3D. Looking for Salem

Apr 11, 2025 10:33 pm

OOC:

@vicky_molokh,@kaekozee your adventures continue here.

Necromancy in Misthaven lived in a strange twilight—neither fully shunned, nor truly embraced. Among the arcane schools, Excidium was perhaps the least populated path, but not for lack of interest. Rather, it was the weight of taboo and bureaucracy that kept its numbers low. Within the Dreadbloom Sanctuary's rune-lit spires and moss-veined lecture halls, necromancers studied under stricter scrutiny than most of their peers.

It was understood: to tamper with the boundary between life and death was to risk falling under the gaze of the gods—or worse, the Regulation. Raising the dead in the form of their former selves—sentient, aware, whole—was a crime, punishable not only with expulsion from the University but often exile, or worse. But the law, ever precise, made room for exceptions. Animals could be reanimated as pets, guardians or scouts, constructs imbued with bones and bindings to serve as workers or research aides. Spirits of the monstrous or unknown, though technically permissible, were simply too dangerous to be reliably summoned to have their corpses raised as undead, and were banned by policy rather than law.

And then there was consultation—the art of speaking to the dead. That, Misthaven had learned to prize. The Dragon Guard in particular kept necromancers on discreet retainer, using them to interrogate the recently deceased, to uncover murderers or secrets that had died with their hosts. Grim work, but necessary.

And so, though rarely seen in public or social halls, necromancers walked the same streets, studied in the same libraries, and trained in the same circles. Their numbers were few. Their presence, unmistakable.

Which is why finding one, particularly a student like Salem, shouldn’t take Rhea too long. Rumors and records always circulated, even among the secretive. And those who studied death often carried with them a scent of mystery that lingered long after they passed by.

So it was that, violin slung over one shoulder and her new identity still settling into its own stride, Zix set off once more. This time, to find the girl with shadows in her eyes. The necromancer. Salem.

OOC:

Zix, how do you plan to do this?

'Rhea'

Apr 12, 2025 7:17 am

'Rhea' decided to go after the paper trail. Odds were that Salem would still live on campus. And so she went to the living compounds, searching for RAs or clerks who should know the assignment of rooms. Of course, this might take several attempts before finding the right one, but no harm done.

Walking to the destination, Zix mused about another case of a search for an individual. One where it was found all too easily by a certain professor. Odds were high that this was orchestrated through examining the threads of fate, and now that was something that bothered Zix deeply. All my carefulness and different personas may be for naught if mages can just arbitrarily track me through prophecies. I need to find a way to protect myself from that. I need to find a way to overpower the tugs of such strings, and eventually free myself of them entirely.

At a campus living hall, 'Rhea' approached the desk, uncertain and a bit dorky. "Hello. Say, could you help me out please? There's this student, Salem, apparently on the more . . . discreet . . . study paths. We have a certain business matter in common, though not entirely directly, that I would like to conclude. Could you help me find her?"

OOC:

Zix is thinking of changing a long-term goal, or at least changing the priorities of long-term goals.

'Rhea'

Apr 12, 2025 9:32 am

OOC:

@kaekozee please "take over" this NPC and describe if they know where Salem is or what she usually does... I don't know her routine yet, so feel free to choose and, indirectly, tell us more about your character =)

Apr 13, 2025 1:19 am

OOC:

Considering the nature of her discipline, I imagine Salem (like all necromancers/witches/etc) is a very cautious person who isn't easily found unless she wishes to be, so sorry vicky, I won't be making it easy for you :P

Behind the desk sat an older woman with a long nose, upon which were balanced a peculiar--and rather tiny--pair of purple spectacles. Upon Rhea's arrival, the woman turns her head upward, looking down the bridge and through the glasses, which magnify her eyes within them, though even this isn't enough to take attention away from the gigantic brown mole on her upper lip. She...stares...at Rhea for several uncomfortable moments, before looking away and thumbing through the book she is writing in.

