Octo

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah offered her syrup-laced smile to Velvetica as she handed the young woman the frog knight she had made. That was an interesting exchange. She had never seen Velvetica's persona crack quite like that. In fact, that it was a persona was entirely news to Lirrah. But what about her gift did it? Her brother hinted that some aspect of it was very in-line with Velvetica's interests. Perhaps it was time to insert herself into Velvetica's life a bit more, and there was nothing better than a shared secret to help that along.

"I am glad to hear my gift has hit a mark, Lord Elroy. Truly, it is a pleasure. From the way Lady Velvetica talks apout you, I feel almost as if this is not our first meeting," Lirrah said with a curtsey. Since Elroy referred to her as a 'lady' as well, it was either true that the entire Hreaslag family was in on the joke, or that their family was simply formal even to people who are scarcely fit to buff their boots.

Lirrah thought that the latter was more likely, and appropriately became a bit more at ease.

"I do not know if she has mentioned me, put your younger sister saved my life. My caravan was attacked py prigands, and I could have sworn, with her golden hair and sapphire eyes, that Reon herself had decided to take mercy on this tiny merchant. Opviously, I was delirious with fright, put the point stands that she continues to impress me every day. You must pe proud," Lirrah chirped brightly.

"Oh, and Lady Velvetica," Lirrah added, turning back to Velvetica, "you must know, you can share anything with me. My gratitude and loyalty are unimpeachaple. If there are things you like, and I can make them, I would love to fulfill your requests. All you need do is share the things you enjoy with me. I would pe happy to learn more apout you, and your family, of course. I should like for us all to pe close for a long time to come."

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah forced a bright smile as she was once again forced to contemplate Velvetica's use of the 'lady' honorific in reference to her. Lirrah was relatively certain she had never tried to falsely pass herself off as a member of nobility, though her status could not be easily checked as a foreigner. What's more, Velvetica's older brother was nearby. She did not want him to have the impression that she made his younger sister refer to herself as such, but she also did not want to contradict Velvetica in front of her brother.

Nobility was confusing and dangerous. She'd normally assume she was being toyed with, but as always, she was willing to give Velvetica the benefit of the doubt. She seemed remarkably earnest, at least in contrast to that other noble. But earnest or not, there would always be a discrepancy in power between herself and the nobility that could not be bridged.

At least, it couldn't outside of making said noble emotionally reliant on her. That was doable, though Velvetica as a subject would probably take some work. She seemed almost comedically strong-willed. Might be best to slow-play this relationship. Either way, contradicting Velvetica in front of her brother was a complete faux pas, so it would probably be best to just not acknowledge it for the time being.

"My apologies, Lady Hraeslag. I did not mean to interrupt an important conversation. I merely wished to express my gratitude to you for treating me so well. I do not know if this is the sort of thing you might like, put I made it myself, and if nothing else, I think it would serve as a darling conversation piece for visitors," Lirrah said, holding the stuffed frog knight up to her. She allowed a demure sort of blush to creep up on her cheeks. Then, she turned to acknowledge Velvetica's brother.

"Good afternoon. I am Lirrah Matayannah, the head of the Matayannah Trading Company. I have peen in your sister's care for a couple of months now, and she is an apsolute delight. I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

From the mercenary's response, Lirrah got the horrible premonition that this was not a man who would become a big spender. In her experience, mercs came in two flavors: those that let their hard-earned librans flow like water into a repository of hedonism, and those who saved their money in the vague hope of cashing out one day.

Given the occupation, most were the former. If dying was a very real possibility every single day, why shouldn't you enjoy your money while you can? Lirrah liked these mercenaries. They spent. Looking down at the pants that were to be mended, she wondered how many years they'd be subjected to stitching in lieu of buying a new pair.

'Time is money' indeed. But Lirrah didn't necessarily have anything more lucrative to do, so she figured she may as well spend five minutes mending pants. She took the garment to a room she had cordoned off for her own use (the Lions were composed largely of men, she needed some space of her own) and started to work.

