I'l Fana Kelbé (The White Hart) - Reparations & Preparations [Closed}

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya took a seat beside him. "A good signature is worth a thousand words. She said. And watched him practice, providing him with torn out pages from one of her books. "I'm so very proud of you, Tinwé!"

Kat watched as he perfected his signature; it was important to have one, that one felt good about. Being a businessman would mean he would e putting his signature to many things over the coming months, especially if he was intending for the place to host other businesses and the like.

She got up and threw her coal around her. "Shall we go and make a proper business man out of you?" She smiled./color] She smiled.

[Artemis Black]

Artemis led Katarya upstairs by the hand, not releasing her fingers from his grip until they’d reached her room. Once he had her inside and the door clicked shut he shucked all his clothes with haste. Down to nothing he gave her a grin followed by a fierce hug. Then he moved to pull a tightly packed bundle from a small cloth bag. He laid all his clothes flat before grabbing the under garments.

“These are ridiculous, but if I don’t get them all the way up in the back they bunch and make it impossible to reach the knives there without looking like a drunken acrobat,” he said slipping his feet into the garment and wiggling it up to his hips carefully.

Katarya’s hands were quick and precise, adjusting the long form-fitting underwear. Artemis grunted at a particularly vigorous tug before she patted him on the shoulder. He then grabbed and donned his recently cleaned white shirt, buttoning the garment as high as he could easily, before turning to her to button the final closures at the throat. Next he slipped into his light coal trousers, wiggling his legs to have the fabric fall straight. Kat moved to smooth out a hitch in the right leg as he reached for his vest.

“You’re half a gentleman already, Tinwé,” she remarked with an amused grin.

“Were that we had the time, I’d give you the whole gentleman, my love,” Artemis quipped back and gave her a wink. He pulled his deep patterned blue vest snug, ensuring all the buttons lined up correctly and the floating pockets weren’t out of place. Then he moved to unroll a thick leather strip to reveal a collection of eight finely detailed and terribly sharp looking throwing daggers.

The thief set to work nestling them into small slots and grooves in his clothing. Two at the back inside the vest, one on each leg near the foot. Another two in the front of the vest, designed to be removed across the body. The difficult placements complete he donned his long light charcoal tailored coat and slid another two daggers into its sleeves. Finally he placed one over his heart, nestled into the pocket of the coat. Suitably equipped, Artemis carefully settled onto the bed and slipped on his socks and shoes before lacing them tightly.

He rose, ready to set out, and summarily halted when she called his name. “Artemis. Your hat,” she said, nestling the fine looking silk hat neatly atop his head before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “You dress like this and act to back it, we’ll one day rule the merchant class,” she added, squeezing him around the middle. “Now let's go, don’t want to be late and spend all day in line.”

“Probably get drunk and walk in naked if you weren’t there to give me my cap,” he laughed, giving her a huge grin. He moved to collect up his documents, placing them carefully into a leather folder he nestled in the crook of his left arm. He liked the case because it allowed him to slip the documents into his coat, or drop them to the ground in a rush, all without the worry of smudging or water damage. After a moment he took a deep breath, slid the folder into his coat, and offered his arm out to Katarya.

They made good time to the House Leriyco tax office for the eastern district. There were already three people in line, two rather dirty gentlemen who seemed to be rambling at each other, and an older woman with deep lines etched into her face from years of frowning. Artemis moved into line behind the woman, letting Katarya take the position against the wall away from the open street.

[Katarya Frost]

"Kat?!

Katarya looked up as the voice of her old friend Cora rang out. The heavily pregnant woman was ambling down the street and had stopped to look at the witch with surprise and delight on her face. Kat felt a sudden rush of nostalgia; Cora has been her closest friend since childhood, but the events over the last few months had meant they had not seen each other. "Cora, darling!" She moved forward and embraced the woman. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

Cora gave Kat a kiss on the cheek, then held her at arms length to look her over. "Don't you look well! Very refined! When I heard about the fire ..."

