RP:Expectations & Exacerbations

Part of the Welcome To The End of Eras Arc

Summary: Quintessa, having seen the disastrous summit and Kasyr's attempts at bouncing back from it, decides to do some proactive politicking. A decision that has her bring Lita & Mahri to hear the Kensai's side of things, and provide Rynvales representatives with the room to offer some decidedly Machiavellian solutions.

It wouldn’t take Quintessa long to prepare for the large-scale jump from Rynvale to Kelay, but it would require preparation and a good deal of mana. Luckily for Quintessa, a highly decorated member of the Mage’s Guild, she had many tools and objects at her disposal. In this particular case, the warlock utilized her wealth of magic crystals, constructing a ring of shungite rocks big enough for three people to stand comfortably inside. Once this had been done, Quintessa’s real work could begin. Following the threads of reality needed for shadow-hopping was a simple task, but bringing others along made it trickier. Quintessa could not simply balance on the thinnest threads, she had to find those strong enough to carry them the distance. Lita and Mahri would likely discover Quintessa like this, sitting in the center of her stones as violent shadow-magic whipped around her, a common reaction to her trying to wield the Black Tides in such a way. By the time the couple was ready to go, however, so too would be the portal, ready to snap them from the beach all the way to the border between Cenril and Kelay, leaving only a smoldering ring of twisted glass in their wake. Once between the borders, Quintessa would seek out the permanent portal to Vailkrin that resided here, looking back to make sure Lita and Mahri were following. “Well, we’re here, but I’m not exactly sure how to get his attention…” Quintessa reaches out as if to pass her hand through the portal but she withdraws at the last second. “Should we just… Call for him?”

Lita had a few choice words to say about all this travel-by-portal nonsense. None of it pleasant and all of it colorful. She wasn't the biggest fan of magic but she understands time being of the essence and blah blah and what not. She's still sulking a bit anyway, having stolen Mahri's duster, likely ignoring the protest of it, and letting Mahri take the lead of their travel plans and the changeling. She knew the girl far better, after all. Lita would be all too happy to step out of that portal and into Vailkrin, feeling like she could release the breath she'd been holding, not that that has been necessary. "Reckon' he already knows we're around." She says in answer to Tessa. Kas had tended to have that way about him. She shudders, shrugging her shoulders as she shakes the feeling of having been magically transported between cities through whatever world-plane-dimension that was. It was still weird to her. She shoves her hands into the pockets of the leather duster, maybe looking for a flask. "Maybe we can blow a whistle or leave out a saucer of milk." She offers with a grin.

Mahri isn't far behind the changeling or vampire. While magic didn't bother her as much as it did Lita, she still rubbed her arms briskly as though brushing off a chill. Shuffling closer, silvery eyes narrow at the shimmery oval that marked the portal to Vailkrin. "I'll go through first. I'm not exiled, at least, and I'm known." As the occasional manager at the Hanging Corpse. "I guess Steadman would be able to send a messenger to tell Kasyr we're here." It's a suggestion. Mahri will wait to see if the other two women had other ideas...Unless Kasyr did have a way of knowing they were there as Lita had suggested.

Kasyr wasn't quite expecting company. Yes, Quintessa had mentioned that she was going to reach out to various individuals after their talk- but he wasn't quite expecting her to effectively camp outside the front step of, well, Vailkrin- with a small posse in tow. Really, it's that accumulation of familiar individuals, and their sheer proximity to the portal as they banter, that inevitability serves to tip him off, wrenching him away from the latest incident reports involving the unfortunate workers who'd chosen to aid in the necropolis reconstruction. Thus while some part of him was expecting a fresh headache with the changeling's unannounced arrival- he still goes through the motions. Specifically, focusing upon his connection with Daedria, and the connection she now held with the city- and tracing it out to that very same boundary they rested- distorting the very space so that the view of the path towards the forest, was instead replaced by a door. Specifically, the one to his office- though, this is less a matter of trying to impress, and more a means of avoiding whatever complications might accompany the subversion of Quintessa's exile, especially on what could be interpreted as a simple jaunt.

Quintessa shoots Lita a cheeky grin when she suggests leaving out a saucer of milk to summon Kasyr, a thought which provokes a most amusing mental image. She doesn’t have time to address either of the rogues, however, as the Vailkrinese portal shifts before them and transforms to reveal Kasyr’s office door. “Aha!” Quintessa remarks with enthusiasm, reaching out to touch the wood of the door she immediately recognized, “He noticed us. He’s inviting us in.” Quintessa moves forward and raps three times on the door, once for each person, and swings it open from the trio to enter, the changeling taking point without looking back at Lita or Mahri to see if they were fine with that. Once inside, Quintessa hopes to find the state of Kasyr’s office a touch better than it was last time- lest she be compelled to start cleaning around him again. Here the changeling would actually wait for the Wolf and Jackal, stepping aside and giving them a chance to speak first before she intervened. After all, Quintessa wanted Lita and Mahri to hear the truth from Kasyr himself; she merely provided the opportunity for the situation to be clarified.

