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Small Wars; [P] Estelle
Topic Started: Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:05 am (872 Views)
Lady Eko
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Because of the unexpected size of the angry mob, Lord Kelok's thugs ended up blocking off a huge portion of Chimaera Street and rerouting traffic to nearby Bane and Threeclaw Street. Citizens from the surrounding area brought their personal weapons to brandish at the array of rope-fences set up around Mohdu's Inn and Tavern. Lord Kelok's thugs kept the angry citygoers pressed back away from the quarantined area.

A few teen-aged kids were sitting on the eaves of a building overlooking the spectacle, eating pieces of bread and cheese for lunch. Eko climbed up the external stairwell and joined them. She was a tiny, physically unimposing girl dressed in multiple heavy layers for the cold weather. While the other kids greeted her, she sat down, watching the crowd below intently. "What's going on?"

"Mohdu's got condemned. The business, the building, the owner, everything," the werecat Ketta said. "It's chaos. Everyone loved Mohdu." She had already finished her lunch and was hugging her knees, looking down on the street with a slight frown and drooping grey cat ears. Eko's other friend present, Arden, chewed his piece of bread thoughtfully and didn't add anything.

Eko squinted down at the peacekeeping thugs. A few wore gold and silver bangles around their upper arms that from this distance looked vaguely like the intertwined serpents of a middling Lord of Balefire. "Looks like Lord Kelok. Have they been saying why?"

"I heard a rumor that Mohdu was storing crates of contraband in the basement, but most people just think they're being oppressed," Arden said between bites. "Kelok's moving into the Western Quarter, no doubt about that. Easiest way to cut apart a community? Kill their tavern." He made an emphatic slashing gesture with his hand. Eko listened to all this, sitting with one knee bent and chewing her food deliberately. Arden noticed and, after a pause, observed, "You got that look on your face again, Eko. Like you're planning something."

"...Whoah, look!" She pointed down, clambering to her feet all of a sudden. Arden and Ketta scrambled to see. Down below, a member of the angry mob managed to break through the Lord's thugs and topple the rope-fences. Citizens poured past the blockade of Chimaera street, brawling with anyone who got in their way.

"Riot!" Ketta squeaked, tensed to run. Her voice was barely audible over the sudden uproar of shouting.

"We should try to sneak around them! There a back door in Mohdu's?" Eko shouted over the clamor.

"You want to die?!" Arden shot back.

"I'll go by myself if I have to!" Eko went running, hurtling over the gap between buildings until she rounded a corner and hopped down to street level. The street rat saw an important opportunity and wanted to capitalize on it, if she could.
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Iris
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Estelle hated Balefire. She wasn't sure that she had always hated it, but the lack of sunlight left her feeling cold and compressed. She had already left behind a pair of muggers with cut tendons in the short time she'd been here. As she walked down the street she looked to her little document. Her last shipment had been to Balefire, to a tavern named Mohdu's. The intended final target of the delivery was to a different criminal, but a few raids had prevented her from using her more reliable storages. She stared at Solokovsburg and at the main road that went not straight but down. The lifelong cascadian shivered. It was hell that stretched before her. A pitch black cargohold filled to the brim, but without any care put into its packing. She descended, keeping her arms close. Her hands shrunk within her long sleeves and gripped the handles of her daggers for comfort. She followed along poorly marked streets and asked for directions from a few urchins.

Her adventure was brought to a halt as she found the location in the midst of a riot. The interior was empty and a narrowing cordon maintained by some guards was under threat. Estelle looked around quickly and then noticed a group of scrawny brats rush by overhead. She ran towards the building they jumped to, took a step up the wall and then launched herself from the windowsill to the top of the building. She lifted herself up quickly and swung her body over the edge just in time to see them disappear onto the streets, past the cordon. She sprinted across the buildings after them and then jumped down behind them. She had no patience for this city, it was time to rush them along a little.

"Kids, get me into Mohdu's for a reward or I'll skin your sorry hides." Estelle growled. There was a fairly good chance they were just trying to get home, but her instincts thought otherwise.
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Lady Eko
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Eko skidded to a stop, wheeling around and flashing steel in an instant. Her friends did the same a moment later. The woman was a foreigner in pretty much every possible way, from the hair color to the well-fed build to the provocative dress to the accent, and demanded they get her into Mohdu's. Eko palmed her knife, the weapon disappearing into her loose clothing. "Fine, whatever. Don't lag." She darted down below until they reached the back door to the building. Due to the chaos in the front, none of Kelok's men were back here. Eko discovered the door and asked her friends to watch for danger while she picked it. It took a minute, but she got it open. Arden and Ketta volunteered to stay outside as lookouts while Eko, Ansha and this foreigner woman went in.

