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[incaenstrix]

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shhhOPPPIIING~

[altusimperius]

[The morning after their discussion, as promised, Benedict is waiting by the ferry docks with a basket of fabric under one arm, a cigarette in his mouth, and ridiculous dark lenses adorning his face. He waves when he sees Tertia.]

[incaenstrix]

[ Tertia doesn't seem to really know what to do with herself, or with her hands. She doesn't have her mage's staff (figuring that the staff would do more harm than good), and so she's fidgety and nervous and uncertain. She checks her money-belt frequently to make sure it's still there. ]

Hi.

[altusimperius]

Ready?

[Quite the opposite of Tertia, Benedict looks pleased as punch. He gestures to the ferry as it approaches.]

[incaenstrix]

Mm-hmm.

[ She pulls her sleeves firmly down around her wrists, and nods shyly, and then approaches the end of the dock. ]

Thanks. For - all of this.

[altusimperius]

Don't mention it.

[The ferry arrives and they make their way on, the brisk wind blowing across the harbor as they set out.]

The merchant I want to see is in Hightown, [Bene explains cheerfully, looking out at the water,] have you been?

[incaenstrix]

[ She shakes her head. ]

No. Um - this is my first time going out into Kirkwall since I arrived.

[ She idly coats the damp railing of the boat in ice, a thoughtless use of magic of the sort that's far more common in the North than down here where magic is a threat. ]

Do you go out often?

[altusimperius]

...yeah, mostly in the evening, [he replies with a touch of evasion, not feeling any particular need to go into his dream-plagued nighttime escapades. The world can be so pleasant when the sun is out, when there's fabric to be made into outfits.]

Careful, [he adds, nodding toward the ice she's made,] some people around here get nervous about that stuff.

[incaenstrix]

Mm?

[ She looks at him, then looks down again. ]

Oh. Right.

[ She tucks her hands into her pockets to stop herself. ]

Sorry. It's all so - mundane down here.

[altusimperius]

[Bene laughs lightly. Mundane is one way to put it.]

I like to think of it as 'rustic', [he decides,] they'll catch up, eventually. Especially if freedom for Southern mages keeps its momentum.

[incaenstrix]

[ She nods. ]

Or if the Venatori win, I guess.

[altusimperius]

[His gaze goes a bit vacant. We Try Not To Think About That.]

Mm-hmm.

[incaenstrix]

[ She glances over. A hesitation, and then she asks - ]

You're afraid of that possibility?

[altusimperius]

It,

[he distractedly traces a tendril of ice with his fingertip,]

...wouldn't go well for me. [His voice has lowered as well, as he's overly aware of the ferryman and any other passengers.]

[incaenstrix]

Altuses are valued, though.

[ - is something that Tertia, if one thought about it deeply, shouldn't actually know. After all, when would someone like her have had an opportunity to observe the way that the high-born interact with one another? This is knowledge from her time in the Venatori. ]

That would be some protection for you, wouldn't it?

[altusimperius]

I probably... [He glances around, and withdraws even further-- this is the kind of information that can be used by the kind of people in the market for extortion money, and he's not in the mood to feel that particular brand of paranoia today.]

...wouldn't be killed, [he continues, in a near whisper for only Tertia to hear,] but used as, at best, a bargaining chip, and at worst, a source of information on the enemy.

[incaenstrix]

Mm.

[ She looks away, embarrassed by the fact that she's pushed him on something that so clearly causes him discomfort. ]

Sorry. I shouldn't - Let's talk about something else.

[altusimperius]

It's all right.

[He's glad to change the subject, nonetheless, and they're coming up on the other side of the ferry, which is as good an excuse as any.]

What sort of thing are you interested in? [he asks lightly,] Robes, dresses?

[incaenstrix]

Oh. Um - I don't know.

[ She flashes him a quick, almost guilty-looking smile. ]

I've never had... Well, that's not true; obviously I've had clothes before. But I've never picked clothes before.

[altusimperius]

[He meets her smile with a brisk one of his own, still coming down a bit from their previous topic.]

Then we'll just have to see, won't we?

[The ferry docks, and Benedict leads the way through the milling crowd, toward the large stone staircase that leads into Lowtown.]

It's a bit of a climb. ...sorry.

[incaenstrix]

[ That apology gets a curious look. ]

I have legs.

[ Laziness is not a word this young woman is acquainted with. And, indeed, she doesn't complain as they start scaling those daunting stairs. ]

How often do you come into the city?

[altusimperius]

Couple times a week. Sometimes more.

[Especially when he's on a Sad Bender, but that tends to be at night, and she doesn't need to know about those.]

Hightown, though, not often-- that's more of a treat, when I've got a bit more coin to spend. Or, you know, fabric that I don't trust in the hands of someone who works with mostly burlap and leather scraps. [He hefts his basket of fabric to demonstrate.

Although not dressed entirely like an aristocrat, Benedict still carries himself like one, looking over the heads of the people they pass with a sort of lofty cheer.]

[incaenstrix]

[ She peers into the basket, frowning slightly in curiosity. ]

Why? Is there something tricky about that fabric?

[ When you spend your days with your head down, sometimes you don't even learn enough to be able to recognize the difference between finery and filth. ]

[altusimperius]

It's good fabric, [he enthuses, looking down at it as fondly as though it were an infant.] You wouldn't give a diamond to an artisan who works primarily with tin. [and you wouldn't download a car]

[incaenstrix]

Oh. Sure.

[ She frowns a little as she thinks through this. It seems like whatever you have, you'd want the best person for it - right? Diamonds or tin. ]

I, um - I wasn't supposed to bring things for them to work with, right?

[altusimperius]

No. [Spoken easily, with confidence,] we're going to find you something you like as-is, to start with, and work from there.