Following Madam LeFleur

[Zana]

4th Saun, 717

Zana was standing on the bed in the room she shared with Theo. Wearing a shot white negligee, she was reading a book and pacing up and down on the bed. "It says here," she said, as he came into the room, "that we could buy these oils from an apothecary. There are a lot of different things they do, according to Madam LeFleur." She held up the book and grinned at him.

"I think we should consider taking a visit to the apothecary," Zana said with an impish smile as she turned over the page. "Maybe hire one on a pro bono basis. I can teach the girls massage, but apparently this apothecary and alchemy stuff can be really useful." She handed him the book by Madam LeFleur, detailing the use of alchemy as a seduction tool.

Zana hopped down off the bed and stepped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. "Madam LeFleur is giving advice to the women out there who have been married for a long time. It's all about spicing up things in the bedroom and there's a whole chapter on a romantic meal that anyone, even the most incompetent cook can manage."

It was, it seemed, a book which promised exactly that. Madam LeFleur gave advice to housewives and women in relationships who were bored, perhaps losing or having lost the spark from their love lives and it was aimed at helping them to get that spark back. There were chapters on how to dress seductively, on make up and hair, on cooking and on massage and so on. There was also the chapter on 'more extreme' methods, such as the visit to the apothecary.

Moving to the wardrobe, Zana pulled on a dress and motioned to the book. "What do you think?" she asked, "shall we take a trip?"

Once she had ascertained that, Zana added something which she had been thinking about and meant to say. "Also, we need to organise regular, high quality medical care for the girls. Check ups, making sure they don't get anything unpleasant and also, we need to make sure that we have a way of dealing with pregnancies" Things popped into her head and she shared them because Zana had worked in this business a lot longer than Theo.

"Also," she said with a purely innocent smile and an expression which was about as far from innocent as it was possible to be, "I believe the apothecary might be able to help us with preventing those diseases and pregnancies to begin with, too." Grabbing her hair and pulling it back into a pony tail, Zana grinned at him. "Now might be a good time to spend that money we made before we opened, you know?" Zana would have sworn that they had thought of everything before it opened, but now that the Lady Libertine had open doors, and working girls, things kept popping up which they could add to, which could make the place better.

Moving over to where they had put the money in the last season, she opened up the drawer and grabbed the pouch. "Here's my share," she said and handed it to him.

Off Topic

1,500 gn deducted from ledger, gifted to Theo for investment into business

[Theo Nji'Ryn]

The sight that greeted Theo when he walked into the bedroom with two cups of tea in his hands was both perplexing and oddly enough, appealing. The latter was the likely result of the reality that there was very little about Zana which didn't give him a rise. In the first case however, why was she walking round on the bed? "Madam LeFleur?" he asked while setting one of the cups down for her. "Five gold nels say she wasn't born with that name." He'd made fried bread and bacon, Theo added. Though he'd dropped the bread on the floor when he'd turned it in the pan and the bacon was strangely burnt at the edges and underdone in the middle. If she wanted breakfast then, it would be a return of the bread, cheese and fruit they'd had the previous evening.

"Hire what?" he asked as he sat down in the single chair in the room and stretched his bare feet out. "A masseuse? I know a little chemistry, but not much. I seem to remember an old friend saying that chemistry and alchemy were in ways related." Whichever the case, massage would be a useful skill for any of the girls. And if there were oils that could enhance that, then all the better. "What kind of meal?" he wondered. Theo was skeptical about the manageable part, considering he'd so recently failed miserably at making just fried bread and bacon.

He'd have to say though that part of those women's problems, those long married dames whose husbands had lost interest, was places like the Lady Libertine, where their husbands preferred to spend their time and money. Not that Theo felt any culpability there. Their loss was his gain. "Why not?" he said when Zana asked, did he want to pay the apothecary a visit. "We'll consider that your area of responsibility." Dryly stated as Theo drained his cup and set it down on the floor by his chair. It was critical of course that they avoid the spawning of bastards among the girls, and the proliferation of communicable maladies. But in his mind, this was distinctly a woman's domain and better left to one and not himself.

