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[Carthrat]

"Damn straight," replies Rudy, starting to walk towards a secluded table in the corner. "Be with you again in a second, friend. If you need something, ask my secretary," he adds for Kivas' benefit, glancing offhandedly at Myra while he departs.

[Ebiris]

"Right..." Kivas seems mollified by the sight of the cash Rudy is so cheerfully flashing around, although he refrains from asking Myra any questions, instead gravitating towards the bar.

Upon reaching an appropriately secluded table, Maril shows no hesitation in dropping herself onto Rudy's lap and wriggling in an entirely distracting manner. "Sorry about that, lover," she apologises in a breathy tone, setting Rudy's hand on her thigh. "Thought we could take Kivas for a ride, didn't know your aim's only true when shooting at my ex."

[Carthrat]

"What can I say? Money- real money, I mean," he adds, nodding- "It's like magic when it comes to my shots, see? Speaking of, business before pleasure, aye?" Focus, Rudy! Look at the nose! Ignore the sensations between your legs!

"How much did you know 'bout the people whose boat you were taking for a ride?"

[Ebiris]

"People?" Maril repeats, her hand snaking down to quite shamelessly add to Rudy's distraction despite the sight of her somewhat squashed and bent nose placed between her pink lips and hazel eyes which seem entirely devoted to young Rudy at the moment. "Vark said it was only some stupid noble bimbo just come into her inheritance and with more money than brains. Shug was there the first time she tried to take her boat back and they kicked her off," she snickers, jostling her grip, "Would've been funny to see some uptight highborn ditz getting thrown into the drink."

After her mirth she shrugs and presses her assets against Rudy's chest. "Guess she got the last laugh, though, didn't she?"

[Carthrat]

"People like us'll do just about anything for money, and that ain't something they're short of," replies Rudy, snaking his hand up the underside of Maril's shirt, and pulling her in close for a deep, long-lasting kiss (with his spare hand kept on his purse, 'course. Can't let the dames try and pull a fast one!) Ain't right for the man to not be pushy.

When they break off, he exhales, but doesn't stop the chat. "That's the game, and they're the backers. So I'm on the job now, and I'm looking for the young miss's brother. Heard he's been circling in the most unseemly parts of town, y'see- so of course, who do I know who knows her way 'round there? So- Vanthus, you heard the name? Tall guy, got an evil goatee?"

[Ebiris]

Lucky for Rudy the brunette's hands are far more busy with a different package than his coin purse, and she seems more than appreciative of both his kiss and his fondling, pressing more than a handful into his palm in turn.

"Vanthus, huh? That'd be Vanderboren, right?" she mulls on the young summoner's question as they amuse themselves in the darkened corner of the Crooked Lantern. "Y'know, there's a girl called Brissa who hangs around these parts. Good for a few laughs, calls herself an artist but I'd watch my purse around her quick fingers," she gives Rudy a little squeeze for emphasis. "Saw her with a guy like that one night, nice clothes, goatee... didn't talk to him, but overheard her bragging about her filthy rich boyfriend Vanthus..."

"Funny thing," she muses amidst her wriggling, "Nobody's seen hide nor hair of Brissa or her beau for at least two weeks."

[Carthrat]

"Gonna brag about cash in this place, you gotta be able to back it up," mutters Rudy, slowly losing what little reservations remained and swinging his other arm around her, to better pull her in!

"Artist, huh? She got a studio or anything? Any friends? The little miss'll- and I- 'll be very... grateful..."

[Ebiris]

"Most folks knew her," Maril shrugs, smiling at what the movement does in tandem with Rudy's wandering hands, "Like I said, she could be fun. Didn't really know her more than that... Think she lives somewhere in Azure but near to Sunset. But forget Brissa for now - I know I'm more than enough woman for you," she asserts, placing her hand over Rudy's and forcing him to grope her more roughly to emphasise it. "Howsabout we go someplace more quiet and have some fun after you pay off Kivas?"

[Carthrat]

Rudy needs little further convincing, and ends up paying off Kivas before proceeding on to.. wherever it is that Maril deems suitable.

Of course, she would have to be prepared for Myra being there.

Watching.

[Ebiris]

After session 16

After their trip to Shadowshore, Rudy and Henrietta both pay a visit to the Vanderboren estate, only to find that Lavinia isn't in at the moment. Nonetheless her hardworking maid soon has the two comfortably set up in one of the sitting rooms with all the tea and cakes they can handle. It's nearly two hours later when Lavinia returns, and she takes a few minutes to freshen up before the two are admitted to her presence in another sitting room, the young noblewoman sitting poised and expectant, her dress and hair entirely unruffled from her errands.

"It's good to see you again," she smiles at the pair, bidding them to sit, "You were so hurried after that business under the taxidermist's hall. Do you have any further news?"

