What Would You Say, If You A Mousie On A Chain?

What Would You Say, If You A Mousie On A Chain?
Date of Scene:	04 March 2013
Location:	Mullonde
Synopsis:	Faruja invites Morrighan to negotiate terms for her induction into Glabados. Because of the rodent's penchant for mouthing off, Gidarch Valos, technically beneath Faruja in rank, is charged with the task of keeping the Burmecian on a leash; albeit, he must do it in a suggestive, humble manner, since Faruja supersedes his authority.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Morrighan Alazne, Count Valos

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Faruja Senra has posed:
Following the letter to Morrighan, a more formal invitation to the holy city itself was offered to the woman by means of courier. With it, the dark elven woman would be able to enter the city with a minimum of harassment, and indeed is set up in a hotel free of charge; one of the finer ones in the city. Though she'll have to put up with the extremely pious citizens, at least the Church is showing a warm welcome.

Come time for dinner, a pair of escorts would lead her to a small building, looking to be a cross between cathedral and general administrative building. Within one of the many rooms, guarded by Templar, she would find a long table festooned with meats, cheeses, and wines...generally everything required for a full course meal. A pair of figures stand at the head of the long table, one of whom is dressed in the parade armor of the local Templars, gold gleaming from a perfect shine. All around, symbols and engravings of devotion can be seen, while the smells of covered food wafts through the room. Stained glass windows allow in sunlight, bathing the table in myriad colors.

"M'Lady Morrighan Alazne. Lord bless, and thank you for coming on such short notice." The armored form of Faruja begins to approach the other end of the table, clearly intent on holding a chair out for the elf.

"Temple Knight Faruja Senra, at your service M'Lady. And I do believe you are acquainted with my subordinate." The ratling motions to the other figure in the room.

Count Valos has posed:
What a world this is; he tries to avoid temptation, and that's what ends up right on his plate wherever he goes. The Count is standing there not too distant from Faruja, also in his silver armor which he managed to repair since his ordeal at the Iifa Tree, but due to a lack of hunting as of late, he'd been unable to construct a new skeletal helmet like the one he hard on his prior encounter with Morrighan, thus.... his face is visible as anything else, bearing a somewhat nervous expression.

Now, the term 'somewhat' is only more or less accurate, depending on one's personal propensity for judging the emotional states of others; while Gidarch is not showing blatancy in his demeanor by most standards, it's not so devoid of feeling that a perceptive individual wouldn't have a chance at detecting it. Why he's uneasy is anyone's guess, but for the omniscient spectator who has had the luxury to oversee the array of all Valos' interactions, they'd realize that when it came to Morrighan in particular, anxiety was something he displayed consistently, whereas with others it was usually contempt, most likely due to the fact that Gidarch Valos felt superior to them, taking into account that they had nothing he desired..... thus, the power of almost all their crafts had no sway over him.

Today, it would've been nice if he'd had his helmet, because how he usually presents himself may not be the case when Gidarch is in the company of the she-drow. Nevertheless, his /almost/ vacant countenance demonstrates his nigh-immovable convictions in carrying out his duties, with today's mission amounting to the protection of Faruja, and abstinence of contradicting any doctrine of the church..... in an indisputably provable way!

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Upon receiving such a strange letter of invitation from an organization that she had never personally crossed paths with in the past. Morrighan was initially highly suspicious and even quite ready to dismiss the entire thing as nonsense. But then she got to thinking... She was essentially disowned by Baron. Her status in the shadow lords was questionable at this point as well, having gone so far as to personally anger one of those sitting upon the higher seats of power.

Currently being stuck with the organization known as the Twilight Detective Agency, making use of their home establishment to essentially hide from bounty hunters, it was plain to say that the elven woman had seen better times. It was with these thoughts in mind that she decided to at least push aside her natural suspicions and give the offer a chance. After all, what harm could a meeting be? ...Other than the possibility of church templars leading her into their territory only to cast judgment upon her away from the prying eyes of the public?

She needed to stop thinking about such things. That bounty was making her more paranoid and suspicious than she usually was. And she already was naturally quite so!