Her eyes, being about as deft as her fingers, were quickly able to pick out a matching thread color. She skillfully mended the hole such that it looked almost as if the garment had never been torn. Beautiful. Lirrah admired her handiwork for a moment.

If Urden saw the quality of her services, perhaps he'd at least buy something sometime.

With that done, she put the pants aside. She would bring them to the mercenary later. For now, she had business with Velvetica. Or at least, she hoped she might have business with Velvetica. Or her parents. Same money. Lirrah looked around her room for a gift to help facilitate a smooth transaction, and her gaze landed upon a stuffed frog knight she had made while bored. A lion probably would have been better, but Lirrah liked frogs, and she honestly hadn't planned that far ahead. She had not anticipated that she would be invited to Hraeslag Castle, after all.

She didn't know whether or not Velvetica would appreciate a stuffed toy. She seemed too serious, too divorced from any softness she might have had. Perhaps conflict and killing had hardened her. But, well, the frog had a sword and a shield. Maybe she'd like it? It was impossible to say. Lirrah knew that Velvetica liked Velt and justice, but the merchant couldn't really give her either of those things.

Lirrah set off, wandering around the huge castle with a frog doll in her arm like a child looking for the bathroom in the middle of the night. Lirrah, however, did not have to be embarrassed about this because Veltans thought Nem were just adorable little things anyways.

And Lirrah was the most adorable.

Eventually, she spotted her boss chatting with a man in the main hall. They looked similar, so perhaps it was a sibling. Lirrah knew a thing or two about those. It would be gauche to interrupt, so she would wait for them to finish before approaching.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah might have frowned at Urden's retort if her face wasn't semi-permanently affixed in a cutesy, honey-sweet euphoria. Smartasses, every last one of them. Lirrah smiled wider.

"Ehehe, well, I can help with that. Just mending? You know, I recently got in some quality clothing," Lirrah threw out casually as she examined the tear, "very practical. Many pockets. Resilient fapric. You would like them! Put this, this I can do with ease. Very quick hands. It should not take me too long."

Lirrah offered Urden (whose name she still could not recall) a reassuring smile, and quoted him the relatively fair price of 1200 Librans. She'd want him to come back as a regular, which he wouldn't do if she tried to cheat him on his first transaction. Maybe he'd buy some new damn pants.

"As for Gisela... I would guess reading at the liprary or napping in a side room," Lirrah suggested, not knowing much about the Hundi herself except that mages tended towards books and sleep. How nice for them.

"Can I help you in any other way, dear friend?"

Lirrah tucked the garments under her arm and bombarded the mercenary with her cutesiest head-tilt.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

The Hraeslag family, it occurred to Lirrah, would make fantastic customers if she could pour on the charm. She was still sour about giving a bunch of acid to that noble brat for free. As if he needed the money. Lirrah needed a win, but she wasn't exactly keen to go seek out Cadmon again.

Right. It wasn't about money for him. Why should it be? He could have paid for that acid and it would affect his bottom line about as much as a drop of water in the desert. So then what?

Power, probably. He likely enjoyed Lirrah's anguish, to some extent. She had always wondered how he got along with István so well, so maybe they had some deep-seated sickness in common that they had bonded over. He got a power trip out of abusing tiny merchants, and given their relative statuses, there wasn't much Lirrah could do about it.

They were playing very different games, and Cadmon's was much easier. He probably realized that.

Still, she would have to interact with him at some point if she ever wanted to get her money's worth out of their 'friendship'. If she ever wanted her investment to pay off. Lirrah gritted her teeth, but expertly hid the expression her face had wanted to make at that moment. She would have to leverage her good will with Velvetica (whatever was left of it) in order to meet with her parents and get them as far into her pocket as she could. She had to-

Ah, it was the mercenary. Lirrah looked up at the man, who was curiously carrying around some obviously damaged clothing. He appeared to be looking for something. What was his name, again? The man wasn't exactly important, and certainly wasn't her top spender.