"Giving out the personal information of our students is against school policy, even to another student, per Clause 4B-201 of the school charter, with exceptions given only to immediate family and emergency contacts. If you truly have some business with this 'Salem' individual, I would suggest you try meeting with her during normal school hours." Her voice is low, and droning, as if she has said this line countless times, and given how effortlessly she seems to be multitasking, such a thing seems quite plausible.

Supposing Rhea seems disappointed, the woman glances again, then sighs. "But if that isn't enough to satisfy you, then I would suggest checking the appropriate school hall dedicated to their chosen field. Do you know their discipline?"

Last edited April 13, 2025 1:20 am

'Charcoal'

Apr 13, 2025 8:34 am

"I see. Thank you," Rhea bows and departs.

So this is shaping up to be a longer project. Mildly intriguing, mildly frustrating. But also a perhaps an excuse and an opportunity for some experimental training.

Exiting the building, Rhea took a walk under the trees to plan the next steps. If the formal path to meeting Salem is not an option, perhaps she could engineer an informal one. She was pretty confident that a necromancer would frequent the Dreadbloom halls. So the likely location was all but certain.

Next, pretext. It would be odd for Zix (an Eloquence student) or Rhea (an ex nihilo persona with no established belonging to the university) to snoop around there. But among Zix's contacts, there was a personal substitution job offer by a witch - Charcoal - which wanted to occasionally be in two places at a time. And becoming her for a time would be a suitable pretext to be in those halls. So Zix reached out and accepted that job offer.

Finally, there was the matter of ensuring the two met. That was the part requiring Zix to try something new. Something that would warrant careful preparation.

At the next free period, Zix - now in its main shape - went to the library, reading up on the manipulation of destinies. Fateful encounters leading to new acquaintances were ubiquitous in life, and Zix's intent was to fabricate one artificially - given their ubiquity, adding one more would not strain the strings of destiny much. In fact, Zix was inclined to believe it experienced a similar form of conspiring destiny not long ago, and wanted to recreate an analogue. But while Zix by now had some knack for Dominatio, its main area of practice was telekinesis, so it was better to go slow and sure - studying a specific effect, practicing all the parts safely before going for the real thing, and investing mana of the day into it. Familiar with 'careful what you wish for' tales and also tales of sometimes-backfiring attempts to avoid corruptions of a wish by long-winded boilerplate, Zix settled on a relatively moderately simple formulation of the destiny's alteration: become acquainted with Salem that studies here, without suffering drastic side effects from the event and its consequences.

Once the ritual casting was complete, Zix went home to sleep, and let the butterfly effects pluck the strings of destiny in the meantime. Next morning, when it had a free period and Charcoal most definitely was not supposed to have one, Zix took on her shape and went to the halls of Dreadbloom, eager to see the spell's effect (but of course also nervous about having messed it up).

OOC:

I'm rolling Rank 1d6 + Dominatio 1d4 + Mana 1d6. I'm not sure whether studying the effect beforehand and doing it slow and sure has any effects on the dice, the difficulty, both, or neither, so please adjust appropriately.

'Charcoal'

[ +- ] Charcoal

Rolls

Rank+Dominatio+Mana - (1d6+1d4+1d6)

(1) + (1) + (6) = 8

Misthaven GM

Apr 13, 2025 12:16 pm

OOC:

Quote:

I'm not sure whether studying the effect beforehand and doing it slow and sure has any effects on the dice, the difficulty, both, or neither, so please adjust appropriately.

Depends on circumstances. I am going with both here.

So you rolled an 11 vs 6. Success. But with 2 hitches

Zix—currently dressed as Charcoal—walked with deliberate casualness through the arched stone halls of Dreadbloom. Their steps echoed lightly, absorbing the strange hush that pervaded this wing of the university. It was quieter than most places, not because fewer students walked here, but because those who did had little need to raise their voices. The dead and the sick did not like shouting.