"You have a name, outsider?" Eko asked, cagey, holding her knife out to her side as if ready for anything. They stepped through the site of a struggle. Windows were busted, there was crap thrown everywhere, and a few tables were turned and glasses broken. Eko went down the stairs, her eyes easily adjusting to the low light. She opened the door and entered the basement.
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Iris
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They accepted her too easily, but Estelle didn't allow that to actually stop her. Estelle had no time for caution. They picked through the wreckage, Estelle listening to the sound of her steps as she walked across the room to what remained of the coat rack. She pulled her long coat from her slim shoulders and put it on the rack and turned. She had a slender black choker around her neck, and a leather corset that she filled to the brim that was a few inches too short to reach her pants. She planted a hand on her low slung brown pants, her wrist dominated by a pair of fairly large mechanisms. She slipped a pair of long daggers into inverted holsters just below her shoulders. Around her wide hips was a belt with five throwing knives stuck into it.

She followed Eko beneath Mohdu's, to the basement below. There were a sparse few kegs in the cool cellar, and in the corner were a trio of large crates. Their corners were branded with ivy. Her prize.

"Estelle, lass. I suppose you have one as well." Estelle replied. She walked across the floor, her boots clacking with each step against the old stone. She checked the vine brand on each crate until she found the one with the small flower on it. She drew a crowbar from her hip and pried it open, revealing an enormous pile of paper packets. In one corner was a small book. She flipped it open and frowned. "Who is this...Kelok. These crates were due for his stockpiles." Estelle pulled the cover back on and hammered down one of the nails. As she walked away, her hip caught the first crate and knocked the top off. She paused and looked within.

"Mohdu was picking from the cookie jar. I'd suggest you don't take any of the Bunny, the balance isn't right for girls our size. You'd be coughing up blood in an hour."
Edited by Iris, Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:05 am.
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Lady Eko
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"Eko," she answered, even though Estelle hadn't asked. The girl came up alongside the stranger and looked over the crates. This Estelle was looking for something, found it, and pried open the crate in question to reveal a huge storage of paper packets. Eko blanched. Her gut instinct was confirmed when Estelle named the substance: Bunny. The urchin had heard of Bunny before but wasn't entirely sure what kind of stuff it could do beyond mess you up. Of course, that was after she asked who Kelok was, because this Bunny was due to him. No surprise there. Eko didn't plan to just hand her the information she wanted, not without knowing more about what was going on. "Hold on. Why the hell is Kelok condemning this place and its owner if all they needed to do was take what was due to them? Moreover," she reached into the bulky folds of her jackets and scarves, "who are you? Are you the dealer for this product?" She ripped out a knife and pointed it at Estelle, pale eyes hard. "If you're working for that bastard I'll have you know right away that you're not an ally of anyone around here. I shouldn't've let you follow." She made a sort of ch sound, mumbling something like 'foreigners' under her breath.
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Iris
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Estelle twirled a knife across her fingers that she had procured from seemingly nowhere. When it reached her final finger she flipped it deftly into her palm and smiled over the horizontally held blade, and ran her finger across the flat. "Put your toy down; I have no patience for threats. You stand in my building, Mohdu was my employee. Kelok has taken him, I assume and I have come to take Mohdu back. And no, I am not the dealer. I ship goods without interference." Estelle explained. She strode over, her brilliant purple eye staring straight into Eko's. Her hand fell on her shoulder and she leaned in close.

"I want Mohdu back. If you stand against me, I'll cripple you and leave you out for the wolves. I hear they prefer the unwilling." The smuggler cooed.
Edited by Iris, Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:23 pm.
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Lady Eko
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Even though the main features of Eko's face didn't noticeably change, when Estelle came in close her pale green eyes flashed up to meet hers, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath through her nose. The hand on her shoulder made her flinch, fighting every fiber of her being to stop herself from lashing out for that reason alone. She instinctively lowered her knife not because it was what the foreigner asked, but because it was the best place to parry the other blade if it came down to that. Eko took a step back, but was fenced in by the array of crates around them. She had allowed herself to get backed into a corner: a terrible move both literally and figuratively.

