#Torden Glazghotsyn

[catscratching]

Manipulation

2022.04.10

[Seda was in the midst of discussing a business arrangement with Kerrath when she had another visitor.] 

[Part 2]

Kerrath scratched his cheek a little. "Aye, I think Thanalan grows less civilized over time. I'm not always so much a fan of civilizing, though, but that's a personal aside."

Seda sighed, refilling her tea and pausing to hold up the pot in inquiry. "I am not either, when it involves displacing native populations and destroying those beneath the poverty level in the name of 'progress'." She looked up as the door chimed quietly, offering a smile to the newcomer, murmuring to Kerrath as she stood. "Excuse me a moment, please."

Kerrath blinked a few times, scratching his head, and nodded affirmatively.

Torden loomed in the doorway, taking a step in. He smelled of sweet pipe smoke and leather. "Miss Ballard." he said, his voice like a bank of fog rolling down a hill.

Seda was about to offer her welcoming spiel, but Torden's greeting made her pause. "Good afternoon. Yes, I am Miss Ballard," She brushed her hair back from her face, a trifle off-balance. "How may I assist you?"

Torden looked slowly to the chair and then back to Seda. "You are already with a client?" this was neither an accusation nor a question. "My business isn't terribly private, if you'd like to make introductions." and then he offered without extending his hand. "I am Torden Glazghotsyn. I was referred to you by Alswyn Hyrz."

Kerrath waved a few fingers back to the figure at the door.

Seda gestured toward the chairs in her 'office' graciously. "Of course. This is..." She paused to remember his name. "Kerrath. We were just discussing some social issues and an employment offer. May I offer you anything to drink? Tea? Coffee? Something stronger?" She was beginning to feel the need for something, herself - much as she appreciated an excuse to avoid doing paperwork, she wasn't usually this busy.

Torden nodded, "Clean water will be fine. Thank you." he moved to take a seat beside Kerrath.

Kerrath offered Torden a thumbs up. "Pleasure to meet you. What's your business?"

Seda nodded and vanished for a moment in the back to the sound of running water before returning with a pitcher and a pair of cups. She set them out, pouring a glass for each of her guests before resuming her seat, tugging it up under her.

Torden offered to Kerrath, as if he were among friends. "Racketeering." and then, "Yourself?"

Kerrath smirked. "I'm an axe man, actually."

Torden offered in kind, "The world needs more quality Axe Men."

Seda put her chin in a hand, watching the interactions between the two men with bemusement. "What brings you to my door today, Mr. Glazghotsyn?" She stumbled slightly over the name, but rallied, reaching for her teacup.

Torden reached into the magic space where people without pockets seemed to store things and removed a weapon, placing it on the table. It was almost certainly an assassin's knife. Some care had been made to create beauty on all faces of the weapon and its sheath. It seemed sized for smaller hands, perhaps Miqo'te hands. "I am interested in the provenance of this piece. " he said, his voice expanding out from his chest in waves. "I believe it may have passed through your hands before."

Kerrath looked to the knife, and then Seda's hands. They seemed to match.

Seda went still, reaching out to pick up the blade, cradling it in her hands. It had beautiful balance; that much was obvious. And anyone could see the hilt was sized to fit someone with small hands; it was not beyond the realm of possibility that it had, indeed, been made for her- or someone with hands the same size. Her complexion paled beneath the freckles, the spots dark against her skin. Carefully, she set the blade down, fingers skimming over the hilt in what might have been a caress. 

"Where did you come by this?"  She asked, her voice faintly hoarse.

Torden looked at Seda from under his brow, letting his eyes drift across her, then returned to address her. "I think you know exactly where I came by it."

Seda looked up sharply, her ears flattening against her head. "He said it was disposed of. That we were done - there would be no more games."

Torden leaned back, looking down the expanse of his cheeks at the woman, patience of a slab of granite as he listened.

Seda inhaled sharply through her nose, her hand flat over the dagger's pommel. "You can go back and tell Rucio," Her voice was vibrant with anger and something less easily defined, "That I still have him by the balls. I know where the bodies are buried, and if he wants them to STAY buried, he will stop. Fucking. Playing. With. Me."

Kerrath raised his brows with his eye wide for a moment, looking to Seda, and then Torden, and then Seda. She was very small to be levying such threats.

Torden offered to Kerrath, refusing to take his eyes off the pretty little thing for now. "Have you ever heard of the concept of Terroir?"

Kerrath shook his head. "Unless you're pronouncing that wrong, no."

