There was the cold and ruthless businessman that most of Ul'dah had heard of. At times there was the confident and caring man that Coatleque had found. This man did not surface much and even she would sometimes struggle to see him under the mask. Yet it was this man who now led her through the Sapphire exchange to the Hourglass Inn.
The pair went on unmolested for the most part. There was the occasional turn of a head and personal confirmation that sight was not deceived. She had learned to turn a deaf ear to such murmurings though. Soon they reached her room. Jameson followed her inside. A rare event in its own right. His guard followed and took up the usual position by the door.
It was certainly no estate, and was clear that she hadn't been spending much time within lately. Why should she spend her nights here, after all, when his estate was welcoming and so much more grand. It almost brought the pain of embarrassment to even suffer him here.
She gestured to the chair by the corner before disappearing behind the privacy screen by the bed. A storage trunk situated at the foot of the bed itself was opened to reveal multiple changes of clothing of a more practical nature. He did not sit, of course, but wandered the room slowly straitening the odd this or that. A few moments later and she re-emerged wearing a simple doublet and jackboots. "This should suffice."
"Yes. Nothing trailing in your wake is the best thought." He replied. She finished the ensemble with a short iron spatha easily concealed along the side of one of her boots. His approval was evident, however. She straightened herself, pulling her hair back just then. "I am ready."
Jameson opened the door for her which prompted another smile. "A brief stop at my offices. From there it isn't far." A scant moment later the three were gathered out in the bar once more and ready to leave. That is before a piercing baritone nearly screamed from across the room.
"LAAAAAAARD TAEROS!"
They paused simultaneously and slowly turned with shared horror to find Lord Mandercrown staggering across the bar towards them. Two people could not have had a more synchronized reaction. Jameson clenched his teeth in visible pain while Coatleque groaned audibly. Jameson's sentinel moved to intercept the drunken Lord with a quick step.
"Hay! How's ya! Whoa ho ho! Lock at YOU!" The man began to holler at the pair even from only three fulms away. She found her grip on Jameson's arm tightening out of mixed fear and annoyance before forcing restraint. Sensing her Lord's own tenseness, she decided to step up to the initiative.
"Why... Lord Mandercrown. Such a... 'pleasant' surprise. You seem to have lost your pants again." The man was, sure enough, naked from the waist down once again. This seemed to be a repeating pattern whenever the man was in public. Coatleque found herself scanning the bar for the Lady Mandercrown's maidservant (whom the Lord always kept close by). She would no doubt appear any moment to lead him away again.
Jameson stepped up as well then with a forced smile. "Lord Mandercrown. What a pleasant surprise." He echoed her sentiments. "My lord, where are your pants?"
The man looked himself up and down before bursting out laughing. "Uhhh... I seem to have LEFT them somewhere!" The four of them all stood there now as the clearly drunk man laughed himself till he could no longer breathe. Coatleque only drew closer to Jameson while he in turn sighed disgustedly. Finally the man composed himself long enough to form his next thought.
"So about that LOAN, my lord?"
There was a brief pause to which she looked up at Jameson expecting him to tell the fool off. It was clear to her that more coin would only be wasted on even more drink, and Jameson would never see a return on such a deal. It was not her business, however, so she bit her lip.
"Business at another time. Perhaps when you are less... inebriated."
"But then it ain't FUN!" The man burst out laughing again, pleased with his own antics.
"If it were fun, it would not be business, my lord." Coatleque found herself speaking up to Jameson's defense just then. "Well, excepting our business." she added as her grip tightened again.
There was a deep breath from the man at her side. "Find your pants first. Then come find me. We will talk." But his words were wasted as Mandercrown had suddenly found another interest for the time being.
"Oh, cutie patootie...!" He blurted out as he absently tried to meander around the guard to reach her. Thankfully the sentinel, Feres, stepped to the side as well and remained in the man's way.
"That is not her name, milord." Jameson interjected.
Mandercrown snorted. "Sorry. Rayanne, is it? The North girl?"
"North girl?..." She inquired, suddenly confused and looking up to the man she was practically clinging to.
"No." Jameson said coldly.
"Well fuck, all these redheads look the same to me. Rowan? Wait no, her hair's pink..."
"... my hair is not 'pink'..." Coatleque began to protest
"Naaaah, I meant ROWAN's hair is pink." Once again the man burst out laughing.
