[Location] The Aedile's Office - Page 4

Kalinda · November 15, 2005, 05:25 PM

Drogean

„Then you freed them?“ Minhiriath asked and smiled. Her face lit up instantly. She had been right after all! He was not one of those despicable men that saw nothing wrong with owning other people. “I’m sure that they are very grateful for that!” She watched as he signed his name on the deed. He had a very strange name. And how he wrote it, with all those little additions and decorations? “How do you pronounce your name, Sir, if you don’t mind asking?” she wondered.

“You keep the deed, I keep the receipt”, she told him. “I hope that you’ll enjoy your new house and that your slaves will enjoy it as well.” She had heard his comment, but was not quite sure what to make of it? Did he already regret the purchase? Did he think that the money would have been better spent on a couple of small properties? She felt that she had to say something. “I think you have made the right choice with this house”, she told him.

Adreia

As she heard that somebody had opened the door, Minhiriath looked up from the book she had just been reading. She noticed Adreia and smiled. There was no prejudice at all. Most of the inhabitants of the Southern Quarter were dracons, the prefect was a dracon, and thus the scaly creatures were considered normal in Vortex. Indeed one could say that the roles were reversed here. Minhiriath, the lightborn elf, had to deal with racism on an almost daily basis, but everybody treated the dracons normal.

Free houses … they all came because of the free housing offer these days! It had basically been a good idea, but the aedile’s office was making a lot less money now. “Actually most of the houses we have are situated away from the busier parts of the city”, the aedile said. “For example, I have a lovely one room house at the end of the Southern Quarter. There are few neighbours, and there is a lot less crimes than in the other parts of the city. What do you think?”

Eldrie

Fortunately the inside of the aedile’s office was pleasantly warm. Since the government had not done anything, Minhiriath had finally taken some of her own money and gotten a nice fireplace for the room she spent the better part of the brightening in. A kettle stood on a small table next to her desk. “A loan of 50.000 crowns?” she asked and gave the vysstichi a sign to sit down in the chair in front of her desk. “Tea?” She pointed at the kettle.

“Usually you have to go to the bank if you want a loan, but since you are already here, I’ll explain it to you. It largely depends on how much money you earn. The bank won’t give such an amount of money to a man who is unemployed. You may also get the money if somebody else comes with you and offers to pay your debt in case you can’t …”

Eldrie Lennon · November 15, 2005, 05:36 PM

"Thank you for the information"

Eldrie turned and left the Aediles office.

Jiala'in Veldri · January 28, 2006, 12:48 AM

"Lovely, huh?" Adreia twitched at this, but at the moment she was more relieved that the Aedile was being courteous than annoyed at the Elf's happy-fluffy attitude. At least this was something she could deal with long enough to finish what she'd come here to do. The fewer complications, the better. Still -- she was starting to like Vortex.

"I think that's just what I want," she replied certainly as she moved closer to the desk, ready to sign any papers that might be presented. "I don't need to see it first or anything; I'm not picky."

Adreia paused a moment as she waited for the Aedile to produce the correct paperwork, thinking. She had heard that a certain acquaintance of hers occupied the high government seat of the city. Considering that this Elf was courteous enough to be open to questions, she decided to give it a shot. "By the way: how would one go about getting in to see the Thane?"

Kalinda · January 28, 2006, 03:54 AM

„Yes, lovely“, Minhiriath repeated. „I’m sure that you will agree when you see the house …“ She smiled. The elven woman always tried to have a positive outlook on life and be optimistic, calling things ugly and being just like those damn dark elves wasn’t like her. It was Minhiriath’s aim to bring a little light into the darkness, a little Silrosia into Vortex. Most people – especially the vysstichi – had their problems with her, but when you are the aedile and decide whether they get a place to live or not, they suddenly start to push their problems back and be nice for a while.