Her brows furrowed. "Being provocative while you threaten people might work on other types of customers, but not me. So back off and stop touching me, because I'm not your enemy." She waited for the foreigner to oblige, a fire burning in her eyes, before continuing. "I want Mohdu back, too. If we worked together, it would increase our chances of both getting what we want." She didn't specify why because Eko's own endgame definitely fell against Estelle's. Estelle wanted Mohdu back because he was her employee and this was, ultimately, her establishment. They could work that out later. For now, Eko tried her best to talk her way out of getting stabbed. "I'm a local. I know where Lord Kelok lives. He probably has a dungeon for his political prisoners beneath or above his estate."
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Iris
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Estelle removed her hand delicately, and stepped back. Her intimidation had worked near instantly, the girl was already becoming more amicable. The smuggler smiled warmly as Eko promised assistance. Her knife disappeared as she turned to her merchandise.

"There we go. Do you have a plan or do you want me to develop one?" Estelle asked. She checked the crates, quickly resealing them with strikes from her crowbar. Estelle waved on upstairs and trotted up the creaky, dry boards and into the upstairs. Her eyes fell on a pile of bored guards, the riot having dispersed while they were down in the basement. The choice between a tavern and getting clobbered by guards seemed like an obvious one.

"Another night where the authority wins and the people fade away. Tell me, Eko, how terrible must the government of Balefire become before its people realize they've always had the power to overthrow it?" Estelle growled. She strode across the floor and seized her coat off the rack. She pulled it around her slim shoulders and quickly buttoned it up, stopping just short of her neck.
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Lady Eko
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Eko thought about her answer to the foreigner's first question while they climbed the stairs back up. They stopped to see the outcome of the riot -- a quick one, stopped almost as soon as it started -- but Eko hurriedly motioned for them to slip out the back door where they had come through. "If a Balefiren wants things changed, where does he start? What part does he tear down? Who does he target, and why? It's not as simple as you think, foreigner." She pressed her fist into the door to open it, and Ketta bounced into view. The young werecat was clearly worried, ears pressed down. Eko looked around for sign of her other friend and spotted no one.

"Arden... he didn't want to get involved. Sorry, Eko," Ketta nervously explained.

A few crude names crossed the girl's mind, but she didn't react. "Ketta, this is Estelle. It's personal with her. Mohdu was storing some really potent stuff in his cellar that belonged to her."

Ketta waved politely. "Hi. What's the plan, then?"

Eko spoke to them both collectively, voice low and conspiratorial. "We bust Mohdu out, of course. I can get us to his estate, but I don't know where he keeps his prisoners. We need to somehow work on the fly and find it, break him out, then get him to safety while in the middle of Kelok's headquarters. And we need to drive Kelok out of Mohdu's." She looked at Estelle, pausing in case she had an idea.
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Iris
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Estelle learned two things quickly. Eko's group was not organized and it was a tiny bit shy.

"Well, I can scale nearly any wall you pit me against, or we can use disguises. I always prefer disguises myself, they offer second chances or a quick surprise attack. Hm. I'm sure he has enough servants, or something else going on?" Estelle asked. She concealed her knives quickly and thought for a moment longer. "I actually have a decent source of information like this."




She belatedly realized that taking a girl out of the hive was perhaps a bit of a faux pas, but she moved quickly enough through the streets that they moved beneath the notice of the abhumans. Mostly. Near to the center of the city, where the wealth was congregated was a moderately large establishment with a dozen paper lanterns hanging from the front. A magically illuminated sign across the top spelled out the name of the building: A Pleasant Night. Estelle took Eko around to the back, quickly unlocking a side door and then into the place. It was well light but full of a haze from smoke and the clamor of music, song and shouts. They walked across a back hall as colorfully dressed women darted by, each giving a quick greeting to Estelle. They stepped into a long room full of pretty ladies getting quickly coated in makeup and their skimpy outfits adjusted. Estelle smiled at a woman checking over one of the girls.

"Estelle! It is her first night." The woman said, patting the slender young istani on the shoulder. The woman's smile revealed a sliver of fang. "You have come for the show or for business, I don't need an ounce more product to keep the watches deluded, so it must be for the show?" The woman said. Estelle shook her head.

"Ah, no, Margarette. I'd like to get into Lord Kelok's mansion. Ideas?" Estelle asked. The istani went wide-eyed as conspiracies passed above her head.