[Corwin]

Unlike their employer, Henrietta required some time to appear that composed though, luckily for her, the hours of wait were more than enough for the task.

"It is a troubling situation, I must confess," she says upon sitting down gracefully. "Lady Vanderboren, it turns out that the group that your brother became part of values him too much to care about his past betrayals. We originally agreed to perform a small task on their behalf in exchange for them turning him over. If only things ended there... that is to say, that task swiftly evolved into a new one altogether. It may, I fear, just end up getting us involved in the affair of these gangs deeper and deeper."

Henrietta's hands gather into fists in her lap, clutching at the hem of her shirt for comfort. She looks down briefly, before returning her gaze to Lavinia. "I very much being in your employ, as I suspect the rest of us do, and I would trust your judgment here. The Lotus Dragons profess to controlling the docks, and have designs upon seizing control of the city which may not be entirely unrealistic. Do you still intend to pursue your brother, My Lady, even if it means making the Dragons your enemy or dealing with them in any way beyond the most casual?"

[Ebiris]

Lavinia's calm is ruffled by Henrietta's words, the young Lady taking a moment to consider. "Steering my brother away from this ill-intentioned path is important to me, and there is little I would not do to see him returned to the man I once knew. But I have responsibilities to continue the Vanderboren name, and can't be cavalier when dealing with groups as dangerous as you claim." For a moment she looks down, her strong and composed expression replaced by something more wistful and vulnerable, "Things were so much easier when my parents were still here... but I must try to act as they taught me."

She looks in thought for a moment longer. "The Jade Ravens will return from Burnriver hopefully by the middle of next week. Between them and yourselves, I would consider myself well protected, but I could not say if it is enough to prevail in open conflict against these Lotus Dragons. For now it sounds as if you have at least some confidence of my brother's associates... how long do you think you could stretch that out without sullying yourselves in their service? Even if they won't outright tell you where my brother is at the moment, you may be able to overhear something amongst them? Or find records of assignments that could lead to Vanthus?"

[Corwin]

Speaking out loud to give shape to her thought process is a familiar act to drawn confidence from, and Henrietta focuses on that familiarity as she responds.

"I cannot say that I fear open conflict as a possibility, due to the nature of such underground guilds. They do, however, train assassins and employ poisoners, which are several degrees more difficult to keep a constant guard against." She pauses for just a brief moment to summon her next thought. "We believe that the Lady of the Lotus was truthful when she told us that your brother, Vanthus, was out of town for the moment, Lady Vanderboren. There seemed to be no incentive for her to lie on that point, as far as we could see. She, however... well, she...."

Henrietta can't quite say it, so she opts to continue lamely with, "It does not seem plausible that your brother would part easily from the Lady of the Lotus even if we managed to convince her to give up on him."

She coughs delicately into her hand, eager to move past that issue. "As for our delaying tactics, My Lady, the time we have to gain would be difficult to assess." A quick glance is thrown Rudy's way as Henrietta is briefly hesitant. Nevertheless, she ventures forth with a guess. "I would estimate a few days, perhaps as much as a week, without too much trouble? It is impossible to resolve their... request, if we are to put it this way, without spending a few days studying the situation and, perchance, laying out an ambush. It should sound entirely believable if we put it that way to the Dragons."

[Carthrat]

Rudy is already sitting on the edge of an armchair, and nods along to what's been said. "We could stretch it out a bit. But if you don't mind me saying so, m'lady, people aren't the sort of thing you can easily fix. A bit of low cunning might put your brother in our hands, but a man's sure to resent it when others interfere with his work, as he no doubt sees it. 'course, I'm not saying it's a bad idea to bring him in, but unless you keep him under lock and key, well, he's sure to take off again once more."

He strokes his chin. "Truth be told, though, without going up against 'em in some fashion or doing as the dragons say, I don't have an idea of how to catch the blighter. Could wait to see if something turns up, maybe get a feel for just how far their power spreads, mind. Equal chance that our time'll run out and we'll have nothing more for our efforts than what we have now, too."

[Ebiris]

Lavinia nods resignedly at Rudy's appraisal of what's likely to happen even once she gets hold of Vanthus. "The other possibility, of course, would be to use the opportunity you have now to both sabotage the guild and learn information about their activities that could be used to weaken them and spur their enemies into action... you mentioned their designs on the harbour, do you think it's possible they were involved in Harbourmaster Islaran's death? The details were grisly enough to fit, anyway," her face pinches in distaste.

"I'm far from the expert in such matters, but it seems to me that since they've invited you into their lair, your time is best spent trying to take advantage of that to prepare as much as possible for when they either move against me or you discover information about my brother. If he sees his associates ruined for their crimes it would speak more than a thousand words from me about the path he's on."