Magic portals. Magic doors. What was next. Lita wouldn't be surprised to find a unicorn waltzing around Kasyr’s office at this point. She follows after Tessa, chewing at the inside of her lower lip to keep some semblance of composure. Had it been naive to think she could try and broker some sort of alliance with Kas? Maybe it had just been selfish. Whatever emotion it is, it's very easy to let it all churn its way into being royally pissed off but she was here. Might as well listen to whatever more there might be to say that wasn't shared at the summit. And if it was more of the same, at least Mahri would hear it for herself. She steps sideways, glancing around the room, maybe eyeing a few books littering whatever desk or table there might be, flipping pages idly to keep from going straight into just angry yelling. There'd been enough of that already.

Somehow, she wasn't as surprised as she could have been when the door appeared. "Guess he knows we're here.." she murmured before following Tessa and LIta through. Glancing towards Ace, the wolf edges closer, offering her that steady support she seemed to need in the moment. It didn't take long for her to survey the office, it was rather large and she sort of envied it - and find Kasyr. A quirk at the corner of her mouth might have been humor. "Sorry to barge in like this. I'm sure you're busy. We," she gestured between herself and Lita, "and mostly me, have questions." He would likely know that Mahri herself had not been at the Summitt, but LIta had been there for part of it, and Quintessa as well. "I have a lot of concerns and heard or read a lot of things. Mind if we sit down?"

Kasyr will have to take some small consolation that at least one of them isn't wholly inured to the odd. Cabalites & Changelings were hard audiences, though. And, likely to Quintessa's relief, the office is looking a fair bit better. At this juncture, the windows were returned to a wholly functional state, the maimed cabinet had been replaced by a fresh one, and there were even a few wooden tables scattered about the room, serving as book stands- and tactically placed over any scrape marks on the ground. Most importantly, though, is the small array of chairs stacked along one wall, just in case an audience might become necessary. With a small gesture, a trio of those items are dragged forward along by a caliginous tendril, providing his 'guests' with somewhere to sit. Really, the least tidy part of the room is himself- given that he seems to still be garbed in his more traditional 'adventuring' fare, and even shows some small traces of travel wear, as though he'd been out and about until a few moments prior. "Don't believe everything you read. Though, I'd think that obvious, with words like 'Kelayan Concentration Camps' getting thrown around." There's a weariness there, the same song and dance, playing out over and over again- "Ask, et I'll answer." There's a curtness there, something sharper about his manner than the norm- an undercurrent that almost mirrors the vestigial bits of ire lingering in the air. There was little need for pretenses around those three, so he reaches into an inner pocket of his coat, and fetches a cigarette- which finds its way to his lips within a few moments.

Quintessa folds her hands behind her back as she scrutinizes the room, her mismatched eyes tracing the four walls as everyone gets situated behind her. Finally, after the room seemingly passes her appraisal, Quintessa turns to join the other two, taking a seat in an open chair. “Thank you, Your Grace,” The changeling doesn’t shy away from using the title even in front of Mahri and Lita. “You need not repeat yourself for my sake. I just felt it was… prudent that things were cleared up for our mutual friends here.” She glances over at Lita and Mahri before continuing. “Maybe you’d like to assure them that Vailkrin and Larket aren’t in a military alliance, but rather a simple trade agreement?” Her eyes flicker back over to the other vampire in the room, “And Lita, perhaps you’d like to ask Kasyr if this new development complicates your prior arrangement?” Quintessa sits back in her chair as she crosses one arm over the other, trying to sound detached from the situation as she speaks. “There is a lot of uncertainty floating around but I think if we can address it now we can stop it before it develops into resentment and distrust.” Quintessa looks over at Mahri and Lita again, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “You really don’t want these two ladies working against you- I already know personally.”

Lita takes a seat across from Kasyr's desk, lofting a brow up at the changeling when she uses the formal title to address him. But she forgets sometimes that Rynvale is the place of informality, more often than not. She still isn't sold on Tessa's position in any of these political matters. She trusted Mahri, who trusted her, and that was about as far as it went for now. But she was just getting to know the girl. "I don't have to ask if it complicates our prior arrangement, I know it does. Regardless of what Vailkrin's ties to Larket are or are not, Macon has stirred a hornet's nest with his declarations and the tide of public opinion is rarely easily changed. Whatever my personal involvements, I'm a steward of Rynvale and that, for now takes precedence." Dark eyes flicker towards Kasyr's cigarette with a vein of jealousy. "So the question is, why? You're a smart man. You knew what getting into bed with Macon would mean and how it would be perceived. Surely there would have been better ways to form trade agreements for the city."

