Disconnected Connection (Virikai)

[Linika]

“No one forced you to come to Viden, Linika,” the man said. Linika was right on the verge of angrily correcting him when he stopped her short by continuing to expound upon the fact that the fault was entirely her own that she chose Viden in which to take up residence. '...you came here out of choice...', he called it, a choice based apparently on some masochistic desire for self-persecution and oppression.

The realization of the magnitude of the error she'd nearly made was probably mistaken for anger by her self-righteous benefactor, whose own reference to "psychoanalyzing" struck her as rather hypocritical in the face of his aloof, appraising calm. But his continued lecturing gave her the opportunity to realize she'd almost blurted out that she'd been ordered to come to this ice pit of a city. That would have been disastrous. His gaze would have taken on an entirely different cast then, as he asked her to explain. No, it would be best that he think her a fool. A loud, short-tempered fool.

And there was a different upside that was also occurring to her. His subtle eye-rolling remarks made it clear that he considered her unable to command her emotions. This would make him all the easier to fool when she feigned meek obedience. And now would be a good time to start. Her sighs of relief, that she'd been saved from blabbing details of her mission, would be taken as an attempt to calm her anger. Plus, it always served strategically to make a man think he'd won. She had to give him credit though, as she re-buttoned her shirt, he'd not so much as batted an eye. She was a little disappointed, to be honest. She'd always enjoyed teasing men. But this one seemed to be as cold as the weather outside.

She sat back down, meekly folding her hands in her lap. She decided it would add to the appearance of surrender to admit to her attempt to seduce him. "I'm sorry, Virikai. You are right, of course. I can see I was a fool to think you'd be so shallow as to fall for such a coarse and trifling offer as sex. I imagine you can have near any woman you want. This is not to say that I care enough, one way or the other, to be jealous. But I would not have you think me just some simple slut with no other talents."

She took a sip of tea, finding it actually quite good. "But there is still a question. As yet you have no proof of my claim to have any skill in herbalism and medical fields whatsoever. Yet you take me under your wing, as it were, and even offer me a position at the medical center? Of course, I will not refuse such an offer, as you no doubt knew I would not. But I expect you to understand that, though you have my gratitude for such a change of fortune, I will also be wondering just what you are up to? Clearly you do not wish this joint effort known, or mentioned, outside of this room. I cannot but wonder why not."

She took another, longer, drink and set the cup down, leaning forward a little. "And so I figure I will be ensconced in some remote part of the facility, perhaps garbed in a suit that conceals my heritage? As do I assume you will keep me only as informed as you deem necessary, and no more. Naturally, I would prefer total disclosure, but I can not deny a sense of obligation in return for this opportunity. So I will content myself with the hope that you will eventually find me trustworthy and indispensable enough to fill me in on everything. So my only real question, at this time, is - 'are we to invent some story to explain why I no longer show up at the latrine sites for work? Or am I just going to disappear?"

[Virikai Talius]

As a general rule, Virikai was loved by those who knew him in Viden… and that number spanned thousands, for his mother’s family was one of the most affluent in the city, and his father acted as advisor to the Máthisi. But even those who knew him personally, who would freely describe him as impassive to a higher degree than most eídisi, but they would also not hesitate to praise him for his kindness and selflessness. For the compulsive liar had constructed an identity that would suit his needs - his plans were dependant in the trust and respect of those around him.

But it was this obvious aloofness that further aggravated people who were intent on finding fault with his otherwise infallible persona. Often, Virikai had observed, it was an obsession cultivated from spite and envy at his success. In this city of academic (and sometimes nepotistic) merit, jealousy was rife, something that engendered animosity and, in turn, anger. The Talius heir’s dispassionate mask, ever in place, incensed these people further when they saw that they would not get a rise out of him. This woman, quite probably, was no different, as he regarded her in silence as he nurse his cup of tea.

