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Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:14 pm
by Jane Farraway
Searing 53st, 121. The Hobbled Gobbler, Zaichaer
Jane winced as she noticed Eitan taking a drag from the hand rolled cigarette Ravok offered him. He would likely realize that it was not pure tobacco, at least with time. The Dratori were fond, especially at social events, to smoke cigarettes laced with Echo and other psychoactive herbs. While the distribution of such substances was controlled, the possession of it was not illegal, though this did not make it any less unseemly.
Ravok smile gently at Eitan's response, noticing his modest shrug with an eye of sympathy, “Forged in the fire of passion, eh? That makes for a special kind of man. Bastards are lucky where I come from, you know, and it sounds like Fate has favored you if come from the “right” side of the tracks.”
The Dratori took the cigarette back from Eitan, taking a light puff and passing it back to his cousin.
“Don't let them shame you, friend. Better that than to come from some stale, old bed like most of those Bluebloods, eh?”, Ravok said, elbowing Eitan playfully.
As Jane passed out their drinks, she noticed the tinge of discomfort in the Watcher's expression. She began to think of ways to separate Eitan from the crowd, if only to allow for a brief reprieve. Suddenly, the ringing of a brass bell from the kitchen stirred the bar, alerting all that the special for the evening was ready to be served. The masses began to shuffle up to the bar, Eitan's group included. Jane jumped at the sound and quickly rushed through the door that led to the kitchen.
A whole roasted Fungithal, basted and beautiful, laid on a large platter, dressed with variety of roasted vegetables and sliced apples. The mushrooms from it's body had been made into a sauce that was drizzled over the artfully craved flesh, ready to be served. This one was big enough to feed the bar two times over. While Franky could carry it with ease, Jane had requested that she might have the honor of presenting it, if only to make an impression on the crowd. Jane had grown more confident of her strength since she began working and, though she had her doubts, Millie was outgoing enough to try.
She knelt under the platter from the edge of the table, resting it on her shoulder and using both hands to steady it. Taking a few deep breaths, she raised it as she stood, the weight of it pressing her feet almost painfully into the floor. It was all about balance, Jane reminded herself. Balance. The door was held open for her as she made her way out. The guests marveled at the roast, some clapping in delight. Jane turned around slowly to give onlookers a complete presentation, drawing more applause and a few stray cheers. Finally, she knelt to set the platter down, her strength giving out as she did, resulting in it landing somewhat roughly on bar. People gasped as the roast jostled, though it remained intact. Jane crouched behind the bar to compose herself, panting from the effort. She pushed back a few stray hairs and stood with a smile, earning her a few cheers from the front. That, if anything, should amount to some extra tips.
Jane and her employer began to dole out portions of the Fungithal roast while providing fresh drinks to any that needed them. The bar was a flurry of action with hands exchanging their tickets for plates, though Jane was sure to set one aside for Eitan when he had the chance to receive it.
The guests, now content with their food and drinks, sat down to enjoy their dinner. Jane prepared a plate of her own, a favor granted to her by Franky for the effort she put into the presentation. While the Hobgoblin ran a tight ship, he was of the gregarious sort and was not one to let hard work go unnoticed. She intercepted Eitan before he was obliged to rejoin the Dratori circle, addressing them gently.
“I do apologize to you all, but I must speak with Eitan for a moment. We had been ta—um—talking about the possibility of—hiring him to work at the bar before he joined you. Normally—such a thing could wait, but you see, we're both on rather, uh, limited schedules this evening...”
The group regarded this incredulously, some puzzled, some smirking under some unsavory assumption. A few of the women glared and huffed in frustration. Ravok only waved Eitan off, glad to have met him but now fully occupied with his hot meal. Jane led Eitan to a table that near the wall of the room. It was somewhat secluded yet still gave her a full view in case someone needed service.
“I hope they did not treat you too roughly,”she said, wiping her hands with a cloth. She laid out her silverware, arranged according to standard dining etiquette. It was a gesture born of habit, one she was not fully aware of doing, repeating it with Eitan's silverware as she gave it to him.
“How have you—been enjoying your evening?”, Jane asked with caution, looking down as she cut the soggy Fungithal meat with her knife.
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 3:24 pm
by Eitan Angevin
Eitan laughed companionably, as if Ravok's friendliness was encouraging him to open up. Perhaps it was on some level; spycraft had taught him to find those parts of himself that were most applicable to the moment and lean into them. Then whoever he was trying to be was at least grounded in reality.
"You might be right. The old man's wife is most passionate about being respected and her guns. Thankfully, she hasn't aimed one at me recently."