“Great.” The elf opened a drawer of her desk and removed two documents. “Would you please sign here?” She handed the first one to Adreia. “And this is the house deed. The quill is right here.” She pointed at the quill and the vial of ink that were standing on her desk. “I also need to see your visa to make sure that you are not a criminal or pretending to be somebody else. Not that I suspect anything – but law is law, and we don’t want to make the government unhappy …”

“Seeing the thane?” Minhiriath frowned a bit. “You could try your luck and just walk over to the thane’s estate – but the better way is to send her a letter and ask her for an audience …”

Jiala'in Veldri · January 28, 2006, 06:40 PM

With her tongue between her teeth, Adreia carefully picked up the quill in her claws and began to scratch a barely-readable signature on the line that was indicated. Her mouth was dry; she was actually going to own a house! This was something she'd never known -- to actually have something too big for her to carry on her back, someplace to live that wasn't situated over a tavern or in a dank basement or deep underground. Her name was powerful on that deed.

Upon request, the draconess laid a claw on her visa and pushed it across the desk toward the Aedile, her wings held up confidently. She had, indeed, once been arrested in Imperia for the slaughter of seven innocent people (only three of whom she'd actually killed), but then she had been an Esh'lahier and had gone by the name Jiala'in Veldri. No, there was no possible way that record could make its way to Vortex, let alone come into connection with her race and birth name. Still, her claws twitched near the deed, itching to snatch it up and rush out of that room with a roar of triumph. Only moments now, and she'd have her own house...

"I'll send a letter, then," she replied in a mutter, watching Minhiriath impatiently. "If everything's all right, I'll be going."

Kalinda · January 29, 2006, 02:30 AM

Minhiriath inspected the visa, but she did not find anything wrong. She had no way of knowing that the draconess that was now in front of her had once gone by the name of Jiala, been an Esh’lahier and killed a few people. She was a diantar, right? Only diantar dracons walked around in their natural form and visited the aedile while wearing wings and claws and other things that most races didn’t have. “Everything’s in order”, she said pleasantly and returned the visa to its rightful owner. “Take your deed …” While she said this she took the other paper she had just asked Adreia to sign and put it away. She needed some kind of evidence that the house had really been “sold” and that everything was in order after all. “… and enjoy your new home …”

Jiala'in Veldri · January 30, 2006, 11:11 PM

Adreia pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she pulled the deed toward her, suppressing a grin. This was it. The first real step toward freedom and self-reliance. The paper dangled from her claws for a moment as she watched it sway back and forth, then finally rolled it up and stuffed it into a pocket. Her wings twitched a moment and she paused.

"So there's no key, huh? Not that I have anything to lock up."

A toothy smirk drew upon her scales. Whether or not there was a key to be presented, she gestured her thanks as she turned to leave.

"I'll see ya around."

As she emerged into the streets of Vortex, she finally allowed the grin to spread over her muzzle, flashing her daggerlike teeth to the passersby. A house! So it was only one room and likely didn't even have a key, but she owned it: Adreia Zaar'undan's house. No, that didn't sound prestigious enough. She'd have to get around to naming it later -- once she'd christened it properly.

Adreia needed to get a life.

Olvann Coia · February 4, 2006, 05:01 PM

The Season of Winter
Era I of the Pax Imperialis
Era III of the Celestine Mandate
Era XII Post Fractum in the Age of the Darkening
Paradigm Shift: Alleria Prime Opens and the new Empire is revealed as Audrey adresses the peoples
Month of Immanis

The streets of Vortex were needless to say, even parlous during the day, however, it seemed that as he entered into the eastern part of the city, he felt bequeathed with utter and total opulence. Amongst such a plethora of broken rubble and tattered buildings, the obviously more wealthy area was in sharp contrast with its surroundings. He had spent many hours browsing amazing architecture amongst the books of his father; however, to see such magnificent displays of craftsmanship incarnate was breathtaking.

Upon entering the building of the Aedile, he was completely taken aback with a sense of awe, never had he been in a building of such vibrant beauty. His father had insisted he was not missing much, but he cared to argue. If he could have. He was so completely taken with his surrounding he barely noticed sliding by the two monoliths of steel guarding the entrance to the Aedile's hall. He was so taken aback that it took him a moment to focus on the whore who sat before him. His father had told him of women in seats of authority, assuring him it was quite normal for women to hold such positions. She was an elf, not unlike his father. Desire and anger rushed through him in torrent of emotion. He had seen many women in Vortex already, but none who held such a dignified position.