It was interesting, he thought, trying to negotiate with someone from a different culture, for they both had very different protocols. There were different hoops that they both had to jump though, and Virikai was keep to avoid loopholes or obligation which would negatively affect him in the deal they were making. It was an interesting challenge that he found himself in, entirely enjoyable, as it was a fresh break from his otherwise relatively mundane life at the moment. Meeting this woman was, at the very least, a brief moment of excitement.

“You sell yourself short to anyone with potential interest in you if you assume carnal relations is acceptable. I will not entertain such offers.” He dismissed soberly as he took a larger gulp of his tea; now that it had cooled to a drinkable temperature, he would not have long before it was tepid and no longer pleasant. “What must be understood now, little miss outcast,” he smiled, emphasising the last two syllables and letting all connotations be left unsaid, “is that I will not be getting you a position within the Infirmary. You will be doing that yourself without any indication of my involvement.”

“If we come to an arrangement today, I will share information about an… occurrence within the Infirmary happening in the next few days, and you will use that information you your advantage.” All the while, his unblinking eyes never left his companion’s expression, carefully watching for any indication that his plan was a fool’s errand. When he saw none, he continued. “It will be up to you how you go about it, and I will not assist you further than today for, above all else, your resourcefulness is key to a successful partnership between us.” It would not do for Virikai to have to molly-coddle the naerikk, for there was no conceivable way that he could supervise her, much less be available to assist her. Those who couldn’t act without guidance were useless to him.

The eídisi had failed to mention that there was very real chance that the near would prove useless to him, and that this act would appear to be nothing more than an act of a good samaritan. Either way, by assisting the woman in this concealed fashion, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose. “If you must ask why I require your silence with regard to our arrangement, then it will go no further. I risk more than my family’s reputation and you are deluded if you think your body will not remain undiscovered in the arctic tundra for centuries if they so much as suspect that you have spoken to me.” The man was smiling, but there was nothing amusing about his tone or gaze: the threat was a very real one, a threat that he would have no part in executing.

“As to your position, should you succeed, I cannot say, for I will not be the one offering you it. Most eídisi have issue being treated even by humans, and I very much doubt any in the city would accept you. Should you prove your prowess in herbalism, as you have claimed to me, then it is possible that a… behind-the-scenes position is more than possible. I suppose time will tell.”

[Linika]

The naer practically locked her eyes in place, to stop them from rolling as the man before her once again berated her as "outcast", instead of using her name. She thought of referring to him only as "aristocrat", with a hint of sneer, from now on, as a measure of vengeance, but opted not to. She was still trying to convey an attitude of defeat to the white-eyed fop. Also, she figured he was seeing if she would rise to the bait, and she would not give him that satisfaction. '...and speaking of satisfaction...' she mused, also withholding a number of comments designed to suggest an inability, on his part, to capitalize on her offer of sex.

But she did allow her eyebrows to rise a bit as the eidisi admitted that he would not be the one bestowing any sort of position to her. That she would be doing it herself. '...Stay calm...' she told herself, still wanting to show him a side he clearly doubted that she possessed. But his follow-up phrase, '...without any indication of my involvement.' both gave her pause, and piqued her sense of intrigue; particularly the use of the word"indication". So there was to be some sort of edge he would give her, one that could not be traced back to him. An understandable precaution. Her estimate of the man's craftiness rose a few increments. She cocked her head slightly, with a slight half-roll of one of her hands, to indicate that he should continue.

She found his proposal very interesting, especially the part where he would not be assisting her any further. She completely agreed that her own resourcefulness was the key, but his last use of the word "partnership" put a slight veil on his offer. She wondered how this would be a "partnership" if he was going to be out of the picture after this. Well, she could hardly fault him for leaving a bit of mystery in his details. He held the cards, she did not fool herself there. Were the situation reversed, she would not be very forthcoming either. But this certainly added strength to the concern that it was a set-up, for which she would be the patsy.

'Well...do your worst, then...' she dared him silently, her eyes still calm. She trusted herself to improvise a way to bring him down with her if he tried to betray her. And maybe the situation would allow her to bring some other high bloodline down as well. 'Who knows? Maybe this is how I am destined to complete my mission.'