Small talk receded as Millie made a bit of a show of the food presentation. Eitan looked on with an amused smile while others clapped and spoke in their uncivilized languages about the upcoming feast. He was amused by the idea of Brenner trying to avail himself of Jane Farraway and her bodily encouraging him not to. He wondered how Prince Dornkirk would respond to that.
Eitan was relaxed now. The version of himself he was presenting required little effort. Between the schnapps, the narcotic-laced cigarette, the admittedly savory appetizer, and the warmth of the situation, he didn't feel as though he was in danger. He could almost pretend that this was where he belonged, though there was always danger present at the social gatherings to which he actually belonged. All the same, he wasn't bothered when he exchanged his ticket for a plate of food and Millie pulled him away. He shrugged and smirked in response to some of the looks he got, but settled into eating when they got to the table.
From what he understood, everything but the claws of a fungithal was edible, so he tucked in. The apples and the vegetables helped balance out the umami flavor of the thing. Some people thought they were filthy animals, but all animals were filthy by someone's standards. He found it a bit gamey for his tastes, but not bad for an evening's repast.
"They're friendly enough," he assured her, "and I didn't come here to put you on the spot. I was just curious about you and I suppose the investigative skills they teach us in the Order can seem a bit nefarious in practice. Perhaps Millie can tell Jane to look me up sometime."
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:58 pm
by Jane Farraway
Searing 53st, 121. The Hobbled Gobbler, Zaichaer
“Well—“, the young woman gave an airy laugh, “I'm certain Jane would love to rendezvous with you. Perhaps a stroll at the Kinetic Gardens in the West End—or maybe a chat in the library at the Greater Institute. The public can't access their materials but students can at least bring guests...within reason of course.”
Jane sliced through a particularly rough piece of mushroom and chewed it as delicately as she could. It felt paradoxical, acting as though she were still a Lady while covered in sweat and wearing the garb of a common barwench. Eitan for his part seemed more at ease, his training likely preparing him for scenarios such as this. She could not deny being a tad envious of how simply he slipped into the crowd, but his ambiguous heritage must have helped. As a pureblooded human she still felt like something of an oddity in a place that catered to non-humans. It was a foreign and unpleasant experience that felt unjust given the standards of Zaichaer as a whole.
“I appreciate your discretion. You'll have to forgive my caution. Millie has little to risk but Jane has much for which she must account.” She admitted this hesitantly and then thought for a moment, “I would like to know how you found me, however. Would someone need your training to find such information or could it be discovered more...carelessly?” There was no way she could have expected the Watcher to be acutely savvy to the complex and churning rumor mill that ran throughout the city, but it would at least help to know the status of her obscurity, should she need to react.
Jane was briefly puzzled that Eitan would go so out of his way to find her before recalling how she had associated with the Dornkirk brothers that night at the Gala. From what she knew, the Angevins appeared to be allied with the Dornkirks, or were set to be with that rumored engagement between Stefan Dornkirk and Delia Angevin. Jane tried to remember if she had even seen Delia arrive at the Gala before realizing that the majority of the night was spent viewing the museum's exhibits with her fiance. At the time it had been a refreshing reprieve from the politics and drama that had been set to boil but now she feared that she might have given Eitan, and perhaps others, a rather scandalous impression of her intentions. How exhausting it was to predict the dozens upon dozens of assumptions that any interaction might inspire.
“If you're curious about Millie—she merely allows Jane to afford her schooling and little else. Millie is simple, agreeable, and prudent when she needs to be, but does not exist outside the Knob. For whatever reason, Jane could not find employment in any other part of the city. Opportunity presented itself here and she took it. She had little other choice.”
She peered past Eitan and around the bar, keeping her eyes on the guests. They still seemed to be occupied with their dinner and did not appear to be in any great need of service. She loaded her fork with vegetables and meat, running it over the mushroom sauce that pooled in her plate.
“Tuition at the Greater Institute, especially at the level which Jane wants to study, is not cheap. The obligations of her lifestyle do not allow for easy saving either. So...she must take risks and make certain...sacrifices...for what is best. I'm sure you can relate.”
Jane delicately dabbed her mouth with a napkin, “But now I'm curious—do you and your—friends come to the Knob for business or pleasure?”
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:05 pm
by Eitan Angevin
"Then I look forward to hearing from Jane," he said with a smile. That decided, he was going to call the evening a win. The easy camaraderie of the Dratori was discomfiting, mostly because he was affronted that they had put two and two together and seen through surgeries and the careful, entirely human persona he had striven to adopt. But once the knee-jerk disgust had died down, he realized it might make his job as a Watcher easier if he could infiltrate Dratori circles. "The Kinetic Gardens are lovely, and I think my name might be password enough to get into the library, but I don't like to throw it around that way."
