And Eshal sees a woman in front of Ben-Hissrath, desperately trying to say the right thing to avoid reeducation. You're not going to get any useful answers out of that.
...But what choice does she have? Jones isn't like the kid in the cage, desperate for scraps. What she's staring down is resolve, not terror. You can only win over resolve by working with it, and Eshal has no clue what Jones' goals are, or if she even has any.
When push comes to shove, Eshal defaults to her favorite tactic: scouring honesty.
"I'm gonna be flat with you," the term in Trade is be straight, but whatever. "I have... maybe two thirds of three plans. All of them need more information to move forward. I'm ex-Qun; what I know about Tevinter could fit in this mug."
She holds it up for emphasis.
"So tell me what you saw in Minrathous. Were the people happy? Scared? What kind of people did you see? How easy was it to get in and out?"
But Kitty shakes her head. Here, at least, she can be honest.
"We weren't in Minrathous." She wraps her hands around her cup of tea, looking steadily at Eshal. "We only traveled to two estates. And in between, I kept hidden. So the intelligence I can give you is - " A shrug. "Well, what I know is about as much as what you know, really."
"Huh," she says, and then, "well, I can work with that. Not every lead goes there."
A shrug, but she doesn't get up to leave, just sits, thinking something through.
"One thing, though. I talked to the kid, he mentioned... he got cagey where blood magic came up. Seemed odd to me, being a Vint and all. They doing anything weird with that shit that you saw?"
Wrong move, but Eshal isn't sure the girl actually has the information she needs anyway. She slides the jug forward. "This is Maraas-lok," she says. "Strongest drink there is. Take it in sips. Or sell it; some folk will pay high for it."
And to think the last one was a bad move; it has nothing on this. Kitty's head rears back, and her dark eyes flash with an unadulterated and dangerous rage.
"Sorry," she says, voice high and incredulous, "is it that I look like a drunkard, a beggar, or a drunken beggar, that you pay for my time with alcohol for me to peddle? Shall I perhaps find a few other poor folk to pass it to? Is that your intention?"
"Oh, so you meant to insult me?" She rises to her feet now, heavy brows so furrowed they practically look like a single line. "So I wouldn't forget you? What a brilliant bloody plan."
Either this girl is the child she seems, or someone gave her alcohol once and it seriously fucked her over. Regardless, there's no point in pissing on the wound. Eshal keeps herself from rolling her eyes, shrugging-- who cares, really.
"I never meant it as an insult," she says. "Where I'm from, it's a great gift. But if you see it as an insult..." She leans down, takes the jug. "More for me."
She didn't, though. Not really. Oh, sure, she answered the questions posed to her, but the answers weren't really in the spirit of it all. I've made contact with and have a network of Tevinter freedom fighters, that's probably relevant for this woman. And she's almost furious enough to snarl about it to her - But no. She's learned more caution than that.
So instead, she just tosses her head and spits, "Sure. Whatever." Then - "My time doesn't get bought. Least of all bought with your cast-off swill. So you can keep it."
Alright, that's enough. There's a point where being nice is rolling over and taking it, and they're getting pretty fucking close to that.
"Let me make some shit clear," and there isn't anger in her voice, so much as tired disappointment.
"I don't fucking buy people. I don't buy their time. I ask, and if they don't play, it isn't worth it. So I don't know what bug crawled up your ass, and I don't give a shit.The only thing happened here today was you proving you're completely worthless as an asset or an ally. If that was your plan all along, you did perfect."
She gives the girl a little salute with the jug, and walks away.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 02:56 am (UTC)...But what choice does she have? Jones isn't like the kid in the cage, desperate for scraps. What she's staring down is resolve, not terror. You can only win over resolve by working with it, and Eshal has no clue what Jones' goals are, or if she even has any.
When push comes to shove, Eshal defaults to her favorite tactic: scouring honesty.
"I'm gonna be flat with you," the term in Trade is be straight, but whatever. "I have... maybe two thirds of three plans. All of them need more information to move forward. I'm ex-Qun; what I know about Tevinter could fit in this mug."
She holds it up for emphasis.
"So tell me what you saw in Minrathous. Were the people happy? Scared? What kind of people did you see? How easy was it to get in and out?"
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 01:15 am (UTC)"We weren't in Minrathous." She wraps her hands around her cup of tea, looking steadily at Eshal. "We only traveled to two estates. And in between, I kept hidden. So the intelligence I can give you is - " A shrug. "Well, what I know is about as much as what you know, really."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 01:30 am (UTC)A shrug, but she doesn't get up to leave, just sits, thinking something through.
"One thing, though. I talked to the kid, he mentioned... he got cagey where blood magic came up. Seemed odd to me, being a Vint and all. They doing anything weird with that shit that you saw?"
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 01:44 am (UTC)"His mum's one," she responds shortly. "A blood mage. A nasty one."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 02:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 02:36 am (UTC)"I'm alive, so obviously not that bad."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 02:56 am (UTC)And she stands, turning to go.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:00 pm (UTC)"Sorry," she says, voice high and incredulous, "is it that I look like a drunkard, a beggar, or a drunken beggar, that you pay for my time with alcohol for me to peddle? Shall I perhaps find a few other poor folk to pass it to? Is that your intention?"
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:02 pm (UTC)"It's a gift. It's rare and strong. If you don't like it, pour it in the sea." She shrugs. "I don't like to be forgot. Now you won't."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:39 pm (UTC)"I never meant it as an insult," she says. "Where I'm from, it's a great gift. But if you see it as an insult..." She leans down, takes the jug. "More for me."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-02 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-03 12:19 am (UTC)So instead, she just tosses her head and spits, "Sure. Whatever." Then - "My time doesn't get bought. Least of all bought with your cast-off swill. So you can keep it."
no subject
Date: 2019-10-03 12:25 am (UTC)"Let me make some shit clear," and there isn't anger in her voice, so much as tired disappointment.
"I don't fucking buy people. I don't buy their time. I ask, and if they don't play, it isn't worth it. So I don't know what bug crawled up your ass, and I don't give a shit.The only thing happened here today was you proving you're completely worthless as an asset or an ally. If that was your plan all along, you did perfect."
She gives the girl a little salute with the jug, and walks away.