She found herself smiling with that thought, but it was a smile that was easy enough to innocently account for, given the covert nature of the situation. "Well this all sounds very intriguing, Virikai. And I am quite prepared to come to an arrangement with you. But by the same token, if you truly feel you have to warn me of what awaits, should I break my silence, then it is you who are deluded. I would never enter into any sort of bargain with anyone I felt needed to be clarified on such an issue. But, since we are clear, I would be happy for you to elaborate further." She said as she began to slowly work on loosening one of her rings without being noticed.

[Virikai Talius]

Watching the woman’s face was a fascinating puzzle, for at times there was no question as to what she was thinking, with emotions displayed for all to see. At others, a well-tuned mask would slip into place with minimal effort on the outcast’s part. A sociopath, perhaps… or maybe just an experienced liar. At such times, when he noticed the expressiveness of the eyes of other races, the student was always flooded with a sensation of relief that it was substantially more difficult for someone to discern his emotions in any given situation. Not impossible, no… but harder. Either way, Virikai didn’t doubt that Linika had the potential to be a formidable opponent, were she given the opportunity.

Finishing the end of his tea, Virikai grimaced as he tasted the potency of the dregs of tea leaves following the final few drops of liquid. “For all the intelligence of this city… I often do wonder what the academics within the Institute of Technology waste their time doing,” he began, his sardonic tone leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind of his unwavering scorn for that particular Institute. “One would think that, with all of their so-called expertise, they might have perfected some form of… container, which could be used to soak the herbs and infuse the water with flavour. Surely such a thing would ensure that the final mouthful was not so abhorrent.” He placed his mug down on the work surface behind him. “Would you like another?”

“Of course, I would never presume to do such a thing, madam. Be assured that, should it come to it, there will be no warning.” Again, the scion smiled, making no effort to veil his words. the naerikk was too intelligent to be insulted, Virikai recognised that, but he would emphasise his dominance what he had referred to as a ‘partnership’ from the start. “But I’m sure it will never come to that. And I am very glad that you are acquiescent to this arrangement”

“As you are already aware, there is a limit to how much I am willing to expand upon. The usefulness of a naer in Viden is, unfortunately, limited. I have already admitted that I am not entirely sure as to your value for me.” The eídisi sat back in his chair, resting his chin on his steepled fingers as he considered the situation. Virikai wished he knew what Linika might be useful for but, however much the woman might resent it, her status was that of outcast. Her uses were, then, limited. “But I’m not one to pass up on an opportunity, even a slim chance of an opportunity.”

Examining the woman's expression, Virikai thought he saw her own calculations. He found himself pleased, for it would not do to go through all this effort for someone who was weak-minded enough that she would blindly trust him. “For now, however, I will tell you of the Viden Infirmary, and the opportunity which may arise... obviously no one can be sure of unexpected occurrences, if we did, surely we would all act in the best interests of the city and take measures to reduce the likelihood of it, no?” There it was again: the almost predatory smile which was anything but genuine. If blank eyes could show emotion, these could easily be described as calculating.

None of this had been planned; Virikai had no forewarning that he would run into the naer, nor did he think he would have the chance to capitalise on it. But here, his mind was racing through possible scenarios of opportunity for the woman. He was rather proud of himself. “However none of us is, sadly, omniscient, and cannot prevent everything. But we can act to the benefit of all, including ourselves, when such things occur. Overmorrow, for example, hypothesise with me that the lack of staff might prevent adequate supply to the Infirmary... I would imagine that certain things might be overlooked, would you not agree? We can only imagine the effect this might have. But we must hope that, should someone be in the vicinity and willing and able to assist, they would.”

