and said, "How could I possibly betray someone as charming and elegant as yourself? Such would have as much sense as carving out one's eyes or drinking liters of spoiled milk." He grinned and said, "I do hope you attend the next party I throw, I really do. I always make them unique and all their own."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 25, 2023 10:17:48 GMT -5
" People in my role do not often taste betrayal and live to tell the story, Mr. Dante."
The circles she pranced about were certainly cruel ones, even if she danced about without looking like she got a care in the world.
Someone taught her well.
"Ohhhh, I'd love to! I'm definitely gonna try and attend it, although I can’t promise. It all depends on how busy I'm gonna be. But either way, thank you for the invitation. I hope we can continue to benefit from each others company as time goes on..."
With an extra mischievous glint in her eyes, she took half a step closer, only so she could whisper in his ear.
"It was great doing business with you, Mr. Dante. You were truly delightful."
And, as the music reached its end, Kamille took a couple steps back and made a curteous bow before her partner. She looked like a woman who knew the kind of power she had, and did not shy away from using it, although always keeping an elegant and proper posture.
Which, perhaps, made for the small gestures - the subtle wink as she turned away, a quick bat of black eyelashes, coupled with a playful smile - a little more exciting...
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