Open Chronicles The Festival of Feathers

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

As Lottie came out of the stall he went to meet her. She looked a lot better as she demonstrated. He nodded with a sympathetic smile, confirming her comment that they had indeed met her sister. He was about to suggest she might go home to rest when she agreed to get a drink with him.
He blinked and then smiled, "I would be more than happy to have a drink with you, my lady. Though perhaps you should confirm with your sister that it would be alright, she's very worried about you."
He gave Wren an apologetic smile, hoping that by deferring to her they could smooth over their recent differences.
He hated to have women as enemies, they were far more cunning and sharp than any man could ever imagine.

"I did promise your cousin I would cover any expenses. I'll speak with the doctor and be right out."
Out of hearing of her sister he leaned in, "I do hope she lets you join me for a drink. It would truly be my honor. I'll be right back."
With that he gave her uninjured hand a gentle touch before he went inside the medical stall.
Ryado remained outside and greeted Lottie with a smile and a bow.
"I'm sorry we hadn't the opportunity to become acquainted before, I'm Ryado Eldemitri. I'm thankful for your recovery and I do hope my lord hasn't made a total buffoon of himself in front of you, let me apologize on his behalf."

___________________________________________________​

Tzuriel entered the small medical shop and greeted Lucien Saartre with a smile and he bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you so much for taking care of her. I'm Tzuriel Alanthis. I wanted the chance to talk with you about some business, but first and foremost before we get to that I did promise to cover any expenses for her treatment."

 

[Nico Valerus]

"Alas, there are only so many hours in the day," he remarked at Garrick's mention of wine. His skills weren't exactly the most overt kind, even to those able to sense it. Rather than dealing in solely arcane energy, it manipulated the fabric of emotions, draining and drawing upon them until they exerted their force upon the world. Disgust given presence and Joy given power. Empaths weren't the most common, even among the menagerie of mages at Elbion. Even he hasn't met one, or at least not one who showed it.

The loss of wine was a disappointing one, but they had places to be. Plus, someone might catch on if there's a repeated pattern of 'Incredibly attractive and attractive elf walks up to stall, something gets stolen after.' It'd be rather anticlimactic if the wine was what did it in for them and not the egg heist, after all.

As Nico and his newfound partner walked towards the hatchery, the sky elf continued to siphon bits of emotion from passing people. There was the usual: lots of Joy, some Tranquility, a touch of Charity. Amidst the sea of emotions, however, there was a truly impressive amount of Fury sheltered within one person.

He stole a glance in her direction, seeing the woman leaning against the doctor's office making no attempt at hiding her frustration at the man next to her. "Wouldn't want to be that guy," he murmured under his breath, averting his gaze as he quickly drew some of her Fury to him. Wren Kingsley would feel, abruptly, vaguely more calm than she was a moment ago.

Of course, stealing all of her Fury would be insane; he valued not being put in prison for going into a murderous rage. Still, it'd be useful for him and good for the safety of everybody within a 60-foot radius of her. Shortly after, he saw a woman step out the doctor's, possibly the source of her wrath, who called out to a duo coming near them. One wore a mask, an intimidating one at that, and the other seemed just a bit tipsy. What an odd bunch, he thought to himself.

 

[Blanche Ponsonby]

The walk was continuing to bore Blanche. Rob was in a mood so he had refused to talk to her, worse still he'd done some sort of magic and now her hands were shackled together. So, she did what any bored person would do in such a situation, and started prodding him in the back. His padding prevented most of her efforts, but, occasionally, she managed to dig one finger straight within touching distance.

"I wonder Rob, are you ticklish?" She smiled, ready to test her new theory until something caught her attention. Her sisters. Perfect, she could at least hide put Lottie between her and Wren.

"Oh Rob, do you hear that? Little Lottie's asking us to go for a drink. They have a new friend too! What a shame, I guess we're obliged to join them. It's family after all." She smiled a devious smile, slipping carefully from Rob's clutches and ran towards Lottie.

"If you wouldn't mind as well, can you free my hands? Otherwise, I'll have to drink out of the stein's like a dog." While some who heard her might think she was joking, Blanche knew the truth. Her sisters knew the truth. Rob even knew the truth. She would, and had, drunk beer like that on several occasions. She just wondered what would win out. Rob's anger? Or his embarrassment?

