Who

Divale, L'xan

What

Divale briefly checks in with L'xan. It doesn't end in disaster.

When

It is noon of the first day of the eleventh month of the ninth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Bazaar Sidestreet, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 03 Jan 2017 05:00

 

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Bazaar Sidestreet

No matter the time of day, the darkness here is almost absolute, adding a certain je ne sais quois that borders on the treacherous. Here and there, cobblestones have gone missing and leave holes that are perfect for snagging the feet of the unaware. The stench is also criminal, a mixture of urine, rotting meat, and other things best left unexamined in the heaps that pile up next to the back doors of certain of the bazaar establishments.


The first step in cleaning up the bazaar is to do so literally, or at least that is what L'xan appears to be doing, as he looms over a contingent of guards and thier convict charges. For once the work duties of Igen's brig have bought them here, where the are applying themselves to trying to do something about the scum that always seems to settle in this particular sidestreet. "If you want to eat tonight, I suggest you stop fucking around." The icy tone of supressed rage is directed at guard and prisoner alike. I don't think he has the authority, but no-one else seems willing to tell him that.

A literal approach is sometimes effective but in this case? There will be disagreement. Divale’s been nosing about when and where she can, ever since she picked up on the shifting changes in the Bazaar and then witnessing Virgilio’s report. She’s careful not to step too far out of bounds but she’s just as interested as some in these rising thefts. Something isn’t right. It wasn’t in her plans to come across L’xan and the Guards and prisoners, but his icy tone and act of authority draw her there. She’s silent in her approach to, only speaking when she may have already reached his side. “Don’t they already get half-starved as it is? Hard to threaten what isn’t already regularly promised.” she remarks dryly, as ever.

Does it really look like L'xan cares? Nope. "Then it wasn't a threat, it was a fucking reward." The icy glimmer doesn't really fade from his eyes, but his lips twist into a small rictus grin. There is nothing remotely happy about the bronze-rider today. "Divale." Comes a curt greeting as he refolds his arms and puts his unhappy glare to best use, goading the guards to keep the prisoners working. He's upper management thanks! To be fair there is I don't know how many centuries of disrepair to correct, so this might take a while. "Clean it up, light it up, one less place for the arseholes to hide." She wanted to know why he was doing this right?

“L’xan.” Spoken just as curt as his greeting, but Divale supplies just enough of an edge to it that it’s almost mocking. He may not be in a good mood and she’s not in the best either, which may spell disaster by the time this is done but it may not. As much as she’s tempted to keep goading him, she’ll refrain. Brows furrow and she has a good idea on why the bronzerider is determined to do what he’s doing. Glancing from him, to the working Guards and prisoners, she’ll speak up again. Quietly. “This isn’t the way to go about it.”

"It's not what I want to be doing. No." L'xan agrees with Divale's quiet assessment, before shooting a quick glance at her. "But I'm not exactly built like a spy master either." He admits, he catches the attention and he knows it. "And right now, we have one injury and not a hell of a lot else to go on." He'd rather be doing something rather than nothing. "Something has changed." He waves one hand towards the bright colours and bustle of the Bazaar. "Out there." It's mostly about Selaine, but there is that swirling around in his head as well.

Divale tilts her head to peer up at him, “So what do you want to be doing, then?” Besides the obvious. She’s no spy master either. “And the one responsible for that has been caught and is facing punishment, isn’t he?” she quietly remarks, keeping her voice low enough that it’d not be easily overheard by the Guards and prisoners while they work. She doesn’t even spare a glance back towards the Bazaar, but keeps her gaze lingering on L’xan a moment longer before looking ahead again. “Ever fish or hunt before? Usually both require a certain amount of quiet and careful movement. Same sort of principle here.” Or so she believes. “All this’ll do is just run them to ground.” Glancing up, again and a smirk curves her lips. “Won’t it?”

L'xan snorts. "They're like fucking tunnelsnakes, they'll be back before we're even finished." His expression is grim before he gives a sigh. "But if we… limit where they can hide it'll make finding them easier." He likes fishing. This is not fishing. "Yes. With two riders as witness, his fate was sealed." His face collapes into a scowl, as another thought on his multi-pronged attack occurs to him. "I can't really think about what I'd like to be doing." His teeth flash with feral dark humour. "I have a lifemate that would get a bit giddy." So that's a lot of not good things.

Divale would normally take offence given her past but she lets it slide this time. He kind of has a point and her mouth will quirk up into a bemused sort of smirk. “Ambitious but likely to fail. There’s always places to hide, L’xan. They’ll just make new ones or find new ones…” So she says, again, in her opinion. “And that wasn’t enough?” The punishment of the kid, that is. There’s a quirk of her brow for his feral, dark humour and the comment made concerning Nokteryth. Well, look at that! They have something in common. She smirks, but there’s a wry edge to it this time and a lurking darkness in her gaze. “That I can understand. Remind me never to let Lukoith get to close to Nokteryth when he’s in a mood.” Which is just about any given second on any given day.

L'xan takes a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. "No." It isn't enough. "I expect to put my life on the line every time I'm up there in a 'fall. Selaine does too." There is another grimace of acceptance and distaste. He doesn't like it. "I will not risk her down here." His voice drops into an icy promise.

Ahh, so now they come around to it. Divale turns to face him where she stands, no longer the least bit interested what the Guard and prisoners are up to. Hopefully still working, despite her distracting L’xan for the time being. “I’m sorry for what happened to Selaine,” For what little its worth.

L'xan gives another little snort while his head nods to the rhythm of his thoughts, his grey eyes now captured by the guards and the prisoners and thier task. This is possibly his grandest gesture yet. "So am I." He'll just shoulder the responsibility for it all. He'll brood for a moment or two longer before giving himself a shake, he's shared enough. "Any particular reason you're here Divale? Or is my company that irrisitable?" The glimmer of charm thaws the chill in his voice slightly. He's even looking down at her with the slightest hint of a smirk.

For once, Divale doesn’t provoke him and leaves him to his brooding, while she lapses silent to her thoughts. Only when he makes that last comment does her expression shift to a ghost of a wry grin and a hint of a suppressed chuckle in her voice. “Oh yes, pleasant company you are, as always.” Dry, dry sarcasm but meant to actually tease and not as a slight to him. Sobering, she hesitates for a half second before giving him a blunt yet cryptic answer. “Checking in.” On him. Because of Selaine. Pay back, perhaps, for him bringing news of Zavyr and Lane? She starts to take a step back now, apparently satisfied. “I’ll let you get back to your work.”

There is a wry grin of self-awareness that he shares with her. "You want me. Admit it." Comes his dry counter. When L'xan teases, he teases. While there is still a chilly stiffness to his face and posture, he is at least trying to claw back some of his normal affability. "Yes, this requires my complete attention." It doesn't. "It will have a huge impact on everything." It wont. But it gives him people to yell at, and time to think. "And thanks." For checking in, for having his back.

Divale can learn and she’ll accept that teasing comeback without firing back a reminder of just who she’d really be interested in. Instead she just rolls her eyes and feigns being insulted. Right. “Found me out. Well done!” It’s said in her best dour tone yet but it’s followed up with a vague half-smile. “I’ll leave you to it. Try not to make too much racket?” Now it’s back to smirking and she’ll lift a hand up in a not-quite salute or waved gesture to his thanks. It’s also her farewell, as she walks away without speaking another word.

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