Ultimately, she made her way to the city, taking a careful journey into the World of Ruin, and arrived with thankfully minimum troubles. What greeted her were not templars with swords and lances ready, but rather, hospitality. The hotel room was a step up rom the tiny room she had been confined to at Cloud Nine and Morrighan's moon already lifted considerably due to the fact. Tired from her journey, she took the time to rest until dinner time had come.

Finally, the dark elf made her way down to a small building, telling herself to pay no mind to the escorts or the templar as she found her way inside the appointed room. What she me with was the sight of Faruja and Valos, both seemingly dressed for the occasion. Well, they certainly were doing their best to appeal to her sensibilities, weren't they? But even so, she still could not shake a certain paranoid feeling of danger from her mind. Certainly this was not insurance, should things go south now?

"Yes, good evening, Ser Senra..." Morrighan nodded slowly, her crimson eyes studying the Burmecian for a moment before her gaze turned over to Valos, whom she afforded a small nod. "...Count Valos." Her eyes narrowed slightly at him as she studied his demeanor. He was doing it again. Perhaps the others may not have noticed, but she certainly did. It irritated her. But nevertheless, she did not voice her opinion and simply looked back to the templar himself, slowly approaching the two to a safe distance.

"I am Morrighan Lachesis Alazne. But I presume that you already know that." A nod, and then she continued. "I take it that this rather extravagant setup was not simply done the good faith of the church was it not?" The elf mage inquired, slowly surveying the table and all the foods present. "You seem to have spared little expense to ensure that I have come here. Now forgive me for dispensing with the pleasantries as I ask; what does the church truly desire from me?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
The odd behaviour from Valos has Faruja pausing briefly, glancing back to the noble. What ever could be the matter? Did the seemingly unflappable Valos actually hold some manner of fear of the elf? Faruja doesn't bothr pondering it all too much, instead focusing his attention on the guest of the hour.

A seat is pulled out, and then the ratling is on the retreat, allowing a minor break in custom for the elven woman's comfort. Only once he sits down once more does he again speak, several servants wearing robes lurking about the room for when the meal properly starts. However, Morrighan gets right to business, and somewhat disrupts the practiced speach and pleasantries he'd had in mind. Slowly, the ratling smiles. A hand is waved towards the seat.

"Quite correct, M'Lady. If you desire to move to business, by all means. And business we have. Please. Sit. Relax. No danger shall find its way to you while you remain within these halls. On my honor, M'Lady."

The ratling begins a round of prayers, before motioning to the servants once its complete. He doesn't take all that long, no doubt due to the presence of the worried elf. Though he takes a glass of wine, Faruja doesn't yet acquire any food.

"It has come to our attention that thy sorceries have been able to not only wrest control of the Iifa Tree, a legend of my own world, from its owner, but you have been able to summon forth a most vile, unholy creature. A dangerous one at that." Faruja starts, peering over at Morrighan grimly, letting some of his true feelings filter into the mask of politeness he'd been wearing.

"An act of great concern, as well as skill. Mayhap, as some would belief, an act of Heresy." Pausing once again, he sips his drink. "To state it bluntly, we wish to...negotiate. Such skill in sorcery, and expertise in dark rites is rare. My superiors believe that, put to proper and righteous ends, such knowledge would benefit many. Mayhap even outweight any crimes that may have transpired. Lady Alane, we are willing to offer you the possibility of redemption...or even protection against those whom would hound thee, were you to place thy skills at our disposal in advising, and dealing with the threat of the creature that hath risen by thy magicks."

Count Valos has posed:
Agitating Morrighan was one of the last things Gidarch wanted to do, but the level of enchantment she had over him surpassed that of almost anyone else he'd come across; an intellectual, well-mannered she-drow who was schooled in the magical arts. What could be more alluring than that? The Count was not just interested in her physical attributes, which was not to say this aspect of her was at all unwelcome, but her holistic composition was enticing, and with the grey one having been separated from his mate so long..... well, there was a reason she had such influence, even if it was not so much that she could provoke him to administer any flattering words. Truly, weaker-minded individuals whose constitution was governed by their instincts would be susceptible to her charms to the effect of complimentary conjurations, but this is not so with Valos, whose stern cognitive structure was as solid as the ground he stood upon; this is a good thing, too, because the wooden chairs would in no way be empowered enough to support someone as heavy as the nobleman.

