TRP: Azriel and Larkin (Honest Work)

**Izzy:** at 8:53 AM

[SETTING: After the Candynight Capers session.]

Azriel had never had to go looking for a job before, but he
knew the kinds of places that people like him -- ostensibly -- went looking for
them. He found one shady character, and that one directed him to another, and
the third told him about the Dead End. It didn't seem like the kind of place
someone like him should hang out -- he was a higher class of criminal and his
clothes said as much, but he didn't have anything ratty to change into, so he
supposed he was just going to go in there looking like a fucking mark. He did leave
everything valuable at the townhouse, apart from his viol, but he needed it --
it was half of his resume.

In actuality, the Dead End wasn't quite as ominous as it
sounded. It was more a row than an alley, and there was, in fact, another exit
(though it looked like it might have been knocked into the brickwork after the
fact). There was a brothel on one side of the street, and the shop on the other
side had a mark by the door that appeared to be graffiti but that Azriel knew
to be a code signifying there were violetcaps for sale inside.

Raucous music was already coming from inside a bar at one
end of the row, so he set up at the far corner, dropped his open viol case in
front of him, and tried to ignore the bemused looks he was getting from the
handful of rough-looking people hanging out in the street. He cleared his
throat, hummed a couple bars as he touched up the viol's tuning, then started
playing -- something upbeat and a little dark, something that felt like dashing
across rooftops with a satchel full of diamonds and the wind in your hair.
Black flames licked up and down the strings, red sparking off the bow.

**Jen:** at 9:23 AM

he dealer, when Sonny, Larkin and their fellows left his
shop, was all but bursting with gratitude. He shook each of their hands, taking
theirs in both of his and yanking them up and down, head bobbing like one of
these seesaw bird toys from Calimport, and intonating just how much of a
pleasure it was to be making business with them. Sonny kept acknowledging it,
patting him on the shoulder and smiling. Larkin didn't have the patience for
this kind of thing he had, however, and pushed out of the door before the
dealer could get it in his head to hug her or something.

She got it on some level - his old supplier and many of his
clients had died or vanished during the past few weeks and his business had
been going down. Probably had some bills of his own to pay also. Having Sonny
drop down on him with an offer of a fine batch and many more to come once his
growers got their production running smoothly must've been like a blessing to
the man. After a traumatic event like this, Skyport's current and future
junkies hungered for mushrooms, poppy and dreamweed.

"-and thank you again! Come in any time, you're very
welcome!" He called after them onto the street. A few heads even turned to
look at them.

"Alright, let's head back," she said to Sonny and
the other two. They started walking down the Dead End, past the shops and
assorted loiterers when she heard a familiar tone. A viol playing and sure
enough, the player had the matching purple skin and broken horn. She stopped to
look from afar, then motioned her fellows on. "I need a moment. Catching
up with you later, okay?"

Sonny gave her a curious look but didn't comment. He waved and
they walked on.

She took out a coin, then approached Azriel, keeping off the
center of the street and tried to stay in his blind angle as long as possible.
With a bit of luck, she could make him jump.

**Izzy:** at 9:38 AM

Azriel heard a slight commotion up the street a ways, but it
sounded jovial, so he only concentrated on his playing -- it meant people, and
people meant coin. And if it turned sour, he needed to keep playing anyway, and
just change the tune a bit to cloak the row in darkness so he could get away.

Part of him had wanted to entice Ba'ob along for protection,
but given how well that had gone last time ... Well, he was an adult. He could
take care of himself.

He twitched and made a small involuntary sound as something
moved abruptly out of his blind spot. The vision wasn't coming back -- not a
bit -- and he was still routinely startled by people just appearing when his
brain thought that it should have seen them before.

His playing barely faltered, though, and as he angled to
take in the person coming up to him, the flames flickered to blue and red, and
he grinned. "Oh, Eliot. Come to this crime-riddled street corner
often?"

**Jen:** at 11:31 AM

"No. Something must've drawn me here." Larkin
smiled and flipped the coin into the open case. "Doesn't exactly seem like
your type of hangout either," she commented with a glance at his clothing
which was considerably nicer and cleaner than what he had worn at the
Sanctuary. "If I weren't so trusting I'd suspect you followed me."