"Auburn." she corrected him.
"This is Ser Coatleque Crofte. My paramour." Jameson said rather tersely before turning to her. "Shall we go?"
She gave Lord Mandercrown one more annoyed glance before nodding her agreement. "Please..."
"Pants, milord."
With that Jameson began walking off rather determined. Coatleque found herself taking double steps just to keep up with him. She released his arm for the nonze and they continued side-by-side.
"Is that man ever sober?" She eventually spoke up.
"That that man would actually hold a lordship is an insult to lords."
"Judging by what he asked, I doubt he shall hold it for long." she offered.
It was clear her attempt to lighten the mood was doomed and so they continued on. The streets were mostly empty save for a passing porter or merchant. Attempts at greetings were met with silence from the Lord. The rest of their walk reminded her eerily of another night the same trek was made. Luckily they reached his estate before things could become progressively awkward, and a slight renewal of their purpose came to head.
She followed Jameson up to his office and stood to the side upon entering. Suddenly she felt very much like another guard from her trappings. There was no fire lit yet and it appeared the Valet did not expect his return yet at this hour. Jameson stopped after a step and turned to his guard. "Unchain prisoner Deneith.", he murmured. "See that she has a fresh change of clothes. I do not want her looking unsightly for my beloved." There was a quick salute before the man left the room.
Jameson walked around the divide to the second half. Coatleque followed slowly. "... Unsightly?" She asked in her typical inquisitive tone.
"Pardon my mood." He replied. "Usually it amuses me."
She nodded and stopped just after the divide to lean against the wall.
"This night has been one of many moods." she said at length.
He frowned, but his back was to her now. "It has."
The man began to strip off his doublet to exchange with something more suited for work on the hanger nearby. She watched from a distance, half admiring and half examining for any new scars she should know about. He stopped after taking the shirt down.
"He should not have been born to his power. His wealth. I see that walking, stinking, drinking, laughing bag of suet, and I think... that is my coin. He is stealing it. By happenstance of birth."
"You needn't give him any more." Coatleque pushed off the wall then and turned to face him. He did not look back just yet but her words gave him sudden pause. "He--" There was a long silence. Jameson stood not willing, or perhaps not able to look back at her. His voice lowered and his muscles tensed visibly in the dim light.
"He is loaning it to me."
"... w-what?" she stammered before daring to step closer.
"It was... a month ago? A mere... safe cache. The obese fool throws coin around as if it means nothing. Why should I not play his little game? I don't need to lick his boots. He is more than ready, willing, to loan me whatever I need just to invite him into my circle."
His words did nothing to convince her of any better. She could see the strain on him from just admitting such a thing. At his station, this was tantamount to begging once more. To require aid from another. Her hands balled into fists before she forced them to relax. "But it is not needed, aye?" She offered as both encouragement and for her own curiosity. "Tell me you are not depending on that fop..."
Jameson took a breath. "Today's news means I may have to suffer him longer." His lip curled then and she could see his anger coming back to the surface. "I still have many other options. But you wanted truths from me today. I just gave you one." He finally turned to sneer at her. "How does it taste?"
The curl to his lip nearly bared his teeth as his amber eyes flashed in anger. All at once the she saw the predator rising again and it caused her to recoil. "Far from droll." she said softly, reassuringly.
He sighed at that, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yes. Indeed." A small smile returning. "I came from nothing and built much. I can do so again. If needed." He said softly, his voice lowering more just then. "It still may not be so dire."
Coatleque stepped closer still almost venturing to reach out to him. "You... you should have told me sooner. Perhaps I... I don't know... I said I would stand by you, and I have held to that." She wanted to offer more. To help prevent further deterioration of his assets if she could. But what could she even offer? She was no financier.
"I am not yet through." He turned to face her finally, his smile broadening some. "But if one day you turn a corner and see me paying the fool an actual compliment, run the other way and never looked back." He ended with a smirk.
"I shall keep that in mind..." she replied flatly.
He watched her for a moment, silently judging her reaction to all of this news. The concern behind her eyes could not be feigned, however, though if it was concern over him or the coin he may not have been able to tell. In her heart she cared little for his wealth so much as it pained her to see him brought low like this.