Mahri's already moving towards the seats offered. If Tessa's tone or the formal way she addresses Kas surprises her, it's only acknowledged by the flicker of amusement in her eye. "Thanks, Tess. For getting to the point." Which she had so efficiently. The wolf gives a slight nod in Lita's direction, "Why, and also, do you have an agenda you'd care to share?" Since Kasyr was already smoking a cigarette, she didn't feel it would be rude to have one of her own. A simple flat case is pulled frome one of the duster pockets and opened, Lita & Tessa, offered one before she takes her own. "You don't mind, do you," she pauses, "Your Grace? Anyway, yes, those are the core questions at the moment. I just really want to know, and understand, what the hell you were thinking? And did you know Macon was going to make the speech he did that has all the kingdoms in an uproar?" Kasyr doesn't correct Tessa's use of honorarys this time, instead offering a faint nod as she clarifies the situation, before his focus settles on the duo sitting before him. Already, Quintessa was putting forth an agenda of sorts, certain key points to cover- but he waited for both Lita and Mahri to properly speak their mind.

Really, their words elicit very little in the way of reaction by this point, save perhaps, a mild flicker of annoyance. That is, until the very final question posed by Mahri- which hits a bit closer to the truth of the matter. "Not a single clue, en fait. Not that it matters, at this point." There's a curtness there, that helps to keep any excess emotion coloring his words. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this room." His head shifts slightly towards Mahri, his expression all the graver, "If you truly believe what you said about thinking me clever, than do not speak of this to a single person, even Leo. I'll address him myself- but what es going to be said here would likely put the final nail in the coffin insofar as Vailkrins stability." And for just a moment, a sense of melancholy creeps over his features, before they're redirected to one of the rooms windows, to peer over the city that stretched out before them. "Et if this city burns for what I'm about to share, I'll have a fairly good idea of who was at fault."

Quintessa takes an offered cigarette from Mahri before she lights it with a snap of her fingers, a tiny green flame dancing from her fingertips to rest on the tip of it and ignite it swiftly. She gives everyone a chance to speak, choosing instead to listen as she watches the smoke rise from her cigarette into the air. The main question had been asked; Why? Everyone wanted to know why, and for good reason. The optics of the situation looked terrible, and even Quintessa could not think of propaganda compelling enough to shift the tide of the global conversation. First, Lita says something that Quintessa finds herself agreeing with, that Kasyr was smart enough to know what this arrangement with Larket would look like from the outside. “I, at least, am questioning why it was all made so public… You could have started trading with Larket without inviting Macon out to insult all the other regions. Giving him a platform was always going to be risky.” She looks over at Mahri, recalling that the wolf wasn’t at the summit. She had no idea what Macon had said. “Oh, the Rage King made many claims,” Quintessa begins, “Called it an alliance, a unified front of Larketian and Vailkrinese might- and the might of Vakmatharas behind them. Declared, for Vailkrin and Trist’oth, their devotion to the Lord of Bones and that refusing his will would spell death.” Quintessa pauses to take a hit from her cigarettes, the most worrying of his claims lingering on the tip of her tongue. “And he also declared his intentions of marching his soldiers into Vailkrin to back Kasyr’s legitimacy… Something I believe purposely undermines his authority.” Her mismatched eyes flicker back up to Kasyr, searching him for a reaction. “Surely the King of Vailkrin doesn’t need Larket to protect him.” Quintessa’s gaze doesn’t leave Kasyr, waiting for him to reveal the bit of information he felt could set the city on fire. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to her homeland, but Lita and Mahri lived across the sea, far away from these problems. Was it wise for them to hear this information too? Anxiety and doubt begin to creep into the changeling’s mind as she hides her expression behind her cigarette.

Lita shakes her head a little at Mahri's offer of a cigarette. She wanted one, or twelve, sure. But she didn't need more distractions. Politics gave her enough of a headache these days. Damn Leo for getting her roped into any of this in the first place. "I'd go so far as to wager it wasn't exactly an invitation." She says offhandedly to Tessa, recalling how Macon had all but shoved Kasyr out of the way to get to a place at that podium only to have Kasyr shove him back out of the spotlight once area leaders started leaving in droves. It had been too late then though, to try and reign them back in. The damage had been done. And that didn't change the fact that Macon's actions should not have been- and likely weren't, she'd be willing to bet- a surprise to Kasyr. She'd thought a lot of things of him over the years but foolish had never been one of them. And that's exactly what it would have been to think Kas could have somehow convinced Macon to tow any semblance of a line. No, tigers don't change their spots. Or whatever. "Maybe not himself, no, but even I know an army like Larket's got looks pretty good when you're defending an entire city." She shrugs then, reaching over to steal Mahri's cigarette for a quick pull, tilting her head away to exhale slowly as she hands it back. "Doesn't change the fact. Plenty of other cities you could have reached out to." And then Kas is telling them that what he's about to share doesn't leave this room. Oh yeah, more secrets. Not that she minded them much except she was tired of keeping them from Leo. She narrows dark eyes at Kasyr and then glances sideways at Mahri. She had a tougher time keeping those secrets from pack. "If you want to come back with Leo, we can meet you back in Kelay."

Mahri's very good at listening, but as good as she is at that, she's good at reading body language. Listening to Kas, Tess and Ace, she feels as though a lot had happened that wasn't said. "It won't leave this room." Silver eyes turned steadily to meet the revenant's, a promise she'd keep for the sake of their long - and often turbulent - relationship and the bond they shared from the Cabal. Leo would understand, he usually did. She hoped he would this time as well. Putting the cigarette case away and sharing her smoke with Lita, Mahri leans back in her seat, crossing her right leg over her left, ready to listen until Ace offers Mahri the chance to get Leo. "No, it's fine. He has other things to worry about right now."