**Izzy:** at 3:20 PM

"Hm, well." He glanced to the side coyly.
"Perhaps I'm more dangerous than I appear, and this has all been a ruse to
distract you with my marvelous playing and devilish good looks, while my crafty
companion robs you blind." He finished his tune with a flourish, and a
self-deprecating smile. "That, or I'm in need of some good, honest work
and someone told me that this was the place to find it."

**Jen:** at 3:26 PM

"Ah, damn." Larkin put her hands to her hips and
turned in a circle to regard the Dead End and its visitors. She shrugged at
Azriel with a skewed smile. "If it's the latter, I got bad some new for
you. Well, two out of three might be true."

**Izzy:** at 3:42 PM

Azriel sighed dramatically. "Well, one has to put food
on the table for his family one way or another. I'll take whatever work is
available." He tilted his head. He'd known she was a talented thief, and a
smart one -- was she an adequately important, as well? "I don't suppose
you'd be in a position to help a poor beggar out?" Then he grinned.
"I would hope you haven't forgotten my skilled fingers and silver
tongue."

**Jen:** at 3:53 PM

"Ha!" Larkin laughed and shook her head, grinning.
Damn, that boy put her in a good mood. "Oh no, I haven't. Glad to be seing
all of those again and still attached to you."

She looked him over, thinking about the other question for a
moment. There was a lot of work to do, as always. But not all of that could be
given over to someone picked up on the streets. But there were some things that
might help him out - and who knew, maybe he even had some talent for the
work."Hm, maybe I know a guy or two with a job. Depends on what you're
willing to do, though."

**Izzy:** at 4:06 PM

"Anything you like, love," he purred, then dialed
back the flirtatious tone. Charming Eliot might be fun, but it wasn't entirely
practical. He started to play a slow, thoughtful tune. "You may recall
that I'm not the most athletically skilled, and I dislike violence -- barring
your sort, anyway." There was always room for a bit of flirting, though.
"I'm a people person, you know."

**Jen:** at 4:33 PM

"Oh, there's some... hands-on things for you to do if
you want." She rolled her eyes and looked aside, the grin still on her
face. With anyone else, this sticky smooth talk would be irritating but Azriel
managed to make it sound endearing.

"But there's also some things that pay in gold, I
guess. Actually-" she tilted her head, trying to picture Azriel in
disguise. Well, there was no hiding his scarred face or the broken horn. Or the
fact that he was a tiefling, for that matter. But it still might work.
"Yeah, maybe I got something. But I'd rather not discuss the details here,
y'know. Too many ears around."

**Izzy:** at 4:43 PM

"Well, last time I followed you to a secondary
location, I didn't mind the results." Hands-on things indeed (he smiled)
-- he could follow up on that, but he really did need the gold. The rest could
come after. Or during, maybe.

He picked up his viol case, flipping the coin she'd given
him into the air and catching it to slip it into his pocket. "Do lead
on."

November 28, 2018

**Jen:** at 11:52 AM

She led him out of the Dead End and into the maze of crooked
streets, roofed alley, stinky canals and wooden walkways that comprised the
shantytown of the eastern docks. She threaded them through quickly, never
stopping and only slowing down on occasion when they had to navigate a rubble
barricade or she had to flash a greeting at an associate. The way led them up one
of the hills Skyport sprawled across and as the streets began turning wider and
cleaner, Larkin changed to a more relaxed pace.

"So, Azriel," she said. "How's it that you're
in Skyport anyway? Doing a little post-plague sight-seeing?"

**Izzy:** at 12:34 PM

Azriel followed close on her heels, scrabbling over the
occasional rubble and paying close attention to the people she acknowledged.
She knew what she was doing here, clearly. Like he had last time they'd been
together, he thought of the little street-level thieves he'd played with as a
child, before his grooming to be a proper Melaine had begun. He'd never quite
been one of them, the way Eliot -- easily and casually -- was here. It felt a
little like he'd missed out.

But she pulled him from his thoughts as they moved on to a
nicer part of the city, and he reassumed his default tranquil expression as he
moved up to walk more comfortably beside her, eyeing her pointedly with a grin.
"Well, the sights are certainly worth seeing. But I'm here on, ah -- well,
it was meant to be a vacation of sorts, but my funding was ... unfortunately
cut." The Candynight incident. Mask. "How lucky I am to know the
right people to get me back on my feet, hm?"