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren's gaze lifted as Lottie spoke and she straightened up, about to go to her when the man did so first..her jaw clenched, but she said nothing for fear of losing her mind. The comment about 'misfortune' from her sister stung a little. Lottie didn't exactly have the best luck with men, nor had Wren ever met one that she'd liked apart from Rob (not that she'd tell him that..) - but despite how mad they drove her, she loved her sisters dearly and simply wanted to protect them, though perhaps she could be a touch overbearing.. "Yes we've met.." she answered, trying to keep her tone civilised but alas, her expression said otherwise. She did lift a brow in surprise however as he apparently considered Wren's worry over the situation..he'd get another point for that at least. He knew how to play this game it seemed.

She had been about to answer her comment about a drink when attention turned to Rob and Blanche, the latter still dressed like a man and completely soaking wet for some reason, and her brow furrowed irritably.. "I think they're heading back home.." she cleared her throat..gods she hoped they were heading back home, the last thing Blanche needed was to further pickle her liver. Wren huffed and stepped over to Lottie as Tzuriel disappeared into the infirmary, her hands lifting to sort her sister's mask back into place and noticing that tears had smudged her makeup a little, and so she ran her thumbs over her cheeks to fix it up a little...She had been intent on going bat-shit-crazy about the fact that she'd gone to the infirmary at all, but she was fixed and hadn't been recognised and that was what mattered. "I'm glad you're alright, but we really should b--" she stopped abruptly, something was wrong, and she stepped back from her sister to lean back against the wall, her fingertips pressing against her temples..

Wren had been angry for such a long time that it was simply how she functioned. Fuck she -needed- that fury, it acted like an armour and kept her sane(ish), it kept all other emotions locked firmly at the back of her mind just in case they got in the way. It was simply how she got through her days, how she'd gotten over trauma, how she made sure they were all kept safe. She could still feel anger but it was dulling, and making other emotions more prominent..There was a hard lump in her throat and she swallowed, but it wasn't going away, did her sister really say that? "I didn't mean to be a misfortune.." she spoke before she could stop herself. Holy-fuck now she was being melodramatic?! What was going ON?! Was that a tear?? No, couldn't be, Wren didn't cry! She cleared the tear the second it'd dropped onto her cheek and started to panic a little, bringing her attention back to Blanche as she ran toward them, in the hope that it would bring back her lost fury. But no - all she could think of was that she drove her sister to the state she'd been in like their own mother had driven her to rebellion. Holy SHIT she was their MOTHER!!!.. More tears filled her eyes and she turned away.. "Fucking allergies.." she lied... "You're right Lottie, you should go enjoy yourself.. Just, keep Rob with you..please." she asked and took herself before she wound up causing a much more different scene than she was used to causing.

Nico Valerus Charlotte Beaufort Rob Cooke Tzuriel Alanthis Blanche Ponsonby

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Lottie watched Tzuriel go back into the doctors with a pleasant smile, she in all honesty had half expected him to have left by the time she had got out. The least she could do was have a drink with him. the smile only grew at the politeness of his guard Ryado Eldemitri, who she inclined her head towards politely.

"Lottie, and you needn't worry about your friend. He was a very charming dancer, I hope he doesn't blame himself for a drunks misstep. If you'll excuse me just one moment," Lottie half let her head dip towards her sister to indicate where she was going. As she dragged her feet towards her sister, waiting for the onslaught of wrath, what she wasn't expecting was the gentle touch on her cheeks and even gentler words. It paralysed her. Wren sad was not something she knew how to deal with. Their whole set up was based on Wren being grumpy, Blanche being drunk, and Rob being... whatever Rob was. If her sister cried, she was going to cry.

"Wren," Lottie took two quick steps after her older sister and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back and into a tight hug. It was the kind of hug she had used to give her older sister when she was six and had had bad dreams, was too scared to shut her eyes. Being shorter than her Lottie was still able to tuck her head under her sisters chin and hold on tight. "You're not a misfortune, I'm sorry, I just don't like it when you're angry with me," soft childish words from the heart whispered against her sisters clothes. Only when she could feel her sister soften did she look up at her with a hesitant smile. "Come on, come for a drink with us, please? Let's not leave the day with such a foul taste in our mouths," her hands rubbed down her sisters arms and then squeezed her hands. It was then that she looked up to see Blanche running towards them, but as her sister turned to look back at Rob, her course veered slightly and Lottie got to watch the whole hilarious montage of her tripping and flying straight into Nico Valerus.

