She was enjoying her current stay in Tevinter, when she had received a card from Malachai to apologize that on her last visit her dress had been destroyed by the cat cult murders, inviting her to a modiste there in Tevinter to select fabric and be fitted for a replacement dress. She had decided to make a day of it, visiting a small cafe near by Madam de-Solar's modiste shop. According to the note, it was a very exclusive dress shop and she had an appointment and was to not to make any decisions except what felt good on the skin and what looked ravishingly good on her.
She wasn't sure she'd know the second part, if it landed in front of her and waved. Felt good on the skin was how she normally shopped, so she had that part down cold. She wouldn't wear anything that made her itch, or caused her discomfort, she had had too many melt downs in the middle of the house because a thread laid wrong somewhere she couldn't reach, so she would be certain this poor modiste would be tired long before the dress in question laid right on her bare skin and felt like she could truly live in the fabric.
So she needed someone to tell her what looked ravishingly good. And fate must have been in her favor that day, because she noticed a familiar face among the crowd as she sat on the porch of the tea shop near the modiste until it was time for her appointment, a face that had been among the group of men that had given her a rather interesting night the last time she had been in Tevinter. Mind, that evening had been because of a cat cult, and a murder, but an un-forgettable evening and adventure none-the-less, so she raised a hand and waved, Mister Pavus! A smile widened across her face then, as she took her hat off her head, the red ringlets tumbling down over her shoulders, making her look much more like what she had that evening. She rose from the table and came closer.
I'm not sure if you remember me Mister Pavus, but we had a rather exciting murder mystery the last time I was here in Tevinter, Ophelia Jolfy, I was one of the visiting academics...
"The music was beautiful, I'll grant that. But do you not think the story a bit... on the nose?" Enzo moved at a leisurely pace along the street, a rotund and older man at his side.
"Quite the opposite! Prescient, I dare say. Are we not all so afflicted now? Lucillius, toddling on shorter legs, huffed his earnestness up at Enzo.
"Quite." Enzo allowed. "But that is exactly the sort of thing I should like to escape from at the Opera. A spirit, desperate for mortal form? A tale as old as time, my friend. It's been done to death."
Lucillius was responding, but Enzo's ear caught the his own name in the air and he turned, looking about for who had called it. Anyone would be a welcome distraction from old Lucillius. It took a moment, but soon his eyes caught a shock of red hair around a face looking directly at him. She was moving their way and it was a second more before he recalled where he'd seen her before.
"Forgive me, Lucillius, but I must leave you here. I've a pressing engagement I've just remembered." he said, executing a quick tilt of his frame as a goodbye and stepping quickly away. The street was not excessively crowded, but enough passersby moved between them that he was free of the man by the time he and the lady met.
"Madam Jolfy, of the University of Orlais!" he said as he took her hand. He moved gracefully into a bow, kissing the air just above her knuckles before releasing her hand. "What a delight to see you again. Have you come to whisk me away to your University? I've not forgotten you promised to show me the trees you care for there." As he straightened, Enzo smiled warmly at the woman, then glanced back in the direction from which she came. "Are you with dear Mally? Or have you come to me alone?" he asked, eyes twinkling with a touch of mischief.
Ophelia was many things, and immune to the charms of a man like Enzo, she was not, even though her heart currently was being sought by someone other. But it never hurt to keep healthy competition around -- absence wasn't the only thing that could make a heart grow fonder. Jealousy also had a healthy way of showing one what one truly wanted. So when Enzo's lips barely touched her, more so just grazed the small hairs along the back of her hand, the touch felt like a tickle, faint -- safe and welcome. This was a man who she could trust to be in his company for an afternoon, and not have to worry about well.. anything.
I'm here for a week to chat to some of my academic peers in your esteemed university, but if you would insist that we run away back to Orlais right now to take a tour of the gardens, I wouldn't mind the company at all. And Lia, please, Madam makes me feel old and you and I both know that neither of us is our parents. She laid a hand gently on his arm as she followed his gaze, and looked back as well, before turning back to the man. Malachai, no, no. I am all yours and yours alone today, and I have a favor to ask you of which you are immediately to say no to if you truly detest the idea.