They turned a corner, passing a display of taxidermied familiars—some feathered, some scaled—preserved behind enchanted glass, and stepped into a study chamber where students huddled over runes and glyphs stitched into parchment made from mushroom vellum.

And that’s when they saw her.

Salem leaned against the banister, her posture loose but alert, one boot hooked over the other. She had the look of someone who had already been waiting when they arrived. No, not Charcoal.

Zix.

They realized it at once—not through anything she said, but in the way she watched then, as if she’d already measured the breath beneath the skin, already peeled away the face, the voice, the layers.

Salem already knew that someone tugged on her destiny like a fishhook. She recognized the way reality had subtly shifted to allow this meeting to happen. And beyond all of that, she knew what Zix was. Not who—what. A doppelgänger.

OOC:

Salem, what do you do?

Rolls

Zix: Preparation bonus - (1d8)

(5) = 5

Destiny DR - (2d6)

(33) = 6

Apr 14, 2025 2:07 am

Was it destiny, then, that they should encounter one another? Perhaps in some measure. Salem, however, was no fatalist, nor was she keen to rely on the arcane if it was unnecessary. Magic was mutable, bendable, breakable, and its mere presence in the world made it so there was little to no 'real' assurance of privacy, secrecy, or security. Someone skilled in the right arts could easily have circumvented the barrier presented by the stoic desk guardian who had turned Zix away, or even used divination to find her directly.

But while it was often a latch-key to pry into things best left unobserved, magic often lacked the ability to circumvent one thing...a good, solid emergency plan.

Salem couldn't really remember why she was standing this way, or why she chose this place as her meeting. Perhaps that was fate's hand. Either way, along with the knowing look she wore, she also gave 'Charcoal'/Zix a pinched smile.

"You know..." she started coolly, as if she and this individual had already long since met, and were just two good friends meeting for a chat. "When one's proclivities border on the forbidden and sacrilegious, it tends to draw...unwanted attention. The kind that often conjures torches and pitchforks to mind, I mean. Which is something I'm sure someone like you is all-too familiar with. Fortunately, you can simply don a new face as naturally as a bard can change their tune. Those of us lacking such conveniently intrinsic capabilities, however, must needs find other methods to safeguard ourselves."

She moves off the bannister, motioning to 'Charcoal'/Zix to walk with her.

"Here in the Dreadbloom Sanctuary, those of us whose studies are less...inhibited, shall we say...have a little saying. It goes: 'Many threads make stronger the web'." Her eyes flash slightly as her glance falls to a group of other students--necromancers, witches, and others like herself--who briefly make eye contact with her when they hear the line, then look away. Others around the room do the same. A silent covenant, unspoken, but well-known, and resolutely observed.

She smiles, looking back to 'Charcoal'/Zix. "Don't get the wrong idea. It's not as though we're all friends, or even allies, nor would any of these fine fellows be likely to come to my aid if I were in danger. It's more of a...professional courtesy, you might say. We keep our noses out of one another's affairs, but we all watch each other's backs. Should but a single strand of that web be disturbed, the spider will know."

As if to emphasize her point, a noticeably white spider skitters across a pillar next to them as they pass into the next room. This place appears to be a small study room, with several book shelves that house grimoires specific to the various crafts practiced herein. Salem comes to a stop in front of one of these bookshelves and pulls out a tome, seemingly at random, and flips through its contents absently as she concludes.

"Most people who go looking for a necromancer do so with either ill intentions or, less likely, to ask for some unscrupulous favor. As someone who considers herself an artiste, neither are particularly agreeable to me, but you've gone through all this trouble, it would be rude not to at least hear you out." She claps the book shut, and a moment later, a long, black-bladed dagger appears in her fingers, pointed vaguely in the direction of the doppelgänger. "So then...which will it be?"

Veiled threat aside, her expression is composed, perhaps even a bit interested, and she doesn't look as though she truly means Zix any ill-will.

