Roleplay

@ChaosArcher

Settling herself down on her mattress, Abignalia chose to take a few contemplative sips of her tea before answering. "Well, the City of Dusk as we know it is a very new thing," she began, keeping an eye on the croaker lest it get any impolite ideas. "It's only been a few years since Lady Arethusa came and began to organize efforts to rebuild. Since then, there's been a lot of travelers coming through, and a lot of people settling–mostly in Midtown, you understand, because the slums are a bit too dangerous for most, and there's always the old superstitions about the catacombs and forbidden portions of the city. I myself put no stock in them, you know, because really, some crumbling buildings and underground tunnels aren't going to cause us any harm, nor are the dead going to rise from their graves, such poppycock." She sniffed disdainfully, by now quite engrossed in her chattering–it wasn't often she had someone to gossip with. "Still, you'll likely want to look for a place in Midtown; it isn't always the cheapest, but it has much more to offer, and the lodgings are considerably nicer, and you won't have to constantly keep a hand on your coin or get catcalled by street corner harlots, which no one has done anything about yet. I rather think they should, seeing as how the nobles are trying to get the city recognized as a cultural and trade center, and they want people to visit and it isn't like the slums are invisible, you know?"

A few children could be heard yelling and shrieking somewhere else in the abbey and Abignalia stopped, swivelling to stare in that direction as she weighed leaving her guest versus whatever nonsense the youngsters could be up to. In the end, however, she turned back to Murk with a sigh. "My apologies, looking after children keeps me quite busy. Where was I?"

@ChaosArcher

"Ah, yes," she murmured, taking another sip of her tea. "We still have a rather atrocious crime problem, though the upper city wouldn't know because no one reports anything! Too busy trying to stay on the good side of whatever trash is lording it over their property now." There was a well-deserved note of bitterness in her tone–Abignalia had watched many tossed from their homes, had many come crawling to the abbey begging for a place to stay only to be turned away. Too many children were already ensconced in these walls to take on the homeless.

A knock came at the door and Abignalia looked up in surprise, nearly spilling her tea. "Yes?"

"You wished to see me?" came a voice from the other side of the door.

"Right, right, come in," she huffed, mildly displeased that he had intruded. She had never really felt comfortable around the stranger, and though she used his labor quite willingly, trust was something not easily come by here.

Indoors, Tanzani kept his hood down, allowing his very blond hair to be seen by all and sundry. Beneath the cloak, however, was standard slumgoer garb: trousers; heavy barely intact boots; and a simple, if a little grungy, shirt. "Miss," he intoned, nodding his head in respect.

@ChaosArcher

Still finishing her own tea, Abignalia eyed Tanzani curiously. He was not usually one to be so forward as to come to her door, forcing the matron more often than not to hunt down whatever spot he was lurking in. "Are you quite busy? I'd appreciate it if you would escort this young lady to Midtown, I would hate for her to get lost."

Tanzani pulled his eyes away from Murk and her little croaker and nodded to Abignalia in acknowledgement. He didn't really want to spend his time today with a woman toddling after him; the slums were not always his friend, and though they rarely heckled him, they would perhaps paradoxically grow bolder seeing that he was with someone. "As you wish," he murmured, looking back at Murk. "We may depart whenever you are prepared."

Abignalia turned back to Murk in inquiry, gesturing to see if she wanted more tea or was satisfied.