 

[Rob Cooke]

He seemed not to notice the prodding as he walked along. When Blanche asked if he was ticklish, he said, "No, not particularly, why?" However, Blanche was quickly distracted before she decided to check that theory.

He calmly released the invisible shackles, no one observing would've even noticed they were there. As he walked over, something was wrong. Wren's whole demeanor had changed, hell, he was pretty sure she was crying. He awkwardly stood there, not really sure what to do.

He wanted to go over and be helpful, but he was fairly certain it wasn't his place. At the end of the day, the sisters didn't know him that well nor he them. Plus, his attempts to assist would likely end poorly, so he left things to Lottie.

 

[Garrick Knight]

The two thieves continued onwards, both deciding it was best avoid unnecessary distractions and focus on the mission at hand. All the while Garrick pondered the magic use of Nico. Despite his love for skulduggery, magic was still a passion of his. Otherwise he'd have quit studying at Elbion long ago and become a full time thief. Nico's magic was subtle, and different from anything he had seen at the academy. He was unsure how the elf paid his price. There were no obvious symptoms or fatigue, with the grifter continuing on as his same old self.

How intriguing.

Garrick continued his mental exercising, theorizing on how the man practiced his craft. Then he noticed it. A slight tremor, a little movement, but most of all a loud angry woman who no longer seemed loud or angry. How peculiar. Could he have been an Empath? No, they were supposed to have died out years ago. Perhaps he found a similar technique on an old scroll or something.

Garrick's thoughts were jolted as Blanche Ponsonby tumbled into Nico Valerus. Perhaps Nico sidestepped out of the man's way and he tumbled in Garrick, or perhaps he didn't and knocked Garrick over, but either way he found himself on the ground.

"Little early to be soused isn't it?" Garrick said as he brought himself to a stand and dusted himself off.

 

[Nico Valerus]

Nico couldn't help but steal a glance at the group, only to see the once-furious woman now desperately trying to keep up a serious demeanor as she wiped what were seemingly tears from her eyes. That was definitely not his intention. Usually what would happen is they'd feel a bit calmer, relax a bit, maybe even throw out a joke. Instead, he seemed to have accidentally unleashed an emotional and heartfelt moment upon the poor, unsuspecting group.

The elf was about to quickly turn his gaze and walk briskly away when he noticed a man running towards him. As Blanche Ponsonby turned his gaze to the masked figure, their foot caught on the ground and tripped towards... Nico himself. There was little time for either him or Garrick to react before they collided, the tumbling drunk managing to knock Garrick to the ground. Nico held up his hands, grasping Blane's shoulders to stop him from suffering the same fate. At this distance, he noticed the man's face was exceedingly wet, as though he had been dunked in a pool of water numerous times. Odd.

Instead of an annoyed expression, a grin fell upon his face. "Hold on there, don't go falling for me just yet. I don't even know your name," he said with a teasing tone, letting go of the man's shoulders once he was confident he wasn't about to fall. He held out a hand to help Garrick up, replying, "Oh, it's never too early for drinking when there's a festival about!"

As he glanced back to the rather clumsy and/or drunk man, he asked, "You alright there? That was a bit of a nasty stumble."

 

[Blanche Ponsonby]

Blanche recovered almost immediately, the charming smile never leaving her beautiful face. A quick glance towards Wren and Lottie told her all she needed to know. Lottie had clearly angered Wren to the point of tears and was now trying her best to fix it up. As always, it would be best for Blanche to stay out of the mess and instead entertain her two new friends. After all, they were both very handsome.

She was on a high today and even Rob in a mood wasn't going to bring her down from this. In fact, in such a good mood was she, her stray hands didn't even attempt to wander into the pockets of the strangers she'd fallen into.

"Your friend is right, I am incredibly soused, but I intend to get doubly so by the end of the day!" She smiled, the warm sun slowly drying her off, but it was still clear she'd taken a plunge recently. Thankfully, however, while Rob had been dunking her, she'd taken the chance to swirl her mouth and nose and was relieved of the horrible vomity musk she had gained from her earlier antics. Blanche paused, remembering her place, remembering she was here posing as a man.

