<Rudy>
"You should come by more often! It's such a lively area. We can always find something to do."
Rudy leans back in an armchair, holding a glass of wine between two fingers. A crackling fireplace lies to one side, with a map of the known world resting above it.
Bookshelves full of tomes Rudy most certainly has not read line the lounge walls, along with assorted paintings and knicknacks that exist only for the sake of giving the house a more cultured appearance.
<Henrietta>
Henrietta sips from her own glass, facing a rendition of a local battle that may well be famous. The painting uses violent, expressive colors, and she feels drawn to it despite herself.
"You as well," she responds, distractedly at first, but finally turning towards him as she tears herself away. "I have a very comfortable house, as befits a true adventurer. And my dog is there, also... have you met him?"
<Rudy>
"I haven't. Are you going to take him with you on your adventures?" asks Rudy, sounding amused.
<Henrietta>
Henrietta shakes her head. "Val is not an adventuring dog, I am afraid. He is mostly there to keep me company and guard my home from assasins and thieves."
She settles gracefully onto the nearby sofa, turning herself halfway so that she faces Rudy afterwards.
<Rudy>
"Well, I shan't be expecting either of them to show themselves around here. I think I've done plenty to cultivate a reputation as a scary, scary man." Rudy grins.
"And besides, I'm practically destitute compared to my neighbours."
<Henrietta>
"That is a good point, I suppose," Henrietta admits. "Though what if you were to leave for a week? A month? Would a thief really be deterred by your reputation then?"
<Rudy>
"Well, I think I'd hire someone to take care of it while I'm gone," replies Rudy. "It's a good point, though. If Liamae's predictions can be relied on, we might have a trip ahead of us."
<Henrietta>
"It sounds like a great opportunity," Henrietta finds herself in agreement. "To us, to the Jade Ravens and to Lady Lavinia. We will have a chance to unlock a bit of the mysteries of the universe, and get wealthier in the process, while expanding the Lady's influence with our success. And after spending some time with Liamae, I have no doubt in her competence, so I am anticipating this quite a bit!"
<Rudy>
"That is a very comprehensive assessment of how our fortunes can turn for the better. I must admit to some initial skepticism," replies Rudy, swirling the liquid in his glass. "I mean, when I first heard of this, it actually sounding quite exciting. When I thought about it a little more, though, it seemed like the kind of thing a conman might come up with. Rocks! Falling from the sky! Filled with riches!" Rudy laughs, and throws back the rest of his drink.
"What can I say, though? We've seen enough that such a thing sounds plausible."
<Henrietta>
"We... have," Henrietta returns, frowning. She eyes her own glass for a long moment, before deciding to place it back on the low table an arm's reach away.
"For what it is worth, even if these rocks from the sky fail to hit the right spot, as long as we are ready to take advantage of the situation, we should still come out on top. Rumors can start like wildfire, and all Lady Lavinia would need to do is sell that purchased land after making a hefty profit."
<Rudy>
"Just how precise can astronomy be? It seems like she'd need to have purchased quite an area to be assured of the claim," replies Rudy. "Or do you think we'll be able to get it at a relative discount even after the meteor has landed? Rumors do take time to spread."
<Henrietta>
"It is not my field of expertise, I must admit," Henrietta muses. "Still! Considering how vast the world is, and how far from it such a tiny rock must be traveling, I would suspect that if a method exists to determining that it will impact upon a certain area, then that area must be quite small."
<Rudy>
"Calling it to within a hundred miles would be quite small, in relative terms," replies Rudy. "I suppose what I'm wondering is this; we could try and buy the land pre-emptively, or we could simply wait for the meteor to land and, well, poach it. Perhaps pay the local lord for mining rights? Or perhaps we could wait to see if devils pop out, and swoop in to save the day, like real heroes!"
<Henrietta>
"No," Henrietta says, shaking her head resolutely. "Not that last. Never! We absolutely cannot let people fend for themselves just for some recognition. That is not what a hero would do!"
<Rudy>
"If we are fortunate, it will land far from any settlement. We would have ample time to cut off anything that emerged from the sky," replies Rudy. "The problem is uncertainty. You must remind me to ask Liamae about this when I see her next. If we can truly be precise to the inch, well, there will be nothing to worry about, apart from suffering an untimely end."
<Henrietta>
"It may depend on Lady Lavinia's resources at the time as well," Henrietta comments, regaining her cool after her outburst. "And our own, I suppose, that is, if we pitched in ourselves to help. I don't really have anything I want to buy with my money, and it appears that I cannot buy a summer home for my parents in Salerno. Did you know that you had to hold a title to hold any land whatsoever? I must say, it is ridiculous in the extreme! There is something deeply unsettling about paying rent for all eternity."