While he was proud of his name, he wanted to carve his own path, not merely rest on the laurels of his forebears.
"I know all about playing roles," he agreed. After a pause, "I don't mean to say I understand your situation, but I have had to wear many hats. Juggle the ones I'm not wearing. It can be exhausting. You needn't worry, however. Seeing Jane at the party, chummy with Brenner, made me curious. I used the skills I've learned for work to find Millie. It was mostly a chance to exercise those skills." He shrugged. "Someone would need those skills, the starting clues, and a will to track you down. I've no ill intentions toward either Millie or Jane."
He paused, knife and fork in hand.
"I realize it doesn't look that way. I apologize." He paused again. "Anyway, Brenner and I come around down here sometimes. He knows lots of dive bars when he doesn't want the eyes of society upon him." He didn't mention their last stint down around these parts as she might not enjoy the grisly details, though they had only been doing their duty to society.
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:45 pm
by Jane Farraway
Searing 53st, 121. The Hobbled Gobbler, Zaichaer
Jane gave a laugh as Eitan alluded to his family's prestige, “That's good to know then. The librarians can be rather overbearing”. It made sense that he would be given that privilege; She was sure she had seen the name “Angevin” somewhere along the donation plaques that lined the marble walls of the foyer. It was a shame the Farraways had not been so philanthropic during their prime. It might have helped to make friends that could have prevented their fall.
“I can only imagine what that must be like. One is all I have and she's almost too much to handle!” Or perhaps that would be two. She was not sure if “Jane” counted as a persona, being the very base of her identity, but the more she thought on it, the more she realized how consciously she carried herself. At times it felt like Jane was almost as constructed as Millie. The difference between them had been in name alone before tonight, but now it was all starting to become terribly confusing.
Confusing still was Eitan's curiosity towards her relationship with Brenner over that with Stefan, the latter of which she was sure to have been his greater concern. Nonetheless, It was an immense relief to know that he understood the nature behind her and Stefan's museum perusal, but why his interest lied between her and Brenner was puzzling. She reflected on that night: their dance, the way he became inflamed by his convictions, how he held her, how she had pressed his hand against her lips...Jane swallowed. Perhaps Eitan had a reason to be curious.
“Of course...it's easy to be chummy with Brenner. I'm sure anyone, man or woman, would agree. He's a rather affable fellow”, Jane shrugged shyly, picking at the skin of her roast, “The Gala was the first time we had ever talked in any meaningful sense. We had known each other from previous events but never associated outside the standard niceties. Honestly I think if I had not been the first lady he recognized he wouldn't have sought me out.”
Jane nodded sympathetically as Eitan apologized, “It's quite alright; I believe you. It's something of a relief to know such effort goes into locating Millie.” While she accepted that Eitan was being honest, his interest felt misplaced. His friend was a socialite who likely shared similar evenings with other ladies regularly. It was also possible they all received this treatment. Watchers, from what she understood, were professionally paranoid, and this could very well extend to their personal lives.
Eitan had conspicuously omitted the distinction between business and pleasure while elaborating on their trips to the Knob. It was possible he was not a liberty to discuss the details, whether for work or on Brenner's behalf. Still, it held an unsavory implication that at once felt hypocritical to assume, but despite this awareness she could not rationalize her distaste. The streets and alleys of the Knob were thick with vice and one could easily satisfy such urges secretly if they were so inclined.
“I suppose I can understand,” Jane said stiffly, “Millie has more agency than Jane and far fewer expectations, and those expectations do not carry the same weight as yours or Dornkirk's. The burden could easily drive a person here, especially when under the scrutiny of so many.”
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2021 5:00 pm
by Eitan Angevin
"Watcher, Air Commander, socialite, bastard, mongrel, mage," he listed quietly, though his mouth twisted around the last. They had respected his agency, at least, told him that his sacrifice would be for the good of Zaichaer. He had believed them and he had labored to embrace all that he was, at least insofar as he saw himself through their eyes. He wasn't certain he could stomach fully embracing his ignored Dratori heritage. These people had been kind to him for a moment, but he didn't want to be pulled down to their level. He could, at least, commiserate with Jane-cum-Millie. His own father's relationship with Melchior Dornkirk had in large part developed because he had mismanaged the family fortune and needed to associate with a man whose mind for business was as sharp as his was for military tactics.