Kat gave a sad smile. "It's I who should be showering you with compliments! You're huge!" She said, winking. "But you pull it off well."

Cora batted at Kat's arm playfully, then rubbed her swollen belly. "Any day now ... or at least that's what Mrs. Migs tells me. I swear that's her go-to phrase for girls like me. What have you been up to, these last few months? And what are you here?"

Kat looked across to Artemis, and taking Cora be the elbow, she made her way over. "Cora, this is Artemis Black. Artemis, this is Cora Hage, a very old friend of mine."

Cora offered the man her hand. "I'm not that old." She assured him.

"Artemis is setting up a business ... a sort of office, which he intends to rent out rooms for traders and other professionals. I'm taking him up on one of the spaces, so thought I would use my trading license. Also, she hesitated for a moment, not having said the next words before. "Artemis and I have been ... well, we're a couple."

Cora looked with wide eyes and a large smile between the two, then she looked to Artemis. "So someone finally managed to melt the ice-cold heart of Miss Frost! You must be an extraordinary gentlemen to have pulled that off!" She chuckled, then snapped her fingers! "You must come for dinner! I insist. Myself and Mac would love to have you both over."

Kat raised a brow. "Mac doesn't like me." She pointed out.

Cora waved a hand dismissively. "Mac will do as he is told." She looked between them. "Oh do say you will! I simply have to know more about you, Mr. Black. You must be quite a singular person."

"Next" A voice called out.

Kat glanced up and saw that the line had moved well along, and Artemis would have to present his documents. "Very well. Send me a note to the White Hart and we'll set something up. Or visit; I'd love to see you and have a proper chat. Just tell them you're looking for me."

Cora smiled deeply and pulled Kat into another long hug, slightly awkward given her pregnancy. "I'll be sure to do just that. Good day to you both." She said, with a bright smile before taking off.

Kat nudged Artemis. "Our first 'couple's evening' ... Ny'tha preserve us! And it looks like you're up. I'll be right by your side."

[Artemis Black]

Challenge Roll
[  To view this content, you must log in.  ]

Artemis tensed as soon as he heard someone call out Katarya’s name. Every time someone recognized the Witch it seemed to lead to violence or magic causing mayhem. He waited though, primed to react but hoping desperately that this wouldn’t ruin the next step. He even briefly considered not helping her overmuch, but quickly tossed that though aside. ‘Anything for her, but don’t start things that are better left alone,’ he finally decided just before Kat replied.

He let out a slow breath when the mystery person was revealed to be a heavily pregnant woman. Katarya seemed to recognize her, and even be on friendly terms. This was a rare opportunity to see the woman treating someone as a friend. Artemis put on his best welcoming smile but remained silent while the women talked.

"A pleasure to meet a friend of Katarya's any time," he said, offering Cora a more focused smile. "And I can assure you that sneaking past her guard was far from a simple feat." He added before going back to quietly standing, letting Katarya beg off or accept as she chose. He was somewhat surprised when she relented and promised to attend, though he noted she put the onus onto Cora. He gave the woman another smile, returning the gesture as she offered her good day, and then let her slip from his mind.

“Yes, perhaps a chance to have you dote upon me and sing my praises to the good folk,” Artemis said, barely keeping a straight face before starting forward into the drab government building. On first glance, the interior reminded him of any number of offices. It was only after Artemis gave the room a more discerning examination that oddities appeared. All of the doors were iron banded, the windows were barred on both sides, there were only two desks visible in the open area of the building, and lastly, the guards looked much meaner than the usual watch or house guard fare.

Artemis kept his manner easy but restrained as he strode up to the only occupied desk in the room. The man seated at it had the look of a fellow born to a long line of government officials. He was thin and pale, with a pudgy gut that strained well made but poorly kept clothing. His nose was overlarge, and it became all the more prominent beneath his whisper thin brows and sunken watery grey eyes. He appeared to personify everything the people of the poor quarter found distasteful and untrustworthy. The thief doubted the man had walked about the district he managed since the day he was assigned.

