Cass Armstrong

Alice smiled in a cunning way. “This is a dangerous place, love. Everything trading desires is dangerous.” She said with a wink of an eye, her chin jerking in an accepting motion. Rarely anyone who came to drink to her Tavern ever thanked her for doing her job. Sure, it was the polite thing to do but men weren’t polite, and they hardly had any manners left after the first drink. That’s why she watered down the rest of the liquor - they’d be unmanageable if all her drinks were as strong.

“Lucky you. Men bring nothing but headaches. We’re more than capable enough to take care of our own pleasures, aren’t we? All of them.” The succubus added with the mischievous smirk dancing on her lips. She laughed, then, as the girl kept speaking. “Iniquity is another name for sore losers. Those who place bets and lose think we rig our games. But, it didn’t occur to them that if they want their brains in the game, they should keep their eyes off the girls and their throats dry. And men can never control their urges which is why the job flourishes.” Her tone was laced with amusement. The girl appeared innocent, and sweet, but Alice knew things were never the way they looked. She was beginning to like this girl, if only for having the balls to come here, alone. The next question brought a scoff. “Call it how you see it, girl. There are no manners here, and they can’t do you any good in a place like this. Do I fuck ‘em? Sure, if they’re tempting enough. Some of the girls prefer that job, and the owner lets us choose the men. I prefer being behind the bar, but if it gets too boring, I take a guy up for some fun.” Or a girl, though it’s been decades since she took one upstairs. Girls were customers only for drinks, or if they wanted to drag their fiances and husbands out by their cocks. “I wouldn’t be too flattered by men wanting to bed me. They want to bed youthful girls and we’re all young here. I doubt they’d want to bed me if I were sixty and soggy.” She chuckled.

Cass knew all too well that trading what people wanted was a dangerous profession. While her father might seem to be a perfectly honest businessman, he also traded in the darker side of things, which meant she did too. She played on desires, figured out what people wanted, and gave it to them... for a price. What happened to them after that wasn’t her problem. “I imagine the danger is part of the appeal for many.” She knew people too well to deny such a thing. 

With a little nervous laugh, she shook her head. “I don’t know how lucky I’ll stay. My father is looking to arrange a marriage for me.” She was arranging it herself, once she found someone that suited her, but women weren’t supposed to control their fates. “And I don’t... know much about... pleasures.” She wasn’t supposed to know. She’d had a few moments, she was hardly pure, but she knew she couldn’t compare that to the women who worked here. “Mm, yes, people are sore losers. Sometimes they complain that my father got the better end of a deal, but really, he’s a businessman. He’s hardly going to allow people to cheat him.” She was always at the ready to defend her father, even though she knew better than anyone else how much of a con-artist he could be. She was his daughter, after all, and took after him. 

“You must have a good boss.” Since she was a fair boss herself, she could respect that. It inspired loyalty, meant people worked harder. “I wonder what it’d be like. Having the freedom of who shares your bed. It must be more liberating than being bound to one man, over and over again, and at his discretion. It’s always seemed unfair to me that men are allowed to take mistresses, but women are never allowed affairs.” She laughed. “I don’t know, I’ve known many sailors, and when they’ve spent long periods at sea, they might be desperate even for an older woman. You wouldn’t believe - well, actually, you would. The things that the sailors start to say in my presence when they think I’m not listening, it’s really quite... shocking. They have some rather interesting desires.” 

Teresa smiled to the brunette that joined her. She listened, nodding in thought as she watched the play fight in front of them. The woman seemed skilled enough, holding the sword as if she was born with it, and as the brunette spoke, she began to realise that her newest acquaintance could very well be correct. “I think you’re right. The way in which she holds herself, and her sword. It’s so very natural. As if she were born with it. I certainly wouldn’t like to go up against her.” She commented with a hum.

“Shieldmaiden? That sounds too intimidating, yet appealing at the same time. Do you ever wish you could fight like them? Be trained in the arts of war? Sometimes I think about it. A part of me is mortified whenever I see anything sharper than a quill, but there’s also a part of me that’d like to feel the weight of an iron sword, and maybe even wield it. It’s a silly thought, I know.”

While she cared more about the woman standing next to her, Cass seemed to be watching the fight with avid interest. As she expected, the woman disarmed the man and knocked him to the ground. With a sword against his throat, he had no choice but to accept defeat. Like many others, Cass applauded politely. “Personally, I’d rather not go up against anyone with a sword.” She laughed softly. She always carried a dagger, hidden in the folds of her skirt, but it was for emergencies only. She was no warrior. 

