— IN WHICH TWO CROWS MEET // for J, who does not have an indie rp account but reads these posts anyways ❤️
A partner, Signorina Andarateia told him, just for this assignment. She was young and hopeful and still wielded power awkwardly in these moments — the Cantori family's Talon led from amidst her people, not above them. In moments like these it meant she showed remorse at enforcing her word.
Santiago hadn't bothered pushing back. The more of a fuss he put up now, the more attention he'd draw to himself. And more attention meant much more complicated planning when it came to the final curtain call. No one defected from the Antivan Crows without repercussions, and he had already just been handed an additional obstacle to his plans. No need to overcomplicate things even further.
So here he sat, in a Val Royeaux inn chamber under the name of Jacob Singer, a Fereldan businessman — funny what a little translating could do to a name — unpacking his equipment. Outside, the Orlesian summer sun shone so brightly, one might mistake it for the second (well, third, really) coming of the Breach across the Thedosian skies.
An excellent time to start their hunt for Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons.
Behind him, the door cracked open. Santiago hadn't heard the steps, but the poisoned daggers strapped to his thighs had already found their way into his palms, their hilts safe and familiar in his grip.
"Has no one ever taught you to announce yourself? A knock or two, a greeting?" He turned around, a roguish smile on his face. Time to see what kind of new partner Signorina Andarateia had sent his way.
never before had isandro watched the talon of house de riva tiptoe around a subject so carefully. he'd have felt flattered, a little prideful even maybe, about being able to elicit such a hesitant response from the upper echelons of the crows, had the subject matter in question not left a bitter taste in his mouth.
a partner. a new partner.
isandro had not bothered to explain whatever curse had befallen him that had not only torn his partner from his side but had also welded their spirits together through some horror right from the fade itself. magic and spirits were accursed, dangerous things, best not spoken about if he did not want to be deemed a risk, a loose end.
enéas had of course revelled in the idea of a new partner. the entire way to orlais they spent teasing isandro relentlessly, pestering him for any information regarding their replacement. who were they? what were they like? where they better than them? worse? more handsome?
isandro had made an effort to pointedly ignore every ridiculous question.
val royeaux was sweltering hot upon his arrival, the kind of dry, suffocating heat that was exclusive to the northern summers of thedas, far away from where isandro usually had to deal with them.
"you're sloppy, you would have been dead already had i willed it so." he bit out curtly as he let the door to the room fall close behind him, no longer moving with the silence that he had entered the space with. "consider that your greeting."
play nice, enéas purred in his head. he's pretty, your type too, let's keep him around.
isandro's nostrills flared ever so slightly. "i didn't know the talons had it out for me. pairing me up with an amateur to kill a grand duke. i must have truly pissed them off this time."