[ +- ] Description

Last edited April 14, 2025 2:13 am

'Charcoal'

Apr 14, 2025 7:32 am

Charcoal nods. "Straight to the point. I have been tasked to act as an intermediary to negotiate a business transaction between you and a client. Given the nature of the transaction, it is up to you to decide whether you want to discuss it here or under different circumstances. Based on what I have been told, the object of the transaction is suspicious and disapproved, but is likely to be very low on the unscrupulousness scale, given the stipulations that have been added to the request - which can also be discussed either immediately or at a more discrete opportunity.

What do you prefer?"

'Charcoal'

Apr 14, 2025 2:17 pm

"Here is fine," Salem says with a shrug, though it seems as though her interest is faltering. "As I said, Dreadbloom minds its own business, so whatever you have to say, however perverse or questionable, is safe to say here. And who knows? Perhaps someone else eavesdropping can fulfill your wish in my stead, should I decide it isn't worth my time."

She puts the blade away and continues to rifle through books, seeming to be looking for nothing, and finding exactly that. "I do have to wonder, though, what your stake in all of this is," she mentions, off-handedly. "Are you merely motivated by the gleam of coin, a faithful watchdog of a greater master, or do you have some deeper purpose in all of this?" she glances at Zix, with a look of seemingly renewed--albeit fragile--curiosity.

Last edited April 14, 2025 2:26 pm

'Charcoal'

Apr 14, 2025 2:41 pm

"The client wanted to buy a heart, not stolen, not fresh, not metaphorical, but real, preserved, treated with Excidium, and said you would know."

'Charcoal' smiles with a hint of amusement. "As for me, while coin would be good, for now I'm in this for the contacts that might eventually bring coin, and for my own curiosity regarding where this request leads."

'Charcoal'

Misthaven GM

Apr 14, 2025 2:47 pm

OOC:

Although Salem knows what he means, the treatment of the heart of a boar or similar animal (it is not from a sentient being ;)) requires a ritual, with more than one caster. She does not know (yet) how to do it exactly.

We will learn soon, in Chapter 4, from Lorridian, how to do this. Salem is already eager to learn =). For now, roleplay and decide if she wants to help (or not) and for what payment (or under what conditions...) =)

Apr 15, 2025 3:28 am

Salem considers the offer, but not from a mercantile standpoint. Rather, her mind immediately took the information and began running through theory after theory of what someone could do with that combination of ingredients. And while there were a number of possibilities that could work, one in particular stood out, if not otherwise for its pure mundanity. Was it the right answer? Perhaps not, but Salem wasn't much for making deals 'with no questions asked'.

"That sounds an awful lot like a recipe for a living bomb," she reasons out loud, but in a way that is neither alarmed, nor intrigued. Rather, she seemed...apathetic, and a disappointed sigh echoes from between her lips. "Its possible, at least in theory, but terribly simple-minded, and the compensation is equally disenchanting. If all they're going to bring to the table are a few coins, then I simply can't imagine why this 'contact' of yours sent you to me. Clearly they know precious little about what gets a girl like myself going."

She slowly puts the book she's looking at away, then peers sidelong at Zix, a mischievous grin hidden behind her arm, "Then again..."

She turns fluidly on her heel, and walks slowly, methodically towards them till she comes within a few feet, leaning forward slightly. "Maybe you have something I want. Care to make your own offer? Perhaps you know what gets a girl like me in the mood to play?"

She glances down, then up, her eyes measuring Zix not for body language or reactions, but more intricately, even scientifically. Moreover, she isn't measuring 'Charcoal', but the identity beneath that skin. She seems to something very particular in mind, but what will Zix think of this strange question?

OOC:

@vicky: PS/FYI: Salem isn't looking for that kind of favor, but do let me know if her passive-flirtatious vibe feels too weird or uncomfortable, I'm happy to retcon to make it less so.

