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Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 12/11/2013 5:06 PM

Things were... looking up, surprisingly. Things had hit a rocky patch a little while back, but she was back on her feet now. Or, at least, what she considered to be 'back on her feet'. A couple of covens had gotten themselves in a tizzy over something or other, and naturally, they needed a neutral party to act as a go-between. Lucky her.

She was stood in a courtyard, or what may have been a courtyard before time and a lack of interest had broken its paving stones and made large weeds spring up through the cracks. It was a place no one ever spent time in, but it was a busy thoroughfare between some mostly boarded-up shops and one of the larger and equally run-down residential areas. So, she'd put down her bag, left her hat on the ground and few in a few one keystone pieces (just so she didn't look too pathetic) and started her usual routine. There was nothing particularly unique about this act, but it was charming. Pigeons would fly from her sleeves, she'd shuffle her cards before asking anyone passing to pick a card. Pick a card, good sir, pick a card, any card.

Mostly, Turpin was ignored. Sometimes, she'd get a few people here and there enchanted by her relatively simple magic. On good days, she received enough to survive off, but not enough to make up for the bad days. Although, it wasn't like street magic was her only source of income.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[1] [1]

Postby Indigo » 12/11/2013 5:45 PM

There were too many whispers here. Lamenolai was pretty bad with its cacophony of voices, shouting and chattering and hawking goods and whatever else, scattering his mind in a hundred directions, but this place was somehow even worse. There was secrecy everywhere, little whisperings and hissings and things kept quiet, and this secrecy drew in his consciousness like nothing else, wore holes in his always-tenuous concentration and let him forget his body for a few moments. That part wasn't too bad, it was almost like being home—but it hurt to come back, and he always had to come back after a few seconds. He'd been shaking and half blind when Jessamine dragged him into this courtyard, where few enough people stayed long that she could shield him.

"If I'd known you would have such a strong reaction I wouldn't have brought you," she said, watching him grimace as he readjusted. "Don't look at me like that, I don't mean abandoning you. Probably would've found some quiet out-of-the-way room to stash you in."

"I'm w...w...um. I can control it." His ears twitched. "Just...I need to. To think about it for a little. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"Um. Where do we go now?"

"Nowhere until your head gets back together, I think. But it looks like we're in the right place anyway." She was peering across the courtyard, at some sort of magician. "Do your legs work?"

"Yes!"

"Good. This way." She bounded away from Kingsway faster than he expected, so that he had to scramble after her on admittedly wobbly limbs. He caught up in time to hear her say to the magician, in what Kingsway considered an overly demanding tone, "Are you Turpin?"
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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo]

Postby Mousen » 12/11/2013 6:25 PM

With a twist of her hand, her cards were folded away into the depths of her coat. Her eyes flicked down towards her bag and hat, then back up towards the source of the voice. She should be able to make it, grab the old sports bag and run. Heat towards the flats, over that low wall by Tweed Street and into the back alleys from there. She could make it.

Turpin smiled, although it didn't do much to hide the apprehension. "Depends who's asking, mate." On one hand, they could be useful to know, and Turpin made a point of knowing people. On the other hand she didn't know them and this in itself was worrying, especially since they seemed to know her.

Well, the imposing one did, Turpin doubted that the other could tell his arse from his elbow right now, judging by the state he was in.

((Apologies for the short post. // I always forget Turpin likes her swearwords, would you like me to put an L in the title?))


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[2] [2] [casually switches point of view]

Postby Indigo » 12/11/2013 6:37 PM

Jerssamine made a face, but she supposed she didn't really have a right to complain. There were complications to her existence to start with, namely that she remembered more time than she had actually been alive for, and even considering that her kind weren't especially well known outside of certain circles. And she couldn't assume that Turpin traveled in those circles. "I," she said, "am the City of Lamenolai, and I am here to recruit you to our cause."

"Jessamine. We don't have one," Kingsway said. "A cause, I mean." Jessamine made another face at him, but he just blinked slowly. Sometimes she wondered if he was quite as clueless as he appeared...no matter. Now was not the time.

She sighed, and turned back to Turpin. "All right," she amended, "I am here to enlist your regular assistance in City business, based on the recommendation of one of my contacts. Better?" She glared at Kingsway.

"Yes, I think so. At the very minimum it's true," he said, sounding distracted. His ears were pointing in different directions.

[It's probably a good idea.]
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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 12/13/2013 4:27 PM

She frowned slightly. City. Anthropomorphic personification of, perhaps? She'd come across a couple in her time, personifications that was, not cities. Although, upon thinking about it... It did ring a bell, somewhere. Turpin would be damned, though, if she could remember any sort of detail. She couldn't very well ask her clients, professionalism and all that, this'd would mean another favour from Lin. It wouldn't have mattered, save for the fact she the payment for the favours she'd already asked from that woman was steeper than she could afford.

Thank goodness for vampires with blind-spots for dark-haired vagabonds.

Turpin couldn't help but be amused at Jessamine's and Kingsway's exchange, and she instantly took a liking to the confused-looking man. He certainly seemed... interesting.