She made motion for him to come join her at her table there on the side walk cafe, waving at the waiter for another cup of the wonderful tea they served there. Come sit, I'm enjoying a light lunch. See, when I was here last, you and I were involved in a rather wonderful evening of tracking down that one fellow, yes. Well, my dress was ruined, and I've received a card to an appointment at Madam de-Solar's for a replacement dress. I've no eye for the things myself, but the card said to make sure that it felt good on, and looked ravishingly good.
She slid a hand along her bottom as she tucked her dress down before she sat, properly, like a lady that was raised appropriately in a larger house, and not the mad academic that had climbed onto someone back to run after a cat cultist only a month ago. Would you do me the honor of coming and making sure that what ever it is that I decide on, that it's more than appropriate for a party here in Tevinter? I know Orlais fashion, and I wouldn't want to make a faux pas by choosing something I was familiar with, and seem out of ... date here. After all, I am visiting here, should I not dress for here too?
"Lia, then." he said, lingering just ever so slightly on the L. "And you must call me Enzo, since we are not our parents." he added.
When she confirmed that she was not with Mal, Enzo allowed the mischief to rise once again on his features. He kept it playful, innocent, but he couldn't help keeping the game of it up. "A chance to have you to myself? I'd fetch you the moon, Lia. Whatever it is that you require of me, it is done."
Enzo tucked her hand to his arm, covering it with his opposite hand as they walked back to the cafe where she'd been sitting. When they reached her table, Enzo released her to move behind her chair, pulling it out for her as she explained her presence in this part of the city today. "Madam de-Solar!" he repeated, the inflection an obvious sign he was impressed. Once she was settled, Enzo moved around her to the other seat. It was opposite her, but that would not do. He pulled it closer as the waiter brought the tea, saucer, and other place setting necessities. Enzo pulled the dainty honey jar closer to his cup, lifting the dipper to transfer some into his cup as Lia finished her request.
"Madam de-Solar is a maestro of a modiste. You are wise to want to take full advantage of her services." he said, returning the dipper back to its tiny jar. he stirred the honey into the tea, furrowing his brows to show he was giving this request the proper attention. "I understand your concern. Orlesian and Tevene tastes often clash. I think you will find we don't require quite so much pageantry. We prefer to let beauty speak for itself." Enzo gave a little wink as he set his teaspoon down on the saucer. He lifted the cup and took a slow sip, watching her over the rim before lowering it slightly.
"Madam de-Solar will have no trouble creating something that will accent your beauty. Honestly, you make that too easy for her. But I understand why you need my help in this. Ravishing requires the eye of your intended audience, I should say." Setting the cup down, Enzo leaned forward, reaching for Lia's hand. "Darling, I will help you. However many dresses you have to take off until you find the right one, I'll be with you. It will be my sole purpose until you feel completely... satisfied."
Enzo leaned back again in his chair, lifting his teacup again for another drink as he grinned. "When is your appointment?"
Lia paid attention to how he took his tea. Something about being raised in the kitchens, reminding her that people liked when they were remembered, and if she ever hosted him for tea personally, it would be a nice little personal touch to add to the encounter. After all, she would be back in Tevinter quite frequently over the next few months as she worked with the University's knowledge transfer project. It seemed to be going quite swimmingly at the time, and after the cat cult murders, well, she didn't think it was going to be broken off any time soon. And she felt certain that she wanted to make friendships somewhere where she..
Where the shadows on the walls didn't have her scrambling back to her library for fear of the LaRues, or losing her family again, or anything else that went along with her home in Orlais. It was her home, would always be her home, but she had so much fear of the place, and here in Minrathous she was just a visiting academic, not part of a family feud, or ... plots. Here, she was making friends, growing.. it had come late in life, but she finally felt like she could stand on her own two feet. Even I've heard of her creations back in Orlais, once the barrier fell, she tends to be very exclusive with her clientele, I was surprised when I received the invite.