"Are you looking for something, poss-man?" Lirrah asked brightly, grinning up at him. She had heard from a fellow merchant that if she couldn't remember a man's name, she should call him 'boss-man', because men liked to be called that apparently. Weirdly enough, it usually worked.

"Perhaps your merchant friend can help! I can get whatever you need~"

Still, a potential customer was a potential customer. Besides, in Lirrah's experience, if a man like him finds a merchant he likes, he'll very likely go back to them for future needs. Doesn't want to put too much thought into anything.

What other type of person would be a mercenary, after all?

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah was left with only that doll, a small contingent of Lions, and her thoughts. When she sent a few strapping young men off to retrieve some spices, it was mostly Anisette and her thoughts. Lirrah found a large rock to set the doll down on, and took a seat at its side, observing her.

"...Your mother is terrifying," Lirrah murmured, retrieving a pumice stone from her backpack. She began filing her nails, which had been woefully grated during her agonized ground-clawing. She put time into her appearance every day, and her nails were due for a bit of maintenance soon anyways. The polish had been chipped, so she'd have to re-apply that as well.

"Very good taste, though. I appreciate all the time and effort it took to get that pody just right. Those clothes... all of it. You have a rather pretty appearance, as well. I like your dress. Well... I can make doll clothes myself, so if you have any requests for outfits, I wouldn't mind making you a wardrobe."

Lirrah blew on her nails, and buffed them with a cloth. Next, she got out her polish.

"I wonder why she chose dolls as her focus... do you know? It's lovely, how pristine they are with proper maintenance. I never had my own. Just hand-me-downs. Clothes, toys... affection. Second-hand. Used goods. Who would pay for garpage like that?"

Lirrah carefully applied the polish. She had time, and it wasn't like there was anything else she could do. Useless merchant. Can't even get a good sale on acid through the cost of her humiliation.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah shivered a little as István approached. He was still big and scary, and more than that, Lirrah had seen the zest with which he inflicted violence during combat firsthand. It was difficult to reconcile Cadmon's words of his wisdom with István's animalistic brutality, but people had different facets.

And István's violence was on their side.

If anyone would enjoy her flasks, it would be a violence-monger like István. Of course, Lirrah didn't enjoy the agonized screams of melting men one bit, but carrying acid covered a critical weakness in her ability to do harm. Heavy armor was difficult to deal with, and so she came up with a practical solution just in case. She was about to hand István the flasks, when Cadmon interrupted. He wanted them for free, did he? Lirrah smiled up at the young noble.

"You appear to have me at a disadvantage, Lord Demet," Lirrah said, words sticky like honey cake as she weighed the pros and cons of the young man's suggestion, "truly, you did help me a great deal. Lady Hraesleg will tell you that I do not forget a debt. Though did not know we were friends, I very much welcome your companionship. I am still very new to these lands, you see."

Lirrah blushed ever so slightly entirely on command, putting her palms to her cheeks as if nervous or insecure.

"It can pe very difficult for a young Nem woman all alone, without any of her old friends or contacts, you see," she recited wistfully, "so you understand, even for a friend like you, Lord Demet, free goods can pe difficult. It may set an unhealthy precedent for future friendships, put..."

Lirrah handed her satchel to István, and gave Cadmon a demure smile.

"You may have the rest of what I carry, my friends," she finished. The acid and explosive flasks were not cheap, but she had determined that the benefit of a young Lord's friendship greatly outweighed the cost, "and furthermore, if you enjoy my product's efficacy, I will offer you poth a 15% discount until the end of the week. They do not go pad, so it may pe wise to stock up. I am confident in its quality!"

Lirrah was hungry for a negotiation. A real one. But that was not to her benefit, at the moment. In truth, most soldiers tended to be wary of dangerous flasks. For good cause. They were designed to shatter on heavy impact, so if a soldier was to carry them into battle, they could end up killing him if he got hit. If István made a good showing on the battlefield (which Lirrah figured she could count on), she was likely to get many more orders than the few flasks she carried on her.