"Sounds interesting." This could be good. Very good. There was something about 'Assisting City Business' that sounded very well paid. "Tell you what, let's say that I'm considering this, and let's say that I'd be much more likely to consider this out of the freezing bloody cold somewhere." She paused. "Let's see... There's the One Eyed Rat three streets that way, the Dog and Body four doors down on the same street and the Tawdry Lass two streets away in the opposite direction. Take your pick."


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[3] [3]

Postby Indigo » 12/13/2013 6:18 PM

"Understandable." She considered. None of the names were familiar to her, but then this was some distance outside her normal territory, and her thoughtspace didn't reach anywhere near this far from Lamenolai's bounds, so that was no surprise. "The Tawdry Lass would be best, I think. I'm not sure my friend can walk very far at the moment."

"I am absolutely fine."

"You say things like that."

He stuck his tongue out at her, but said, "Okay. I'll take that, uh...whatever you call it. To my lack of functionality. For now." Kingsway's ears were still pointing in different directions, and as she watched the left one slowly rotated up, apparently to focus on something else. That was a little strange, not really normal behavior for him. She'd have to ask about it later.

[Argh why is this post so short and boring, I am sorry.]



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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 12/13/2013 7:50 PM

She nodded. "Fair enough." It wasn't often she met people that genuinely interested her, most people were fairly easy to figure out. Whether they were changelings, vampires or selkies they all tended to be... obvious. She'd have to pay attention here, maybe she'd pick up something useful.

Turpin grabbed her bag and hat, taking the keystones and shoving them into one of her many pockets. "This way."

Luckily enough for Kingsway the walk was an incredibly short one, and in a narrow, dingy street there stood The Tawdry Lass. It was an old pub, and had been through many monikers in it's day, many less than polite. It was one of the rowdier pubs in the area, which was saying something for the Slums, but Turpin had always held a certain fondness for it, for some reason. At this time of the day,it was empty, save for one of the regulars at the back, who'd probably not left for days.

Turpin made her way over to a corner booth so patched it was impossible to discern what it had originally been covered with. "So, assisting City business, yeah?"


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[4] [4]

Postby Indigo » 12/19/2013 1:58 AM

"Yes. Right." Jessamine made sure she was sitting on the outside, in case they needed to beat a hasty retreat. Not that she assumed they were in danger, of course, but City power didn't work out here and she did have quite a few enemies who would doubtless be aware of her location. And from what she'd seen Kingsway wouldn't be much use in a fight.

She looked down at the table. "Okay, it's a little bit complicated..."

"Not compared to some things," Kingsway muttered.

"Obviously. The gist of the matter is that I am essentially the embodiment of the city of Lamenolai, although I'm not exactly that, because of some metaphysical things I don't want to get into at the moment," she said. Best not to allude to the circumstances, that would only be more explaining she didn't want to deal with, and she didn't like to bring up subjects she didn't completely understand. "There are certain other forces and persons and the like who are a threat to my city, and it's my job to protect it from them, because otherwise nobody will be aware of them at all until it is too late. For this reason it is helpful to me to have a number of contacts who can help me acquire necessary resources, or direct me to persons able to assist in dangerous situations. I was informed by another contact of mine--"

"Actually..." Kingsway said. "It was me. Though. It's also complicated."

"Right. I was informed that you, Turpin, might be a useful person to know in this regard. Was that information correct?"



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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 12/27/2013 2:10 PM

Turpin remained quiet as Jessamine explained. Well... it seemed interesting, certainly, she couldn't say that it was an arrangement she could ever be bored with. As for the resources, Turpin most certainly wasn't an expert in whatever kind of things threatened cities, but many people sprung to mind that almost certainly would be. The best thing was, many of those people owed her favors.

Ah. She had been wondering who'd suggested her name. There was definitely more to that fellow than met the eye.

"Yeah, I am. I'm a people person, you want to know someone? I can introduce you no problem. Even the sort of people that don't that don't really take well to strangers, you know." It wasn't much of a sales pitch, but they'd gone looking for her. It didn't have to be. "If you want proof, I'm currently the go-between in a spat between the Half Moons and the Venus Merchants, they'll vouch for me. Provided they don't try to rip your face off first, vampires, am I right?" Turpin made a mental note to be less publicly critical of vampires, they were bastards, but they were some of her highest paying clients.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[5] [5]

Postby Indigo » 01/02/2014 4:43 PM

"Excellent." Jessamine was a little bewildered by the talk of vampires, but now was not a time to ask questions. She hardly wanted to reveal her ignorance to somebody she'd only just convinced to be on her side. "As a matter of fact it's very helpful that you should agree, because we're in the process of finding out what's going on with Kingsway. Or trying to be. It is, once again...complicated."

"You say that too much," Kingsway said.

"You explain it, then!"

He grinned. "Of course." He leaned forward, as if imparting a secret. "There's something...strange going on with space. And time. And. It's kind of general. Seems to be focused around Lamenolai or Jessamine wouldn't care." She scowled at him; he ignored it. "But it looks like someone is maybe. Doing it on purpose? Or something weird is happening. So if you maybe know anyone who knows stuff about uh...um...weird magic things maybe? Or who could help. We're worried. Things might break."