A three tiered platter was delivered with an assortment of luncheon cakes and sandwiches, Lia had ordered for a full tea service already, and she used the tongs to move a green leafy sandwich down to the small plate in front of her, fingers working on breaking the already small sandwich into a smaller bite. I like that, 'beauty speak for itself', sort of preferring the dressing not to outshine the person. I swear if I have to wear another frilly high necked collar I'll scream, they're so uncomfortable.
She allowed her hand to be taken easily, her fingers wrapping around his even as she wiped the other hands fingers on her napkin to make them clean before her other hand joined their clasped ones. His words made her cheeks flush, before she was hiding her grin behind a raised hand, head turned before she looked back over. You flatter me, but I appreciate you undertaking this task with me. I want to make sure I cast no embarrassment on the Universities programs, nor on our mutual friend, as it was he that brokered his arrangement. He was warm, she noticed, the entire place was warm, a far cry from home. And she did so very much like to be warm, to feel warmth suffuse through her. And Je suis sûr que tu ne me laisseras pas envie, after all. Someone with as much command of Orlasian rarely does.. She lifted her bite of sandwich relishing the small bit for it's complex flavorings. I am the first appointment after the lunch hour is over, so we have more than enough time to enjoy tea and sandwiches before we undertake our task. She gave his hand a thoughtful squeeze. Nothing too immodest though, I am unmarried, not a widow who can wear certain styles a little more freely. And while I don't care about impugning my self, I do about my House and our friend. I'd not see them shamed because I wore something scandalous.
Ah, so Mal was a part of this outing after all, if not physically present. Yes, Enzo did remember that he was quite possessive of the lady the night of the Archon's ball. Of course, he'd attempted to downplay it, but that was his way; strong tall walls guarded his heart. Or so he thought. Mal had tried to impress upon them that Ophelia was an asset, important to some work being done. And Enzo believed that, but he also believed that naughty Mal intended to mix business with pleasure. And why shouldn't he. Ophelia was truly beautiful, and her earnestness was endearing. Mal would be a fool not to fall for her.
"My Orlesian is..." Enzo lifted up his free hand and wobbled it, "better when I'm drunk, I think." he said, releasing her hand to avail himself of some of the luncheon offerings. He chuckled at her caveat as he pulled a thin bar of a sandwich in half.
"My dear, it would be a scandal to cover you up too much!" he said, giving her a wink as he popped a bite of the sandwich into his mouth. As he chewed however, he furrowed his brown again in consideration. "But I see your meaning. Cast too wide a net, you catch more than you bargain for.
"Luckily for you, I've known M-" Enzo paused, then lowered his voice and leaned in. "Are we being intentionally clandestine about our mutual friend?" he asked, emphasizing the words and holding back a slight smile. "Well, I've known our friend a long time. I'm sure that Madam de-Solar and I can steer you true. Now, I'd love to know more about your work at the University, tell me all about it." he said, plucking a scone from the middle platter.
To be fair, everyone's Orlesian is better when they're drunk. It allows the right mixture of slurring and rolling of Rs to blend together better. She chuckled a little as she picked up a minature scone from the tiered tray and moved it to her plate. She was famished, but she didn't want to put away a whole tea tray, let alone over-indulge before a dress fitting. That would ... actually be smart, then she would be able to snack as she liked from the finger foods at most parties. Maybe she should have a meal of snacks before taking her measurements from now on. Please, I'm too pale for here. I feel like one afternoon too long outside and I'll be burnt beyond a crisp. I'm well aware of the herbs and plants to soothe such a burn though, until my magic gets better enough to try and heal it myself that is.