<Rudy>
"There is? It's just another expense, isn't it? You need to buy food for eternity, too," replies Rudy. "Wait, you were seriously thinking of buying a house? For your parents? Surely it should be the other way around!"
<Henrietta>
Henrietta looks at Rudy hesitantly. "Are you certain?"
<Rudy>
"That's a ridiculous expense! Most people can't even contemplate buying land for themselves, and you'd take that opportunity and spend it on someone else?" Rudy reaches for the ever-present bottle, and pours himself another drink. "I suppose there is a certain logic to it, though. After all, the house would be yours again eventually. But what if you wanted to start a family? Wouldn't you regret spending big on your parents then?"
<Henrietta>
"You can never regret doing something nice for your parents!" Henrietta chides him, looking affronted. "And if anything, it would go to my sister one day. But if I can buy one house, it clearly means that I can also buy two with a bit more effort, and then I would have one when I am ready to settle down."
She contemplates his words a bit more, before adding, "In any case, I must say that I expect anyone I would wish to settle down with to be just as capable. How else will I accept them? How else will my mother and father accept them? That merely makes the effort of gathering all the necessary funds all that more trivial."
<Rudy>
"That's ridiculous. You're just as likely to blow all of your money on getting yourself all fixed up before you can spend it on a house. You should get yourself set up first! Then you can worry about other people," replies Rudy, nodding. "Besides, you know you can't choose who you like, right? Really! You're even thinking about your parents when considering a partner! Weren't you all about ditching arranged marriages?"
<Henrietta>
"I... well, I'm not sure how it is in any way the same," Henrietta says hesitantly. "That is, I want to find someone I like all on my own, of course."
She slowly finds her confidence as she keeps on talking, and her next words come out much firmer. "But why would I want to find someone just to spite my parents? Of course I would like to see them get along!"
<Rudy>
"But what if you really liked someone who your parents hated? You never know what can happen," replies Rudy. "I'm not saying go out of your way to give your folks the finger, but you can't let them hold you back, either."
<Henrietta>
"I am certain that would never happen," Henrietta proclaims, though she is nothing of the sort.
<Rudy>
"Really? You must actually have a pretty good idea what kind of guy you're looking for, then," replies Rudy.
<Henrietta>
"Someone who is there to rescue me in my time of need!" Henrietta says excitedly. "Ah, but I can always take care of myself, of course. I cannot possibly be with someone who would coddle me or look down on my skills."
<Rudy>
"If a guy like that is attracted to you, that's probably what he's going to do. Guys loves to make girls feel comfortable and safe, right? It makes them feel all manly." Rudy sets his drink aside and leans back.
"I think your only option would be someone who already knows you quite well and who you would be just as likely to save in the line of duty yourself."
<Henrietta>
"I suppose you may well be right," Henrietta admits with a slight sigh. "Do let me know if you ever come across one, Rudy? But please, I bid you, be discreet!"
<Rudy>
"It may be some time. Will you be able to avoid the charms of scurrilous knaves on your own until then?"
<Henrietta>
"I have been doing it a considerable part of my life!"
<Rudy>
"It must be hard! If I was you, so far from home and away from prying eyes, I'd probably be doing all sorts of experimenting."
<Henrietta>
"Really?"
<Rudy>
"You're only young once."
<Henrietta>
"Isn't that, well, what maids are for?"
<Rudy>
Rudy's boundless enthusiasm falters. "What?"
<Henrietta>
"Or so I heard."
<Rudy>
"But if you hire them yourself, you have so much power over them. It's too easy."
<Henrietta>
Henrietta giggles, finding herself quite amused. "You sound like you have been struggling with that very dilemma?"
<Rudy>
"Just now, yes," replies Rudy, grimacing. "I can't do it. I'd be worse than that Meravanchi fellow."
<Henrietta>
"I suppose, yes," Henrietta agrees, her mirth effectively killed by those words. "If you hire them, then you would hold an inordinate amount of power over them, wouldn't you? This was in poor taste, and I apologize."
She inclines her head, a thoughtful expression coming over her. "This does bring up a topic of interest, however. While my service to Lady Lavinia comes first, I am not able to look away from such poor excuses for nobles in my presence. We should find some way to determine if there is any truth to the natier of the rumors about him and, if so, do something about their source. And, most certainly, we must pursue that odious cult until we have ascertained that such horrors will not recur. I will put much of my energy into those endeavors, and I find that I would be quite reassured if I were not alone in this."
<Rudy>
"Indeed! I was planning on investigating the names we found in that half-written letter. Of course, well, you know me. We really have no idea how prevalent this sort of thing is across Pranneria." He shrugs. "You'll find scummy nobles everywhere, along with florid rumors, too, honestly. The only one I'd consider concerning myself with is Emil Draktus."