Torden offered to Kerrath. "It's an idea wine makers use to describe how the region. The soil, the wind, the cycle of the seasons, the sun...how all these factors play into the making of their grapes." He lifted a finger to punctuate. "It's why a talented Sommelier can reliably tell you which region a wine was made in. He can read the notes, the subtle textures and notes of fruit."

Seda's tail lashed behind her, hand still on the dagger; now that it was returned, she was not letting it back out of her possession without a fight. She wasn’t quite sure where Torden was going with this line of conversation, but she was sure she wouldn’t like it.

Kerrath narrowed his eye. "...I'm not sure what that has to do with a knife." He scratched his cheek a bit. "Unless you mean to say you know where the knife was made."

Torden explained, "I am interested in your opinion of the Terroir of Ms. Ballard’s explanation." he licked his lips. "I have a feeling it's genuine, but as they say; beware beauty for it sits most closely to that which it controls."

Seda's features drew into a scowl as she sat back, drawing the dagger down into her lap and holding it... well. Like someone that knew knife-fighting, for all she had told Kerrath earlier she was not a fighter. She had no idea what Torden - and by extension - Rucio - was playing at, but she had to let this proceed; more information would be gained by staying silent and letting the big Roegadyn have the stage.

Kerrath looked at Seda again, wrinkling up his nose. "Oh, I wouldn't call her beautiful to her face, apparently she's had a bad string of luck with people who do that too much." He scratched his head. "I'm not sure I understand the question, though."

Seda transferred her glare to Kerrath for a moment before redirecting it at Torden.

Torden drummed a set of thick fingers on the table in a moment of contemplative silence. "Seems things are about to get out of hand." He glanced at Kerrath, and then back to Seda. "Amity, Argent. I've no wish to be gutted and die on your floor today. Allow me pardon for my verbal transgressions." his voice low and steady, "I've had an interesting day."

Seda was still half-seated, one foot beneath her to push off if Torden looked as though he was going to come across the table at her. Her ears swiveled and turned at every breath, her eyes wide and lips parted; the image of a creature poised to take in as much information about her environment as possible, and take immediate action at the first sign of a threat. She didn't relax at his words, the ridge of her tail still bristled. "You don't say. I think you should start talking a bit more and explain."

Kerrath blinked a few times, looking between them. "..." He blinked a few times more. "I'm not sure what's happening."

Torden began, "The knife, which Argent has slyly moved below the edge of the table, presumably so she can ready it for one of us...I'll guess myself, was found on the body of an officer of the law last night, in the city of Ul'dah. It was in a sack with a few other confiscated items being walked out of impound, and I suspect it was going to be delivered to whomever was paying to make sure the items did not stay in the impound." he glanced at the table a moment in recollection....

Kerrath squinted. "This is a lot more complicated than most of my jobs already."

Torden continued, "The officer did not make it far. Three blocks form the impound barracks, he was murdered, in an alley way of course." he smirked slightly, "And to answer your question no. But my people were following him, he was wanted on other business relevant to my interests."

Seda's ears flattened at Torden's explanation, an angry hiss passing her lips. "The last I saw of this blade was five years previous. It was not in my possession, it should not have been anywhere near the Brass Blades. How did you track it to me?"

Torden offered a one word explanation. "Rucio."

Seda bared her teeth, fangs glinting. "And he just said 'Oh yes, that belongs to Argent, you can find her at this address?' What took you to him?" She didn't explain how this was all connected to Kerrath; she didn't know him terribly well, and was now suspicious he was a plant as well. Rucio had a nasty habit of interfering in her affairs.

Kerrath: "Who's Rucio? Is he some sort of knife-wielding wine-man from La Noscea?"

Torden opened his palms, as if the world was an endless curiosity that could fit inside of them. "The damndest thing, Argent. I had it out on the table as I was paying him. Your name flowed from his lips without hesitation. It was as if he could not wait to implicate you."

Seda hissed again, muttering something like, "I'll fucking kill that bastard this time." She shot Kerrath a look, her eyes a little wild. "Rucio Corcoran is the leader of l'Oeil d'Argent. If you wish illicit entertainments in Limsa, you go to l'Oeil. Women, men, drugs, fighting, gambling - they hold the strings to any number of things, and are endeavoring to branch out into new markets; taking advantage of the unrest of recent events." Her nostrils flared as if she smelled something foul. "He finds someone's weakness and uses it to tie them irrevocably to him, then yanks them around until he tires of the game."

Torden offered narratively to Kerrath, "Of course, there is only one way she could know that."