@htech: By the by, not trying to be combative or anything like that, but boars and similar animals are, in fact, sentient beings. The word I think you're looking for is 'sapient'. :3

Last edited April 15, 2025 3:31 am

'Charcoal'

Apr 15, 2025 8:27 am

It is difficult to discern what is below the mask. It is difficult to even say with confidence that it is a mask, even after knowing for sure that this individual is not Salem's hallmate. Perhaps because instead of wearing others' faces, she becomes them, and perhaps not entirely metaphorically.

There was one thing that did shine through though: a hint that some sort of doubt that has long gnawed at her was suddenly warded off, at least for a time. Perhaps because it was based on a sentiment shared across personas lately.

"Normally, I'm the one asking something extra for getting people into a playful mood, let alone getting me to guess. But since you're too shy to just say what you want," she makes a pause after having delivered the line with a completely straight face, but then lets hints of a smile touch the corners of her mouth, "I will present a menu.

I can help you be in two places at the same time, or do something you would rather not in your stead, with varied degrees of competence depending on what you need done. I can act as your confederate if you have a zany scheme which requires one with highly specific looks. I could show up somewhere compromising while shaped like one of your rivals, though I am not willing to engage in outright explicit fraud for legal reasons; still, a lot can be done even with 'anonymous' lookalikes. Some people would ask me to help them relive an evening with a long-lost spouse, or play out the dream of talking to an unapproachable noble, but I'm guessing the odds of you being after something of the sort are low.

These are the favours I can offer."

'Charcoal'

OOC:

'Seeing the persona below' is something that I built hard to not make trivial. I'm actually now wondering what do I need to do to build against those hitches if they can so easily bypass all those traits.

Rolls

Social+Deceive+Shapeshifting+Pride - (1d8+1d8+1d10+1d8)

(1) + (1) + (5) + (5) = 12

Apr 15, 2025 9:02 am

OOC:

Ooops. Yeah, sapient. English is not my first language. Thanks =)

Apr 16, 2025 4:32 am

"An appetizing assortment," she leans back upright again, pinching her chin thoughtfully. Her interest seems genuine, but there is a touch of disappointment, perhaps because Zix was just shy of the mark. "Certainly a number of services I'll be happy to take advantage of should we establish a good working relationship with this initial transaction, but I'm not looking for a favor. You want some'thing', and as it happens, so do I. Something only you can provide me."

She steps again, this time around Zix in a wide circle. "Doppelgangers are such fascinating creatures, with such unique and ubiquitous anatomies. It isn't simply a camouflage, you fully become the persona that you take on. Even your basic structure changes to fit, right down to the minute details and imperfections. Yet at the end of the day, though, you're just flesh and blood, same as anyone else who walks these halls. It begs a number of questions... Is it your skin? Your blood? An inborn magic? All of the above? I find myself curious....or rather...inspired...by that extraordinary physiology of yours."

At this point, she's walked all the way around Zix and come to stand in front of them. "What could I do--I wonder--with a couple of pints of your blood? A pound or two of your flesh? Or, perhaps if you're feeling generous, a digit or so? What would happen if I infused some of your skin with Excidium? Creatio? Or filled the veins of a cadaver with what runs through yours? So many possibilities, so many avenues, I'm positively quivering with anticipation..."

She grins, leaning back to sit on the edge of a desk and crossing her legs. "As I said, I am an artiste. I create. But to do that, I need paints for my masterpieces, clay for my sculptures, ink for my novels. I'll let you decide what to give, of course, but I expect 'material' enough to equal the weight of that which you ask of me, and it must come from your natural form."

She glances around to other students in the hall, "Certainly you might find other offers from my colleagues. I'm sure someone here would do it for a bag of coin, or perhaps ask a simple favor in exchange for what you want. And I would not be at all upset if you decided to shop elsewhere. In fact, I would applaud your shrewd business sense. Why go through so much for such a simple chore? Is your prize worth giving away a part of yourself?"