<Henrietta>
"And yet, we must start somewhere. Salerno is as good a place as any," Henrietta suggests. "I can try bringing up those names to Lady Lavinia's friends. I believe that I can play off being clueless about them and learn enough to put us on the right track. Finding out more about Avner Meravanchi would be trivial, in comparison, but I am unsure I want to... experiment, like that." She grimaces. "Yet, I see no good way short of outright exploring his dungeons. I do know the spell of Invisibility and various cantrips for misdirection, so perhaps it may bear fruit?"
Emil Draktus gets the longest of considerations from her. "Why would that be?" Henrietta finally asks. "He does not sound particularly pleasant, I will freely admit, yet is he any worse than the Cobra Fangs?"
<Rudy>
"He's probably worse than Avner Meravanchi. Come on, you saw him at the party- the guy's woman-starved, if anything." replies Rudy.
"Maybe the Fangs aren't clean themselves, but they're Lucie's old crew, and just by looking at it, Shadowshore looks like it could use someone better running the show."
<Henrietta>
"I would not put it past him to have it as a front," Henrietta muses. "And if would make a certain amount of sense to resort to slaves if he were truly so bad on his own, as well."
Arguing over that matter without knowing the facts is the next best thing to futile, however, and she accepts the switch in focus. "That someone better would be a step up is not in doubt," she agrees with a brief nod. "But who did you have in mind, and how exactly would you like that to come to pass?"
<Rudy>
"I didn't have anything in particular in mind," replies Rudy, blinking. "I'm just saying, if we focus on anyone it might as well be him. It'd amount to the same sort of thing, though. First, we presume he's up to no good, and look for evidence. If we find something compelling enough coming to light, what choice will the city have but to deal with him?"
<Henrietta>
"Ah, so that is what you meant! No, I'm afraid I must disagree." Henrietta shakes her head. "The situation with Avner Meravanchi is worse because he is considered to be from a respectable family, from my humble understanding. If the rumors are true, then such slavery is terrible and should not stand. If they are just that, rumors, then they are destroying the reputation of other decent nobles by assosiation, including that of Lady Lavinia. That is unlikely to happen with anything Emil Draktus does, would you not agree?"
Henrietta raises a hand to forestall any objections just yet. "And this is not merely a personal preference at play. We know precisely where the rumors of Avner Meravanchi are originating from. Surely, formulating a solid plan to investigate and prove or disprove them is far easier than facing off against Emil Draktus on his home turf. I also suspect that if he is up to no good, Lucie would hear of it from her friends, and we would be able to respond in a timely fashion?"
<Rudy>
"If he's half the plotter he looks like, I'm sure he'd be conducting his illict affairs without notice," replies Rudy. "I suppose investigating Avner would be as easy as breaking into his house. Really, though, destructive rumours are as common as dirt. Who doesn't love coming up with lurid stories about the eccentricities of their superiors?"
<Henrietta>
"But that is terrible libel!"
<Rudy>
"And what, we'll stop it by telling everyone we broke into his house to check?"
<Henrietta>
"I cannot answer that until I know what is, indeed, the truth," Henrietta responds primly, evading the question.
<Rudy>
"I suppose we can't. If he is in fact holding people captive, he certainly deserves to be punished," replies Rudy. "But it would probably hurt Lavinia more than any rumors could were to be caught in the act."
<Henrietta>
"It would require some planning," Henrietta concurs. "And if magical misdirection on my part would not be enough, we could, perhaps, turn to our contacts. The Cobra Fangs are an obvious possibility, though we are not without friends. Naturally, I don't expect it to be easy, but I consider this doable."
<Rudy>
"And we can always try just asking him!"
<Henrietta>
"We... can?"
<Rudy>
"We can! I could pretend I want in on the action," muses Rudy. "Or you could pretend you're... really, really kinky. Actually, maybe I could get Maril to do that. Except I doubt she'd be up to his standards..."
<Henrietta>
"I certainly don't want to pretend that!"
<Rudy>
"We should keep our options open!"
<Henrietta>
"Not if those options end with me in a kinky--" Henrietta suddenly leans over and drops her voice to a whisper, "--sex dungeon."
She crosses her arms before her chest. "I will not do it."
<Rudy>
"We obviously have to get down there at some point. Although I suppose your reputation would be ruined if you were ever found there," admits Rudy.
<Henrietta>
"It is not really something I ever thought would be assosiated with me or my name and I would very much like to keep that so," Henrietta asserts, somewhat mollified when Rudy doesn't keep on insisting.
<Rudy>
"It's all up to me, then. Or your magic. I'd really rather not talk to the man at all. I dislike being near him. It's as though his mere presence causes me to become more of a dullard by the second."
<Henrietta>
Henrietta grimaces. "I do not believe he looked at my face once in the brief time we talked. Or after that."
<Rudy>
"His loss."
<Henrietta>
A bright smile that washes those signs of discontent is Henrietta's response to Rudy!