Contented, he finished changing into a smock of his own. He bussed her on the cheek before leading her towards the exit then, saying "Let us see what spirits we find Roen in." He could not hide his growing anger, though, and she wondered to whom it was directed this night. Her questions, or his admissions.
The pair went on unmolested for the most part. There was the occasional turn of a head and personal confirmation that sight was not deceived. She had learned to turn a deaf ear to such murmurings though. Soon they reached her room. Jameson followed her inside. A rare event in its own right. His guard followed and took up the usual position by the door.
It was certainly no estate, and was clear that she hadn't been spending much time within lately. Why should she spend her nights here, after all, when his estate was welcoming and so much more grand. It almost brought the pain of embarrassment to even suffer him here.
She gestured to the chair by the corner before disappearing behind the privacy screen by the bed. A storage trunk situated at the foot of the bed itself was opened to reveal multiple changes of clothing of a more practical nature. He did not sit, of course, but wandered the room slowly straitening the odd this or that. A few moments later and she re-emerged wearing a simple doublet and jackboots. "This should suffice."
"Yes. Nothing trailing in your wake is the best thought." He replied. She finished the ensemble with a short iron spatha easily concealed along the side of one of her boots. His approval was evident, however. She straightened herself, pulling her hair back just then. "I am ready."
Jameson opened the door for her which prompted another smile. "A brief stop at my offices. From there it isn't far." A scant moment later the three were gathered out in the bar once more and ready to leave. That is before a piercing baritone nearly screamed from across the room.
"LAAAAAAARD TAEROS!"
They paused simultaneously and slowly turned with shared horror to find Lord Mandercrown staggering across the bar towards them. Two people could not have had a more synchronized reaction. Jameson clenched his teeth in visible pain while Coatleque groaned audibly. Jameson's sentinel moved to intercept the drunken Lord with a quick step.
"Hay! How's ya! Whoa ho ho! Lock at YOU!" The man began to holler at the pair even from only three fulms away. She found her grip on Jameson's arm tightening out of mixed fear and annoyance before forcing restraint. Sensing her Lord's own tenseness, she decided to step up to the initiative.
"Why... Lord Mandercrown. Such a... 'pleasant' surprise. You seem to have lost your pants again." The man was, sure enough, naked from the waist down once again. This seemed to be a repeating pattern whenever the man was in public. Coatleque found herself scanning the bar for the Lady Mandercrown's maidservant (whom the Lord always kept close by). She would no doubt appear any moment to lead him away again.
Jameson stepped up as well then with a forced smile. "Lord Mandercrown. What a pleasant surprise." He echoed her sentiments. "My lord, where are your pants?"
The man looked himself up and down before bursting out laughing. "Uhhh... I seem to have LEFT them somewhere!" The four of them all stood there now as the clearly drunk man laughed himself till he could no longer breathe. Coatleque only drew closer to Jameson while he in turn sighed disgustedly. Finally the man composed himself long enough to form his next thought.
"So about that LOAN, my lord?"
There was a brief pause to which she looked up at Jameson expecting him to tell the fool off. It was clear to her that more coin would only be wasted on even more drink, and Jameson would never see a return on such a deal. It was not her business, however, so she bit her lip.
"Business at another time. Perhaps when you are less... inebriated."
"But then it ain't FUN!" The man burst out laughing again, pleased with his own antics.
"If it were fun, it would not be business, my lord." Coatleque found herself speaking up to Jameson's defense just then. "Well, excepting our business." she added as her grip tightened again.
There was a deep breath from the man at her side. "Find your pants first. Then come find me. We will talk." But his words were wasted as Mandercrown had suddenly found another interest for the time being.
"Oh, cutie patootie...!" He blurted out as he absently tried to meander around the guard to reach her. Thankfully the sentinel, Feres, stepped to the side as well and remained in the man's way.
"That is not her name, milord." Jameson interjected.
Mandercrown snorted. "Sorry. Rayanne, is it? The North girl?"
"North girl?..." She inquired, suddenly confused and looking up to the man she was practically clinging to.
"No." Jameson said coldly.
"Well fuck, all these redheads look the same to me. Rowan? Wait no, her hair's pink..."
"... my hair is not 'pink'..." Coatleque began to protest
"Naaaah, I meant ROWAN's hair is pink." Once again the man burst out laughing.
"Auburn." she corrected him.
"This is Ser Coatleque Crofte. My paramour." Jameson said rather tersely before turning to her. "Shall we go?"