Making sure to reign his wandering thoughts in, and not let them show on his face, Artemis approached the desk and pulled back the chair for Katarya. Once she had settled he slid into his own seat and kept a rigid but relaxed looking posture. It was an interesting trick he’d learned from watching many bored-looking noblemen. They could impress a watch commander with their precision and yet still managed to convey a sense of disdain and looseness. For his part the official simply ignored the pair for several long moments, pretending to examine some document or another intently.

The thief understood the dynamics at play, it was not terribly different than dealing with a gang boss. Though, he was more likely to get sent out or slapped in irons rather than gutted if he said something wrong. When the man finally looked up from his papers he seemed almost shocked at their presence. “How may I help you?” he droned nasally while still sounding terribly bored.

Artemis blinked and tilted his head as if he too was surprised to find a man across the table. “I am here to complete a requisition of a property. I have the necessary writ and a certified merchant willing to lay claim to the first parcel,” he said, sounding as equally bored as the official.

The official squinted slightly as he became aware that he was dealing with someone more practiced than a fisherman’s wife or down on his luck merchant. “Location, name, intent?” he asked after several moments of shuffling his papers and preparing a pen.

“The building resides at thirteen North Rigging, East District. I am of course Artemis Black, my interested merchant is a Katarya Frost, and I intend to have the building serve as a freeman’s hall with a focus on the production craftworks,” Artemis said casually. He had practiced this near on forty times leading up to this moment, but there wasn’t a single hint it wasn’t simply off the cuff.

The official frowned slightly before turning to a large cabinet and reaching in to shuffle several large folders. After several long moments he emerged with a folder marked ‘North Rigging’ and opened it onto the desk. He flipped through a number of densely packed documents, grumbling and grunting until he reached the mostly blank page for plot thirteen. His frown deepened as he scanned the page with a slightly crooked finger. “The building owner is reported dead, the deed marked lost. Why did you not report it’s recovery?” the official finally asked with a sharpness to his nasal rasping.

Artemis almost balked, he had expected this to come up but hadn’t imagined it would be so straight forward. “The debtor who provided it failed to mention such,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice as his brow hardened. “I will ensure he is dealt with accordingly for providing false account,” he added after a moment, his voice shifting to sound frustrated instead.

The official nodded slowly, seemingly familiar with many false documents and claims here in the East District. “Do you have a floor plan and contracted team prepared for the hall?” he asked, continuing as if Artemis’ answer was satisfactory.

“I have a plan, but no current contractors. I was informed the building will need extensive work and I wished to ensure this matter was settled before I wasted any coin,” Artemis replied with an exasperated sigh.

The official nodded again and produced a form from his desk drawer. Grabbing a pen from a ready well, he made quick precise markings all along the document’s upper third. “The writ please,” he said tapping the desk beside him without looking up. Artemis placed the writ facing the official in the indicated space and the man grunted and grumbled as he snapped his eyes between the two documents. There was more precise scribbling for several long minutes before the official tapped atop the provided writ. “Writ of Trading,” he said, taking a quick glance at Katarya.

For her part the Witch simply smiled and nodded to Artemis who produced the legitimate Writ of Trading. The official shuffled it slightly to lay perfectly atop the first writ before continuing his work of marking, grumbling, and glancing. This continued unabated for nearly a quarter of an hour and Artemis was beginning to wonder how much more the man could manage to fit onto a single page. Finally the official placed his pen down and locked eyes with the thief.

“Fifty silver is the outlay for tax and inspection. You will need to send a sealed letter to this office when you have completed repairs and are ready to present for inspection. No business may be conducted on the premises until this inspection is completed. Expect up to four working days to elapse from receipt of letter and arrival of district employees. You will receive the writ of ownership and rental after the inspection is successfully completed and filed,” the man said as if reading from a terribly boring script.