Kerrath: "...She's worked with him before?"

Torden dimmed his eyes with disapproval at Kerrath. "Come on."

Seda finally settled down into her chair, but kept the dagger in her lap, her jaw tight. She wasn't sure if Torden knew the nature of her relationship with Rucio, and if he didn't, she sure as hell wasn't going to enlighten either of them.

Kerrath: "I am an axe man who has had many battles. My place is not to assume, it is to fight. Forgive me."

Torden: She would work with a man, know his business, and then one day become a fountain of righteous indignation and start a small business? Not in this economy.

Kerrath: "Are you saying she slept with him, or that secretly she is him?"

Torden: Or that she or someone she loves was a victim?

Seda's ears flattened again. Torden was too perceptive for her comfort. She was about to snap something when Kerrath asked his question; the utter disgust on her face would have been comical under other circumstances. "I do not see where the nature of my connection with Rucio is the business of either of you," She growled, her voice tight.

Kerrath looked to Seda. "It's none of my business." He shrugged.

Torden: I believe we have arrived at an uncomfortable truth. Rucio saw the knife, and saw an opportunity to bring some hell down on Miss Ballard, but he underestimated me and the tact I would take. Most do.

Seda turns her eyes back to Torden, her expression wary. "And what do you want for this information? I don't believe for a moment you came out of the goodness of your heart to tell me that he planted the blade and implicated me."

Torden gave his response in a measured beat, each word marching out of his mouth like a soldier on parade. "I want leverage on Corcoran."

Seda blinked. That wasn't what she expected. "Why?" She wasn't entirely certain this wasn't a trap - and she had people to protect.

Torden leaned back, raising his voice just enough to give it weight. "Because he is an operator in my world. Because he is not trustworthy. Because he is a nihilist, Ms Ballard. And you can't do much with a nihilist."

Kerrath: "You can do anything with a nihilist. The lack of a moral code is a gateway to a lot of fun."

Torden: And what do you believe in, Mer Kerath?

Kerrath: "For me, I'm just here to pursue martial excellence. I am quite literally here to win fights."

Torden: It is a gift to be simple.

Seda narrowed her eyes. Torden definitely had her former lover and employer pegged correctly, but still... "You understand that I cannot tell you anything that could only come from me. My hold on him is only effective when his secrets remain secret; the moment they become public, I have no defenses."

Kerrath: "Truly, it is. I know who I am and what I am about. I rest easily and live without regrets. Few are as liberated or spiritually wealthy as me."

Torden nodded to Seda, lips frumped with approval. "Indeed, you've much to think on. I'll leave you to it." he pushed his untouched water away from himself by an inch or two. "I'll make sure you have a way to contact me."

Seda nodded, reaching up with her free hand to run her fingers absently through her hair. "Do that." She looked to Kerrath, her eyes narrowing in speculation. "I may have work for you sooner than expected. I'll need a way to contact you, too."

Torden said only "Anon." as he made his way out, leaving the knife in Seda's capable hands.

Kerrath looked up to Torden, and then to Seda. "I'll pass you a linkpearl. That was, uhm, more than I expected. A very clandestine life you lead."

Seda watched the large man go, already thinking ahead to everything she must do – her office was no longer safe.  She had to go elsewhere. Tonight.  Once he was through the door, she looked down at the dagger in her hands, then up at Kerrath. "I have lived this life for five years. I didn't ask to be dropped back into the one I left behind."

Kerrath: "The life of a mercenary is about as eventful but I'd say we seem to manage stress better, mostly with alcohol."

Seda gave him a look. "I handle stress fine. Finding I am framed for murder is extenuating circumstances." She got to her feet, sliding the dagger in her sash with easy familiarity. "I have some preparations to make, you said I could get a linkpearl frequency?"

Kerrath rose to his feet and offered her a hand--in his rough and well-lacerated palm, a finger missing, lay a pearl. "You looked a hint on edge either way. I know a fellow in the tavern in Drybone, tell him Kerrath sent you and to give you the good stuff on my tab. Strong, but also sweet. A fuzzy head and a cavalier attitude can solve many of life's problems with just a little bit of time." He blinked a few times. "...It also helps to be physically large with a large axe as well."

Seda took the pearl and slid it into a pouch at her belt. "I'll keep that in mind, next time I'm in Drybone. Thank you." She didn't say that she was going to lock the door behind him, indulge in a panic attack, then go surround herself with people she trusted to guard her back; she clung to her dignity with her fingernails. "I should be in touch within a couple of days."

[Part 2]