She gave Lord Mandercrown one more annoyed glance before nodding her agreement. "Please..."
"Pants, milord."
With that Jameson began walking off rather determined. Coatleque found herself taking double steps just to keep up with him. She released his arm for the nonze and they continued side-by-side.
"Is that man ever sober?" She eventually spoke up.
"That that man would actually hold a lordship is an insult to lords."
"Judging by what he asked, I doubt he shall hold it for long." she offered.
It was clear her attempt to lighten the mood was doomed and so they continued on. The streets were mostly empty save for a passing porter or merchant. Attempts at greetings were met with silence from the Lord. The rest of their walk reminded her eerily of another night the same trek was made. Luckily they reached his estate before things could become progressively awkward, and a slight renewal of their purpose came to head.
She followed Jameson up to his office and stood to the side upon entering. Suddenly she felt very much like another guard from her trappings. There was no fire lit yet and it appeared the Valet did not expect his return yet at this hour. Jameson stopped after a step and turned to his guard. "Unchain prisoner Deneith.", he murmured. "See that she has a fresh change of clothes. I do not want her looking unsightly for my beloved." There was a quick salute before the man left the room.
Jameson walked around the divide to the second half. Coatleque followed slowly. "... Unsightly?" She asked in her typical inquisitive tone.
"Pardon my mood." He replied. "Usually it amuses me."
She nodded and stopped just after the divide to lean against the wall.
"This night has been one of many moods." she said at length.
He frowned, but his back was to her now. "It has."
The man began to strip off his doublet to exchange with something more suited for work on the hanger nearby. She watched from a distance, half admiring and half examining for any new scars she should know about. He stopped after taking the shirt down.
"He should not have been born to his power. His wealth. I see that walking, stinking, drinking, laughing bag of suet, and I think... that is my coin. He is stealing it. By happenstance of birth."
"You needn't give him any more." Coatleque pushed off the wall then and turned to face him. He did not look back just yet but her words gave him sudden pause. "He--" There was a long silence. Jameson stood not willing, or perhaps not able to look back at her. His voice lowered and his muscles tensed visibly in the dim light.
"He is loaning it to me."
"... w-what?" she stammered before daring to step closer.
"It was... a month ago? A mere... safe cache. The obese fool throws coin around as if it means nothing. Why should I not play his little game? I don't need to lick his boots. He is more than ready, willing, to loan me whatever I need just to invite him into my circle."
His words did nothing to convince her of any better. She could see the strain on him from just admitting such a thing. At his station, this was tantamount to begging once more. To require aid from another. Her hands balled into fists before she forced them to relax. "But it is not needed, aye?" She offered as both encouragement and for her own curiosity. "Tell me you are not depending on that fop..."
Jameson took a breath. "Today's news means I may have to suffer him longer." His lip curled then and she could see his anger coming back to the surface. "I still have many other options. But you wanted truths from me today. I just gave you one." He finally turned to sneer at her. "How does it taste?"
The curl to his lip nearly bared his teeth as his amber eyes flashed in anger. All at once the she saw the predator rising again and it caused her to recoil. "Far from droll." she said softly, reassuringly.
He sighed at that, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yes. Indeed." A small smile returning. "I came from nothing and built much. I can do so again. If needed." He said softly, his voice lowering more just then. "It still may not be so dire."
Coatleque stepped closer still almost venturing to reach out to him. "You... you should have told me sooner. Perhaps I... I don't know... I said I would stand by you, and I have held to that." She wanted to offer more. To help prevent further deterioration of his assets if she could. But what could she even offer? She was no financier.
"I am not yet through." He turned to face her finally, his smile broadening some. "But if one day you turn a corner and see me paying the fool an actual compliment, run the other way and never looked back." He ended with a smirk.
"I shall keep that in mind..." she replied flatly.
He watched her for a moment, silently judging her reaction to all of this news. The concern behind her eyes could not be feigned, however, though if it was concern over him or the coin he may not have been able to tell. In her heart she cared little for his wealth so much as it pained her to see him brought low like this.
Contented, he finished changing into a smock of his own. He bussed her on the cheek before leading her towards the exit then, saying "Let us see what spirits we find Roen in." He could not hide his growing anger, though, and she wondered to whom it was directed this night. Her questions, or his admissions.