**Jen:** at 2:29 PM

"Well, wait with thanking Mask 'till you hear what
kinda job it is. I'd say it's perfect for your talents but who knows." She
side-eyed him and winked. "Maybe it's too shady for an honest guy like
you."

**Izzy:** at 2:52 PM

"We all do what we must to make it by in this cruel,
cruel world," he said solemnly, then cracked and snickered at himself.
"My honesty is for sale, Eliot."

**Jen:** at 3:13 PM

"Hmm. You do know what a woman wants to hear, don't
you?" She grinned stubbed him with an elbow. "Anyway. We're almost
there."

The street they walked down opened up into a small cobbled
square. An assortment of market stalls had been raised up offering clothing,
foods and minor luxuries. The buildings surrounding the square equally
represented the social and financial station of the locals. Common brick and
plaster but nicely painted in terracotta hues, with plants growing out of
windows and down from balconies. The far end of the square was commanded by a
larger, more administrative looking building. The wooden double doors were open
and people walked up and down its entrance steps.

Larkin lead them across the market, eyeing the goods in
passing and once pausing to buy a paper bag full of roasted nuts. Some fourty
yards away from the end of the market square, she stopped and leaned against a
wall not occupied by marketstands and away from most of the crowd. She dug into
the bag of nuts and tilted her head towards the public building. "Well,
here we are."

**Izzy:** at 3:23 PM

Azriel wished he could insist to pay for the roasted nuts,
but it'd be a bit foolish to ask her for a job and then give her what little
money he had. Maybe she'd like that, though. Or maybe she'd call him out for
it. It seemed like it could go either way.

He just tagged along, instead, a little annoyed by his
ineffectiveness. This was a pleasant little area. More his style, if still on
the quaint side. He propped up next to her when she stopped, slipping his hands
into his pockets. "We're certainly somewhere." He followed her
eyeline to the large building across from them. "What exactly am I doing,
then?"

**Jen:** at 3:25 PM

"Oh, nothing. Just hanging out. Having a nice afternoon
stroll through the city. Nut?" She held the bag out to him.

**Izzy:** at 3:26 PM

"I ate already, thank you." He squinted at her.

**Jen:** at 3:36 PM

"Suit yourself." She shrugged and popped another
one into her mouth. "Alright, you're impatient. I get it. So what you're
doing here, you're looking at your mark. See, that over there," and she
pointedly looked down at her bag instead of the building, "is the district
office of trade administration. They've got themselves a new chief
administrator since the old one... caught the plague or something." She
waved a hand. "Gone. Whatever. Now the thing is, I got some friend who
really need a signature and a seal from this new administrator to get their
business running and get everything in order with the trading guild, but the
woman refuses to give permission. Which is damn unfortunate for my friends. And
that is where you come in."

**Izzy:** at 3:40 PM

Azriel considered for a moment, slowly taking his viol back
out of its case and fiddling with the tuning pegs. "And who does have
permission? Anyone nearby?"

**Jen:** at 3:50 PM

"Oh, anyone who runs a business has to be get a signed
and sealed trading permit. And then they have to take that to the local guild
of their trade. Doesn't really matter who does anyway. Once the permit is
issued, the administrator doesn't give a shit what happens with it. So all we
need is that writ with the signature and the seal. Now this woman is... tough.
On a mission to clean up the district or some shit. Not interested in playing
along and getting a nice cut for herself."

**Izzy:** at 3:55 PM

"Terribly unfortunate," he commented idly, drawing
a long, soft note out of the viol. His first thought had been too complicated
-- disguising himself with magic as a legitimate business owner to obtain the signature
and seal. He reminded himself that as far as Eliot knew, he was a pickpocket.
Maybe it would be better to not show his hand. "Any permits being issued
today, then, do you think?"

**Jen:** at 3:59 PM

"Sure. Everyday." Larkin watched Azriel beginning
to play. It directed some attention towards them but that was fine. People had
already been looking at them; two tieflings in their nice little neighborhood.
Like this, they were at least throwing some suspicion off. "But you can't
just go in an get any permit. They're customized to have the name of the business
owner and location on them."

**Izzy:** at 4:12 PM

"Seems like child's play for a halfway competent
forger." He started on an upbeat tune, tapping his foot along to it.
"Hey." He turned to her. "Smile at me, would you? Act like we're
having a lovely time." Offered her a wink. "Aren't we?"

