vii. unseelie locked. voice.

[vrykolakas]

I need extra hands for seasonal work, mages in particular; mages who can work with heat and fire, all the better. Or weather, shit. This cold is slowing down work at my spire; the Ninth, up on the coast, devilish cold even without the Roc's influence. We lost a young man to it yesterday. I need ice melted, walkways made safe, snow shovelled, water heated, just more people.

Coppers for ordinary workers, silvers for mages, as well as all my very tenderest and heartfelt sentiments of good will. Do something drastic and lasting and we'll discuss gold.

[LOG POST.]

Comments

( voice, locked. )

[vrykolakas]

A godsdamn few. If you want to play foreman then come and let my officers and native leaders take the weight off their feet a while, with no complaint from me.

[The point at which he realises she's offering to mindfuck his citizens may be unpleasant.

He employs Paloma to do that, after all, and only on his strict orders, for good reasons, which naturally makes all the difference.]

( voice, locked. )

[manipulative]

[ taking from others has never been a chore for katherine. it's always been a delightful task she has always partaken in. ]

I can bring ten, perhaps twenty — and some tools if you require them.

[ she doesn't particularly think to ask for said tools back. for a woman who has never picked a shovel up in her life unless it's to use it as a weapon, she's certain it's in the fine print or will simply be destroyed as the ice remains incredibly difficult to dig through. it's easier enough to agree — she's bored, she's compelling people to do dull chores, and this will easily get her something, even if it's copper and a walk to a tooth that's without the annoying schools of witches she'd escorted only recently. ]

[ she pauses for a moment before she adds: ] And if any fall sick, I have a way to heal them.

( voice, locked. )

[vrykolakas]

[That pricks his interest; he has a great number of volunteers who are willing without being particularly specific about what they're willing to do; having to organise them is yet more work for him. More numbers, supplies and healing, with a minimum of hand-holding...]

Then you would have my gratitude.

The settlement currently has more need of healers than heavy lifters. Whatever supplies and manpower you can offer would also be graciously received.

['Graciously'. It might not be him being gracious. Something to delegate, maybe. His gratitude is sincere and he's comfortable enough with this politico formality routine, but there's nonetheless a weariness about his tone which implies he's absently going through the motions of polite diplomacy rather than throwing himself whole-heartedly into it. And there are moments where he breaks from it, such as when he croaks quite bluntly:]

Got a name?

( voice, locked. )

[manipulative]

[ polite diplomacy is fun, to an extent — and sometimes expected. when one is offering a chance for another to be paid for their services, katherine's often a little too sweet. it's a rare occurrence for her, to be given the chance to even offer when her hand is often forced. she doesn't take it to heart, his breaking of a rather tired facade, as she, in a way, appreciates it much more. ]

Katherine.

[ though her locket may say katerina, it's not necessarily a lie. ]

[ with such a break in political diplomacy, perhaps it's only fair she doesn't wait for him to give his name, or even forgo it at all. ]

And if I recall my Dorchadas lessons, the Ninth Tooth belongs to ... [ she narrows her eyes, pausing. there's so many names, odd and mundane, and one of them is too familiar. in this moment, she's grateful to armel for having kept her up to date with goings on in the unseelie territory. she wasn't used to stalking anyone who wasn't stefan. ] Baron Brucolac, correct?

( voice, locked. )

[vrykolakas]

The Ninth Tooth belongs to the Unseelie Court, Lady Katherine, or else to its people, depending on your politics.

[A sudden wicked amusement spikes in his voice and is gone the next moment.]

Your education hasn't failed you. I am the Brucolac. When can I expect you?