Artemis nodded in acceptance and slid a gold onto the table, “I’ll accept my change in quarter-silver,” he said as his fingers rested on the coin. For his part, the official didn’t even blink. He placed his fingers on the coin as well, pulling it off his side of the table when Artemis let go. A quick clink of coinage below the desk and a quarter-silver was placed atop the newly created document. After the change was provided the official made a few quick marks on several lines at the bottom of the parchment before spinning it in place and offering Artemis the pen.

“Sign here, here, and here,” the official said making tiny marks at each indicated place. Artemis quickly placed his newly designed signature at all the indicated spots. Then the official spun the document back, reached to his side, and lifted a large gilded seal. He dipped the seal in a covered ink plate and pressed it deftly to the bottom third of the document with a resounding thunk.

Artemis felt his heart stop as the sound echoed in his head. ‘I’ve finally done it,’ he thought, desperately working to keep his features restrained to a small quirk of his lips. The official nodded his head to the pair across from him. “Congratulations Artemis Black, Katarya Frost, for claiming ownership of one thirteen North Rigging, East District,” the official said as his face cracked into a broad grin. Artemis imagined it was more for the silver the man had just made than any actual feeling of congratulations, but the effect was much the same.

With the grace of one very familiar with handling special documents Artemis returned Katarya’s writ and the false document to his folder. Meanwhile, the official took the newly created writ and replaced the largely blank document in the folder marked ‘North Rigging’. Once all the documents had left the table the official’s expression returned to boredom and listlessness. “Have a good day. Next please,” he said, speaking as if nothing at all had transpired.

Artemis rose, offering his arm to Katarya and guiding them out of the House Lericyro office with a slight bounce to his step. Once they were well away from the building her turned and offered the Witch a beaming smile. “So it begins my love. I believe we might want to celebrate with the best wine tonight,” he said with a barely contained laugh.

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya watched Cora go with a strange feeling; her life had once been thus: tedious dinner parties and meeting with other traders. At the time, she had loathed it, but now ... if felt like a memory long past. Had only it only been a few months? It had felt like a lifetime.

She had hugged Cora 'goodbye', and turned to Artemis. "Our first official 'couple's duty' ... enduring a dinner party where we'll be asked everything, and we had better come up with something other than what we actually do!" She lowered her voice. "Cora know's I'm a witch; she's been a close family friend for years ...

Kat was interrupted by the official calling 'next', and she stepped to Artemis' side.

Arrogantly, she had been prepared to step in, lest Artemis floundered under the bureaucracy of it all, but he did marvellous. All she did was nod when he mentioned her, keeping her chin firmly in the air; embodying the natural arrogance of middle-class lady born with a trade.

When he acknowledged them both, offering his congratulations, Katarya gave a small nod, as if bored by the whole affair. She had always found it beneficial to make these people feel like they were beneath her, and that this whole formality was tedious. She had discovered that holding one's tongue, at times, could have more of an effect on bureaucrats than pleasantries or anger. Dismissing them as 'nothings' was much more likely to put them off their footing.

That all changed when they stepped outside, and she gave Artemis a hug. "You were simply excellent! I am very impressed." She took his hand as they made their way through the town. "We don't have to go to the Hart; why not somewhere a little more up-market ... though if you tell them I said that I shall deny it, of course ... but since you're a respectable gentleman of business now, I think we can treat ourselves to something a little fancier. What do you say?"

[Artemis Black]

Artemis had an idea of place to go. He’d heard O’Dell mention it once as a ‘pleasant escape from the bustle’. He gave Katarya a broad grin and tugged her along the inner streets at a brisk walk. “If we get there soon we can likely beat the more snooty late lunch folks,” he said to her as he weaved between scattered people heading straight for the North District.

University Square was an area known for its many institutes of higher learning and the accompanying swarms of attending students. Masses of high class citizens and merchant’s children were scattered around in groups wearing a variety of uniforms or badges. Despite the number of people, there was plenty of room to move. Though, the uniformity of the small bunches of students gave a strange closeness not common in the North District.