"Now fellas, my way of apology. You are looking at the current champion of the joust. How about we celebrate, drinks on me, and you sir... Can tell me your name over a drink." She smiled wickedly, winking towards Nico and Garrick. Her antics today had seen her come into a small fortune and she would be damned if she was going to be left with any of it by festival's end.

Turning her attention to the rest of her party - namely Lottie, Rob and Wren - she nodded. As if to say, 'are you joining me or what?'

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Fuck.. Hugs. Her kryptonite. For the love of the gods, hold it together Wren..Be angry!

Lottie was the one person that Wren struggled to stay mad at for long, both she and Blanche had looked after her more than her parents had. She hated to see her upset and this current emotional imbalance she was experiencing was really not great for her raging reputation. She sighed as her arms wrapped around her little sister, resting her chin on top of her head and rolling her eyes at her words. It wasn't something Wren would usually have commented on, she'd take it to heart in her own way but show no emotion over it, another comment she'd brush off - she couldn't believe she'd said it. "I...Don't apologise, I'm not angry. Just wanted to make sure you were alright.." she told her quietly and looked down at her sister's hesitant smile. She did feel calmer, thanks to Nico Valerus 's neat little trick, but she also felt like an emotional wreck and entirely vulnerable.. Fuck there was that pain in her throat again - what WAS this curse?!

"No foul taste.. I promise. I just don't feel, quite right. Perhaps I'll take a walk and then come find you." she compromised. But the three sisters together would attract the attention of anyone looking for them, and she didn't think it a wise thing to do. Lottie was already using her own name and Blanche, well...She was causing scenes all over the joint. She frowned in Rob's direction, a look of 'why the fuck is she still here?'.
Wren squeezed back at Lottie's hands and forced a smile in the pretence that she was fine, before letting go and walking off with haste.

She'd wander away from the crowds, back to the winding streets and alleyways of the much more impoverished parts of their city that she knew well. There had been a few homes she'd intended on visiting, and the streets were quiet with everyone being at the festival, she'd get some peace there.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Tzuriel finally emerged from the stall, having payed the healer and set up an investment with him. He approached Lottie once more, glad she hadn't left yet. But he didn't dare interrupt the touching moment between the sisters. That look on Wren's face was one he never would have suspected she would ever reveal to anyone, especially in public. It proved one of his own theories to himself, there are two sides to every person.

As Wren turned to leave he gave her an understanding nod that doubled as a promise, 'I'll take care of her in your place, you have my word.' As she disappeared into the crowd he then approached Lottie.
"Everything's squared away. Do we have your sisters blessing to go for a drink?"
Just as he asked this Ryado tapped him on the shoulder, "I'll be getting things ready down at the docks, don't be late... again..."
Tzuriel nodded and waved as Ryado disappeared into the crowd as well, then he turned his attention back to Lottie.

"I feel I must apologize. I never meant to inconvenience you or your sister. Like you I want to enjoy this festival to the fullest, but I don't want to make it less enjoyable for either of you in the process. If you would rather spend it with your family I won't hold it against you."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Lottie nodded as her sister made her excuses and vanished, but she couldn't help but still feel some guilt knotting in her stomach. It took a lot to make Wren like that. She wasn't herself-

The youngest sisters eyes panned around the area. No, she wasn't herself. That had been magic. Wren would never be so distraught she couldn't control her emotions that much. Her eyes landed on the two men who were talking with Blanche and Rob and her jaw clenched. Was it one of them? There were people everywhere, it was a busy festival, so no way to tell. It was just unfortunate for them that they had been stopped. She was about to march over there herself when Tzuriel appeared behind her, startling her. Her hand went to her heart as if she could control the rhythm as she turned to him with a smile.

"I do have her blessing and I would like to have a drink with you but," Lottie put her hand on his arm and then slid it down to his hand, cocking her head slightly towards her 'brother' and his group. "My brother is asking if we would like to join them. I know meeting the family isn't usually until the third or fourth meeting but," she smiled. It was an open ended invitation if he wanted to go with them, they would, if not then she would go with him to a quieter place.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Tzuriel shrugged. He was a foreigner in a strange land, it behooved him to simply take her lead and really he didn't see an issue with that. He regarded her cousin and brother who was rather lush already. perhaps he should refuse for his sake, though looking at her "brother" more closely he was able to pick out some rather effeminate features. Usually one could tell a woman from a man either by the eyes or by the figure... But if it was a disguise it was a good one, changing just enough about the most common feminine tells to put reasonable doubt in Tzuriel's mind. He mentally shrugged, it wasn't his business.