"Brenner seemed more at ease around you than with most ladies," he said with a shrug. "Perhaps I imagined it."
He knew Stefan well enough from childhood and from seeing him as the on-again-off-again fiancé of his half-sister to know that he was more comfortable with books and experiments than with women. Perhaps someone would stoke his passion eventually, perhaps even someone who had similar interests to him as Jane did, but as he came to be better friends with the elder Dornkirk brother now they were men grown, it seemed that he had latched onto her as someone safe to dance with much as he had latched onto Eitan previous to that because he was a known quantity in a sea of social sharks.
"Perhaps Jane will grow to trust me enough to confide in me," he suggested after washing down a mouthful of fungithal. "I'm good at keeping secrets. It's only the ones that threaten the State that I have to share, and I don't suspect Jane of anything nefarious. But I won't dig any deeper into her affairs or into yours, Millie. Unless either of you share them." He paused. "This is rather good, but the flavor builds up, doesn't it?"
He put down his fork and knife, needing a break. The umami rather overpowered everything else, at least to his overly refined palate.
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 1:09 am
by Jane Farraway
Searing 53st, 121. The Hobbled Gobbler, Zaichaer
Mage. Jane lowered her eyes as his seething disdain for this title came through, and rightfully so. Few truly understood the sacrifice that came with bearing a rune, even those that chose to adopt them. Mortal minds and bodies were not designed to be conduits for aether; It twisted, corrupted, and broke them in ways not always clear until it was too late. The more Jane researched the effects of magic on the natural world, the more apparent the dangers of its excess became. How so many gleefully scarred the very essence of their soul in exchange for power even after the very world was almost undone by mages was tragically arrogant.
“You're still a Man...despite it all,” she said, searching for words, “Men do not lose themselves to their runes. Mages do. Perhaps one day you will not have to have so much in common with them. If we can apply marks, surely we can find ways to repair them. I hope so at least.”
A pang of resentment accompanied the embarrassment Jane felt over this talk about Brenner Dornkirk. She had long ago accepted that there was no worth to her name beyond its heraldry, making her defunct piece on the chess board of Zaichaeri houses. This status was confirmed by both bachelors and ladies alike in their subtle distinctions towards one who was neither prize nor competition. It seemed especially foolish that Eitan was not aware of this, but his comment still struck her nonetheless.
“Oh?”, Jane fluttered, but quickly withdrew, “Yes...well...I can see how that could be. Most ladies have the means to demand certain expectations of him. The Farraways are in no such position, so he likely did not feel as pressured as he might with others. It can become tiresome I'm sure...”
Even if she had the money and rank, what good would courtship do for one who wished to dedicate her life to research? She recalled previous friends from her adolescence who had abandoned their own pursuits for the sake of marriage, who now sit languishing away in lush estates while their children grow up around them. In way, she was free from the burden of a political marriage, not that she fared any better with romance. She recalled her last relationship bitterly and tucked away the memory before it could surface.
Jane gave a quiet laugh in response to Eitan's suggestion, touched, “I would say that my trust is already in your hands. You know mine and Millie's greatest secrets. You might even know secrets about me that I'm not even aware of!” Dreyfus Monteliyet's revelation had been something of a shock, but it had reawakened a curiosity in her past that had been long discouraged by her mother, a history that she deserved to know.
“As for my affairs, I'm sorry to admit that they are rather boring, unless you are interested in biological phenomenon. Nothing as exciting as flying in airships or fighting the enemies of the state.” Jane had said this somewhat carelessly, seeming to catch the attention of some keen-eared Grackles a couple tables away. They gibbered to each other furiously between glancing at the two with a piqued interested.
She took a shallow drink of juice, hoping to ignore them, “I agree. The seasoning is part of it, but it's popular among this crowd. I can get you something to clear your palate, if you're finished.”
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 12:42 pm
by Eitan Angevin
"Thank you, Millie," he said quietly after a few moments of silence. "I would like to think that the end I signed up for might be avoided, but I will do what is required of me."
Eitan observed her reactions. His investigation had unearthed some details about her family's status, though he hadn't dug so far as to find out why she had been discomfited in Monteliyet's presence, unless it was just his unabashedly mage-y demeanor. Perhaps he had overestimated Brenner's esteem for her, but he didn't think so. In any case, Brenner needn't think too hard about marriage while Stefan remained unmarried. But Eitan was aware enough of his own family to know that his father had put the on-again-off-again pressure on Delia to marry Stefan for purposes of finances; the Farraways could do the same with Brenner. Melchior didn't need more money; he craved status. There were ways for families to weather certain downturns, and convenient marriages were one of them.