She raised a brow, I believe so, I'm not certain if he .. wants many to know that I was invited to your University by his doing. Or at least I think so, I may need to ask him about that, She rolled the edge of the china against her lower lip, sipping at the black tea inside. It wasn't as good as the coffee she regularly enjoyed, but it was a far sight better than the cafe she had to put up with because it was the only one within walking distance of the manor, and René's. Luckily, there were several here that she had been trying as she got more comfortable with the city. Then I place myself fully into your and Madam de-Solar's capable hands. She finished off the scone, taking another of the small sandwiches for herself, an excited sound leaving her.
Ma.. M was able to secure two fruiting citrus trees as a gift to the University, of goodwill you see, and to test a theory of mine that because you've been behind the barrier for the past five years that some of the strains outside the barrier that may have perished in the blights, might be able to make a comeback if we cross-pollinate, basically cross breed them to some of the fruiting plants that were here behind the barrier and safe from the different types of rots that plants get. She paused and ate a bite of the sandwich, and took a little more tea, excited to be talking about one of her favorite things, her face animated. I'm hoping to see fruit by next season. I wanted to gift back two trees, to your University, but then I thought about all the unknown nematodes and fungi that may hitch rides in the roots and dirt ball, and thought maybe it would be best not too. Those bugs have five years outside the closed environment that was here, and introducing them in may run rampant through your crops, and that wouldn't be very environmentally friendly after all. There's also the possibility that the trees our friend gifted could die because of those things, but it was safer to bring them to Orlais than something from outside to here.
Lia took another bite, chewing thoughtfully, lost in a thought of how spectacularly bad it would have been if something had hitched a ride in, it would cause entire generations of crops to die out, fields would have to be left to fallow for several planting cycles just to make sure that what seed crop went into the furrows that would then cut the fields. She shook her head, But, I have been sitting in on some of the medical lectures as well, trying to think of a way to use both magic and learning to figure out how long and small amounts of a poison could be detected in someone's body to figure out when they received the dose, if it proves fatal, or to figure out exactly how much antidote to administer to make sure the patient has a full recovery. I feel that blending the two disciplines together, magic and learning, that we'll go so much further than either will alone.
Ah, yes. He'd almost forgotten. Ophelia was a novice, so to speak, where it came to magic. Yet another intriguing thing about her. In Tevinter, those without magical ability were all but invisible to society. Those with middling skills fared better, but not by much. So then, why had dear Mal taken such an avid interest in her? He was something of an outsider himself, yes, but having done so well for himself in spite of the circumstances of his birth... it was interesting that he'd connect himself to someone who, on the surface at least, seemed of no use in Tevinter society.
But as she spoke, Enzo found it had to let his mind wander in such ways. The light in her eyes and the way she moved as she spoke made her enthusiasm contagious. Enzo leaned back in his chair, sandwich forgotten on the plate, and smiled as he listened. He knew nothing about cross pollination or nematodes, but that mattered very little. If he had instructors with half her passion when he was in school, he might have studied more.
His eyebrows raised at her shift to the medical lectures she'd attended and her desire to work with poisons. A dangerous field, but he supposed it related quite a bit with her interest in plants. Most poisons he knew of came from plants, after all. "I'll remember to stay on your good side." he said with a chuckle before eating the last bite of his sandwich and claiming another from the tray. "You remember Tiberius, from the ball? He has an incredible garden full of all sorts of poisonous plants. Should you have a particular poison in mind to study, I'm sure he could assist you in procuring what would be needed."
Taking another sip of tea, Enzo smiled at Ophelia. "You know, I can see why he guards you so well. Too many of our highest and greatest see themselves as too noble for such... mundane pursuits. You've a rare mind, Madam Jolfy. That's certainly worth protecting."