It would be easy enough to arrange: potions produced for the Infirmary were made by the same few who made those which went to the FRA. The crafters, of course, had no idea of the split distribution, but it would be easy enough to see the larger batch delivered to his place of work, rather than the medical centre. It might even be possible to see that an extra ingredient or two was added to the remaining vials, rendering them useless... or even poisonous. He would have to render the on-call crafter incapacitated for a time too. To have Linika deal with that would at least give her some respect among the medical professionals. If she succeeded. But he would not tell her this, lest she appeared suspicious on the day. “Conjecture of course. But any patient might be observant enough to see the trouble.” He paused, wondering if he should share any more.

[Linika]

Now things were getting interesting. Linika let a smile grace her face at the string of "hypothetical" occurrences the eidisi hinted at; and the overly innocent admission that no one could predict such things. She did not allow so much as a flinch at the mention of "acting in the best interests of the city". That was nothing that would ever be a part of her agenda; except for where it may allow greater degrees of infiltration.

And that was obviously what was being proposed here, though she was certain that the Talius heir did not realize her exile was feigned. He would not think of it as "infiltration", but more like the insertion of his own agent. For she had no doubt that he intended to wield some sort of control over her; blackmail or extortion of some sort. What other reason could a son of the city have for offering such help to a member of an historical enemy race? However self-serving he appeared, she did not believe him to be any kind of traitor.

As he spoke, she finished loosening the ring from her finger, secreting it within her palm. Before she left the apartment, she would stuff it into the crack between the arm and the seat of the chair. It was a ring from her left hand, so she would place it on her right side, as if she'd been bent over, facing the chair. If her relationship with Virikai went bad, she would let the investigators make what they want of that image. The more he colored her an enemy, the more the appearance of an intimate dalliance would color himself the same. It was no guarantee of a conviction, but it would at least create doubt.

Her smile broadened slightly. It was fortunate that Virikai was getting to the most strategically "hypothetical" portion of his "conjecture". It would account for her scheming expression. "Oh, I have no doubt that even a person of such questioned loyalty, where politics are concerned, would nonetheless step in to aid a fellow mortal in need. I expect this would cause those of a particular mind-set to soften their prejudices against such a one." she looked at Virikai, to see if her interpretation of his conjecture was correct. She saw nothing to indicate that she was not on the same page.

But then her expression grew concerned. "Of course, those of...low status...do not always have much say in where they are tasked to work. And if there was a "chain" of such misfortunes, it would put an..."inconvenient" light on the whole thing." She held up her hand to forestall the comment she anticipated, "Now before you add some comment about your inability to ensure such logistical details, trust me, I don't need to hear it. I am already aware of it. And the last thing we want is for there to be any appearance of you having manipulated events anyway."

She adopted a chin-in-hand, contemplative pose, keeping half her mind on her "partner's" ensuing remarks, but also considering that she may, in fact, have a way of guaranteeing a visit to the infirmary; a way that would allow her to determine the exact time as well. Then it would be up to Virikai to do the same. A germ of an idea began to develop, as well as a calculating sneer. "Tell me, Lord Talius," she said, in unconcealed mockery of his stated allowance that she call him by his given name instead. "Do you think that your "certain overlooked things" just might be able to be arranged in such a way as to allow some control over the time of day that any...resulting difficulties arise? Because I now believe I can engineer some control over when I could be there, regardless of where I am initially tasked to labor."

[Virikai Talius]

Watching the woman’s expression, Virikai was pleased by his guest’s reaction, for the small smile that she wore seemed to him to be receptive to what he was saying. Perhaps he had been wise to invite the woman back to his quarters, and for a moment his doubts about whether or not he should trust Linika were forgotten. If she understood and approved of his need to dance around the topic of conversation, maybe she would not give the game away when she left this room. He continued to plan, eyes drifting from the naer as he did so. Because of this, he missed the woman’s own subtle movements as she hid the metal band within the folds of her chair.

“I could easily imagine that moments of strife, such as the example scenario I have set forth, would lead to a number of people ignoring the appearance of those whom they might otherwise despise, yes…” the Talius scion agreed slowly. He could not speak for the Head Matron, nor did he know any of the Infirmary workers very well, but the theory was not an unknown concept, so he had no reason to assume otherwise for now.