The venture was turning out to be more expensive than he'd anticipated. But he'd told her once that he liked to play the long game, and any investment now would certainly pay off later. So long as it was the right investment. So frowning, but also agreeing, he took the pouch and then pulled on a shirt and his boots. "Alright then, off to see Madam LeFleur," he agreed. Better now, breaks before they'd be opening the doors again that evening.

[Zana]

"I'm not taking that bet, nope." Zana shot him a grin as he spoke about Madam LeFleur's name. She grinned at the cup of tea he brought in and she jumped down. "I pace when I read," she explained with a soft kiss before she moved to grab the cup of tea. "I always have. The bed is a much more comfortable place to pace." It was a strange, but fairly regular habit of hers and depending on how long they lived together just the two of them, she told him, he'd probably see it again. Though, Zana couldn't say that she enjoyed reading usually, but now and then.

At his breakfast woes, though, Zana couldn't hide the amused expression on her face. "It's an omelette, apparently very simple and easy to jazz up. Do you think we should ask Billie to come back and live with us?" She was quite happy with just some cheese, she assured him, and would go fling some together for them in a while. "I can massage, quite well if I do say so myself." Zana didn't really understand why it was that people were humble. It was foolish and, certainly in her case, entirely unnecessary. "Oh, look. Something new for you, a whole new weirdness. Watch." She'd got dressed by this point and it had to be said that her dress was one which he hadn't seen and was a much better quality than he had seen her wear before. It was, frankly, exquisite and she did a twirl and then walked over and put the fabric in his hand. "Look closely."

She was actually wearing an old dress, and that became apparent as he looked. Examining it caused the illusion to drop, revealing that it was one which she kept, but would never wear outside, it was far too old and faded. It hadn't looked that way at all and Zana grinned. "My father's blessing," she explained. "Useful, yes?" It would work to make what she was wearing look much better than it was, unless someone examined her clothes carefully. That, she assured him, very rarely happened. Very rarely indeed.

Stepping out of that dress, she slipped into what she was wearing this trial and she chuckled. "Why, dear heart, is that my department?" Shaking her head, she slipped her arm into his and considered, "a regular medic, and something to prevent pregnancy and disease, definitely. But imagine what we can do with specific perfumes, maybe alchemically enhancing desirability, that kind of thing?" And yes, she did not doubt, investment was what was needed. The more they invested, so long as it was a sensible investment, each little touch would be another step towards the sort of place he wanted. The sort of place they both did.

"I think maybe next season, we can look at event planning. I was thinking, where I sing there are often conferences, business meetings." Zana leaned over and adjusted his shirt, smoothing down the collar as she smiled at him. "Girls to sweeten deals, to serve drinks, to show wealth and prestige. Let's build a meeting room on the Lady, a place where privacy is guaranteed. Where every whim is catered to, in order to ensure that the best deal is struck." She shrugged slightly. Just a thought."

As they walked, she asked about what he knew about chemistry. What sort of things, she wondered, could an alchemist or apothecary do? How could they apply it to their line of work? A room scent which made people in the mood or increased libido? Additions to the rooms, the girls, the snacks? Each little detail which could be enhanced, she thought should be. "If it's Madam DeFleur, though, I'm going to die of laughter and you'll need to ask the questions," she said quite seriously.

[Theo Nji'Ryn]

Theo had been tempted to argue that surely, pacing on the bed, on a soft mattress was more work than walking across the floor. But since it was her doing it and not him, he'd take Zana's word for it. So instead of commenting, he'd glanced up, let his eyes linger and frowned. "Well as long as you're up there in easy reach," he uttered dryly, "You might want to clear that cobweb off the ceiling." Theo hated housework and it was only his focusing on cleanliness and living well that compelled him to do it, however infrequently. "Once we're in the clear in regards to the loan, we might consider hiring a maid to come in every few trials."

