Artaen found himself back in the tavern, probably a bit earlier than he should have, but he's looking for seedy people and seedy people love taverns. He can almost hear Blodwen making some comment about his own seediness. At first he just stood there silent and watching, well listening more than watching so no one would notice him doing it. He ordered two mugs of ale and no one questioned him this time when he put one on the floor for Mr. Fluffins or when Mr. Fluffins lapped up his entire mug's worth of ale. A girl near the bar decided to start a conversation about how strange Norn are. A few others joined in and Artaen waited, and waited, but no Norns said anything. He asked if the girl knew there was a Norn behind her. She said she did, but if the Norn cared, she'd have known before it got that far. He couldn't argue that statement. The girl was most definitely a peasant but she knew what she was talking about. He knew she was a peasant because she carried a broom like it was a staff. Either that or she was mad, and liked to wear brooms on her back. Or drunk and thought it was her staff. Artaen didn't ask.
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| ((I like how the Norn appears to be looking right at the human speaking about Norns.)) |
A man who spoke strangely entered the tavern and kept asking for a doctor, but no one responded. He seemed to think they were ignoring him. Artaen had no responded because he was not the doctor being asked for, but he realized how it might have seemed so he spoke up. Then fearing there was trouble he needed to look into, he decided to ask more questions. The Norn who was not caring to respond to the human broom wielding girl also joined into the conversation with the pirate.
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| ((I love how the Norn's idle makes her look like she's discussing the pirate with Artean in this shot.)) |
Artaen not being a doctor didn't think he'd have a good excuse to follow the pirate back to Claypool. He really wanted to though to see if they really were pirates as he suspected and what kind of trouble their captain got into that had one of his men looking for a doctor in the tavern. He wasn't paying full attention, but he's sure the Norn had said something about knowing a doctor, because she was suddenly going to get someone and the pirate was returning to Claypool to wait for her and the aide she'd bring. Artaen let them go as if it were nothing to him.
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| ((The shot above is better, but I threw this one in in case anyone wanted to read a bit of the chat on it. Click to enlarge.)) |
He struck up a conversation with the white haired girl back at the bar, Chelwynde. The first conversation was about how he could see through the laces on the sides of her pants and she wasn't wearing under garments. She said only the rich wore those. He didn't offer right way, but the conversation got back around to that later. The conversation changed to the pirate, and she wasn't sure he was one. She then told a story about a pirate who caught her trying to steal his grapes and put them in her chest. Artaen paid full attention to the story of how the pirate tackled her and laid both hands on her chest and she had to twist about to knock him off then plucked his grapes. He's still not sure if they were having the same conversation, and blamed her lack of clothing for the direction his mind kept going. He even told her so out loud and offered to give her a bath because she was dirty. Blodwen walked up about the time he was offering to show Chelwynde if he was rich or not based on what he was or wasn't wearing under his trousers.
Done with the tavern and not wanting to just stand there awkwardly between his two white haired beauties Artaen decided to take a walk. He suggested the ladies join him, but only Blodwen did. Chelwynde seemed to want to finish her milk and despite the conversation he had the feeling she just wasn't that into him. He's not sure Blodwen is either, but he's her secret boss, so she doesn't have as much of a choice. The three of them, Artaen, Blodwen, and Mr. Fluffins decided to go leaping across roof tops again, as is becoming a nightly habit of theirs. It's a good way to catch thieves, or at least make them think you're one of them when you're always being seen doing it. Well, common folk won't look up and notice, but the seedy folk and the seraph will probably notice. Artaen has always enjoyed trying to find high places, especially those that others don't go to often. Mr. Fluffins likes high places as well, and it seems Blodwen does too. He should probably worry about that. What draws a girl to want to pick up necromancy and not mind the dead things made of bone and pulsating flesh? And is it the same thing that compels her to get as far above the normal lives of those around her, or is she just following her mad captain?
Artaen still hasn't figure out exactly how to infiltrate organized crime, but he at least knows Blodwen will follow him anywhere and they'll probably find enough death along the way to keep her happy.
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