Kasyr didn't have too much to add at first, near expecting the meeting to come to a meeting as they progressed, though Lita's suggestion of Kelay had been met with a dry, "Isn't as neutral as you'd think, given the who all runs it. A body count would be almost unavoidable, if a secret needed to be kept." Tessa was given a more than meaningful look there- a reminder of their last conversation. Still, Mahri at least seemed willing, and given the words he'd spoken earlier, he imagined the severity wouldn't be lost on them, nor the repercussions. "Let's begin then. First off, there was no alliance. It was a trade agreement, to get enough stone in a timely fashion to both repair a shattered city, et to expand the necropolis. The latter has been a pressing issue, given several hundred years worth of undead have not only been dropped on Vailkrins doorstep, but seem all but poised to riot, due to a lack of space. Et this is after they murdered a vast swathe of the population." Whilst he'd started out sympathetic, weeks and months of propaganda, panic-mongering and posturing had served well to run that well dry. "The only way to rectify that before things came to a boiling point, was to get Larket to end it's embargo, et establish a new trade agreement. Et on that point, I succeeded quite well. Et despite what you may have been led to believe, the cost was not the city." There's a pause, before his head tilts over to towards the dark forest, "Or at least, not mine. Trist'oths fractured and unstable state means it's going to be extremely reliant on it's neighbours to restore itself. A fact which has been more than established by their existing arrangement with Vailkrin- et one that provides ample room to leverage trade agreements at a ...competitive rate." Read, borderline exploitative. "A hard opportunity to pass up for Larket."

He waits for a moment, allows the pair to process what he was saying, before he gets into it once more, "Here's the thing. It would be nigh impossible to hide this agreement from the rest of the continent- due to both the quantity of stone et speed in which it was coming in. The scale of the operation would, no doubt, arouse suspicion regardless- et endeavouring to do so clandestinely, especially given the paper trails, would also fall flat." Even Quintessa would likely have to acknowledge that, because while she'd certainly done her fair share of smuggling, there were limitations insofar as the speed of acquisition, and the amount that could be moved along. "Better, than, to announce that fact. Et to also use it as a vehicle to demonstrate Vailkrins progress towards restoration as a city- rather than as a mere ruin, serving as a hub for Caluss' rejected remains." There's a frown there now, one that's levelled towards Lita, "Though, that particular sentiment seems the more prevalent. Even before Macon's appearance, that sense of uneasiness felt right at home with the days when Cenril launched crusade after crusade at the dead city. Et I suppose, when there es, essentially, an army several regions deep, et several hundred years old- just waiting to riot . . ."Well, their concerns were warranted. Which made the tactlessness on all sides all the more humorous. "As for Macon? It was less that I expected to control him, et more that I would have thought potentially destabilizing a foothold into another economy would have been a poor tact. But then- I suppose he rightly ascertained that the rest of the world leaders would be gullible rubes. No small wonder, then, that they've failed to kill him for- what? A decade?" He waves a hand tiredly, before his attention slips towards Lita, "Look, if you think I need Larkets army, or one at all- you should maybe ask Tessa what I did to Caluss. You march a force here, I'll make sure to fill out that region's obituaries for weeks to come. Personally."

Now seemed as good a time for a smoke break, though he does allow a quiet, "Don't worry, there's more. There always is."

Quintessa feels somewhat offended that Kasyr would imply Kelay isn’t neutral, but the young woman doesn’t let it show in her eyes as she returns Kasyr’s look. “Our secrets will be safe there,” She promises coldly, “For now.” The changeling is silent for a while as Kasyr explains but she speaks up finally when it comes to trying to hide the trade agreement, which Quintessa shrugs dismissively at, “You could have just done it without all the pomp and ceremony. Nobody would have cared,” she retorts, “Nobody cared about the trade agreement I made with Larket when I had to subvert this embargo myself. I find it rather humorous now you want to pat your own back for getting around the blockade you negotiated in the first place. You have succeeded indeed in paying Macon to salve the wound you paid him to inflict.” Quintessa had already once told Kasyr she disagreed with him when it came to economics- this difference in opinion shouldn’t come as any surprise. “You can just buy stone from them- as I did. No need to sneak around. No need to inflate Macon’s ego and equate us to his level of tyranny and global hated by publicly acknowledging him. You said the quiet part out loud, Your Grace, and it has inflamed the necessity to see the King of Rage dead- And it would not take me years to do it either. I will go to Larket for his head tonight should you ask for it on a silver platter, my liege. Why else do you think I maintain the relationship I do with that kingdom? I had assumed you were doing the same…” Quintessa is quiet again until she has to make one last correction about the fate of Caluss. “What we did to Caluss,” she says with contempt seeping out of her tone, “You played but a small role in its destruction, as we all did, and you could not have done it by yourself. You would do well to remember that, Your Grace.”