**Jen:** at 4:35 PM

Larkin turned to him and rolled her eyes but couldn't stop
herself from doing him the favour."Yeah, well. There's a number of
possible solutions here. The only problem with that permit is really just the
seal. That one's not that trivial to forge. It costs. And my friends are...
somewhat interested in making more of 'em in the future. It's an economical
decision. Also, this lady is already starting to get uncormfortable." Her
smile turned a bit sour. "We don't really have a good grip on her, though.
Need some dirt dug up on that woman, too."

**Izzy:** at 5:09 PM

He kept playing, turning thoughtful. "Well, my love,
I'm a man of many talents, you know. Give me time and I can get dirt on
her." Oh, he'd enjoy that. The long game, the ingratiating, the spying and
charming. It'd be a bit of a stumbling block if the woman wasn't attracted to
him, but he could work around that. "Or I can put my light fingers to work
and get that seal for you today. Whatever you like."

**Jen:** at 5:15 PM

"Oh, I'd like your light fingers at work." She
grinned and moved a step closer, still leaning a shoulder against the wall.
"Ideally we get both. The sigil and the intel."

**Izzy:** at 7:19 PM

"Then you will get both," Azriel promised, with a
dramatic musical flourish. "Seal today. And we'll make a date, later on,
for the rest. Of course, we do need to discuss payment, beforehand."

The seal would be no problem. Then he might ask her if she
-- oh, Mask, no, he couldn't ask her back to his place. His siblings were
there, and assorted animals, including Ba'ob. Maybe he'd just see if she wanted
to dine and dash at some little cafe somewhere instead. But -- work first. He
still had to impress her.

November 29, 2018

**Jen:** at 9:10 AM

"Wasting no time, huh? My friends will like that."
Larkin paused as one spotted one of the market goes approaching to throw a coin
into Azriel's open viol case. She waited until the man had delivered his smile
and compliment to Azriel's musical talents and walked out of earshot again. She
moved a bit closer still, speaking lowly. "There's four-fifty gold total
in it. I got a hundred 'n fifty up front for the job. You can have... hm, let's
say you can have a hundred and twenty of that. Keeping thirty as provisions.
You bring me the goods and I'll get you the rest of the money. Maybe I can
negotiate some extra if it's some really good dirt. Sounds fair?"

It was a bit of a stretch to hope he'd hand over the sigil
and the information without security and trust her to bring the money; if he
insisted on collecting it himself, she'd have to find a way of making sure her
associates didn't spill the fact that the fourhundred and fifty she'd promised
him was actually only the upfront security for the job she'd already gotten.

Larkin didn't feel particularly bad for trying to rip him
off - he'd get his money and a lot of it. She was doing him a favor for passing
on the job. She'd like to have done it herself, in fact. It was only fair.

**Izzy:** at 11:43 AM

He thought the offer over, giving a winning smile to a woman
who stopped to pitch him a couple coins, then baring his teeth briefly at her
back. Damn cheapskate.

Azriel knew what he was worth. That was the issue; he knew
precisely what his skills were worth, and Eliot absolutely wasn't giving him a
fair price. But he had to take into account the fact that he was used to being
valued highly, even for what he did, because of his name -- and Khole meant nothing
in Skyport. Melaine might, but he hadn't come seeking sanctuary from the Basha.
It was Khole, for now, and Khole was no one. Khole had to prove himself.

Maybe he kind of liked that, actually. And anyway,
realistically, he wasn't in much of a position to bargain. Abel had made some
money, but he'd sooner live in the forest again than ask his brother for gold.

"Hmm." He sighed musically, pretending that this
was a difficult decision. "You have me in a corner here, my love."
She hadn't told him off for calling her that. (He wondered if she found it
charming or cheesy.) "What if I say no, and then you refuse to see me
again? I guess I'll just have to do it." He shook his head wistfully and
shot her a grin, then lowered his voice. "I'll make sure it's exceptionally
good dirt. Next time you might have to pay me more."

**Jen:** at 2:57 PM

"Oh, but only assuming there's a next time." She
smirked and rolled her shoulders, walking a few steps around Azriel as if
examining him. "This isn't like playing drunk fools in crowded bars. Maybe
you fuck up. Maybe you get caught." She stopped, back to the building and
considering.