"I wouldn't mind spending time with your family, but I think if I asked the doctor he would agree that your brother should help himself to a bed instead of another drink. If you want to know my preference I would like to get to know you better on a personal level, but I'll defer to your decision."
He smirked, "Or, allow me to pose an alternative phrasing of your question; Do you prefer a public conversation, or an intimate conversation?"
He offered her his hand with a theatrical flourish.
"You're choice, lady of freedom."

 

[Garrick Knight]

The Elbion student found himself caught. His comment of being soused was intended to bring a hint of rage or frustration in the tripping man, prompting him to leave. Instead this champion of the joust had offered to buy them a drink. Eschewing his request could garner attention, especially if the drunk made a scene, but at the same time Garrick preferred not lose time.

"A quick drink would be wonderful." Garrick replied to the winking Blanche Ponsonby. "But I'm not sure how long we can stay. My associate and I have some business to handle before the festival's over." He turned his head to Nico Valerus, as if for approval. Truthfully, the two could probably make it work if pressed for time, but Garrick figured his was the silver tongue. If there was a way to gracefully handle the situation, he'd leave it to him.

 

[Nico Valerus]

As the rather drunk individual spoke to him, Nico couldn't help but look over 'his' features. They seemed a bit feminine and his figure didn't lend itself to that of a man, and as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the human form, he felt he had a good sense of these things. Regardless of whether or not his instinct was a correct one or not, it didn't much matter.

At the offer, a grin quickly found its way onto the sky elf's face. "An excuse for drinks is always welcome, especially from the champion himself," he swiftly replied as Garrick glanced in his direction. It would be a delay, but declining would draw a bit too much attention their way, especially with the woman's emotional outburst mere moments prior. Plus, he could always use free drinks. "Our schedule is a bit on the packed side, but we'd be glad to come."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"I think... you are right," Lottie grimaced a bit as she glanced over her sis- brother. Sh-- he. He was a wreck. And damp. Her eyes flicked back to Rob who was standing nearby looking as unimpressed as Rob always looked when he had pulled Blanche duty. The middling sister was a loose cannon to say the least; her alcoholism was a genuine concern and even more so because it often led to horrific adventures. Sometimes she walked away fine but other times... not so much.

"A compromise?" her lips pulled up at one corner giving him a crooked smile. "We go to the same place but have our own table. That way I can make sure he doesn't make a total fool of himself but I can have the pleasure of getting to know you without an older brother and cousin grilling you." A soft laugh. "We can see if you clear hurdle one before I throw you to the wolves."

 

[Blanche Ponsonby]

"Excellent, I'm Blane. I'll be your tour-guide. Our first stop will be this excellent fromager, they also sell wine. But honestly, who comes to Oban and doesn't sample the cheese?" Blanche seemed oblivious to any objections or any hesitation regarding time and schedules. Instead, she found herself getting increasingly more confident with each word she spoke. Her almost superhuman liver, clearly working overtime right now, was kicking in and the woman felt sobriety begin to hit her at a very sudden and unwanted rate. She sighed, this wouldn't do.

A knowing, yet smug look was exchanged at Rob and Blanche quickly led the group a few streets over to a quaint, but elegant, cheesemongers set back from the main thoroughfare. Without issue, she wove through the crowded streets, batting away any stray hands as they tried to reach for her pockets. Upon arrival, she exchanged a few words, flashed a bag of crowns, and ordered several local cold cuts, cheeses and 8 bottles of fine wine.

"I hope you don't mind, I ordered for us all, now... What brings you both to Oban?" The walk here seemed to have sobered her up almost completely and Blanche found herself eager to pry into these figures private lives.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Tzuriel matched her crooked smile with a laugh, "The compromise is acceptable. Let's follow the free-spirited crowd and see where it takes us."
So she was less "romantic dinner by candle light" and more of "a night on the town" sort of girl, but on the more classy side of free-spirited, if her dancing was any indication. Not uncommon among the daughters of the upper class or well-to-do.