Reserving words for utilitarian purposes exclusively, rather than confirm acknowledgement of Morrighan's addressing, he gives a meager nod of comprehension, remaining more silent than he is motionless, which is by simple virtue of the fact that he had to use either a vocal or physical gesture to indicate that he understood her words. Count Valos may not be as affectionate as others, but it could be said that by the same token, he was the furthest thing from desperate and clingy than other men Morrighan may have crossed paths with in her day, who gave her an opportunity to increase her resistance to water attacks, courtesy of enduring whatever drool bombarded her.... men who clearly didn't have the self-discipline of the living, grey monolith who houses such an internal locus of control. It might also be said that his dedication to forbidding an attitude of self-entitlement was noteworthy, for it was partially by Morrighan's actions did Valos become the object of Garland's vengeance, for lack of availability of a more deserving(?) target, and it is highly probable he will never expect anything back from her for having suffered immensely in her stead.

While unable to tame the reigns that gave rise to such anger some weeks ago, Garland made up for in his brilliance in concocting hideously vile torments on those who he did have at his disposal.... and the music to his ears that alerted him to the fact that his victim was suffering, was anything but music to the ears of Valos, the one subjected to this creative method of torture. All that aside, Gidarch takes mental notes of what Faruja says, in the event that he feels the need to object to anything, or at least /suggest/ that a rephrasing would be in order. While Faruja was clearly the authority figure between the dynamic of the two, Gidarch was still designated as an advisor, and with two heads being better than one, sometimes a little help with polishing off a nearly complete work of art would be welcome.... in the eyes of those pulling the strings behind this entire event; yes, Faruja was reliable, but no, he wasn't /always/ completely impartial, and it had come to the attention of some higher-ups that someone with a clear, unfeeling mind such as Count Valos, might be able to head off any diplomatic tension if either of the primary negotiators started to become roused. Sometimes.... being in the grey was a good thing!

It may be strange to Morrighan and the servants as to why Valos, clearly a ranking member in this situation, is /not/ partaking in the meal, but Faruja is wise to some of Valos' reasonings, for before this whole charade was arranged, necessary information had to be exchanged for things to go more smoothly. Just another regular, highly irregular day in the city of Mullonde.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Having backed off, Morrighan finally closed the distance, moving to take the offered seat. With that out of the way, she kept her gaze on Faruja as he began to explain his, or rather, the church's intentions. Of course, she was not surprised to find that the point of this entire facade was to discuss the happenings of the summoning at the Iifa Tree. It seemed that people either wanted her dead or wanted to make use of her for such a thing. How bothersome.

The glimmer of disdain from the ratling does not go unnoticed by the dark elf, but she simply let it go, figuring that her actions would of course draw the ire of the church. Indeed, that was more expected than the hospitality she was being shown thus far. An act of heresy, he says? Of course it would be classified as such. The elven woman almost chuckled, but managed to resist the temptation in the end, keeping her face straight.

The wine and food goes untouched as Morrighan listened. Perhaps she may have been a bit hungry, but paranoia stayed her hand from the utensils, and the desire to know exactly what these people wanted with her took precedence as well. "I see, so in short, you wish for me come under the employ of the church, and use my skills under your jurisdiction, no?"

Her arms are crossed then as her eyes narrow. "Forgive me for what may be a callow accusation, but that sounds like much more complicated manner of saying that I am to be put under church supervision, my actions to be judged and monitored as such." Briefly, the mage's eyes are drawn to Valos. He hadn't said a single word yet. Though it was not entirely unexpected, it only made her wonder just why he was here in the first place.