"Lord Kelok has...appetites that are difficult to sate; I'd suggest saying you are sisters. Perhaps you have taken your young sister from the farms to find her a better life away from hard labor and child raising before she is married off? She certainly doesn't look particularly old, she'll be perfect." Margarette explained. Estelle nodded.

"I'll need to borrow outfits, but nothing you've used recently. And they need to fit." Estelle replied. Margarette smiled and drew an outfit from the wall behind the Istani. "See? This is for her but we weren't planning to use it tonight. It'll work for the slim on-"

"Eko."

"Eko. It'll just need a little re tailoring, one of my crew can do it. Did I mention she is quite filthy? We could patch it up with a little perfume." Margarette continued. She looked at Estelle for a moment and smiled. "It would be better if we dressed you in something more reserved. I will do that personally, I have your specifications down in my notebook." Margarette said. Estelle took Eko out of the room.

"Ah, I like this place! You should feel free to come by, I'll make sure they let you in without paying a silver." Estelle offered. She took Eko upstairs to a grouping of closed rooms before picking one and walking within. It was pitch black but after a moment Estelle had lit most of the lamps. The room was plain except for a few more extravagant features - a large section of the room was reserved for cleaning and makeup, with several large mirrors. The bed was fairly large as well, and the whole room was layered in a slight coating of dust.

"You'll need to be cleaned up a little if we are to join Kelok's nightly parties. Either we can keep you looking a little like a grimy farmgirl or put some effort into making you look nice. Either way, it sounds like with you around we'll get in easy. The trick will be breaking off from the party and finding his dungeon."
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Lady Eko
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This was one of those times when Eko was confronted by her own upbringing, but really didn't want to be. She didn't want to be starstruck by the nice, clean, shockingly prosperous establishment. Upon coming in the girl had assumed it was some kind of brothel, but upon closer inspection it looked more like a specialized theatre. Far too clean-smelling to be a brothel, she decided. Eko followed along after Estelle, looking around with a blank face that belied her intense curiosity. Her rationality knew that this wasn't one of the ritziest places in Balefire. Not even close. She mentally chastised herself for being so impressed for that very reason. It wasn't until the two of them were alone again that Eko finally spoke.

"Estelle, who are you?"

The absolute conviction in her words and the intensity of her eyes made it more than just a question of the obvious. This foreigner woman with the Cascadian accent came in and acted like she owned the place -- because she literally did. She owned Mohdu's, she probably owned this 'A Pleasant Night' too. Eko, a native-born Balefiren, owned nothing, though sometimes she liked to pretend she owned a small alcove in Sokolovsburg that her and her friends called the Safe Place: one of the few areas in the borough that no one had stuffed crap or people into. How many more properties did Estelle own around the city, and how did she, a foreigner, protect them from acquisition by the locals? She didn't even smell like the city. Was she some sort of cosmopolitan gang lord that was so terrifying that not even the Lords of Balefire wanted to piss her off?

Once she received an answer Eko finally took into consideration Estelle's offer of helping her get cleaned up. She liked to think she was clean, but she didn't even bother trying to argue against these truly clean people. They had a self-filling bathtub. "I don't want to be grimy anymore," she said, her voice almost a whisper, like she was admitting something dramatically personal.
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Iris
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"Who am I? A merchant. I own a lot of little establishments to have a place to store my wares and a place to rest without attracting attention. The stream of revenue isn't half bad." Estelle explained. She leaned over and tapped the tub on, magical runes alighting down the spigot. Warm water flowed out a moment later. She poured soap directly into the tub and swirled it about quickly.

"This won't be pleasant, there's about sixteen years of dirt caked on you." Estelle explained. She waved a brush threateningly!




Margarette came in an hour later with a tiny Nalain dress and a muted blue cascadian dress. She deposted them both as Estelle finished the base coats of makeup on Eko's face. "Ah, goody." Estelle said, waving the matron out. She quickly pulled on her own dress, adjusting the collar feeling at the edges of the back and against her waist. Otherwise it was fairly modest, the skirts clung tightly as did the bodice. A tattoo of a black vine curled up her right shoulder.
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Lady Eko
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I am never going to be that dirty again, Eko resolved, staring steadfast ahead while Estelle applied makeup. She pestered the 'merchant' with endless questions about makeup and how it worked, but was interrupted by the entrance of Estelle's lackey. Eko's dress was... not ideal, but she had to wear it if this plan were to succeed. With the makeup done, she slid on the so-called Nalaian dress. It could have been a traditional Nalaian dress, maybe, but that would have been before someone went after it with a pair of shears. The corners of her lips were tilted into a small frown, but she didn't complain and allowed Estelle to finish her whole temporary makeover by doing her hair. At the end, Eko looked in the mirror and her heart jumped.