Kasyr has so much to reply to there, but decides instead to focus on one key point, "Remind me, Tessa, what your analysis of the situation was- et what you think the course of action I should have taken insofar as the necropolis issue, s'il-te-plait. I'll address the rest after."

Lita is trying to keep up. Vailkrin needed stone and space. Larket had provided one resource and Trist’oth, potentially, the other. In truth she could care less about either region (no offence there, Tessa). But this is why she keeps her mouth shut. Politics always did so make her head hurt. She was suddenly a little more grateful that she'd stuck to the island. At least there was still a fifty-fifty chance whether you'd get stabbed in the front or the back by your enemies. And those odds, she knew how to handle. Even when she'd been an informant another lifetime ago, she'd held no allegiance for city or lord, only for the highest bidder. The information itself mattered little to her outside of who would pay the most for owning it first. But the question still remains. "I doubt anyone questions that you ascertained Larket's assistance for the good of the city." Kas and Tessa could continue whatever other squabble later. "Presumably. The question remains why you've allowed Macon such a public show of it. When, like Tessa said, you could have simply bought or bartered your supplies without the power play at all."

Quintessa raises a brow at Kasyr when he asks for her analysis on the necropolis issue, asking her to repeat what she said her solution would have been. “Do you mean when I said I would have the dissidents’ heads on spikes?” The corner of her mouth twists into a sinister smirk, “I’ve since devised a more charitable solution… They can keep their heads; Their tongues will suffice. These are stochastic terrorists after all- criminals and traitors to the crown. I would, at the very least, not allow them to keep publishing outright lies in my newspaper- I would seize the presses and suppress these dangerous voices. A few bad apples will spoil the bunch, Your Grace, and if we do not snuff out this rebellion soon, even the peaceful undead will be radicalized by these conspiracy theorists. With crown-owned and controlled media, even King Macon’s words could be wielded to our benefit. We could have set the story straight from the beginning.” Mismatched eyes flicker to Lita and then back again, a slight nod in response. “A proper power-play needs to make us look powerful. If you really felt the need to make a public spectacle of it, the least you could have done is give the people bread and circuses. Macon certainly knows how to work a crowd, that’s why Vailkrin looks like his puppet now.”

Among the three women present, Mahri wasn't as good with words as Lita and Tessa were, nor was she as well versed in the politics being played, or the rules. "They're right, Kasyr." She knew that much and also didn't feel the need to use the honorific that Tessa had. Just like she didn't call the changeling Duchess, or Countess or whatever the title she'd taken was. She knew them as they were before and now. "Vailkrin looks weak and unless that's the goal..." she shrugged slightly. "You're succeeding gloriously." She smirked at Tessa's revised plan regarding whatever issue was being had in the necropolis. "Vailkrin has been a home to me when I had none. I worry for it's future if Macon tries to march his armies through the continents under the banner of 'Just making this a better place of all'. We all know how that works out in the end. There's also the matter of your pre-arrangement and how it affects Lita now, which in turn is going to affect Rynvale given her position. I don't think vampires are being looked at kindly right now, or any undead, given your apparent alliance and agreement with the Larket king."

Kasyr may have quirked a wry smirk at Tessa's plan, which grows slightly sharper at Mahri's agreement, "So what you're saying is. Refute Larket, solidify Vailkrin- by being Larket. On an even grander scale. I'm sure the underground press would have loved it. That definitely wouldn't have cemented the fears of our neighbours that they have another maniacal, homicidal dictator to worry about, if they're willing to do that to their own population." He pauses there, pinching his nose at Mahri's assessment, "Since Caluss' actions started, antipathy towards Undead has been on the rise. Trist'oth being wiped out, et the sheer amount of undead left behind- was never going to be looked on favourably by the world. The summit proved that point, even -before- Macon's idiotic outburst. It didn't even really serve -his- ends, on a pragmatic level, since it could destabilize the Trist'oth arrangement."

The kensai scratches at his cheek, that particular quibble once more cropping up, "Speaking of which- I think you failed to see the issue. Forget the blockade, et consider this. Due to the necropolis, he had the means of accelerating Vailkrin's problems. We both know that Larket remains near peerless in the resource it's built on. By all accounts, they could have leveraged whatever price they wanted- et let the animosity of militant undead as the situation worsened serve as their bargaining piece. Without any sort of formal trade agreement, it would have been too easy to falsify shortages, or other issues, to continually negotiate higher prices. To wait et watch until it spread to the other Houses, then incite more infighting by making secondary deals." There's a pause here, a longer one, as he considers the three people before him. None of them had to deal with the logistics on this large a scale- on the way every choice branched further away from intention, and towards necessity and damage prevention. "What's more. The difference between gradually smuggling what you need to build a keep- et what would be needed to reconstruct et expand an entire city-state es a vast gulf. Factor in the need for haste, et where it would pass through. It would have always come out, et keeping it clandestine would have been damaging, especially given what would have then be said in covert hushes. "

Kasyr sighs wearily, finally finding his way to his feet, "As for Caluss. I did not say otherwise, Tessa. Daedria knows our efforts, hinged on Valrae. However long I could survive against him in a melee, however, tens of thousands of times he'd be cut, it never would have felled him. Still. Compared to that, what es the threat of an army?" There's a pause, until he finally provides the answer, "Not it's people, but the aftermath. What devastating one would do, insofar as rallying the continent. Again, more fodder for fear-mongering."