He seemed to have a lot of confidence in himself. Looking
for a job in the Dead End, jumping into discussing the job without losing a
beat. Acted like he knew this kind of work. Where ever Azriel had come from,
he'd been more than just a common bard and pickpocket. That, or he put up a
very convincing show. Either way, Larkin wanted to see more of how he worked.
What he was capable of.

She gave him a sideways glance. "You work alone, or...
?"

**Izzy:** at 3:26 PM

"Darling, I don't fuck up," Azriel said sweetly,
showing his teeth.

On the one hand, playing with her in that awful little bar
in that port town had been incredible fun. But she wasn't wrong -- this would
be a bit more complicated, and he didn't need unknown variables. She was
clearly good at what she did, but he remembered her method of spilling a drink
and causing a scene to steal that silver watch. This was going to take finesse.

And maybe he wanted to keep a bit of an air of mystery, and
let her wonder how he was so accomplished. Oh, and on the pragmatic side of
things, he supposed that he'd earn more respect and credit if he pulled it off
alone.

He slipped his viol strap off and knelt to rest it gently in
the case, snapping it closed. Magic was easier with an instrument, but it was noisy,
as well, and he could hum a little to himself to get done what he needed done.
He held the case out to Eliot.

"My favorite work involves a companion or two, but not
this one, I'm afraid. Would you watch my viol? I'll be back in a flash, seal in
hand."

**Jen:** at 3:40 PM

Larkin narrowed her eyes at him, letting a heartbeat pass
before reaching for the case.

She found the way he adressed her, the my love, oddly charming.
In a way she was sure she'd told anyone else off for. But that last one had been
too bold for her taste. Maybe she'd have to put him down a notch soon.

"Don't expect me to stick around here and wait for
someone to call the watch on a lurking tar blood," she said. As much as
she wanted to tag along and study his methods, there was not good justification
she could think of right now. Maybe to point the administrator out to him? Eh,
Larkin herself had no idea what the woman looked like and it shouldn't bee too
hard to find out anyway. Shit. Oh, well. Best she could do was make sure no one
caught on to them . They'd already spent a good amount of time in this area;
enough to be noticed and recognized. "Remember that last barricade we went
through? The one with the red paint and the dead cat speared on top? I'll wait
there. Good luck."

**Izzy:** at 4:30 PM

Red paint? How reassuring. He'd been quite sure it was
blood. "People like us don't need luck," he said, but it was time to
let his actions start speaking for him.

He sauntered in like he belonged there, appraising it
quickly, eyes easily enough finding the mark in her open office, pressing the
little wooden seal into a pool of red wax. He found a long, slow line to stand
in that gave him a view of the office and made a show of being impatient,
sighing and checking the cheap pocket watch he'd bought as a poor replacement
for the one he'd lost last time -- and studied the administrator. She looked
harried, tightly-wound. Busy. Must be hard keeping good honest criminals out of
trouble.

When he felt he had enough information and the right
situation had presented itself, he gave his watch a final scowl and left the
line. It was a typical drab administrative building, boring Skyport
architecture. Corners to slip around, so he did, humming a little tune and
focusing harder than he would normally have to to cast the illusion spell --
changing the skin, getting rid of the horns and the teeth and the tail. A
half-elf would blend in nicely. The clothes were fine already, at least.

Then he reappeared and crossed the lobby to timidly knock on
the door frame of her office, keeping one hand behind his back. "Ms
Evans?" Her name, of course, was on her desk.

She looked up from the paperwork she'd been filling out,
brow creased in immediate annoyance.

"I'm so sorry," he said hurriedly, stepping fully
into the office. "I just started, I -- I don't mean to be a bother, I know
I'm only supposed to be brewing tea and fetching forms and I don't mean to --
to impose above my station here --."

While he distracted her with words, one hand slipped a pen
off of her desk and behind his back, and the nervous, tremulous tone in his
voice altered it into a replica of the wooden stamp.

"What do you want?" she finally demanded.

"I'm so sorry!" he said again, the very image of
mortified shame. "It's just that when you left your office earlier, to go
talk to Mr Reznikov, you -- I saw -- I think you dropped your seal?"

He held the spelled pen out uncertainly.