Billie, he suggested, might at least be willing to teach them both how to cook a little whether or not she wanted to move in. Later, in case they didn't develop a knack or a liking for it, they might consider not just a maid, but a cook. Theo had assumed that the dress she was wearing was one that she'd purchased with their startup loan. He hadn't really examined it closely. Details like that were often things that women fixated on, while he was more interested in the overall effect. And the overall effect was that Zana could make beggars' rags look good.

But when she put the cloth in his hand, and he really examined it, a brow quirked in response to her explanation. "Now that, is a neat trick," he concluded. Theo realized she didn't like the word in general, but the context was different here. Something unexpected come of talents he was already aware of, if not nearly the scope of them. "Very useful. Does it work only on clothing?" he wondered aloud. "or on overall appearance as well?" Women's health maladies and pregnancies were her area, he explained, because for the most part they dealt with a woman's intimate places. And while, in a very large sense, he did too, Theo would rather not get into the minutia of function and...whatnot.

As for event planning, indeed it was something they might add to their list of services. If not immediately, then at least after they'd spent some time getting the Lady Libertine running smoothly and well in the black. "What I know about chemistry," Theo told her as they left the house and he locked the door behind him, Was probably just enough to enable him to blow himself up, inadvertently. He wouldn't mind learning more though, and he was somewhat interested in alchemy. "Maybe, something like an oil that warms up or tingles after it's applied to exposed skin?" Potions to swallow maybe with various effects. Theo guessed there were any number of possibilities, though the woman they were going to visit must have plenty of suggestions up her sleeve.

[Zana]

At his gaze and then suggestion that she get the cobweb, Zana shot Theo a glance which spoke volumes. She was most certainly not a cleaning lady and if his gaze was going to get pulled off in a direction, then it should be in the direction of her not of a cobweb. However, she shared his distaste for living anywhere messy and so she complied. Reaching behind the bed, she pulled out a feather duster and then balanced on the corner of the bed, ridding the place of the offending dusty web. "You see," she added with an equally dry delivery to his. "I told you it had multiple uses, this thing. Granted, it's first use was much more interesting, but this is useful too. Maybe we should combine them next time?" She jumped down off the bed and put the duster back. "You're strong enough for us to position ourselves just perfectly in the corner. It's where the dust is the worst."

When he called her Immortal-granted ability a trick she simply rolled her eyes. However, his question about it caused her to stop walking and give him a look which could wither plants. "I wouldn't know, Theo. I'm as beautiful as it is possible for your tiny mortal mind to comprehend, so it would take more than a trick to improve on that." And yes, medical things could be her domain if he wanted, though really he should recall that they had at least one male courtesan in the form of Patrick and, also? "If any of the girls catch anything, they'll pass it to their handlers. So not just the girls, but anyone in intimate contact with them should get checked. They'll want to make sure about your.... whatnot, too, dear heart."

As he locked the door, though, Zana let out a snort of laughter. "Excellent news. So, if you don't kill us with your cooking, you might inadvertently blow us up? I'm so lucky." She was teasing, though and she slipped her arm around his waist as they walked, resting her head against his shoulder. It was a sure sign that she was content, that head movement. They talked about the kind of things they might want to purchase and Zana nodded. "Things for Molly, too. Oils which feel like they're burning, but they aren't, or freezing. Something to drip on to bare skin to torture and tease but leave no marks. That would be very popular." She could certainly think of a number of clients who would like to use them and have them used on them.

Motioning back to the house Zana considered wickedly, "Or a feather duster, treated with something which means that the feathers provide different sensations. A sort of roulette, that sense of danger can be entirely intoxicating." Zana sighed, almost wistfully and then chuckled. "It's a good thing I have the job I do, you know." With a wicked glance at him, she added, "and that I have you. You're a little party all on your own." She raised an eyebrow, though, and considered. "Though, you get me out of the deal. Hmm. Suddenly, I feel hard done by." Robust ego? Check.