It takes a lot longer than Lita will ever admit to follow half of what Kasyr goes on about. She's very new to the politics of cities and chess, but damnit, she's trying here. And one thing that is abundantly clear is that Kasyr made what he deemed the most practical, simple, and variably easy choice provided the options before him. Dark eyes look away from him, staring down at his desk. The array of books and scrolls and whatever other accoutrements he may have accumulated. He was still playing chess, moves ahead of them while they were still lining up their pawns. The only difference was, there were three of them on this side of the desk. "You never asked." She says suddenly. Calmly. "You assumed you knew our positions and our capabilities long before you made your decision to make deals with Larket." Whatever their limits would have been, it would have been better than this. "Now you find yourself lumped in with Larket in public opinion and you call it fear-mongering, but I don't know that that's a fair assessment to those who know firsthand what Macon is capable of." Was she defending Valrae here!? Eww. "Your summit could have been a success. People showed up after all." Maybe there were whispers and rumours, but when called, they came. They were willing to listen. And even if it were only that, it was something. It was more than there had been in too long a time and more than there would likely be again for the sham it had turned into. "Now the only one who's likely to come is Macon. And he brings with him no love for your city."

Quintessa shrugs as the assumption people would think her a tyrant for her methods of control. “Vailkrin’s laws do not guarantee political freedom. If they want that, they can move to Cenril where they vote and all sorts of silly things like that. This is Vailkrin, a proper kingdom, not some flimsy representative democracy. And when I was Countess of the Dark Forest, I did not smuggle in the stone that built Castle Blackwell, it was brought by wagon, two-by-twenty, months and months of work put into it… But you are right, this reconstruction effort requires a proper agreement with Larket, I’m not even against this personally. I still think the mistake was coming across looking feeble. I’d rather look like a tyrannical despot than a milk-drinking weakling, there can be no comparison.” Blue and golden eyes slowly drift to Lita, thinking about what she had said, a frown tugging at her lips. “It does feel like Vailkrin has been isolated far worse than it was even when I staged that attack against Mayor Valrae- At least the outcry has been propagandized more…” Finally her gaze returns to Mahri, contemplating how bad the global attitude to undead in general was becoming. She finds small solace in the fact that since her exile the other leaders of the realm had voiced their concern and support for the Unseelie Fae that lived under the protection of House Blackwell’s banners. Somehow, yet again, Quintessa had avoided the blame that some felt she was owed for her time as Caluss’s captive servant. “But what is done is done. My goal is to see Vailkrin less isolated and if I must work from the outside to achieve this goal, then that is what I will do. A little less exciting than taking heads and tongues but probably more productive, yes?”

Lita glances from Mahri to Tessa and then back to Kasyr. "And what about Inks now?" She manages a small sigh, already exhausted. "I can only assume you've read her missive. Have you fortified your city only to watch your House fall, Kasyr?"

|| "I'd almost rather be taking heads and tongues at the moment," Mahri muttered before getting up to pace. Sitting still for long periods of time wasn't something wolf was good at, unless there was reason to. "There was no where else to get what you needed, it had to be Larket?" Pacing also helped her to think. "What happens if you try to get out of this trade deal? I get it, you're looking out for your people," Mahri turned to look between three people she called friend, and family, to some extent. "I'm trying to look out for mine and my pack, and" since it seemed to keep getting skipped over, "if you are still going to help Lita or if that is off the table. For now." Mahri paused while Lita asked about Inks, everyone was talking world politics, her view was much narrower she realized, focusing only on what affected those closest to her. The realization took the wind out of her sails, so to speak and she made her way back to the chair she'd occupied a few minutes before. "We've not often seen eye to eye. I don't always understand your motives, but I know you have something up your sleeve, even if I missed it in the discussion here tonight. If I can help whatever machinations....even finding another source for your bloody stone.....you have going on, I'll do it. To save your city, your house - whatever it is - to avoid an all-out war among the realms that's bound to come sooner rather than later." Mahri might have had her fill of wars, but she'd still fight if push came to shove.