A musical chime sounded the hour from the clock in the nearby square. Enzo glanced that way, and then up at the sky. My, how the time flew. "I couldn't show my face in polite society if I made you late to your appointment, my dear." he said, straightening up and signaling a waiter. When they came by, he bid them put the bill on his tab, leaving Ophelia no time to protest, and then stood, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"
My good side? Oh, no, Master Pavus, no, there's no getting into my bad graces once you're a friend, especially since I am especially sure that you're dear to those we know. Tiberius was the tall gentleman that scowled as much as he smiled, yes? She remembered the man well enough, the necromancer, she hadn't liked seeing the corpse being forced into answer questions, it went against her personal beliefs, but when needs demanded, she could put aside her personal feelings for the matter at hand, it's what made her a good scientist -- her belief in the Maker had no bearing on what she could see, feel, and taste, what her senses told her -- she knew it was a bit of a contradiction -- some in the academic circles thought the gods were false, something she'd not repeat in polite company after all. I believe I have an invite to tea from Master Umbra for later this visit, I'm looking forward to it, honestly. I'll have to see if I can swing the conversation towards his gardens.. without sounding too amazingly forward.
She grinned widely as she watched him take more food, glad that the man seemed to have a good appetite. She hated having tea with those who just picked at their food and never really enjoyed. She herself loved to eat, loved to experience new foods, and new drinks all the time, and so finding company that matched her enthusiasm for trying things was rare. She saved every time she met someone new who shared these qualities. I'm not sure what you mean by that, but if I was a lesser mind I would have assumed that to be a dig at my upbringing, but since I am not, and I know you're of better stuff than most of your peers I've met, you three really are exceptional you know, then I see that through as the compliment it is.
Of course, when the waiter came by and they were putting her tea on his tab, she did protest, You know I was sent with more than enough to pay my own way, but I'll thank you all the more for that, I'm sure the University accountants are going to have a field day when I file my receipts with them, I'm actually looking forward to seeing the head accountant's head spin a full circle. She allowed her arm to be looped through Enzo's easily, safe in his company. It helped that she knew that Malachai was one of his closest -- knowing she had those there with her, who knew the city, knew the people, who would make sure she wasn't taken advantage of too terribly much -- she assumed that her experiences with markets would be universal -- she didn't know how to barter, or haggle, when a price was told to her, she would pay it because it never really occurred to her that someone would say one price for one client, but another for someone else.
It was that trust in people to be them best selves, even when she had seen the worst sides of people through the majority of her past. Yes, I think so, now, from the way you spoke of her earlier, I am assuming that you have some sort of personal connection to Madame de-Solar, and that's why you agreed to help me so easily, of course, I just now came across another reason, and that's to cause our mutual friend some sort of headache - which if you are anything like my brothers, I feel like this assumption on my half might be leaning towards the correct one, but I know that our friend has eyes watching so if it's a headache we're trying to cause, then might I suggest holding hands instead, the familiarity that it would allude to will certainly cause an up-roar, and since I'm a claimed bastard it makes it all the more scandalous. Maybe, I think some of the rules between our two societies might overlap, and then things like mine being a novice at magic would have raised me higher, faster, in society, than my birth did in my own city. I need to sit down in one of your libraries and do some studies into that, I feel like primary school taught me about it at some point, but I put that knowledge aside for something more exciting like the wave patterns off the coast during the double full moons or some such. She paused as they went down the street, it wasn't far, a couple of doors.
Or at least more exciting to me, than the politics that happen behind closed doors. I'm very happy that my brother's have kept me safe from it, and I'm certain that you and our mutual friends will do the same for me here? My mind needs more fruitful problems to turn over than who's mistress slapped who's wife at tea, though I won't ever turn down a good bit of gossip in my own parlor. She had learned a long time ago, that gossip, especially about the "ton" was a part of life, and knowing at least some of it was expected of anyone who moved about in any circles. As they came to the door way of the shop, Lia let her eyes roam the store front. Oh I'm going to like the Madam, aren't I? The riot of gold and purple that consisted of the store front with an aristocratic flourish was more flamboyant than Lia would ever have let herself like, but, as Enzo had pointed out earlier, what was gauche in Tevinter, would be commonplace in Orlais, and vice versa. She had a lot of learn if she was going to be traveling back and forth between the two places over the next few months.