The apothecary was a small shop and Zana moved to look around it. There were potions and bottles, jars and strange smelling herbs and incense. The woman behind the counter was red haired and looked like Billie might in twenty arcs or even thirty. Freckles all over her face and a wide smile at the two of them.

"Welcome! I am Denise, welcome to my store." Denise LeFleur, Zana wondered and then smiled. "How can I help you two today?" This bit was Theo's to deal with. Did he want to tell her outright what they were looking for or pose as a couple to find out the woman's true abilities first? That bit was up to him, so Zana browsed the wares and let him do the first part. Once they got to what was wanted, she would step in with the list of medical treatments, which they would need to cost and compare to hiring a medic or taking the girls to the Order of the Adunih here. That last one was free, but they might be able to arrange for a healer from there to visit the brothel regularly, for example.

Still,basics first and that was Theo's area. So, she simply smiled and waited.

[Theo Nji'Ryn]

"Domesticity suits you," Theo had uttered dryly, and with the slightest of grins as he watched Zana stretch upwards and pluck away the cobweb. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It didn't suit her, no more than it did him. But he had to admit that the view was nice, the way she pulled up on her toes, arched her back, the way her more interesting features had seemed more prominent in the process. Yes, there were many more uses for that feather duster than things better suited to a maid. His imagination was a good one, and it wasn't much of a stretch.

He hadn't been referring to the process of making herself seem more beautiful, when he'd wondered aloud how well the illusion might be used. "I meant, is it only your clothing affected, or can you make your face look different. Can it make you look more plain, less...noteworthy." Beautiful faces, he explained, or even just unique ones were memorable. Easy to recall or picked out of a crowd. Sometimes though, being less noticeable, less memorable was better. "My whatnot?" he snorted and shook his head. She made a good point, of course, but he'd rather not have anyone meddling with that unless he wanted it meddled with.

So, considering all the ideas that she had, and all those she was destined to discover, they might find any number of useful things at the apothecary. And considering their line of work, they ought to be fine investments indeed. And then there was Denise LeFleur. She was undoubtedly older than them both, but from Theo's perspective she must have been a beauty when she was younger. If he was much older, he might have thought that she still was.

"It's a very nice place you have here," he said with a smile, and layered on the appropriate amount of charm in the process. "My name is Theo Nji'Ryn, and this is Zana," he said, and glanced Zana's way. But it seemed that their reputation already had preceded them. "Oh, I know who the two of you are," the lady said, and smiled knowingly at them both. "The Lady Libertine is the talk of the Glass Quarter and beyond. So much so that I've thought I might pay you a visit myself."

Of course she didn't exactly explain what her preferences were, and Theo opted in that moment not to ask. "May I assume that you're looking for cures, oils and potions...The sorts of things required for pleasure in some cases and prevention in others?" It seemed then that madam LeFleur was one step ahead of them, so he smiled, nodded and yielded the floor to Zana and her list.

[Zana]

Could it make her look more plain? Less... noteworthy? Zana's eyebrow arched and she gave the slightest of smiles. He explained why he asked and Zana listened, nodded and then looked at him. "Dear heart, I fully understand what you are saying. And on the trial that you are prepared to experiment with being a woman so you can hide, well, on that trial?" Her smile was cat-like, "I still will not be willing to discuss ways in which I can look less beautiful. If it were anyone but you, with your natural Immortals-given disability and all, I'd be getting testy at the mere thought. What a good job I'm not, wouldn't you say, my prince?" That shot fired, she walked out of the bedroom and then, with him, the house. There was no reaction to his snort of amusement at her discussing him and his potential medical needs, just a vague air of amused emanating from Delroth's daughter.

The apothecary itself was a source of interest to Zana and then, as the woman recognised them, it was a source of delight. "Well, it's good to know that we are building a reputation," Zana purred and watched as Denise LeFleur smiled at them, the way she moved and who she watched was important for Zana to see. She quirked an eyebrow at what she perceived, but said nothing at the moment, except of course to smile at the woman with an almost predatory gaze, "Well you would be more than welcome. Personally, I'd be delighted to see you." Slipping her arm around Theo, her expression turned impish. "We both would. Wouldn't we, dear heart?" Deise's reaction to that confirmed Zana's suspicion and she smiled at the woman. As long as miss DeFleur had the coin, she would not be sorry, Zana was sure.