Nestled between narrow alleys and surrounded by lecture halls, The Knight and Marquis boasted a hand written menu placard laden with a wide array of unique offerings. The building itself was a large stone-walled building with an attached walled yard and garden. Scattered among the plants and water features were finely-crafted tables and chairs as well as several coordinating musicians.

Artemis drew to a halt before the menu placard and looked eagerly to Katarya. He could only understand several words of the flowing script, but he knew for certain it was a broad array of unique choices.

Steamed Boar with Coriander and Rye Bread, Glass of Brandy
Steamed Sunbird and Boysenberry Tart, Glass of Rum
Braised Dragonelk and Dried Lime, Glass of Gin
Stewed Pheasant and Leek, Tankard of Ale
Roasted Reaches Mutton and Oat Bread, Tankard of Stout
Braised Crayfish with Garlic and Poached Eggs, Glass of Rum

“Does this seem like something you could enjoy? I’ll take your word on what they offer, but I’ve heard many good things,” he said offering a smile and squeezing her fingers between his own. As he spoke a pale Lumeacian woman dressed in faintly glittering robes approached them with a practiced smile.

“Will you be dinning with us today Lord and Lady? We have several additional specials I can share with you if what the board offers does not satisfy,” she said in a light a lilting tone, offering a hand out to welcome them into the gardens beyond.

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya inclined her head, as she stood with her hand resting on Artemis' arm. "I believe we will, thank you." She said, to the woman, and gave Artemis a quick smile.

When they were seated, she looked across to him. "I'll not lie, I could get used to being 'Lady Frost'."

She considered what she would order; the meal would no doubt make a big dent in her savings, but today was worth it. When the drinks were delivered before their food, she held up her glass (actual glass, not a cup!) to Artemis. "To a business partnership that will no doubt be as successful as our relationship partnership, Tinwé."

She took a sip, and made a sound of enjoyment at the richness of the wine. "I must say, I cannot wait to get set up in your warehouse; have you decided on a name? Also, have you decided where you're going to put me? As far away from that seamstress as possible, if you could."

[Artemis Black]

Artemis lifted an eyebrow at Kat, adopting his best intrigued nobleman’s mask. “One day maybe, Lady Frost of the Black,” he said and allowed a smile to twist his lips as the words faded. He raised his own glass of brandy to her wine. “To fewer deaths, but just as many long blissful evenings and warm mornings,” he returned, before taking a slow sip.

“This is amazingly smooth. I didn’t even know you could buy such things,” he mused as he held the amber liquid up the light. It sparkled pleasingly, and he gazed into its depths. “Perhaps one day, this could be the norm rather than a rarity. Perhaps one day, there’ll be enough coin and wine to wash all the blood away. Perhaps I’ll simply live forever in the dark,” he said softly as he spun the drink in slow circles.

He refocused his eyes, looking into hers with a fierce passion glowing behind a soft smile. "I was thinking Black's at East Hall. It has a sense of belonging to a collection. Perhaps too hopeful, but there could one day be the need to differentiate the locations," he said with a thoughtful tilt to his head. "As for the arrangement of work areas, that will need to wait until the labor clears the floor, and the carpenters and masons can ply their trade."

He took another sip of his brandy, enjoying the flavor on his tongue in the moment of quiet before he whispered, "Will need your input on the private quarters as well." Artemis blushed fiercely and hid his face behind his glass.

Then the food arrived, and he was spared further scrutiny thanks to the decadence that was laid on the table. The platter he received, for it could be nothing as small as a plate, was piled with thin cuts of steamed boar in a sprinkling of herbs and spices. Beside it sat a perfectly cut loaf of rye ready to be slathered in fresh herb butter. There was also a collection of roasted root vegetables and something that smelled like berries.