...Nevermind him for now. He hadn't made himself relevant yet. Therefore, her gaze is drawn back to Faruja as she poses a question of her own. "What if I were to refuse this 'generous offer' now?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
"That is the offer we are prepared to place at thy feet, yes." There's a slight twitch to one of the rat's ears, and his tail has the chair creaking slightly as it constricts it tightly; the only other indicator of just how much he's against the whole idea. Still, he knows his place, and puts his own feelings aside. Wiser heads than his decreed this to be so.

That simple accusation nearly has the rat bolting upright, not quite able to stop a show of sharp teeth. "All actions are judged by Holy Faram and the Divine Son, M'Lady. To accept our offer would be to cast aside thy chains, rather than having them tightened about thy ankles." Counters Faruja smoothly, sitting down from his half-standing position with a monumental effort. Motioning to a servant to bring him a plate, he briefly hides his rage with a good hard chewing of cheese.

So far, at least the Count hasn't had to yank the volatile Templar's chain!

Slowly, Faruja allows himself a smile. "Should you refuse, then you would be free to leave. As I said before, no harm shall befall you within these walls. The matter of any wrongdoing would then fully be placed into the hands of the Office of Holy Inquisition, to decide what is to be done about the matter. At that point, aside from throwing thyself at the feet of an Inquisitor, I am afraid there would be little that could be done for you."

A small sigh, and the rat looks into Morrighan's eyes. "How many friends would take up arms for you, M'Lady? All of what little wealth I possess, nay, my very life would I wager upon there being dreadfully few left. And with so many teeth snapping at thy throat...well. The decision is yours. Stay, and mayhap an accord shall be forged here. Or leave, and walk the bleak path before thee."

Count Valos has posed:
Valos steps forward and coughs a little bit, as though offering them both the benefit of premonition; anyone with a good intuition would recognize this as his way of preparing to make a little speech. How long would his speech be, was yet to be seen- his penchant for verbosity was not unheard of, but as far as his role in this little gathering, he might be allowed to say only so much, while trying to maneuver between the two wolves who would be tearing the other to pieces, for not the fact that savagery would result in some negative consequence for both Morrighan /and/ Faruja..... The female drow had more inner ability to keep calm, but the audacity of Glabados', in their presumptions to have placed themselves in a position of judgement over her could be construed as an insult to her, since in her eyes, she may feel they have no right to interfere in her affairs.

At any rate, Gidarch, now having paced forward a couple feet in stride, glances at both indifferently, much less anxious than before, even if his degree of 'evident' anxiety was scant to begin with, and adds his two munny, "I would like to point out that, while the church does not have the right to trespass on properties belonging to other landowners, there are plenty of locations that are most likely designated as 'neutral territory', in which lawlessness may sporadically run abound. While your actions have not verifiably been yet classified as 'heretical', as far as I am aware, due in part to their having resulted in bringing you into our presence, thus potentially giving you an opportunity to show camaraderie with the interests of the church, Mister Senra's assessment that the contingent of you disregarding the offer /may/ bear the possibility of being bleak in nature. His..... insistence that it will be bleak might be slightly, preemptive on his end, for the church is not trying to threaten you, Miss Alazne, but rather, to enlighten you to certain informations that could help you make a decision you may not be able to make, were you ignorant to Glabados' take on the unfolding of some recent incidents; Mister Senra is likely just a smidgen eager in trying to discourage you from taking our offer lightly, because he may fear, on a /personal/ level, for your well being. Though I can not vouch for what he feels in his heart, I would venture to say that his concern for your welfare has emboldened him some."

He nods to Faruja, "I would, of course, not dare to pose as the ambassador of your sentiments, but.... would you say that my supposition that your moderately-potent insistence is possibly the product of your heartfelt compassion for Miss Alazne's salvation?" It's obvious that he already sees the seeds of aggression welling up in Faruja, and though they may be but the base of the mountain, if the ascent up it is stymied early on, maybe the volcano's deadly, fiery top will not be tread upon, and things will stay..... calm.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Hmph..." Another threat veiled under the guise of 'protection' and 'goodwill'. It sickened her. No matter where she went, the church never failed to remain the same. Smiling pleasantly before you, and then aiming for your throat once you stepped out of line. Making themselves judge, jury, and executioner in all matters as if they owned the world. "So in simpler terms, what this 'offer' boils down to is 'join us, or die'."