“I think it sounds rather romantic. The very name of it. Like the Valkyries they worship, they are more than just warriors. It’s not the sword that matters to them, it’s the shield. They see the strength in both.” She’d spent time in Kænland, just as she’d spent time in every kingdom, so she knew a little about their culture. “While I admire what they do, and think all women should know how to defend themselves, I’ve lifted a sword before. It’s very heavy. Not really my style, I suppose. I prefer a battle of wits.” 

obsidian eyes fixed upon the other, pink lips stretching into a polite smile. the smile turned to laughter as the brunette teased her ( as if she needed her mind caught. immortality was a drag if one ought to be careful of everything ). there was a desire to show her a flash of something dangerous but baroness swallowed the urge. it’d do her no good to expose herself & the girl with cold eyes could yet prove useful. her physique was pretty & she appeared as the exact type of woman eliza looked for when considering expansion of her coven.

“ it’s easy to lose oneself on such a day. “ her comment was short, full lips puckered in a mask of thought. as if she was shy to ask the woman to join her for an innocent walk. nothing was ever innocent with eliza. the vampyre was calculating the other’s character, the spark behind her eyes & for now she was pleased enough with what she saw. “ perhaps it’d be safer if you walk with me? you can rein me in if I wander on my own again. “ she offered with a teasing chuckle, mirroring the girl’s personality. whether it be vampirism or her natural talent, eliza knew how reel her prey in.

Cass smiled back at the attractive woman, seeing more than just boredom in her eyes now. This was someone to play with, and Cass so loved a game. “Getting lost can be rather fun on a day like this.” She tilted her head, with a soft smile as if remembering some precious memory. “There’s so much that can happen when lost.” 

Since she was happy enough for company, as she always was, she laughed with a little nod. “Certainly, I’ll be happy to do so.” It was so tempting for her to make a sexual innuendo, but that was the kind of thing she saved for when she was around sailors, not nobility. She couldn’t risk a scandal, not until she had what she wanted. “Have you spent much time in town? We could always walk there, unless you did want to get lost, in which case, we can risk walking in the forest. They say it’s dangerous.” Danger wasn’t something she ran from, she saw no reason to. Whatever happened was going to happen, paths were already laid out before them, just invisible to the eye. 

Alice was only a little surprised by the visitor and she was rarely ever surprised by anything anymore. And, honestly, since that whole thing with her time spell backfired, it was a little dumb to be surprised by anything anymore. The girl was not the one she’d ever associate with Statue Tavern, but who was she to complain? At her question, Alice chuckled. “We have all your heart can desire, but it’s your lucky day. We just got a fresh batch.” She replied, turning around and taking out the dark bottle, pouring a tall glass for the girl, and setting it in front of her.

“Gotta say, you don’t strike me as someone who frequents this place. What prompted you to come here today? Don’t tell me there’s an unfaithful fiance upstairs with one of the girls.” Alice asked in a chatty tone, though if she bothered to really guess, she’d know it wasn’t something as trivial as an unfaithful boyfriend. No, the girl had a mischievous glint to her eye. Hey, this might even prove to be an entertaining encounter.

“All the heart can desire?” Cass couldn’t help but laugh at that. “What a dangerous thought.” She didn’t really desire anything, except for the business to remain strong as ever. Love, which she did believe existed, was a luxury, and she would not waste her time seeking out something that most never found. She’d stick with reality, and let life bring what may come. “Thank you.” She sipped the wine, making a noise of appreciation. 

Wondering just how many unfaithful men had come through the doors, Cass covered her mouth with a little laugh, as if shocked by the implication. “Oh my, no. No, I am not betrothed.” Yet. She would find someone suitable, of that she was sure. “No, I... um...” She glanced around guiltily. “I heard some of my father’s men talk about this place, and I was... curious.” That part was true, although there was no difference in her expression at the lies and the truth. “They say it’s a den of iniquity, and, well, it seemed so interesting.” The forbidden was always interesting, but nothing had ever been forbidden to Cass, not really. “Are you one of the girls who takes men upstairs?” She asked, eyes wide with avid curiosity as though she was a virgin herself. “I don’t mean to say you look like one, it’s just you’re so pretty, surely the men would want to... bed you.” 

Cass knew so many of the different people who had made their way to Atlantis, and she’d enjoyed catching up with them all. Very few knew that she was her father’s equal, most just assumed her father used her charming nature to smooth his path, not that he needed it. Her quick way with words was inherited from him. 

One of those people was Acalan. Although they didn’t have much business in the past, they’d had enough, and she knew that Aztlán was in constant conflict with Roanoke. 

Although she didn’t care about sides, she did care about money, and truth was, they’d be able to sell both sides. Seeing the Cuāuhtli, Cass pinched her cheeks to bring some colour into them before calling out to him in his own language, although Atlantis would translate for them if she hadn’t studied a little of every language. 

Once she caught up with him, she spoke calmly, head bowed in respect. “You might not remember me, I’m Cassandra Armstrong? You did some business with my father, I believe.” 

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