However, on to the list and Zana started on the necessary items for preventing pregnancy, unwanted disease and so on. Then there were oils for massage, for pleasure enhancement, for pain. Things to put on the skin in order to increase sensitivity; all sorts and the list was long. What that meant, though, was that the three of them were able to discuss a regular supply, a discount for loyalty and bulk purchases and so on. Zana was very much able to come up with all sorts of ideas for things, from powders to add to a bath to scented candles. Once they had the list in place, it was then the turn of Theo to step in and make sure that the numbers added up.

The point of this was to invest in the business, after all. Once they had done that, Theo would hopefully start to see some returns on his investment; they both would. Zana did not doubt that this place was going to keep them in the type of lifestyle to which they would very rapidly become accustomed.

[Theo Nji'Ryn]

Theo couldn't. Not to save his own life. And even if he could have, he would never have considered trying to pose as a woman. The possibilities would need to seem so extraordinarily profitable that..."I'd fool no one at all," he'd told her. "But then I don't possess any of your particular and unique talents. You're not interested even a little? For the challenge if nothing else?" he'd wondered, and expanded on the question with a suggestion that she might start smile. A wart on the nose, pigeon toes, one leg slightly longer than the other? Rather than invoke her wrath however, which Theo knew to be an awesome thing, he'd let off teasing her for the duration of their walk to the apothecary.

After he'd let the lady know what they were looking for, he'd stepped back in order to allow Zana to take the lead, and watched the exchange between the two women curiously. When Zana slipped into his arms and promised the world, and the lady's eyes lit up, Theo realized that it was an interest more varied than others might be. He grinned a little and quipped, "Of course. We aim to please. There's hardly a request gone unanswered." There were limits of course, and many of them applied to him. Though much like anything else, those boundaries tended to be fluid ones.

In no time at all however, a list of what they needed and wanted had come together, and Theo looked it all over again, checking the numbers mostly in his head, and partly on paper. Zana had contributed, and so did he. It was an investment well worth making. Both to insure that their assets were well taken care of, and that the profit would exceed the money spent. By quite a lot, considering what they'd pay for some of the oils and potions, and what they would ultimately charge to the Lady's customers. All in all, the arrangement seemed mutually agreeable, both to madam LeFleur and to themselves. Of course the real trick was convincing the shop's mistress that she'd gotten the better bargain, when the reality was quite the reverse.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Thread Rewards

Zana

Overview

Zana and an advice column—hilarious. I always enjoy reading present antics. You all have fabulous dialogue.

Points

XP:
15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
N/A

Loot

N/A (Nothing ventured, nothing gained.)

Knowledge

Caregiving: Oils enhance a massage.
Caregiving: Prevention is better than cure.
Detection: Spotting tell tale signs of desire
Detection: Watching where someone looks.
Etiquette: When to remain quiet.

Tarouz: Clothed in Finery: Works on clothes only
Tarouz: Clothed in Finery: Doesn't hold up to close scrutiny

Theo

Overview

“Domesticity suits you.” I may have laughed at that one just a bit too loud, but all of this thread was amusing, as always. You two always have fun NPCs.

Points

XP:
15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
N/A

Loot

N/A

Knowledge

Alchemy: Akin to chemistry
Cooking: Fried bread and bacon
Cooking: The ten trill rule of dropping food
Detection: Noting when someone recognizes you
Etiquette: Dealing with a potential client
Intelligence: Asking questions to determine the limits of an ability
Negotiation: Ensuring that you get the best deal
Negotiation: Making it look like they get the best deal

Now that your review is complete,
don’t forget go back to your review post here and drop this image in!

Code: Select all

[center][img]/gallery/image.php?album_id=39&image_id=10124[/img][/center]