If she accepted his hand he would switch and loop her hand in his arm while they walked after the rowdy bunch. He was pleasantly surprised by their destination, half expecting her brother to go to some back alley pub. He was far from a stranger to less reputable establishments, as a merchant traveling with his caravan he'd been to many Inns and taverns where the floor was covered in dirty straw and the ale was more like watered down horse piss.

But this place was pleasant, not too far off the beaten path and it had a nice homey vibe to it. Granted it wouldn't be the first place he would take a lady he had just met, but it was nice regardless.
After ordering a nice selection of cheeses and a bottle of the cities legendary wine he picked a table across the room but well within sight of her brother, cousin, and their new friends.

He pulled the seat out for her to sit and then scooted it in before taking his own seat across from her. It was a little table, but just fine for a light snack and a drink. He poured her a glass of wine and then poured some for himself.
"I admit, I'm excited to finally try Oban wine. In anticipation of this trip I didn't even try the sample my friend sent me, I wanted to try it first hand."

 

[Rob Cooke]

Rob glared down at the cheese. How’d he get into this? Wren was in an angry fit one second and then all of a sudden she was crying and gone. And now what.

He was stuck inbetween a rock and a hard place. Blanche had already had her big show but he was almost certain it wasn’t going to be the last.

Then there was Lottie. He wasn’t even sure. Something would go wrong, it was just how it always goes, she could take care of herself but at the end of the day she needed backup and someone to keep an eye on things.

He could probably take care of the sisters one at a time, but no, Wren had gotten overly freaked out and all of a sudden got freaked out. It was rather odd, something to think about. Either way, he’d have to be ready to deal with whatever happens.

The unseen eyes behind the mask slowly turned, boring into Blanche. Even in their tipsy state it should have the desired effect, hopefully. They had, after all, done this on purpose. Blanche may be a drunk but they were an observant drunk. She was baiting him. He wouldn’t bite. “No, you shouldn’t have, I must apologize, I am trying to diet a little, don’t want to get too out of shape.”

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Lottie quirked an eyebrow when she realised where Blanche was taking them. The little winery belonged to one of the few of the sisters strong allies in the city so it did make sense. As they stepped through Lottie briefly lifted her mask to the woman at the desk who looked haggard and worn out but beamed and embraced the youngest sister like she were her own family. Offering a small wave she followed her new friend to a table he had spotted near the back. It was a bit quieter as people preferred to be near the front and on the street to soak up the atmosphere but it suited Lottie better.

Once they were seated and she smiled graciously at her gentlemanly companion for the admirable way he was treating her, she took off her mask at last. She trusted this place. Susie didn't let people inside she didn't trust - the riffraff went outside. She laid the feathered mask to the side of their table and ran a hand through her short bob of curls.

"Really? Your first time?" She stilled his hand at that mention. She glanced at the bottle he had chosen and shook her head slightly. "Oh no, we can't start with this one then," a flicker of amusement before she glanced over her shoulder and caught Susie's eye. "Susie! My friend here has never tasted Oban wine - can we have the usual? If - you don't mind?" She turned back to Tzuriel.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

She took off her mask, and... Damn... Up to now all he's had to go on were her eyes and lips to indicate how beautiful she was, but a look at her undisguised face had him staring in spite of himself.
How had a girl... No, a woman like this avoided being snatched up and married off? Everything about her was just right for his tastes.
The dangerous aura about her was still present, but she was so exotically attractive with a slight helping of mystery, youth, and a professionalism he admired.

While she spoke he found it difficult to take his eyes off of her face, and now that he could see the rest of her face her eyes hit him with a new impact that he couldn't look away from.

She mentioned the name of the proprietress. So this was a place she was familiar with. Up to now she'd been hiding herself and her name behind that mask and he wanted to respect that, but if she trusted this place then he felt more confident using her name.
"You know better than I do about the wine here, miss Lottie, so I'll take your word for it.
Oban seems to have a habit of surprising me at every turn.
You're absolutely stunning and I don't feel ashamed to admit it! How have you managed to remain unclaimed? I'm sure your father would have plenty of incentive to marry you off, people of higher status tend to be like that no matter where you go."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Susie brought the selection of wines over with a quickness that showed Lottie was a valued customer, but it was at the moment the man commented on her marital status. Susie winced. Lottie pressed her lips together in a thin line even though she smiled and cast her eyes to the wines instead.