When the outcast continued, he had to smile again, a mirthless smile, almost bitter. Linika was so caught up in her own struggles that she failed to see that she wasn’t the only person who didn’t have the life they had always dreamed of. “I cannot name a single soul in Viden who started out in work that they wanted, or that they even found satisfactory, Linika.” His tone had turned somewhat rebuking again. He had no idea what the naerikk homeland was like, but he found it had to believe that all were blessed with the perfect job.

No, the woman was selfish, so much so that she was limited. “Yes, even the gentry, the privileged in this city cannot always be so lucky as to stroll into work of their choosing. Such narrow-sightedness will be of limited use for you if you hope to integrate yourself into this society.” All that Virikai wondered was whether or not she was as self-seeking as he was. The challenge, of course, would then be to encourage her to become less closed tot he world around her. If she remained so withdrawn in her mind and soul, she would never succeed.

“I would imagine…” Leaning back, the eídisi tapped his lips with his index finger, silently working over the finer details of what might happen. Supplies could be swapped easily, if Virikai were to remain in the Atheneum for the entirety of tomorrow night, and… well then something would have to happen to whoever was supplying the Infirmary that morning, in order to make the switch, or even to alter the make-up of the medicines. It was doable, easily so. The difficulty was ensuring that no one, other than Linika, knew of his involvement - this meant that he could not be seen and he could not bribe anyone else to do it. “Morning is always a good time to visit the Infirmary, for whatever reason… yes, morning, I would think.” Then he could return to the Atheneum for further study, or to his quarters for well-deserved sleep, and let the naer correct his mess.

__
Sorry for the delay :/ life, as always.

[Linika]

Linika stared blankly at the man. "Oh for the love of luck...Would you stop treating everything I say as something I mean to be consistent and all-encompassing for everyone everywhere. Of course there are those eidisi that do not end up doing what they want to do. It's no different in Augiery, or Ivorian, or anywhere else. Is the concept of exaggerating to make a point something completely foreign to you?"

She had not raised her voice much as she said this, but still the man did not seem to even be listening. The way he was drumming his lips with his fingers gave her to realize he was thinking something through. She sighed and folded her arms, tapping her foot in time with his fingers, in mischievous hopes of sidetracking his focus.

But he remained on track, finally relaxing and coming to his conclusion, “Morning is always a good time to visit the Infirmary, for whatever reason… yes, morning, I would think.”

"So...just to be clear..." she began, "You will perform whatever you need to do in the morning. Will it take a while to be discovered, so I should arrive, what? A few breaks later? Just a break before midday, perhaps? Understand, my ruse will give me a good basis for being kept in observation for a while, so we have a good span of operative time."

She already knew what she was going to do. It would require her to begin performing her end early in the morning as well, because it would take some time for it to generate enough alarm to have her taken to the infirmary. It would be messy, but with herself in control, it would not be life-threatening. She smirked at the irony of using a poison on herself, instead of an enemy, but having it still be to their detriment. She had secured this single dose in the assumption it would be put on a blade to be used offensively. But this subtle application was far more devious and satisfying. She could hardly wait to get underway.

She stood up, her ring securely hidden in Virikai's chair. "So, are we talking tomorrow morning then?"

[Virikai Talius]

“I apologise,” the Talius heir said mildly in response to the woman as he glanced out of the window, noting that the snowfall had finally slowed to a stop. Good; the woman could not remain all night - he had his own work to be getting on with, and the longer she were to remain, the more likely it was that she might be spotted. But his tone was anything but apologetic for, mild though it was, there was a distinct element of mockery of the outcast still remaining ,“I forget that you of all people know not to categorise something as a whole of another. Such is the daily struggle of a filthy untouchable.” Accompanying his words were flourishes of his fingers and wrist which, to practically the entirety of Viden, would be meaningless. To Linika, however, Virikai would have just added high insult to his words, rendering what might be a positive final word utterly despicable.