She gave a perturbed scowl and squinted at it. The sigil was
different, of course -- and aside from that, her actual seal was in fact right
there on her desk. She held it up to him in lieu of saying anything, and his
eyes widened.

"Oh, Helm, I -- I apologize, Ms Evans, I could have
sworn --." He hesitated. "It must be Mr Reznikov's. Could you -- oh,
I hate to impose --."

Evans gave him the beleaguered look of someone who had been
a beaurocrat for a long time. "Kid, spit it out."

"Could I -- would it be all right for me to get a
better look at your seal?" He frowned down at his illusion. "It's
just that I thought yours was the one with the eagle and now I'm afraid I've
been filing papers wrong all day, and -- and I'll stay late to fix it, I just
-- I don't want to get in trouble --."

She handed over the seal to shut him up, and he scrutinized
them closely until she rolled her eyes and looked back down to her forms. He
switched the seal with the pen and, chewing on his lip, finally nodded to
himself firmly and set the spelled pen back down in her desk.

"I'm so sorry to have bothered you, ma'am," he
started, folding his hands behind his back again, all repentance. "Can I
-- would you like me to get you some tea, or is there anything I can get you
--."

"Out. You can get out." She waved him away without
looking up, and he fled.

Back around the corner, altering his appearance again with
some difficulty, then out the door. Down an alley before he dropped the
illusion entirely -- there were more tieflings in Moorland, and it was harder
to blend in, here. The magic drained him without his viol to concentrate it,
and it wasn't with particular grace that he scrambled over the charming bloody
(he was quite sure it was blood, really) barricade to rejoin Eliot.

He tried to lean against the barricade casually, but was
fairly certain his tiredness betrayed him. He needed a snack and a nap. Maybe a
kiss, if he was lucky. "Trade you a seal for a viol, Eliot?"

**Jen:** at 4:54 PM

Well, that was fast. Kind of impressive, actually. Whatever
he had done, it must've gone smoothly. That or he'd just incinerated everyone
in the building with some terrible magic. Eh... Larkin smiled to herself.
Unlikely, but still; she'd have liked to have see what he did.

She held up the case and patted it. "All here and safe.
You alright? You look a bit done."

November 30, 2018

**Izzy:** at 12:20 AM

How flattering that she asked if he was all right before
demanding the seal. He crowed internally (if tiredly) -- he'd won her over for
sure. It was good to have contacts, especially one with other contacts, and he
had to assume that Eliot was part of the Basha's network, considering Baron's
people had been decimated.

Of course, he hadn't known that, back at the Sanctuary. She'd
just been -- well, scary, and fun, and pretty, and he enjoyed the way she
grinned at him like she knew he was full of shit and she liked it anyway. That
was -- fine. He was allowed to like his contacts, he just wasn't meant to get
attached.

And he wasn't at all attached. It was just to keep up the
show that he checked to make sure no one was around and presented the seal to
her with a smile and a little curtsy. It was just the high of finishing the job
that was making him feel more energetic now that he was with her.

"Nothing a little rest and relaxation can't fix. Magic,
you know." Damn, he did really want to invite her back to his place,
though. Spending time with her hadn't exactly been restful and relaxing so far,
but -- well, that could come after. He'd ease her into it. She was probably
busy today, anyway. "I'll get started on the intel tomorrow. Shall we
arrange a meeting?"

**Jen:** at 8:43 AM

She took the seal and inspected it. Seemed to be the right
one, at least if the description she'd gotten of if was correct.

Maybe the job hadn't been near as tricky as she'd initially
thought it would be and deligating it hadn't been worth it. Maybe she'd just
wasted half the payment she could've gotten just so she could wait around this
stinky back alley with Azriel's viol case in hands.

Larkin slipped the seal into her pocket and glanced up at
Azriel with his cocksure braggard's grin. Alright, maybe not wasted.

"Meeting," she said and cleared her throat.
"Sure." Where, though? Not at the warehouse and not at the Crooked
Coin. Nowhere around the dockside area in general, where people could call her
by her real name on accident or give away any other part of her identity she
didn't want Azriel to know.

Also, not her current place. Larkin liked Azriel but didn't trust
him enough yet to show him where she lived.