Before them the lady set five goblets each and poured a little bit of a different wine into each - more than most would get for a taster. In fact, most would say each was filled to the equivalent of a generous small glass. Each was a different shade and a different flavour. As Susie left she cast a look in Lottie's direction but the girl didn't pay her much mind, leaning forward on her elbows she cupped her chin and seemed to examine each one.

Still she did not answer.

Instead she picked up the lightest of the wines and passed it to him, taking the same for herself.

"The Jamela Wine. You serve this as a reception drink most often. It's very light and it doesn't make you feel full. But, it gets most people merry enough that by the end they are relaxed. It is what you will find you will be given if you go for business meetings too," as she explained she swirled her own glass and then took a sip herself, watching for his reaction to the wine.

Once he had had a taste she finally broached the subject.

"My father has found someone he thinks I should marry but I did not agree with his match. It is why we do not get along."

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Ugh, from her reaction he blundered into a touchy subject. He should have known better, he's seen it enough times yet he spoke without thinking. What was intended to be a compliment passed into the red zone of the daughters of powerful men.
He tried the wine, it was indeed light, a very good taste to set the mood. A talented host would serve this first to wet his guests apatite for the stronger wine later. Serve the cheap wine first and the expensive wine for the main event.

He listened to her response to his question that he now regretted asking.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to pry. A bit of a tasteless compliment on my part, please forgive me...
But this Jamela wine is very good, I'm hardly a connoisseur but I would say it compares closely to the expensive wines currently on the world market."
He finished the sample, normally he would only sip wine... But after that blunder he threw it back, letting the alcohol sting the back of his throat. He set down the glass with a sigh.

"I think your attractiveness simply caught me off guard. Perhaps I should let you pick our conversation before I blunder into another sensitive subject."
He gave an apologetic smile and tried to laugh it off a little bit. It's one of the few times he's ever appeared awkward in front of a lady.
Still, her plight was one he had heard so often. Though more often than not the daughters eventually bend to their parent's will, he somehow doubted that Lottie would. She was refined, but sharpened to a razors edge. If she had the means he had no doubt that she could use them to become very powerful in the world, if she had the correct media she could make waves in the world if she so chose.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"It's no problem, you weren't to know," Lottie's form relaxed a little though it was still clear the question had made her uncomfortable. She fingered the mask on the table as she watched him enjoy the first of their wines, barely touching her own. She enjoy watching people taste her fathers wines for the first time. It was a journey. If their relationship had not gone so sour so fast then Lottie might have actually been good at the business their father had created. One of the sisters had to inherit it and Wren had never seemed interested and Blanche would have drunk it all.

"These are relatively cheap in Oban, it's your every day kind of wine but it is good for parties too. If your host is only serving you this though, then you know there's a problem with his pockets," a bigger smile this time, more unease loosening from her shoulders. "Ok, the next one is a Viramir," she pushed the next glass, a slightly darker gold, towards him. "So this is served with the first course of a meal, so your fishes or salads or nibbles."

As he took the glass she entwined her fingers and then rested her chin on the structure to watch him intently.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

She relaxed, so he relaxed. He picked up the next glass, swirling the contents while not taking his eyes off hers. This time he sipped it, enjoying the flavor.
He nodded in agreement with her assessment, "I'm impressed, this wine has such a fine taste. I don't think I've tasted its like before anywhere else! You know a lot about wine, Miss Lottie. You're selling me every reason why I wont regret this trade decision before I've even met my business partner! I think you would make a fine merchant if you put your mind to it."

He set the second sample to the side. Really he wanted to ask her if she ever thought of leaving Oban, perhaps even allowing him to hire her as a merchant and working for him until she got on her feet... But it was a hopeful wish. If her father is anything like the man she described or the other men of this city, he would never allow it and he might become target of bounty hunters and assassins sent to retrieve a wealthy tradesman's daughter... Not something he wanted to go through again...

He picked up the next glass, but she was intently watching him. His first thought was that he had been poisoned and she was waiting for the effects to kick in, but that was just his paranoia. He held the glass in his hand turned his head to the side with a slight smile.
"Something on your mind, Miss Lottie?"