For the Ice Prince had one private goal: true mastery of manipulation as befitting his status. And what better way was there to gain a full understanding than to study what was arguably the most ambiguous, obscure language there was? Despite his unwavering loyalty to Yvithia, Virikai would not allow himself to be held back by something as petty as a racial feud, and he had no shame in admitting to the outcast that he knew Naer Sign… his usage might even go some way towards implying that he was competent in the subtleties of the language, or perhaps even fluent in it. That alone would hopefully leave the woman with enough to ruminate on over the next few days.

The brunet frowned, however, when all pretences were suddenly dropped, and the devices of hypotheticals were ignored in favour of blunt questioning. Glancing again at the outside world, Virikai knew that many who had previously decided to remain in the main buildings of the Academy would now take advantage of the clear skies to return home. The chances of not being overheard were much less likely than before. Turning his gaze back to the woman, his white eyes narrowed in a silent, obvious warning for her to take more care when speaking of such things, particularly when he could be implicated.

“I cannot control what misfortunes may befall you, outcast, nor when they occur. But I know that afternoons, however early, are never wise, even at the best of times.” Was all he said in reply. She would have to work out a sensible time for herself: he would not cater to her every need. However… “I said overmorrow, girl. The day after tomorrow.”

Also standing, he adjusted his shirt and brushed own his trousers of invisible hair and dust before straightening up and, giving his guest and accomplice his full attention, offered his hand to her. He allowed a smile to grace his lips as he spoke again, his tone returning to the polite civility often reserved for the political drivel that he was often forced to endure as her of his house. “Linika… ” the name rolled off of his tongue with ease. He’d always thought their accent to be crude, even vulgar, but he would admit certain satisfaction at the way the syllables flowed seamlessly together, “is there a surname to accompany that?”

[Linika]

Linika was jarred back into focus by the realization that her jaw was in the process of dropping. This triggered memories of harsh lessons in veiling your reactions. Such displays played entirely into your adversaries' hands, whoever they were. She could almost feel the slap of her past instructor's hand across her face. But regardless of her prevention of this reaction, she still knew she'd failed to completely disguise her shock. 'How...? Where...? Who?...' she stammered mentally, trying to decide what was strategic and/or advantageous to reveal.

But her thoughts immediately clicked into analytical mode, instinctively instructing her to adopt a brief look of outrage over the insult attached to his spoken words, by the modifications added by the sign gestures. In truth, she did find them infuriating. But the significance, and possible ramifications, of an eidisi knowing naer sign was far more disturbing...'No...'intriguing' is a better spin to put on this' she decided.

Still she was torn by questions, but also by whether to ask them, or whether she should even let it be known that she had them at all. On the one hand, she wanted desperately to know how, or where, or from whom, he had learned it. Was he an actual infiltrator himself? An eidisi? In service to Great Mother Audrae? It was beyond audacity to think such a thing! Though it would have been a master stroke of choice for an infiltrator, it was only because of the very impossibility of it that it would be so. She decided that she could simply not believe that. Had she not just been telling herself that this man was no traitor, regardless of being obviously self-serving?

If this Virikai had learned naer sign directly from a naer, then which one? She'd seen no others in her time here, though it would be understandable that they would be staying as inconspicuous as possible. And her own freedom of travel in this town was greatly curtailed as well. Why would a naer be giving out such a secret to a member of a race belonging to one of their matron's greatest enemies? Was it possible that this language had found its way into some text found in the allegedly extensive Viden Academy library? If so, it changed her questions only slightly. It was still a matter of how, where, or by whom had this knowledge been gained?

Then an additional fold and counter fold to her thoughts manifested. Her need to feel triumph over her enemies begged her to mock the eidisi's foolishness in revealing this. He'd had an edge that he might have exploited in any number of ways. Any time she used naer sign, he could intercept messages she'd have thought were secret. He'd been a fool to give this up. And just for a surprise slap to her face with a childish insult. She wanted so bad to flaunt his mistake. But then again, who would she be using this language with? She'd just acknowledged she knew of no other naer in Viden. Still the question was keenly valid. Where and why had he come by this. Was there a sister she should be making contact with? Why wasn't she told about this?