She pauses, letting things sink in, before looking back and leaning forward again slightly. "I leave it to you to weigh the benefits, though if I were you, I would consider what other advantages you secure by taking my deal, as opposed to bartering with someone whose terms--and ambitions--are...simpler. Either way, this is my price. Now...will you pay it?"

Last edited April 16, 2025 4:40 am

'Charcoal'

Apr 16, 2025 9:21 am

She raised her hand to her chin pensively, one finger diagonally crossing her lips, looking not very impressed. But on the inside, her heart was pounding in dread.

This is bad. If I tell Brass that there won't be a deal, he may get in touch with Salem in another way, and she may reveal my nature. That would be . . . bad. But leaving my flesh and blood to an arcane scholar has a whole other host of risks. I need to . . .

Charcoal frowned. "I do appreciate the novelty of having my value compared by weight to that of whatever carcass you got your material from, even after accounting for the processing. That would be a great quip had we been engaged in spiteful repartee at the university tavern while everyone is rubbernecking. Bravo."

Then her expression softened. "But I'm going to treat this as a serious suggestion, because I do indeed have my hopes that this will bear some kind of fruit distinct from the simple errand. And for that reason I'll make a counteroffer, and maybe we will find a range of outcomes that both of us would find reasonable.

Specifically, I realise that a lot of undesirable stuff can be done later with something like but a drop of blood, especially if given willingly. For this reason here is my proposal: we pick a day with no lessons; we find a secluded place; I offer you an amount of blood no less than the weight of a heart we agree upon, along with locks of hair or the like if you want; I take on different forms upon request throughout the day, and assist you if I reasonably can, but I witness everything you do with me and my materials, and ask questions if necessarily and you give answers to a reasonable extent; at the end of the day, with enough time to return to the dorms before lights out, you destroy any remaining samples under my oversight, with the ashes given to me.

Should I become unwilling to let you continue, we can stop and discuss, and if we reach no consensus, I can say a word and you destroy the provided materials immediately, but become free not to give the heart."

Charcoal tilts her head to the side a bit.

"In other words, I'm not willing to let you own a piece of me, but I'm willing to let you rent me for a day of your deviant experiments, so long as I can stop it any second with but a word. Would you like that?"

'Charcoal'

Apr 16, 2025 3:22 pm

At the first part, Salem merely shrugs, disinterested. "The 'value' of a thing is subjective, and it is becoming clear to me that you don't understand what you're asking for, let alone its true worth."

She pushes off the desk and begins pacing randomly around the room. "Your employer wants something very specific. Something with a particular use...a purpose. Something they need, yet neither supplied rhyme nor reason for their request, only an expectation. Moreover, I have no name, no address, and--aside from you--no method of contact, as well as no guarantee that they--or you--don't turn around and betray my trust by reporting these dealings to someone who could cause my ambitions harm. Comparing your blood to that of a bit of flesh pulled off of some random carcass?" She frowns, genuinely annoyed and actually looking a bit insulted. "Don't be so simple. It isn't a good look on someone clever enough to go through all that trouble to find me."

Despite this, she meets Zix's gaze with an intense stare. As she speaks, she raises her hand, one digit at a time, to count out the measure. "Anonymity--I continue to know nothing about the client. Silence--I keep quiet about this affair and don't report your suspicious exchange to the authorities or the mere fact that there's a doppelganger running around the academy grounds with unscrupulous intentions. Secrecy--I look the other way, and don't ask questions about my product's intended use or the reason for those exact specifications."

