Open The Market A Vixen Stocks Up

[Ivo Suresight]

Considering the words he just heard, Ivo on the inside became a bit wary. A beast signing up for the ship? He just heard Marianna asking about her relatives from the Hide but... he inherently had a problem with those sucking up to authorities with nothing to gain from it. But then again, he wasn't one to judge. His way was of freedom, but he couldn't deny, those who wished to do so, their right to give away their own.

Ivo thus focused on a new matter, how to utilise this new acquaintance. He wouldn’t sell them, not as long as Marianna wished to be their friend. But having an insider on The Hide? That brought to him many prospects that while nice, had to wait for now. Gently shaking his head with a chuckle Ivo spoke with a kind smile. "Ah, I see. Hope ya ain't gonna mind me stayin' ta listen."

 

[Marianna Furotazzi]

Marianna, for her pat, stepped into Ivo's embrace, settling against him comfortably as they started to walk again. It was strangely comfortable, how well they fit together. "Don't mind him," she advised Kinza. "He might be a cad who will seduce you at the drop of a hat, but he knows how to keep his mouth shut. I've tested him on that enough." She looked up at him as she teased him, smiling as she brought her paw down to briefly pinch at the base of his tail. Serves you right for all the times you've grabbed mine.

She looked to Kinza, inquiring, "I'm so sorry, but you were saying something about joining the Hide once it's back? Do you know what position you'll be serving in at that point? Back in my father's day," she laughed lightly, "it was fairly well known that a small bribe would get you all the way up through the enlisted ranks to chief petty officer. I recall reading a historical roster, and something like sixty percent of the navy were chief petty officers. I think they've cracked down on that since."

 

[Kinza Rainclaw]

Blast it, she didn’t want to spend this whole time thinking of her parents, but if this pair didn’t make her think of them! Carrying on with their flirting and pinching. Kinza put on a smile for them both.

“Ah, I’m hoping ter make able seabeast at the least if I can. I don’t fancy greasing paws if I even had the gilders to spare. Can’t be sure of my worth if I cheat my way through so I’ve no fear o’ that. Any idea what the cap’n’s like?”

 

[Marianna Furotazzi]

Marianna looked thoughtful at the question. "Hmm. Well, I heard that, last the Hide put out, the Minister of Innovation, Talinn Ryalor, had taken command. A bit of a controversial beast in Imperial politics, depending on who you ask. No idea if this is a temporary assumption of command or a permanent one, but from what I hear, he's quite the hard taskmaster. I'd make sure to be extra diligent and polite around him."

 

[Kinza Rainclaw]

More curses went off in Kinza's brain. Uncle Talinn was commanding the Hide, was he? Lying about her family was only going to last so long around these parts. At least for now, Duke Ryalor had not met his estranged niece, so it wasn't as if she expected special treatment and she certainly didn't want for it. From what Marianna inferred, it sounded as though she needed to be careful and to find out a lot more of what was going on around this place.

"Ta very much, I'll be sure to make a note to be on my best behaviour." Kinza glanced about to ensure no other beasts beside Marianna and Ivo were listening. "May I ask what's the controversy? Purely factually speaking, o' course."

 

[Marianna Furotazzi]

Marianna lowered her voice as she spoke, leaning in so as not to be overheard by the market writ large. "Well, after the Empress betrayed the ministers and crowned herself unilaterally in Amarone, the Ministers accepted Ryalor aid to retake the city and unseat her. Instead of following through, however, Talinn Ryalor had a private meeting with the Empress where he sold the ministers out. He announced he was standing down and giving his whole island to her as part of the Imperium. That ended the war - though I heard every one of the ministers was hanged because of his betrayal. She gave him and his wife ministries for that act, put them in charge of running her Imperium, and all it cost was the lives of those he'd sworn to fight for. It's why they call him Talinn the Traitor."

 

[Ivo Suresight]

Ivo nodded along what Marianna said, while his tail was lashing wildly, his good ear was twitching. He didn't like either sides, when he was gathering information to catch up on what a commoner wouldn't know, anyways. Yet he still considered this an enormous treason to your own people. You can play many sides but you don't betray the one that you genuinely consider yours.

And that is why he wasn't fond of the 'traitor'. Marianna could feel it in his muscles tensing as his paw held more tightly onto hers.

He was snarling a good bit as he spoke, even if he also spoke in hushed tone.

"And he can’t be that dumb, he knew full well this name'd stick ta him fer good. No matter how much Misanthropes an' Niceties try t' change an cover it. Trust his words now? He an' whoever sides with 'im ain't gonna stay on good terms with anyone fer a long time. An' there's plenty of knowin' folk out there." Ivo stopped for a second before adding with a pang of curiousity behind the disdain. "Still there mus' be sumthin' we ain't know, but whatevah it is. Ain't gon' clear that name fer ages."

 

[Kinza Rainclaw]

Kinza could not help how stunned she looked. Her blood boiled. Her own uncle, albeit not by blood, had allegedly done something so despicable. It wasn't the act so much as the implications that upset her the most. Had her parents fled the Imperium to avoid being murdered by the now Empress? Would Talinn have let them be killed if they'd stayed? Would Dusk have allowed it? She might never have been born!

"That's — that's bleedin' awful! Sounds like a beast is best stayin' out of politics much as they can."

Her heart raced. Was her family in danger now? Should she have come here at all? Could they even sign up for the Navy knowing who they'd be serving under? She tried to calm herself. This was still just information, not necessarily truth.

 

[Marianna Furotazzi]

Marianna nodded at the sage wisdom of keeping out of politics. "That's the smart side of it," she allowed. "Keep below the notice of the politicos, let them scheme and play their little games, picking each other off. Just stand ready to catch the crumbs when they fall from the high table." She squeezed Ivo's paw, conversations past coming to her mind. They both understood what motivated the other, confessions shared in the dark that would never see daylight. "The only thing we can do," she said softly, looking to him for agreement, "is to look out for our own, and keep ourselves safe."

 

[Ivo Suresight]

Ivo looked at Marianna as she squeezed his paw and turned to him. Her words hit him close and instead of responding to assure her, he nuzzled his snout against hers. After a bit longer moment of closeness than it was socially acceptable really, he pulled out with much more relaxed smile and a gentle purr.

"We can’t rely on nobody 'cept the closest ta us." He spoke while letting Marianna's paw go and putting his onto her back to embrace her. "Politicians, rich folk, powerful types... They can do a lot but bein' honest ain't one of'em things. Seems they all got somethin’ up their sleeves." He chuckled and looked at Kinza, seeing as she was also upset in a way but assuming she just also didn't like the fact.

"Politics ain’t ever gonna get better. We gotta stick with those we trust. Ya have someone like that?" He asked with curiosity. Despite a part of him noting this for the sake of potential connections.