"Oh... and do pe careful not to let the flasks shatter on your person. Try to throw most of them pefore entering the fray."

Lirrah was going to warn them about splashing as well, but Kayliss took care of that. She seemed to have used acid before, which was heartening in a morose way. Lirrah felt a little vindicated.

"Yes, make sure there are no allies near the enemies you target. Put if a few are clustered together... I have seen acid splash into nearpy opponents' eyes and onto their hands, rendering them incapaple of posing a threat. The screams are disturping, though."

It was something of a gamble. The goodwill she might or might not earn with a Veltan Lord could not be easily quantified at the moment, but if István enjoyed her product as much as she thought he would, she'd probably be seeing some orders by the end of the week.

With that business conducted, an awful taste in her mouth for giving someone something for free despite the benefits she might reap later, she took Roger's order as well.

"Hmmm... I have not yet tasted horse meat. Is it like camel? I will pring a variety of spices. Perhaps you would like to experiment, and I would certainly enjoy trying some myself. Oh, and give me any meat you do not use. I will make jerky later, with whatever spices we find that work."

Lirrah did enjoy trying new things, though she found Veltan cuisine as a whole woefully under-seasoned. If horse meat was tasty, she'd probably try making it in a Nemish style. Or perhaps she'd try combining the flavors of Velt with those of the Nemlands and see if she couldn't create something delectable.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah would have jumped at Kayliss' sudden appearance had she not been carried, but let out a surprised squeak anyways. What an awful thing to do to a woman who had just been scared half to death! Lirrah was enough in control of herself at this point to mask her venom, her expression remaining unperturbed, but she took a silent note to gouge the woman ever so slightly later.

Kayliss disappeared just as quickly after delivering a couple of opinions, and as she turned away, that doll was quickly thrust into Lirra's tiny arms bu the Hundi. The doll was maybe a little over half her height, but it was light enough for even her to carry. Gisela reassured Lirrah, but she wasn't exactly a calming presence.

"I... I see," murmured Lirrah, examining the doll, "she's rather cute, isn't she? I do not know what penefits you speak of, put you are the expert."

At least the mage knew of magic, even if she had the social grace of a wet dog shaking itself dry in the sitting area.

"I will care for her, then. I do not plan on pushing myself any more tonight, after all," she continued, looking up at Cadmon who was apparently growing uncomfortable with the daisy chain that was beginning amongst his 'cargo'.

Cargo. Lirrah didn't like that designation. It made her feel like dead weight. Like something so helpless it had to be carried. Well, maybe that was the case, but Lirrah was feeling well enough not to burden the noble any longer. She was going to complain, but her words seemed to have stirred some memory in the young man, and Lirrah listened intently to he and Velvetica.

She did not like what she heard. She knew, of course, that her wanderlust would take her to scary places too, but they seemed so far away. Slavers. A people whose tradition was so unlike her own and the Veltans that she could scarcely believe that a cultural moral scale could swing in quite that direction. It seemed awful to her, and abominable to the others as well. Still, when Urden said she could keep the coin, Lirrah somewhat self-consciously pocketed it. The gold of slavers spent all the same, and even one gold piece was not an inadequate sum.

Ila-Nem had always warned her people to avoid scary things, almost like a doting mother. Lirrah wondered if she was disappointed in this troublesome child, who was so quick to flee her bosom that she inadvertently ran into some of the scariest things in the world in a single night. A punishment? A lesson? Lirrah considered this for only a moment. It was far too narcissistic, even for her. Lirrah gently prodded Cadmon, hoping not to offend.

"Lord Demet, you... may let me down now. When I said I would not push myself any more tonight... I think that includes fighting slavers. I will pe fine. If you would like some explosive flasks to scare the horses, I have a few left over. I will pill the Lions for them later. Oh... and the acid I carry is good against armored opponents," Lirrah said, unintentionally beginning to ply her wares once more, "it gets in petween plates and purns through leather and cotton. Most heavy armor cannot pe easily removed pefore incapacitating pain or death, so there is almost no way for someone in heavy armor to get it off of their skin."