[Apologies for lateness/quality, I was being a mopey mopepants and abandoned all my responsibilities. And then forgot how to write, apparently.]



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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 01/03/2014 5:36 PM

A lot of things to do with Cities seemed to be complicated, although, that could be said for most things within the magical community.

Turpin leaned forward slightly, unconsciously mirroring Kingsway. As he spoke, she considered contacts that would be useful. People messing with time and space? That was unusual, even in her line of work. One of her Necomancer friends, perhaps? Rexus seemed to know an awful lot about this sort of thing, but it wasn't his best subject. Salome, maybe? She was dangerous, though, too dangerous. ...Ah. Doxie. They were a Fixer, their day job was fixing disturbances in time and space. They'd be perfect for this.

She opened her mouth to speak, and then promptly cut herself off. Not so fast, now. "Okay, let's say I know someone who can almost definitely help. If not, I've got other contacts, but that's besides the point, yeah? I have to make a living from this, you seem like nice guys-- don't get me wrong; I want to help you." Turpin paused, and smiled to herself. "But, my help isn't going to be free."


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[6] [6]

Postby Indigo » 01/07/2014 4:41 AM

Kingsway grimaced. "I was a little worried you might say...something like that."

"Why?" Jessamine said sharply. "We have money."

"We do?" This was a new development, and he wondered if it had happened while he was off making a fool of himself somewhere. His understanding of Jessamine's situation, while about as confused as his understanding of things like walking, was basically that her having popped into existence from pretty much nowhere had hindered her ability to find employment. Which seemed a bit strange to him, since he encountered all kinds of bizarre creatures working in stores and things, but his ideas of bizarre were probably a little bit out of sync. "Where did we get it from?"

"I'll tell you later."

Oh. Oh dear. He was pretty sure Jessamine was actually supposed to be some kind of upholder of justice or whatever within the bounds of her city? Although she had kind of a weird definition of justice and she wasn't too concerned with affairs outside her city which he supposed might...sort of be justification in her mind?

He was struck by the hope that this line of thought didn't show in his face, because he couldn't very well do anything about it if it did. He hadn't really gotten the hang of controlled expressions yet.

"So," Jessamine said, ignoring his moral crisis, "what are your rates? And how soon can you put us in contact with this person?"

[Sorry for the delayed response on the other one, I have lost track of Howell's tone and am additionally a loser. I'll post in it sometime this week, I swear.]



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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 01/17/2014 5:54 PM

From the depths of her coat, Turpin produced a carefully folded piece of paper. She slid it over the table and towards them. "Those are my basic rates, they increase depending upon how likely I am to die, basically." It was fair, in her mind."I have some basic rules, so, you might want to hear them before we sign anything, yeah? Don't tell me anything that's going to get me killed, unless it's absolutely, absolutely necessary. I might be employed by you, but my first priority is my own survival and it always will be. I have a reputation for confidentiality and being reasonably trustworthy, I live by that reputation, nothing you tell me will be repeated. I will carry messages and transport small objects, depending upon how dangerous it is for me to do so. I charge for messages on a case-by-case basis." This speech sounded well-rehearsed, it was clearly something she repeated a lot.

"If that sounds acceptable to you, we can talk." A small part of her wondered where Jessamine had gotten her money from, by the sounds of things it wasn't like she had a steady source of income. The wiser part of her told her that any money was good money. She could not afford to be either picky or curious. "I can put you in contact with Taylor immediately."


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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[7] [7]

Postby Indigo » 01/19/2014 6:37 PM

"Makes sense." Jessamine examined the paper, mentally calculating as Turpin listed her rules. Having managed to acquire a pretty decent sum of money, she was reasonably sure she could afford this, but of course, there might be complications. Further dishonesty would be required to pay for those, which she didn't much like. But anything could be excused for the good of the city.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she caught only the end of the rules. She caught Kingsway's eye and he nodded; he'd heard everything, he knew the terms would be acceptable to her, and he could repeat it all to her verbatim at a later time if necessary. He was occasionally useful to have around. Occasionally. "Yes, that sounds perfectly fine," she said. "But if you don't mind my asking, who is this Taylor, exactly?"



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Re: Pick A Card [P, Indigo|L]

Postby Mousen » 01/29/2014 4:09 PM

Turpin caught the exchange between Kinglsey and Jessamine, whatever it meant, she'd gotten the job now. It didn't matter much to her. "Glad to hear it. I hope our arrangement works well for both parties." She paused for a moment and drew something else from one of her pockets. A business card, very simple. It listed Turpin's name (Rachel Turpin), followed by her occupation (general dogsbody, street performer, useful person to know), and her phone number. "For when you need to contact me in the future. I'm not difficult to find."


Oh. Yes. It'd probably be best to explain. "Taylor is Taylor Doxie, a fixer. Fixers, well, fix time. Disturbances, paradoxes, I don't know what else, bad things, probably. I figure they're a good person to speak to first, if they don't work out, we have other options to pursue, but..." Well, there was a limit on the amount of favours she could call in, and a limit on the amount of people that actually owed her favours in the first place.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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