Morrighan looked away at that point, scoffing openly in disdain. "Really now. I always thought that the church was possessed of more tact than what you have displayed before me now. I suppose I was wrong." But Faruja was right about one thing; there were very few people who would actually 'take up arms' for her. Baron was out of the question. The Shadow Lords were not likely to expend resources on someone low on the totem pole.

That left the Twilight Detective Agency. Mercade had told her that she could stay there as long as she wished, but...did she really mesh with those people? No of course not. That band of heroes, problem solvers, and general do gooders never did agree with her. She stuck out like a sore thumb. "Nevertheless, I-"

Whatever she was intending to say, she trailed off upon seeing Valos step forward, coughing as if grabbing for attention. She had seen him do this before. He was about to say something. And so she remained quiet, listening to whatever it was he was about to say.

The resulting speech only caused Morrighan to frown. And then frown more on top of that. Some of what he had said did have merit, but...concern? For her? Compassion? Utter nonsense! Perhaps it may have worked if he had omitted those terms, but now the dark elf just looked even more insulted and angry. "If you expect to believe even a word of that..." She murmured lightly, her arms remaining crossed in defiance for this whole thing.

At least she wasn't completely arguing or making threats yet. Perhaps it was a success in that respect. "...Then let me ask a different question. Say that I were to ally myself with the church." The very thought made her grimace rather subtly. "...What exactly are you going to have me do as a member of this...organization?"

Count Valos has posed:
Very swiftly, before Faruja has the opportunity to emit a single sound from his maw, Count Valos shoots him a serious gaze which is characteristic of one who is insinuating that he should consider his words carefully- his eyes are widened just a sliver more than usual, as if to imply that the Burmecian should harbor /some/ fear, and take caution before speaking; Valos has no say in what decisions are made here and now, but he -will- have to submit a report to the higher ups. Faruja knows this.

Faruja also knows, because Valos confided in him; something he does almost never, that he felt a 'very remote sense of empathy' for Morrighan's bad predicament, which /could/ be construed as infatuation, but without any solid evidence that'd ever back up such an accusation against Gidarch's impartiality. Thus..... Faruja knows that Valos doesn't want him to befoul the proceedings, which'd possibly needlessly result in Morrighan's head on the chopping block, which means..... he knows that Gidarch wants to see some form of compromise, if at all possible, and that if he feels the Nezumi had a hand in sabotaging the interests of Glabados(aka: his own), that there would probably be repercussions.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The glance is returned, the ratling staring back at Valos. With an intake of breath, he calms, trying to clamp down on his feelings. Turning back to Morrighan, he lets the matter of join or die fizzle out neatly.

"My apologies, mayhap I let my feelings over-run my good sense."

Finally speaking again, the ratling manages a neutral look, ignoring the scoffing. "Consider it an exchange of services, nothing more. We would ask you to assist us in the destruction and binding of dangerous, dark creatures such as the being that you summoned, as well as further training our own specialists in dealing with such abominations. Advising us on the nature of various threats, such as Heartless, previously unknown forms of the undead, unquiet spirits and the like as your own particular talents may be able to provide insight into. Rarely would we require thy services in the field, only in great matters where your expertise is needed immediately." Answers the rat smoothly enough now that he's regained his temper.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Pausing, the rat then glances back to Valos. "The good noble is correct, however. I truly do desire your salvation, Lady Alazne, whether you think it lies or no. The Lord is forgiving, even where mortals such as myself may falter."