Kasyrs' transition to a standing position means he's not free to lean onto his desk, and very subtly begin to tap his heel, just the faintest sign of nervous energy that he allows to go unhindered. "Non, Larket was the only clear answer. That's why, of anything, Tessa conceded on that point. Though, likewise- I must concede that the situation es a mess. But it was always going to be, j'pense." He draws his bottom lip in, his right canine sliding over it thoughtfully, "This dissent in the paper, or the politics, es not new. Much of it can be traced for months now. That this fodder provided more to latch onto es undeniable- but, there's something else there. An intended coup, or some movement." Kasyr was paranoid to start with, but it was always terrible when one of those possibilities actually seemed -correct-. "If the trade deal sinks- I'm left with a crippled economy, et the city likely being embargoed by its neighbours -anyways-, since Inks decided it was prudent to send letters -apologizing- for an allegiance before ever talking to me, therefore granting life to the fiction." That, perhaps, might be the first moment where his expression falters entirely, an unguarded bit of melancholy, that requires a forced breath to dispel. "Like any other in House Azakhaer, she was allowed her choices. She's since retired to Cenril- since it's safer for her there, as opposed to- this." There's a sweeping gesture, perhaps meant at the castle, or the city beyond, though it falls flat moments after, leaving the Kensai to redirect his focus to the changeling, "Given you're a free agent, et one who shares a contentious history with moi- I imagine that whatever words you may offer, would carry more weight insofar as politics. Especially given the missives they've already received. As for Macon. I've already told you everything I could on that front." Which leaves Lita, and Mahri- the question which no doubt first brought them to this office, and which was once more on their lips. "I never said anything about not helping her. Not once. That said, I do understand the concerns that she herself has risen- and pose again that the choice, one way or the other, remains hers."

Lita would like nothing more than to grab Mahri and tug her close as she paces. But she can't. And not just because she doubts it would do any good for the moment. She doesn't have most answers. But also, she doesn't want to admit- maybe even to herself- that whatever arrangement she'd tried to broker with Kasyr would have to be put on hold for the time being. "Mahri." She says calmly, more to get the woman's focus than anything else. "I can't stand as a representative of Rynvale and ask Kasyr to help me with a personal dilemma. Not with the press twisting things the way they have been. Not until all the unrest has settled." Or at least some of it. Maybe. If the truth of the realization made her upset in any way, she kept the emotion of it from her face, maintaining a stoic composure as she turns back in her seat towards Kasyr. There was a reason she hadn't brought it up. Whether or not it was an option she'd pursue in the near future, either under better political circumstances or by necessity, would remain to be seen. For now, her want to protect the island and her dislike for Macon (and even, in some part, for Val) far outweigh her willingness to jump at self-preservation. For now. Whether she disagrees or not about the trade agreements made with Larket, whether it should have been done at all or how, or just less public- it's all an entirely moot point. Because it's done. And it can't be undone. She flickers a glance towards Tessa here. "I don't think any of us would challenge the way you choose to handle affairs for your city." She looks back to Kasyr next. "It's the who that's puzzling, and the lack of power on your part you've allowed to be portrayed that's... concerning." Which is about as nice a way as she can put it just now. "You're gonna lose allies." Did Kas have allies? They were here, weren't they? And no one had brandished a weapon yet.

"Faster than you can make 'em. If you don't figure out a way to sever ties with Macon. At least publicly. And choices or not, for gods sakes, get your House in order." She sympathized with Inks, really. Having been in the same boat with Leo so recently. The difference was she hadn't dragged anyone else into the mess or gone behind the pirate's back to undermine his position or authority. So while she understood Inks' position, she did not approve of her methods. But it struck a chord with her nonetheless. Even if she agreed to continue her personal business with Kasyr, it seemed she'd only be trading one set of secrets for another and it wasn't a way she wanted to help lead any city.

Mahri nodded her agreement with Lita, "We have all known each other a long time. I"d say that qualifies as allies if not friends." She couldn't say that she and Kas, at least, had ever considered each other friends. Acquaintances, maybe. Team mates, likely. Clan-mates certainly. "We could...solve the Macon problem." Absently, the woman's fingers drift down to lightly caress the hilt of the dagger strapped to her thigh. "All you have to do is ask and I'll do this one as a freebie."

Quintessa watches Kasyr rise, a strange, unsettling anxiety brewing inside of her stomach. “No,” she agrees with the Kensai, “You can’t back out of the trade deal now- that would make Vailkrin look even weaker. Larket would not be obliged to refund whatever gold has been spent on the reconstruction effort either… No, this arrangement is sealed, for better or for worse.” When Inks is brought up Quintessa remains deathly silent. It was not her place to discuss matters of his coterie, and whatever punishment he had devised for her treachery Quintessa was certain it was appropriate. She instead waits for Kasyr’s attention to focus on her before she perks up somewhat, fixing her posture as he addresses her directly. “O-of course, Your Grace. I shall continue to prove myself useful to Vailkrin.” She was concerned about this mention of a coup now- one that she wasn’t a part of. It was one thing for her to be plotting against Kasyr, a casual fantasy of bringing fire of blood back with her to Vailkrin, but for some interloper to be scheming against the King? She wouldn’t have that. With nothing left to say, Quintessa carefully watches the rest of the exchange between Lita, Mahri, and Kasyr, wondering if she could discover any more details about the deal Lita had made that was so good she was willing to throw Tessa to the wolves over. The changeling sits here, perched on the edge of her seat like a curious raven, her mismatched eyes watching Lita as the vampire glances over at her. Quintessa couldn’t argue against anything she was saying. The loss of support and allies seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, a determination that causes a dejected feeling to wash over the woman as she places her burnt-out cigarette to her lips and relights it with a snap of her fingers.