She felt so much gratitude toward this rich foreigner stranger she barely knew that she felt her throat choking up. Other than that particular dress, Eko wished she could stay this way forever. She wanted to hug her, but instead looked away to hide her eyes which were becoming glossier. "Thank you," she said. The girl calmed herself down by getting down to business. They had to get to Lord Kelok's estate where his nightly parties were set. Then the big difficulty would come from splitting off from the party, sneaking into Kelok's dungeon, and busting out Mohdu. Eko strapped her dagger to her thigh and was sad that she couldn't bring her whip, but thais way would have to do. "Let's go."



It was a longer trip to the Northern Quarter; this city was huge. Eko had never been this far north in the city before, into the truly affluent districts. The Northern Quarter wasn't the only place where there were rich districts, but it certainly had the highest concentration. It was where the House of Lords met, even. Lots of the communities had tremendous cast-iron gates ten or twelve feet tall. One estate prickled with a magical barrier. The mansions were truly intimidating structures. Everything was so... solid. In the poorer neighborhoods where Eko frequented, most of the constructions were so shoddy they looked like they could fall over from a stiff breeze. Here, even the roads were paved so tightly that she couldn't even feel cracks between the cut stones.

On the other hand, she was shivering pretty much as soon as she walked outside, possibly even before that. They'd left all her layers of jackets and sweaters back at A Pleasant Night, saying something about cleaning them. Apparently she layered up for a reason. Eko kept her hands balled into fists and her eyes set forward.
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Iris
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They stopped at the fifth mansion, a great complex with a sprawling front garden and a massive central hall with two wings that swung forward. The rich certainly didn't make it easy to find things. The hall was open to the air itself and within a party was brewing. Estelle took Eko lightly by the hand and brought her down the path, between the edges of a brilliant flowering garden, with pools that reflected magical lights hanging in the air. They passed by dozens of glamorously dressed people, ladened with gems, gold and fantastic garments. Estelle was a little worried as she brought Eko into the party. At least the girl could be home in the throngs of people. As soon as they passed into the hall itself from the garden, the air became warm enough to be enjoyable and invigorate a balefiran's spirit.

"Jamie, Jamie look at the party! Do you see what you've missed on that silly little farm? Come, come! Let's have fun." Estelle explained, holding both of Eko's hands. She swung Eko's hands a little bit, straight towards a man standing alone, watching the party from the side of the drinks table. They moved quickly between the crowd.

"Good evening, lord Kelok. I am Jessy Halfbrook, and this is my sister, Jamie Halfbrook. I just brought her into the city from the hamlets, and I'm sure she'd love a little assistance getting around Balefire." Estelle explained, presenting Eko like a prize hound.
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Lady Eko
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Eko did her best to compose herself, but beneath her stoic exterior she was terrified. This was a world she had no experience with whatsoever. People stared at them. She wondered if she was conducting herself right. She stuck close to Estelle just because by comparison the foreigner was far more familiar to her. Estelle mentioned something about the farm and called her Jamie, so Eko took that information into account and remembered it in case she was questioned. Otherwise, she remained tense and insistently silent as they approached one of the men at the banquet. He wasn't quite human -- his skin was printed with markings and his eyes looked wrong. The Cascadian greeted him as Lord Kelok himself. Eko tensed as Estelle moved her to the forefront, presenting her like she was some object. She tolerated it.

Lord Kelok cocked an eyebrow, folding his arms in front of him. "The hamlets? Poor thing. A good choice of your sister to bring you into the city. This is where all the excitement is." He pushed off from where he was leaning and took Eko's hand in his own. Bending over slightly, Lord Kelok planted a brief kiss on the top of her hand, then moved and did the same with Estelle. "Halfbrook. I feel like I've heard that name before. Please excuse me if I've met you before and forgot. I meet quite a lot of people in a single night." He turned his attention back to Eko. "You're lucky your sister has such fine taste. My estate is the first landmark I would suggest to anyone who wishes to sample the best that the city has to offer. Would you care for me to show you around? My personal chambers are quite extensive." The Lord of Balefire gave a lascivious grin that made Eko's skin crawl. She looked to Estelle, hoping for some kind of guidance on this.
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