Count Valos has posed:
After Faruja makes his announcement, Gidarch speaks once more.... this time, by happenstance to the surprise of those assembled, it is concise, "....There would also be a monetary compensation as a reward for your aid, aside from asylum within any location within Mullonde, or churches associated with said institution. We have churches and shrines in.... other nations; nations which may not take kindly to your presence, due to whatever prejudices they may harbor, justifiably, or wrongly. If you were to be in one of these locations, and find yourself experiencing persecution, you would effectively be allowed to seek sanctuary within the walls of our embassies, or, rather, extensions of Glabados. This would force any of your pursuers to negotiate with us for your extradition; in some cases, your services may be appraised as so valuable that Mullonde would be willing to transfer funds to anyone seeking to penalize you, as a way of, compensating them for whatever damage they felt they suffered at your hands, and.... thus, causing them to be willing to have your records cleared." He nods, and then steps back. Faruja isn't being scolded this time, but there's something vital he left out that the lofty one felt would be a greater incentive to Morrighan than just having the right to freely roam through their city.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Well, they did a rather good job of keeping the matter down to a calm level. Morrighan did not pursue the issue any further and merely listened to their combined explanations on what exactly would take place. She still did not like it quite honestly. Working for the church. But the fact of the matter remained that there was not much else for her to do.

The dark elf closed her eyes then, lowering her head in contemplation. She would keep this posture for a little while longer before eventually lifting her head. "I do not like it. But neither do I have very much to lose. Therefore with those thoughts in mind..." She trailed off slowly, eyeing both Faruja and Valos with equal amounts of suspicion and irritation.

"...I will accept this offer. For now at the very least." Finally coming to a decision, Morrighan nodded grudgingly. "I will warn you however, if any attempts are made to circumvent the terms laid here tonight, I will not hesitate to depart from this organization." With that said, she let out a small sigh before reaching out and taking some wine for herself.

Surely these fools wouldn't poison her now. Though it would be so easy.

Faruja Senra has posed:
As Valos speaks, the rat nods authoritatively, seeking to lend his advisor's words weight. Even in the short time he's known the noble, while he certainly has his predjudices given his high birth, Faruja has come to like the man's level headedness. It grounds the rather explosive personality of the Templar, no doubt one of the many reasons the pair were put together.

Inwardly, Faruja both sighs and rages. One part wants to see her 'salvation' be at the end of a gallows. The other is quite happy he was able to rope her in with Valos' help. At least no one can complain they didn't get the job done, further feeding in to the general perception of reliability the Templar can claim to have, if not always tact. He's a knight, after all, and they're meant to be men and women of action.

"Quite. 'Twould hardly be expected otherwise, were such a betrayal to occur. Our scribes shall write up something formal and presented to you for signing and final agreement. In the meantime, if it pleases you, we may be able to find you a temporary residence in the city if it pleases you. You are free to move about as you like, with the exception of certain areas such as the Templariate training grounds, which will be heavily guarded and obvious in any case. An attendant, as well, if 'tis required."

Then, Faruja starts to more readily dig in. Sip. If the food was poisoned, then the Church would be losing a Templar. He pauses for a moment, a thought coming to him.

"Off the record...by all means, ignore it if you desire. I am curious. Why did you leave the employ of Baron?"

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch is actually ecstatic that Morrighan is not liable to be hunted down and exterminated; does he show it? No. He says nothing; his place is not to draw up any contracts or reassure her that she's in good hands, but merely to be a witness to the whole evolution of the bargaining, while helping Faruja when he becomes 'forgetful'. In all fairness, he /was/ now a member of Glabados, but Valos probably had every bit as much emotional attachment to the cause of the church as Morrighan, which was to say, zilch. However, protecting an investment didn't always mean loving those one helped, but making sure one put on a good show to imply that one was in favor of their interests, while actually carrying out the fulfilling of the bare minimum that was required, to demonstrate compliance. Faruja knew Gidarch was a heretic deep inside, but unless he could actually verify it in the eyes of his superiors, they saw the gargantuan drow as just another pawn in their life size game of chess; the fact that Faruja personally held Glabados in high regards was gratuitous.... the higher ups may have been just as heretical as Valos, in some cases, as a matter of fact!