Though... damn, it was tempting to drag him back there.
Today, or after he'd delivered or both. He'd have to climb, which would be very
amusing. Putting Azriel in distress and him fighting against it was... Larkin
became aware she was smiling again and put up a more impassive expression.

"You got a place to stay? I'll meet you there."

**Izzy:** at 1:59 PM

She was smiling despite herself and wiped it off her face.
Trying to act hard to get when he'd already gotten her -- or she'd already
gotten him. He wasn't sure. He grinned back anyway even after she'd stopped,
and let himself visibly wince a bit at her suggestion they meet at his place.

"Mm, tempting as it is to let you know where I sleep --
my family lives with me, and I prefer to keep them far away from my business."
Which was true in addition to the fact that he didn't want to deal with Ba'ob
growling at her and Jasper and Gwydion hitting on her to various degrees of
competency. And Abel -- who knew, honestly. Staring at her morosely from a dark
corner while he sharpened a knife, or something. They were all embarrassments
in one way or another, Mask love them. Mahto and the wolf were probably the
only ones who could be trusted to not make a scene.

He took the viol case back, giving it a small shake to
jingle the few coins he'd made earlier. "I know a charming little cafe,
though, in the historic area." It wasn't far from his house, but he wasn't
going to let that slip. "The Chipped Teacup. The owner is this precious
grandmotherly tiefling who finds me quite adorable. I'll buy you breakfast and
you can tell me what you already know about our dear Ms Evans to get me
started."

And then maybe he could arrange for everyone to be out of
the house, at some later point. Maybe Mahto would help him tidy the place up,
and Abel could take the rest on a field trip in the city. He'd bribe them if he
had to. Or beg. Whichever worked.

**Jen:** at 2:19 PM

Hm, interesting. So the comment about putting food on his
family's table wasn't just a phrase? If she wanted, she could follow him and
find out where he lived and with whom. That opened up a number of options.
Azriel didn't seem to realize it, but he was giving her quite a bit of
information to work with here.

Larkin wasn't sure when all of this information would become
relevant, but it was always good to know as much as possible about the people
one surrounded oneself with. And she certainly planned on keeping Azriel around
for a while longer.

"Good, then. The Chipped Teacup at... let's say eight.
I'll have your share of the cash down with me. Maybe some extra, to buy you
some pie." She winked.

**Izzy:** at 2:48 PM

"I'll be there, if only for the pie," he promised.
It would be far too clingy to ask her what she was doing now, and he really
didn't need to go looking for trouble when he was low on magic anyway, but he
didn't quite want this to be over. Maybe there was some excuse -- no, no, much
as the idea of hanging around her until breakfast appealed, he'd just have to
wait.

So he offered another brief bow instead and chirped,
"I'll miss you until then, my love," and turned on his toes to leave.

He wondered if he should have kissed her. Or tried to, at
least. Maybe she would have laughed it off and shoved him against the wall.
(Maybe that would have been good, too.)

**Jen:** at 3:02 PM

If only there was some excuse to have him stick around a bit
longer. Take him with her, spent the night - ah, fuck, what was she thinking.
It'd be stupid to invite her to her place this fast. She hardly knew anything
about this guy but, fuck, Mask knew she wanted to.

Well, there was one thing she could get from him today, one
harmless little thing.

"Azriel," she said and crossed the few feet that
had separated them.

**Izzy:** at 3:05 PM

He turned back, keeping his expression neutral. She probably
just thought of something else to let him know about the job, or -- well,
hopefully she hadn't just realized she already had plans for tomorrow morning.

**Jen:** at 3:20 PM

She stepped in with a lip-biting grin and reached for his
collar with both hands. Pulled him close and down to her, to press her lips
against his for a short, hard, lovely moment. Testing if he would flinch or
draw away, and when he didn't, she released the breath she'd held against his
face in a giddy laugh. Fuck, that was good. And she wanted more.

**Izzy:** at 3:32 PM

Ah. Oh. Well. In that case.

Azriel dropped his viol case to slip both arms around her --
keeping his hands away from her pockets, this time, resting comfortably around
her waist and back instead. Her laugh was infectious. He found himself wanting
to tell her how glad he was that she'd made the first move, but decided to show
her instead, closing his eyes and smiling against her lips as he kissed her
back, pressing against her to see if she'd let him push her against the wall.