"Serale welcome to the Office of the Aedile, how may I help you?" She greeted, her honey-laden breath reaching his nostrils from even this distance.

His face was still concealed by his cowl, though it mattered little, his face was as stolid and unreadable as path in a winter storm. She was beautiful, how he wished he could ask her all the questions bursting into his mind... alone. He supposed it was impractical to not become accustomed to women of authority, however that did little to quell the desire to be alone in a room with her.

He relinquished the cowl which covered his face. His angular jaw had been all she could see at first, now a mat of malignant raven hair hanged to his shoulders, a gift from his birth-father no doubt. The cowl also revealed the most drawing of all his traits, a gift from his whore-mother, his eyes, jubilantly enticing and strangely coercing but filled with a wrathful intelligence.

He summoned his teachings of customary courtly courtesy and addressed her properly, "Serale honorable Aedile, may the light of the Aether shine upon you." He smiled then, quite aware of how much he enjoyed using the gifts of his father. "I'm afraid a horde of hooligans ambushed me at you city gates, relieving me of my visa. The sentry requested a requisition of a new one from your office." He danced with his words, assured that she would understand he was far from the scum that inhabited this area and visited her daily. "I am a humble healer from the outskirts of Primus Gaudeo, unused to such malevolent little chits." He paused, appeasing the Aedile with a sigh of dismay. "They took everything, a months earnings I'm afraid to say, better than 175 crowns."

He patiently awaited the reply of the Aedile.

Kalinda · February 6, 2006, 02:32 AM

Maybe it was a good thing that Minhiriath, the aedile of Vortex, was not trained in the ways of the arcane and had no idea what the man that was now standing in front of her was thinking. She didn’t know that he considered her a whore, that he was having less than honorable thoughts about her, that he thought that women shouldn’t hold a position of authority. In her home of Silrosia women and men were equals in all ways, and in Har’oloth, the undercity of Vortex, it were the women that made all the important decisions. Men weren’t ever allowed to rise to a position of power.

She looked at him for a moment, felt herself staring into those unusual blue eyes and listening to his voice. He had a strange way of speaking, almost a bit too polite, but not without appeal. “Please sit down”, she told him and pointed at a chair that was standing in front of her desk. “It is most unfortunate that you have lost your visa. Crime is a problem in most of Vortex. I can only hope that our new thane will do something about it. The old one couldn’t – or wouldn’t.” She let out a light sigh.

“I can issue a new visa for you. I just need to know your name, your place and date of birth – and where you currently reside …”

Olvann Coia · February 6, 2006, 10:38 AM

Olvan smiled reproachfully, "Of course, my mistake." He stated apologetically, now encouraged with a bit of momentum. He did not however, know his exact date of birth, his father had told him, when he was found that he was less than a pattern old. "My name is Olvann Coia, I was born in Primus Gaudeo on the fourth brightening of Thera in the month of Aperitus, twenty-two patterns past." He said serenely, a rush of perfectly pronounced words, as though he was reading from a manuscript.

She really was quite extraordinarily beautiful... He wondered briefly how her insides would feel. 'Perhaps another time..' he thought to himself dismissively. That was for private circumstances.

He waited patiently, assured that his visa would be delivered directly.

Kalinda · February 8, 2006, 03:30 AM

While Olvann spoke, Minhiriath opened a drawer of her desk and produced a couple of forms. “Paperwork”, she explained with a smile and dipped her quill into the vial of black ink that as standing on the desk. She wrote everything that he said down. “Born in Primus Gaudeo, twenty-two patterns old”, she repeated. “You are a healer, correct?” She arched an eyebrow questioningly and waited for him to confirm that. “Why did you come to Vortex?”

“Do you by chance remember what those hooligans looked like? If you tell me, I can pass their description on to the prefect, and maybe you’ll get your things and your money back. There is a lot of crime in Vortex, but sometimes we manage to catch them …”

Olvann Coia · February 8, 2006, 03:05 PM

Olvann watched carefully as the Aedile reached delicately into her desk drawer. She looked up with an overt smile and explained that she needed to complete some paperwork. She began to etch his details into a piece of parchment while asking him several other questions.