But, being at the top of the totem pole was fairly cozy, so playing the game of the emperor having no clothes was a steal for being allowed to have his leftovers, while the peasantry starved. ....But no, Gidarch never once 'lied' during the entire conference, he merely 'speculated', while choosing to show favoritism towards one of the more exaggerated interpretations of the ongoings, as far as what transpired during the course of the whole affair. Weaving between Morrighan and Faruja required a bit of tact, but Gidarch is certainly glad he tried his best, for now, whether or not his labors amounted to much as it applied to what happened, he's at least able to 'believe' that he may have helped out Morrighan, in his own, subtle way- and if nobody ever finds out his true motives? That would be all the better.

At that point, Faruja begins to interrogate her 'off the record', which isn't exactly professional, and /now/, he has truly put himself in hot water, if something should occur to ruin what was built.... for there is concrete evidence that Morrighan -did- agree to the terms. No, Faruja clearly proclaimed it was off the record, but technically, as this was still in an area designated as a place of business, Valos was /obligated/ to record what went on. His enthusiasm may not have thwarted him at this moment, but even if Faruja doesn't mutilate the deal, Gidarch has could report this to the ranking members of the church; it's his right. Now, Gidarch has a means to blackmail him, because of Faruja's inability to control his curiosity. Did curiosity kill the cat? It is said this is the case. Did curiosity kill the mouse? That depended on if the cat's executioner had a grudge against rodents as much as he did felines....

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"You say 'Off the record'..." Morrighan started, pausing to take a sip of her wine glass. "...But is it truly 'off' now?" She questioned casually, giving Valos a sidelong glance. If she knew him, then she knew that he would no doubt commit everything to memory, regardless of whether it was for work or not. And she did not give out such information so freely.

Even worse was that they were still in the place where business had been discussed previously. All in all, Morrighan was not quite comfortable enough to divulge information regarding the state of her ties with Baron. Hah, surely that fool Baigan likely thought that she was simply 'out' for an extended period of time rather than actually permanently departed. Just as he continually failed to realize that Kaydin had abandoned Baron as well. It was laughable really.

But she certainly didn't miss the place. Between Golbez and his incessant organ playing, those infuriating fiends, and then the solders and knights she had to deal with as 'colleagues'...Needless to say, her love for Baron was sitting at a nice, comfortable zero. And it probably never was more than that to begin with.

Shaking her head then, the dark elf let her thoughts drift away as she finally responded. "Be that as it may, I refuse to impart any information on the matter." Taking another sip, she set the glass onto the table then, resting her hands into her lap. "...I suppose that since I agreed to this that there would be no point in my leaving the city now."

Though technically, she could open a dark corridor and simply go wherever she had been to previously. But they didn't need to know that now. "If we are done talking, then I am going to take my leave." And so Morrighan stood from the table then, not partaking in any of the food present in the end. "I will return to the room given to me at the hotel, but I will expect a more suitable residence soon. And I do not require an attendant."

Because attendant equaled spy to her increasingly paranoid mind.

"I assume we will be speaking again soon regardless." She added as she made for the doors, looking back at Faruja and Valos one last time before shaking her head and turning back ahead.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja, too, glances to Valos. One ear tilts, inaudibly conceding the point. However, given the actions of one Cornelius Baigan in Fluorgis, the Templar well considers the question worth asking.

When she declines, he nods quietly. "Perfectly understandable. A moment." Turning aside slightly, he whispers, tapping his ear as he issues a few orders over a communication device.

Hands folding briefly in front of him, the rat puts all of his attention on Morrighan. "Thy residence is being prepared as we speak. It shall be within the southern quarter of the city, near the more prominent taverns and shopping areas." Well away from the poorer section. Though given the city's piety, it's crime rates are extremely low, there are always those whom are lower on the proverbial food chain.

"May you walk with the Lord, Lady Alazne. Thank you for your time, may the Holy Saint guide us in making this partnership mutually beneficial." He bids as she turns away, the doors opening to allow the elf to exit.

As soon as she's gone, and the doors closed, the rat lets out a sigh. "Well. Better than expected. Excellent work, dear Count. Excellent work."