She goes on, but with even more gravity in her tone. "And lest we forget, my incredibly valuable time and the use of my ample skill to make it happen. And finally, of course, the object in question. A grand total of six services. That is what you want from me, and it is a tall order. Moreover, not only is the process of infusing an object with Excidium dangerous, there's also a great deal of risk in just letting you have it. I could potentially be implicated in whatever scheme this item is intended to be the key to, or perhaps it might be destined for some design that could potentially harm me or one of my constituents, mayhap even this academy. It could also implicate you, in fact, and yet you clearly don't know...nor do you seem to care enough to entertain the thought, which means either you're incredibly foolish, you have an easy way out, or you implicitly trust your benefactor. I have no such luxuries."

She pauses, and her expression softens. She even grins a little, coquettishly, "You want to watch? Be my guest. I have no qualms with voyeurism, nor do I have any desire to hide what I do. I'd happily perform my inquiries in front of the entire Sanctuary if you were to ask it of me. But your part of this exchange will be up front, I get to keep what I 'use' and you may only ask an agreed upon amount of 'yes or no' questions about the trials--though general conversation is permitted, and I may be inclined to extrapolate on my answers at my leisure. Finally, if at any point you choose to back out of the deal before your part is paid in full, it falls through and there will be no heart." She also thoughtfully considers something else, and adds, "Moreover, let's stretch this out a bit to avoid any adverse effects to your health, shall we? After all, it will take some time to put together my part of the offer, and the trials themselves shouldn't be rushes. You can't really expect me to use all of that in just one day, can you? How about twice a week, for spans of, say....3 hours each, until either the full amount is used, or I'm satisfied with the results, whichever may come first?"

She waits, then, wetting the corner of her lips with her tongue. She seems to be enjoying this negotiation, and is anticipating another counter-offer.

Last edited April 16, 2025 3:35 pm

'Charcoal'

Apr 16, 2025 7:58 pm

The witch listens attentively, clearly focused on the offered points in favour of the heart being of more value and contemplating a response, maintaining a balance of playful and businesslike expression.

Salem says:

"But your part of this exchange will be up front, I get to keep what I 'use' and-"

And then something clearly 'clicked' in her head, for any sign of amusement left her face. She finished listening to the counteroffer, and spent a few moments gathering her thoughts into words.

"This will likely head nowhere. We can haggle and discuss the subjectivity of value all day long, but all that is no use if we can't navigate each other's dealbreakers. And mine is that I cannot let you own and keep a part of me like that. You say that I don't know of true value, but either you're downplaying what can be done with such a personal piece of someone, or perhaps you are the one who does not know.

But I know enough. I do not think this errand is enough reason for me to risk my freedom like that. I have lived too long one step away from this sort of risk, known those for whom this risk was not hypothetical; I do not want to foolishly recreate this kind of concern for myself. Certainly not for a small side job where I was merely asked to arrange a purchase.

We can continue negotiating if you are more flexible than me on this bullet point. If not, we may as well admit that no more progress can be made towards an agreement."

'Charcoal'

Apr 17, 2025 4:00 pm

Salem purses her lips thoughtfully, not taking her eyes off of 'Charcoal'/Zix, even long after they've finished speaking. Her expression remains inscrutable, however, and after some moments of silence, she speaks. "Very well, then. I understand your reasoning and your wishes; one's own personal freedom is more than enough grounds to maintain your wariness, and I will make no attempts to convince you of my ethicality. It seems I was mistaken, and you truly aren't in the service to an employer. You're merely a messenger, and I don't feel inclined to take anything from a robin when I'm after a hawk, however intriguing that robin may be."

Salem takes a seat at one of the tables, turning so that she looks at Zix, but her body faces away. She waves dismissively. "You may tell your 'contact' that I have no interest for their offering, and to either come up with something more suited to my tastes, or find another supplier."

"As for you, if there is nothing else, then I will keep my word and not speak of your identity or dealings. You have nothing to fear from me, and may continue to go about your business within the university, unhindered. And if I do decide I have need of your other services, perhaps we can strike a different bargain," she concludes, resting her cheek against her fingers.

Last edited April 17, 2025 4:01 pm

'Charcoal'

Apr 17, 2025 5:21 pm