Her hand was even already twitching as she unconsciously started to formulate the best phrase to berate the eidisi for his stupidity. But she caught herself. She would only be making the same mistake, albeit on a slightly lesser scale. Right now, she knew he'd made a tactical error. But he didn't seem to realize it. Why should she correct his error? Let him continue to be smug, and give up any additional advantages he possessed in future slips of overconfidence. She would now have a second duty in this town, which would be finding out how he'd come by the knowledge of this language. If there was another naer in town, she would be a likely suspect. If, instead, it was contained in a book, she would find a way to destroy it. She did not see this Talius fellow as possessing the patience to inscribe such complex knowledge to paper, unless it brought him glory.

All this, of course, passed in a flash behind a now bland expression. But she needed a response of some sort. She obviously needed to acknowledge the insult with some sort of answer. He clearly assumed she knew the language, and she'd look ridiculous trying to suggest that she didn't. Maybe he'd done it as a test to see if she could stem an instinctive outburst of offended pride. She decided that would be the only halfway decent reason for him to have shown his hand in this regard. She would play along with that.

"Overmorrow it is then, sir." she said obediently. But her hand added, 'Lack of self-esteem explains your endless insults to those around you. Grow up.' So she had now given him his acknowledgement of this language skill. And she felt good about the poke at his confidence, veiled in the form of a mild rebuke, like a teacher would give a student. Yes, she would teach this aristocrat a thing or two about naer culture, if he was really of such a mind.

She pulled on her cloak, flipping up the collar to better hide her features, and wrapping the scarf over more of her face as well. He asked about her surname. There was a second burst of curiosity. 'So he knows something as rare as our language, but not something as basic as the basis of our names?' She made a point of pulling down the scarf with her pointer finger, while indicating her eye with her middle one - a very recognizable gesture in many languages.

"The color matches the name...Amarinthine." She did not wait to observe any reaction in connection to her extended middle finger, but simply added, "and thank you for the tea." She slipped the scarf back up over her face, aware also of her ring, hidden in the chair for possible future incrimination. She could think of no more reason to stay, and started to head toward the door.

[Mythic]

GRADE

Linika

Skills
+4 Acting
+5 Subterfuge
+3 Interrogation
+5 Observation
+1 Socialisation
+4 Rhetoric
+2 Seduction
+1 Negotiation

Specialized Knowledge
Virikai: Unpredictable
Virikai: Blind to one's own Fortune
Socialisation: Attempting to Embroil Another
Virikai: An Unsympathetic Douche
Virikai: A possible chemist?
Virikai: Worthless in the Wild
Interrogation: Layering Threats into Questions
Acting Persona: Naerikk Whore
Virikai: Self-Righteous Bastard
Outbursts: Emotions Carry Weight
A Close Call with Virikai
Discretion: Dealing with Virikai
Acting: Playing One's Assigned Role

Basic Knowledge
Eidisi: Loathsome Cur
Alberquerque: Strategy Game

Virikai

Skills

+5 Rhetoric
+5 Observation
+2 Logic
+1 Interrogation
+5 Negotiation
+2 Socialisation
+3 Planning


Specialized Knowledge

Linika: Worthless
Linika: Naerrik
Linika: An Exile
Linika: A Hateful Whore
Rhetoric: Ridicule as a Means of Enforcing Status
Setting a Fire in One's Fireplace
Socialisation: Self-Control in the face of Irritation
Naerrik Word: Eili
Linika: Clinging to a Title
Negotiation: Setting a Stake
Linika: Overly-emotional
Linika: A poor actress
Negotiation: A Favour Given for a Favour Later
Sealing a Deal: Avoiding One's Own Involvement
Crafting a Deal

Basic

Alberquerque: Strategy Game
Preserving the Talius Name
Other Cultures: Senseless Formality