WAR TABLE | Love is in the air

[wythersake]

WHO: Isaac, Gela, Julius
WHAT: War table
WHEN: Backdated pre-Forgetti
WHERE: Orlais
NOTES: As discussed on Discord.

Alexis Sauvageot used to work with Marquette in acquisitions. Marquette royally pissed them off but cutting them out of a major deal at the last minute. Word on the street is that Sauvageot has been trying to ruin Marquette's reputation, but they don't know about the Venatori stuff. So all they've got is "reneges on deals and is shady," which frankly is not enough to dissaude a lot of Orlesian nobles who, themselves, renege on deals and are shady. They'd probably be grateful for more/better dirt.

Taletha Kell owned a particular artifact that Marquette "acquired" by promising to sell it on her behalf and then forging a document saying she'd sold it to him and doesn't have any rights to it anymore. Would leave him multiple zero-star Yelp reviews if possible. Mainly wants her object or the money, but making Marquette's life suck would be a great bonus.

Comments

[wythersake]

"Taletha Kell," They've been at it a while now, having ruled out the major players (a gambling problem in Clarion's orbit, and some snide remarks of Girard that Isaac has refused to explain —) "She's quite the beauty."

She has a scar slit from mouth to ear, and a reputation for starting fights at parties. The teapot totters near table ledge, and Isaac blocks it with a hand. Over a huff of displeased steam:

"What's your take on Sauvageot?"

A nod to their stolen correspondence.

[overharrowed]

"Their dislike of Marquette is extremely personal, which is a good motivator. True of both Sauvageot and Kell, actually, for what it's worth. I do think Sauvageot wants to salvage a reputation for future endeavors, which you'd think would make Marquette secondary, but from what I read, Marquette made some snide remarks upon ending their partnership that literally added insult to injury."

He glances up from the correspondence. "Introducing them could have some benefits. Enemy of their enemy, etc., and Kell has access to the sort of people Sauvageot would like as clients. Do you think?"

[sprent]

"I think," Gela says in agreement, pulling one leg up onto the chair beneath her so she can sit up taller, put an elbow on the table. The other hand both guards and is warmed by a light blue teacup. "They have acquisition in common. Say they came into contact at the same event — I think Sauvageot would be bitter enough that it may come up after a drink. Or even before that.

"Sometimes if the ear looks sympathetic, you don't need prompting. You know?"

She sips. Adds, "And it may help that the ear is also beautiful."

[wythersake]

"The beautiful enemy of my enemy," His brows skate clownish to Gela, "Wicked, Madamoiselle."

"Sauvageot will be attending a Last Day soiree in Val Firmin, and I understand the host rather desperate for guests." There's no other reason to invite Riftwatch. "We might arrange for Kell to join one of you. A personal invitation –"

They've such comely ears.

"– To be abandoned, once you get Sauvageot alone. An empty drawing room, candlelight,"

And a bad date to show up.

[overharrowed]

Julius pauses: not long, but enough to suggest he hadn't foreseen the turn the conversation took. "...possible, I suppose. Though chemistry can't always be predicted. I'd rather pictured something slightly more direct."

He's not immune from how neat this idea will be if it works as envisioned. On the other hand, creating a situation where two targets effectively honeypot each other without knowing what they're doing feels somewhat rife with factors they can't control, which is never Julius's favorite approach.

"I do think the Last Day party could be useful either way, though. For gathering the interested parties in one place." Julius has the air of being convincable, if not quite convinced.

[sprent]

"What's more direct than chemistry?" Gela is warming to this idea, drawing a shape in the air with one finger: a heart. That Julius is being cautious about it only makes her want to do it more. "If it makes you feel better about it we could obtain a little more information on both sides before we proceed — particulars, preferences..."

The thought is very funny. And makes the whole thing seem rather less like work.

Isaac and her are on the same page, it seems. She looks at him.

And then again, assessing.

[wythersake]

"And planning is so very winsome," Glib. They've all met Petrana. He leans forward to Gela, reciting in the tones of conspiracy – "Sauvageot was briefly engaged to Ser Perceval, a strapping young chevalier who rather fled to the bedside of war. And rumour has it that Kell swore off seeing women when a paramour slept with their sister, but I have it for fact that she has no sister at all. I believe the rumours begun to cover something of a dry spell."

"Only fitting that should end with the new year. Don't you agree, Seneschal? Mme Baynrac, what of your particulars?"

Riftwatch does not have HR.

[overharrowed]

Julius almost visibly decides to let the comment about Petrana slide, especially as Isaac has maintained a sliver of deniability.

Instead, he says, "If we pursue this avenue, we should be clear about the goal. Beyond ending loneliness and bringing two deserving souls together, what are we hoping the two of them will do to slow down Marquette's usefulness to the Venatori?"

He does, briefly, feel like he's channeling his classroom days. It's not as if he fails to realize he's not playing in the space with the other two, but there is a project to accomplish too.

[sprent]

"Ruining his trading reputation in Orlais proper would be a start. But I suppose we have to consider that he could always pick up and move elsewhere — though even if he did he'd need new contacts. And he'd have to go far." All of these things are annoying, time-consuming. Not worth it? Perhaps.

"We're killing two birds with one stone," she adds. Then, smiling, "We're bringing two birds together and they're going to kill the third bird for us. With a stone."

[wythersake]

Inspirational. Three points to Gela. He scoops up the teapot, spidery legs rowing the air.

"Winning the bigger players," Clarion, Girard. "Requires convincing them of our intelligence. With our own interest in acquisitions,"

(Theoretically, his job; when he's not fucking about with the crockery.)

"That isn't so simple as it appears. Hand them Marquette on a platter, and they'd still name it a favour done us. So, arming our kestrels. They're already convinced of his villainy, and between them they've connections among the middling players."

Buyers, and sellers both. Time to strain this metaphor:

"If they move together, the bigger birds will take note. May even approach us in their inquiries." This is a lot of ifs, for all Isaac breezes past. "Cut him out of Court, not the continent. Then we see where he runs."

Smythe stills. An eye, at last, back to Julius:

"If you've an alternate proposal?"

[overharrowed]

"It's a great many ifs," because of course he's not going to let that slide, "but I don't disagree with the endgame. But making it uncomfortable for Marquette to do business at home, in Orlais, could mean following him down some interesting cul-de-sacs. I doubt he'll simply give up; if nothing else, having the Venatori expecting something from you that you can no longer provide is generally an uncomfortable position. But it could yield us some good information."

A beat.

"They might not like each other straight away, you know. It's not always easy to predict that." More with the air of someone looking for flaws in a boat before launching it than someone picking at it for argument's sake.

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[wythersake]

"Naturally," The reverse, of course, holds too. Sometimes you hook up at a party, and spend the next two years clawing each other's eyes out. Hypothetically. "When did you know?"

Prying is practically generosity: Affords time enough to examine the plan's limitations, spy holes in the hull.