Artemis looked wide-eyed at the food, only barely noticing the faint drool starting to dribble from the corner of his mouth. He looked over at Katarya and blinked slowly in wonder.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat thought on the name for a moment. "I like it; simple and to the point, and not so mysterious that the watch would bother you. Here's to the name!" She said, taking another drink of the luxurious wine. She looked at it before she set it back on the table. "This may very well ruin all other wine for me." She mused.

She raised a brow as he spoke. "Somebody had a touch of the philosopher's blood in them, this afternoon! Just be pleased with yourself, Tinwé! You have your very own trading hub ... now all you need is traders. An alchemist and a clothier are a nice start to it all, but you need a few people with fronts so that folks will be drawn in."

She laughed when he blushed, mentioning 'private quarters'. "My own quarters at the Hart are quite sufficient, but I suspect you want something for yourself? Well, you are the landlord; so you get to choose for whichever you want!" She spoke between bites, not exclaiming on the quality as such (she held herself too far above being to so crass), but the rich taste was certainty evident on her face. "Why don't we pop along and have a look? You can make plans, and i can pester you into giving me somewhere pleasant with a window ... alchemy can get a little bit pungent, at times!"

When they finished their meal, Kat dropped some coin into the table (she had long made it clear she would not be a kept woman), and gave him a broad smile. "Shall we go and survey your kingdom, Lord Black?"

[Artemis Black]

He returned her toast with a smile and dove into his meal. The meat felt as though it melted on his tongue and the bread’s fluffy but flavorful tones made the perfect companion. He even enjoyed the varied flavors of the vegetables, many of which he’d never eaten before. He listened to Kat as he forced himself to not shovel the boar into his mouth. It was delicious and deserved to be savored, not gobbled up like a fish fry.

“I was thinking we could find some more maker folks. The kind regular people need. Maybe swing some smaller apprenticeships through. Lots of skilled folks out there that can’t afford a regular shop and so don’t take anyone under them. See them all the time in the ramshackle popup markets. Hard to promise an education, let alone one that could pass an exam when you have to move every few hours,” he mused before taking another slow sip of his drink. It added a whole new layer to the many flavors his meal provided.

“As for you, I was thinking we’d stick you in an area with a vent and we set you up a fan or two. Wouldn’t be hard to get a simple steam fan or wind contraption I imagine. Then we don’t have to worry if something gets particularly pungent, just pop on the fan and away it goes,” he said, moving his fingers like dissipating vapors to accentuate his point.

When he placed the final bit of bread, liberally dipped in the boar’s juices, into his mouth he groaned in satisfaction. He knew the prices were well out of his reach, given they weren’t even written down, but he felt that it was worth the cost even for a glimpse of what he had yet to experience. His coin joined Katarya’s when the same Lumeacian woman returned to offer desert and tell him the final cost. Artemis almost balked, but placed a half-silver onto the table with his dignity intact.

The he was up and taking the Witch’s arm in his own. “We’ll need to gather and discuss things with Ksenia before I get too into the details, but I think I have a few solid ideas,” he mused as he led them towards O’Dell’s shop. It would be quicker to get the seamstress now and then back to the warehouse than to make their way across town and come all the way back later. Besides, as much as Kat and Ksenia didn’t get along they were both important to him.

The walk along the broad North District streets was pleasant and Artemis found himself enjoying the walk more for the company. As they moved along the cobbles the Thief turned businessman found himself adjusting his gait constantly. It took him a solid two blocks before he finally settled on a blend of his usual walk and something from the North District. His chosen swagger had a refinement to it, like a man confident he wouldn’t need to do his own fighting, but one that was willing to anyway.

By the time they’d reached the Finer Gentleman’s Attire Artemis had perfected his gait and it now felt natural and smooth. He noticed it afforded him more glances with less ire than he was used to. He was uncertain if that was an effect of his stride matching his clothes more closely, or something else altogether. He was pondering the thought intently as he strode into the haberdashery.