**Jen:** at 3:39 PM

Oh, interesting. She had him by the collar but he insisted
on taking the lead. If that meant they could keep this going... she gave in to
his pressure, taking a step back, but let go of his collar with one hand to
rest it around his neck, thumb under his jaw.

**Izzy:** at 3:57 PM

Having ... won? Azriel immediately didn't know what to do.
It'd been impulse, and he hadn't analyzed it very closely, because he hadn't
really considered that it would work. Eliot and her knives and her threats and
her scaling buildings without falling to her death -- he wanted her to grab his
collar and push him around. Oh. Well ... that was confusing; normally he just
acquiesced to whatever his partner of the day wanted. He didn't know what to do
with this knowledge, so he just filed it away to think about later.

He didn't want to stop this moment. That was what was
important. His hands slipped down to her hips, outlining the shape of her, and
as his thumbs played with the edge of her tunic and considered sliding
underneath it, he hesitated. Then he did stop himself, pulling back only
slightly. "Ah. Should we find a roof somewhere? Or -- an inn. Or --."
He was flustered. He didn't know what to say.

What the fuck.

**Jen:** at 4:29 PM

Relenting to his pressure, Larkin had expected him to force
her against the wall - wanted him to, to try and push her around so they could
make a game out of it. Her with her back against the wall and him with her hand
around his throat.

But he didn't. She took one step back and he stopped, almost
breaking the kiss for a second.

Then his hands slid down her body and the thought was pushed
from her awareness. A line a goosebumps followed the touch.

Should they... Half a dozen possible answers flashed through
her mind.

Why go anywhere? What was bad about this place - okay,
everything probably.

She could take him to her place afterall. Just fuck the
risk, fuck him instead.

Ugh, no. Bad idea, bad idea.

An inn? Yeah they could find a place, take a room. Just
spend the rest of the day and the whole night in there, then have pie for
breakfast and - ah, shit.

She made herself pause. This was ridiculous and she wasn't
acting rational. She had fucking work to do still and that wouldn't wait until
she was done with Azriel. She shouldn't let herself get overwhelmed like this.
Emotional was stupid and stupid was dead before long.

It would have to wait. Would be even better if she did,
maybe. She sighed out her breath, then pushed out of his embrace.

"Well, I'd love to but... can't right now. Sorry."
She pushed her hair back out of her face and gave him a wry smile, hoping to
communicate that she was really, really sorry about this.

"See you tomorrow. I hope you show up, or else I'll
have to track you down." She winked and turned to leave, dragging her hand
across his stomach in passing and briefly tangling their fingertips together.

**Izzy:** at 5:06 PM

Of course, of course. He let himself feel embarrassed for
even asking, for a moment -- it was the middle of the day, she had things to
do, no doubt. Then he pushed the feeling firmly away. This was better. He'd
have time to get his magic back, regroup, figure out what in Mask's name had
gotten into him, anyway.

But she was hesitant and regretful and he tightened at the
light touch of her fingers trailing against him. He still didn't have any damn
words. Maybe he would just --

He tugged her back before her fingers quite escaped his,
stepping in at the same time so that they met in the middle and cupping her
face to kiss her one more time -- almost clumsy at first from the force, but
long and slow, his other hand holding her tight against him by the small of her
back.

When he finally pulled away he could think again, because he
wasn't distracted by how badly he'd wanted to do that. "I," he said,
breathless, "never break a date, no matter how enjoyable it might be to
have you chase me."

He cleared his throat and stepped back, respectfully. He had
the feeling he was flushed, but he was doing his best to pretend it wasn't
happening.

**Jen:** at 5:45 PM

Ah, he'd gotten her by surprise - and it was a good surprise
for sure. Azriel was catching on to the game.

She leaned in to the kiss as long as it lasted and when he
drew away, she used all her willpower to not let him see just how much she'd
enjoyed this. Azriel seemed to have a well-sized ego already, no need to throw
fuel at it so easily.

"Good," she said, taking a step backward and
smirking. Damn, she did not want to go but they could not keep doing this
forever - and if she didn't leave right about now, they'd likely end up on the
alley floor in a few minutes.

"See you then. Tomorrow." She took a couple more
steps backwards, then turned and, with a couple yards distance between them,
finally allowed an utterly stupid, utterly satisfied smile to take over her
face.

**Izzy:** at 5:50 PM

[end]