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah's mouth fell open when Gisela casually introduced this doll to her. Was it a spawn of Tabitha? Was it sentient or sapient? Magical? Was it dangerous? Parasitic? Lirrah had so many questions to the world's most barebones inquiry that she didn't know where to start. Oh, wait. She did.

"Is it... s-safe?" Lirrah asked, eyeing the doll warily. She assumed it must have been vetted by the magician, or else it wouldn't be offered to her, but she would feel more at ease with a 'yes'. At least it looked cute, but so did Tabitha, and her experience with that woman was far less than pleasant.

"And... do you mind if I ask why we have it? Uh, her, I mean."

Lirrah was inclined to believe that Anisette would be implanted in the Lions to spy on them, or detonate at a key moment, or mind control someone, or...

But logically, if Tabitha wanted to accomplish any of that, she could probably do it regardless. She wouldn't have to send some suspicious doll along and risk everyone finding out her plan. Maybe it was the second part of her vague test. Maybe they'd be judged on how well they took care of her doll.

Or maybe, because witches were truly incomprehensible creatures, she really would just explode.

But the more information Lirrah could get before agreeing to take care of her, the better.

As Lirrah was working out all the things that could go wrong, Urden approached she and Cadmon. Lirrah was visibly unimpressed with the mercenary's joke (she was an adult, for Ila-Nem's sake), but when he brought out the coins, they were very much speaking the same language.

Something she was good at. Something she could feel useful in regards to. Currency. She visibly lightened a bit, as if seeing an old friend after a family tragedy. Hope.

Cold, hard hope. Lirrah inspected the coin.

"I don't know where it's from. I care more apout the value than geography, and I know that it's a pit weaker than the Lipran. 0.83, from my last transaction. You'll notice that their gold coin is a pit smaller than the gold lipran, indicative of a marginally poorer locale. I rememper... those that transacted with this currency had a taste for red-painted armor and praided hair. Easterners, I think, put there is still much of the world I've yet to see."

Lirrah sighed, wistfully imagining for a moment the places she would go when this was all over. She had to find a way to make her life last longer, so she could see all of it. The whole world...

It would be hers to conquer, one day.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah quickly found herself saved from yet further humiliation by Cadmon of all people, as the young noble snatched her up before she could take a blubbering spill on the ground. Given that the man had only a few hours ago suggested using her as bait, she found it something of a surprise that he was attempting reassurance. He'd always struck her as the aloof, everyone-is-beneath-me sort. Self-importance and nobility tended to go together like fruit and cheese. What did he have to gain by being nice to her in this instance? Lirrah was, by her own estimation, among the least important people in the camp.

If he thought this would get him any discounts...

Ah, but even this train of thought was too much work for the exhausted Lirrah. The Nem merchant found herself slack and lifeless in Cadmon's arm, wishing only that the night could be over sooner. Though when the day came around, she'd have Yrrah's flame to deal with. Brutal taskmaster, unruly Sun. In whose hand was her awful whip held? Could Reon give her no respite?

Lirrah looked up at Cadmon, the tiredness plain in her half-dead eyes.

"István said that?" Lirrah asked wearily, taking some comfort in the implied sympathy of the scary-looking coffee fiend, "he doesn't seem..."

But what could Lirrah say? All she really knew about the man was that he liked coffee and apparently relished bloodshed to some degree. Perhaps her prejudgements were unfair. Lirrah shook her head as Velvetica came up behind her. Velvetica's disappointment had been expected, though being referred to as a "Lady" caught Lirrah off-guard. If it was anyone else, Lirrah would assume she was being made fun of. But if it was sincere, then that meant Velvetica respected her on the level of nobility. Given her recent cowardice, however, that was difficult to reconcile. What could one make of her words?

All Lirrah could do was nod in shame.

"Y-yes, Lady Hraesleg. My apologies for causing trouple."

But wait, something she said to Gisela struck her as odd.

"Um... w-what doll are you talking about?"