Her question directed at his healing skills was answered with a curt friendly nod and she continued to ask him why he had come to Vortex. Smug bitch... He thought with mounting irritation, she acted as though she owned the ground he walked upon. Her distasteful arrogance was typical. The hint of superiority displayed in her voice brought forth visions of her beautiful frame wracked with sobs or uncontrollable agony.

It was then that he felt the blood rushing to his pelvis and could not restrain a small smirk. He grasped his hands together in a symbol of patience, serving a dual purpose, whilst in reality, his subtle action had been to hide his arousal. His placid features had not changed except for the smirk and he answered with a sarcastically resigned tone, "To taste the renowned mushrooms of Har'oloth of course... Though I doubt I'll be able to afford any now." He directly passed his smirk off for the mirth of his simple and yet very truthful remark.

He knew that she expected him to tell her that he had no recollection of the thieves, after all, he had played his hand so that this very question would be rhetorical. "I'm sorry, but when the culprits are shorter than my waist, it's difficult to mentally record features." He replied with a chuckle.

He wondered how much longer she could do paperwork for…

Kalinda · February 9, 2006, 03:04 AM

Minhiriath had no idea what was going on in Olvann’s mind. She didn’t know that her words were beginning to irritate him, that he thought her arrogant and annoying, and thus her smile was as friendly as ever, and her voice polite. “The mushrooms of Har’oloth”, she repeated, and a light frown was visible on her face, but only for a moment. It wouldn’t do after all if she appeared less than professional. “I’ve heard of those mushrooms”, she told him. “The vysstichi have entire plantations in their undercity. Sometimes it seems to me that the only things they eat are fish and mushrooms. Or do you mean the mushrooms that cloud the mind? Or those that heal?”

“Halflings then – or dwarves, maybe mousai. I doubt that fae would be able to do such a thing. They are friendly beings, besides there are hardly any fae in Vortex”, she drew her own conclusions from Olvann’s short statement. “If you want to, I can talk to the prefect regardless. Maybe he’ll find some sort of clue as to who did it …” she told him. “We can always try …” She hated it if there was a crime, and she could not do anything about it.

“Anyway, would you please sign this paper here?” She slid a piece of paper across the desk to Olvann. “You need to confirm that everything you said to me is true. I just need your signature, and then I will give you a new visa …”

Olvann Coia · February 9, 2006, 12:48 PM

Olvann smirked and replied with a tone of reasoning, "No, just the mushrooms they eat, you know as well as I do, that they are scarcely found upon the belly of Telath." He continued with little hesitation, "There seems to be no one with the interest for dealing with the black elves, not even the surface races native to your city." He listened intently to her following question, becoming more and more impatient, the damn woman seemed to enjoy torturing him with her presence.

Either the Aedile was simply and wholly dense or had a very clouded mind this brightening, he assumed the later, he had been referring to a band of children... I thought I had made that clear... He thought with amused trepidation. Well, he supposed it was just another reason for not having a whore controlling a city. It seemed to him they would have been better off with a Vysstichi Aedile. At least their women knew how to govern.

He simply lifted his shoulder in feigned ignorance and stated plainly, "They were too fast, I couldn't tell." Olvann moved towards the Aedile... Temptingly close- and began to sign his name in a bold signature. He stepped back again, allowing the Aedile room enough to adjust her paperwork and give him his visa.

Rincewin · February 12, 2006, 11:35 PM

Timestamp some day in the winter, after Alleyway antics and the visit to the Thane

IC

It had been some time since the great prophet of Jorel, Rincewin, had been in an Aedile. But armed with his visa and usual atire -including a sword and a scabbard which were not connected in any way- he bravely entered the office of Vortex's aedile. He had heard of the free house, and the Brothers in Arms could not afford to skip such an opportunity to establish themselves with a small headquarters for free. At the very least it would be a hideout, or a place to sleep for members. For Rincewin in particular.

"I have come to claim one of the domiciles in the southern quarter that were up for free, Aedile." Rincewin said, as he presented his visa. "I am Tachus Rusalaem, Adventurer and guildmaster of the Brothers in Arms."