He laughed quietly. "Stefan sent me a reading list. We have been becoming closer and I expressed an interest in what interests him. So I am doing my homework in order to be a better friend. Perhaps you ought to give me a few months before I have absorbed enough to have a decent conversation on the topic, however."
The Watcher too observed the grackles taking note of them. He didn't speak their filthy pidgin, but he realized the ambient noise hadn't been enough to mask their hushed tones. He played it off in any case.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'll pick at this for a while and then I probably ought to leave you to your business. Perhaps I'll order my Dratori friends another round and then sneak out to find the little boys' room."
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:41 pm
by Jane Farraway
Searing 53st, 121. The Hobbled Gobbler, Zaichaer
Jane considered Eitan's stoic resignation in solemn silence. It was the only response she felt comfortable to give.Whatever consolations she thought to offer felt tired and trite, as if by now he had to have heard them hundreds of times before. She wondered what had pushed Eitan to undergo such a burden, whether it was true devotion, a need for acceptance, or perhaps both. Compromise was the cornerstone of aristocracy, and for all her resentment towards her own circumstances, perhaps she had it easier than either the Angevins or Dornkirks.
Her mood brightened at the mention of this reading list between Eitan and Stefan. She leaned forward in interest, “Is that so? Oh, you'll have to share it with me, or at least the subjects you plan to cover. I myself have much catching up to do from where I left off in my studies. It would be nice to discuss them with someone outside of class.”
Jane began to collect her silverware and plate, empty aside from the bones, and quickly wiped off the table with a cloth from her apron. Embarrassed that she had finished before him, she scolded herself internally for being such a fast eater, blaming it on the haste she felt while working.
“But regardless—you don't need to be an expert to talk on such things. You may know more about it than you realize.”
She shot a look over at the gossiping Grackles, who turned back to their drinks nonchalantly. They all appeared the same to her, but she recognized one from a tattered cloak he always wore. A known liar, she hoped whatever word he spread would be taken with a grain of salt.
“Oh? Well, I didn't realize you had taken to them. Honestly I would have assumed the opposite”, Jane replied, slightly amused, “I'll keep an eye on your tab then. Just let me know when you're ready to pay!”
Her voice turned bright and airy as she unconsciously slipped back into the role of a barmaid. She maneuvered around the table, meeting the gaze of guests across the bar who looked at her expectantly. It was her cue that this break was over and she turned to Eitan before she went back to the bar.
“And the 'little boy's room' is just upstairs, the first door you'll see”, she pointed to a small staircase leading up from the bar, “Proper plumbing and everything!”
She said this with a wink and scurried off, collecting flagons and plates as she went. Jane could only exist for so long in the Hobbled Gobbler before Millie had to return, though the young woman was grateful that Eitan had been so accepting of both.
Re: Blending In (Eitan)
Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:26 pm
by Eitan Angevin
"I'll bring you a copy when next I see you," he promised with a wink. He waved her off, not bothered by her rush. This was her place of employment and he knew she wouldn't expect him to wait on her hand and foot if she showed up at Onneifer Airfield wanting a tour of the Noble Gambit. When she was entirely Millie again and off about her business, he tried an amused grin on for size, looking around the room as he put a sizeable dent in the remains of his meal.
He wouldn't need any umami flavors for a few days, but it was good, and all the extra physical training had given him a permanent appetite. Even the mental exercise seemed to inspire a need to feed. While members of his own class could afford to be wasteful with food, he knew he couldn't be seen to waste food here among the plebs and so he cleaned his plate before bringing it up to the bar. He ordered a round for Ravok and the Dratori, as well as the suspicious grackles, and then settled up. He tipped Millie generously enough that the woman standing next to him eyed him up as if he were the one with an eye to courting her rather than Brenner, but he supposed that would give Millie something to leverage. People in bars liked to think they knew their bartenders personally; he could only hope she would leverage it for more tips.
Rather than hit the little boy's room, he skipped out the back, leaving free drinks in his wake and hoped that would cover things for the nonce. He made his careful way back toward where he could catch a reliable cab, and thankfully, his training had covered awareness such that he could tell with some reliability whether he was being followed or not.
No excitement followed him to the barracks and he kept what he had learned that night to himself.
He could see why Jane had caught Brenner's attention and why Stefan enjoyed talking to her. Whether anything came of it was out of his hands, though. He wondered if Jane would get Millie's message and deign to meet with him.
And he wondered how much of his reading list he could share without incurring any sort of suspicion from her. Brenner's expedition needs must remain a secret for the future security of the Brass City.