Kasyr has, at some point, allowed his smoke to burn down to his fingers- and it's only as the cherry gutters itself at his knuckle, that he finally remembers its existence and draws it up for one last half-hearted puff. One which ends with the smoke going up into sparking cinders, and leaving his attention to flick towards Lita. Whatever melancholy had been there, was replaced by something far less pleasant, a frosty ire, "Like I told you- Members of the Coterie have always had their freedom. They aren't -pets-. I could not -predict- that she'd do this. But things have certainly been rectified." And yet, there is a particular tidbit that they keep circling around. With a quick glance over to the changeling, he then turns his attention towards Mahri, finally offering a missing piece of the puzzle, "It's not that I don't deal with Macon. It es that I cannot- due to rather, binding terms. Which es also why I would not ask anything of you, madamoiselle- though, I also cannot be held accountable for what people do of their own free will." But what did that leave? "I don't disagree. But, I think it was always bound to happen. Ruling, especially somewhere as fraught as Vailkrin, always tends to have a grievous cost. The city es not happy until you're spent. At least now, I have a good idea of who was looking for an excuse to break ties- et who at least had some degree of investment in the truth."

Mahri understood, and while she didn't like it, she wouldn't do anything to put her friends in danger. For now. "I always want the truth. You know that." The corners of her mouth twitched slightly before she reached over to take Lita's hand then glance back at Quintessa. "I think I have all the answers I need." She just had one last question, "Did you read the agreement and binding terms? What exactly did it say?" Because of course Kas had read it. He was far from stupid, quite cunning and clever when he wanted or needed to be - at least that's how she knew him to be. Why would that have changed over the years?

Kasyr said, "It can still bite him back, quite viciously- if that's what you're asking."

Lita had meant no offense in referring Inks or Kas' House. Okay, maybe a little offense. But that had more to do with her irritation of having to be here at all and less to do with the way Kasyr conducted his affairs. Lita does tug Mahri closer when the she-wolf reaches for her hand. And she tilts her head to press a kiss against the inside of her wrist. Whatever opinion she had about Mahri offering to commit some political assassination was a discussion for another time. Or not. But she might have hidden a smirk of admiration against the woman's wrist all the same. "Who's left to invest in the truth?" She asks of Kasyr then.

Quintessa continues to watch them speak but her mind was elsewhere. She had leads to follow and people to contact. As the smoke from her cigarette obscures her face like an ethereal shroud her mismatched eyes peer out from behind it, flickering from one person to the next as she awaits an answer to Lita's question. Who left in this world was interested in the truth, indeed.

Kasyr may have shrugged at Lita's question, even as he absently brushes ashes of his fingers, "Less than you'd hope. Far less. But then, you need only look at the papers. The topics they cover, but concrete et fabricated. How often do you hear someone ask about the writer who penned them, about the editor who approved the print- about the backers who pay for it's distribution? Non- people have their spectacles, et that es what they see." Kasyr is, unfailing, a miserable cynic. "I believe I've answered all your questions at this juncture, no? I shouldn't be keeping you- especially if you have appearances to manage, non?" This, especially, was aimed at Lita.

Lita stands, takes a half step forward and she leans over the edge of his desk, reaching for a pen and tapping the end of it against the edge of the nearest book before pointing it towards him. "Rewrite the story, Kas. You want to question what they're writing, or who, or why? Do it. I agree with Tessa." She points the pen over her shoulder towards the changeling. "Control the narrative." She lets the pen fall back to the desk again. "Or don't. And we'll see what's left standing." She reaches to loop an arm around Mahri's waist as she turns for the office door. "No killing tonight, maybe? Let's go home."

Mahri wouldn't be doing any killing tonight. She probably wouldn't be for the foreseeable future unless it became necessary. "You're not weak, Kas. Prove it," she nodded towards Lita and Tessa, "Sound advice from these two. Change the narrative. Take control. It's what you do best." Then she's pulled along by Lita, towards the door and whatever was beyond, but let's hope it's the portal, mm?

Quintessa watches as Mahri and Lita leave, a thoughtful expression on her face as she listens to what they were saying before the vampire pulls the wolf towards the door. Was the warlock correct? Quintessa wishes she was half as confident in her own words as she pretended to be. She lingers, however, allowing the sounds of the two women drift out of earshot before the changeling slowly rises like a spectre from her chair. “Change the narrative,” she repeats, musing on the statement, “Control it.” Quintessa offers Kasyr a tiny smile, a genuine one. “But that will probably backfire, huh?” She glances over her shoulder, checking to see that Mahri and Lita were gone before she nervously makes a mischievous jest. “If I don’t leave, are you gonna kick me out?” She crushes the butt of her cigarette into the ashtray, a cheeky smirk already growing on her face. She doesn’t give him a chance to answer though, quickly turning on her heels and moving for the door. “I’ll be in touch.” Is the last thing she says before she disappears into the shadows of his threshold.