Ethirdir watched quietly as Hani sat down on one of the chairs and sorted through the items she had brought with her - apparently the Basilisk Heart wasn't all that she wished to show the Elf. He wondered if it was more of her prizes from her various heists, and suspected she was taking advantage of this meeting with him to get an honest opinion from the head of her favorite fencing operation. But Ethirdir honestly didn't mind, as it allowed him more time with Hani, and he actually enjoyed his job - attaching worth to something was something that never got old for him.<br/><br/>The first item she showed him was a dagger with some exquisite markings along its blade, and as he picked it up and examined it she explained where she had gotten it, along with an amulet that she wore. She mentioned that both were likely enchanted, and as he examined the blade he agreed with her. Though not all Elves were magically inclined, and he was hardly mage material, he had studied a little bit about the magic process in an effort to gain some insight into magical artifacts - mostly so he could sell them later - and as a result had developed a small sensitivity to magic-imbued items. The blade definitely had an enchantment of some sort, though he didn't have the experience to tell her what it was exactly, only guess.<br/><br/>"The dagger is certainly enchanted," he eventually told her as he handed it back to her, "and I can feel a light pulse in that enchantment, which tells me its magic is unlocked by performing a specific action. What that action is, I don't know. However, I may have some connections that can take a look at your dagger, tell you exactly what it can do...and all without drawing the attention of the Arch Magister, either."<br/><br/>He smiled a little when she asked why he had gotten into the business he was in, as to her it seemed almost unworthy of his talents. "Oh, the answer is simple, my dear: I had no other choice. My family was ruined by the city's merchant guilds when I was younger, and I chose to get back at them by playing them at their own game. But, as I came to learn, they hold so much sway over the merchant profession that trying to play by their rules makes it nigh impossible to gain a foothold legally. So I started this little additional business, which had become very profitable for me. I suppose now that I'm established I can focus on more...legal avenues, but I find this far more enjoyable than whatever the guilds consider proper. They made me who I am today, and now they have to live with me."<br/><br/>He let Hani digest the answer as he examined her necklace, holding her hand steady in his long fingers as he noted the aura of the enchantment. "This enchantment is more passive, which makes sense as it gives you passive abilities." It didn't go unnoticed that he let his touch linger on her hand, and his eyes drifted to look at her fairly frequently while being this close. He definitely felt a stirring in his chest that he had not felt for a long while, a stirring that made Hani already feel more special than many of the easy girls he had brought to his bed recently. How Doryn had been so careless with her affections was a mystery - the Elf did not intend to make the same mistake.<br/><br/>After giving the dagger and amulet, Hani had one more surprise for him: a puzzle box that she said contained the item he was interested in. Noticing the grin on her face, he realized she was testing him and grinned in return, not one to back down from a challenge. He sat down at the table and started working on the box's intricate mechanisms, trying to get a handle on how the sliding pieces needed to move. It was a fairly tricky puzzle, to be sure, but the box was Elvish in design and thus had a logic to it that was ingrained in his people. It did take a lot of thought and some trial and error, but eventually he heard a soft click as he slid a particular piece in place s, announcing he had solved the puzzle. Hani, to his great pleasure, was most impressed with his victory.<br/><br/>Opening the box, Ethirdir pulled out the silken wrappings that covered the gem, then gently removed them to expose the dark crimson facade of the Basilisk Heart. Even before he had removed the wrappings he could feel the magic emanate from the gemstone, strong enough to magnify even his meager sensitivity and send the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He didn't need to inspect it too closely to know it was the real deal - just holding it in his hand confirmed its authenticity.<br/><br/>"Magnificent..." he uttered, fishing inside one of his coat pockets and pulling out a jeweler's lens, using it to peer at the stone's blood red surface as it glistened within the brightness of the skylight. "I've held some fairly good Basilisk Hearts before...but I can tell this is a flawless specimen. No imperfections, no impurities, no scratches...all to better help channel the innate magical energy. This Heart would sell for a lot of coin just as a gemstone...and as a mage's conduit, it's almost priceless."<br/><br/>He put away his jeweler's lens and carefully placed the stone on the table. Even when he let go of it, his hand could still feel the magical residue on his skin. Holding the Basilisk Heart in his hand was thrilling, but also frightening. Whoever possessed this stone and knew how to use it would be capable of wielding a terrifying power. He couldn't simply sell it to the highest bidder; he needed to sell it to someone he knew he could trust to use it responsibly...and pay well for it, of course. And he happened to know of just the person...<br/><br/>He looked you at Hani, who no doubt was getting a kick out of his fascination with the stone. "This stone is, for lack of a better word, perfect, which makes it worth a lot of money, my dear Hani...but also necessitates a special buyer. As it stands, I cannot offer to buy this from you unless I have a buyer ready and willing...but fortunately, I know of someone who just might be willing to purchase this very stone. This will work a little differently from your precious arrangements with me: you will need to wait until I have sold this stone, and then I will give you your share after the sale. You will either have to leave this stone in my possession until then, or you can keep it and attend the sale with me." He smiled warmly at her. "You've been a reliable source of merchandise for us, and I'd like to think you'd trust me enough to manage this, but I will not begrudge you if you wish to keep your eye on something this valuable until you have your share of the profits in your hand. I will leave that choice up to you, my dear."<br/><br/><hr/><br/>As soon as he heard Mercedes' tone of voice, Theolin immediately realized he had messed up. Her words confirmed that shortly thereafter, and the icy glare she gave him made the pit of his stomach twist. She was still going to serve him - she was a professional, after all - but the warmth in her voice and demeanor was replaced by a contempt for him thinking her an easy pickup. Which, honestly, wasn't true - Theolin hadn't even considered that far ahead. He had just wanted to get to know her first, sit down with her and have a nice chat, but instead she had somehow interpreted his offer as a proposition for something more.<br/><br/>When Mercedes left to fetch his mead, he cursed himself, asking how he could've worded his request to imply something like that. He hasn't done it deliberately, but it didn't matter - the damage was done, and now he was on his back foot. If he wanted to salvage this, he had to fix his unintentional mistake. It would not be easy, but Theolin worked for Ethirdir Talion, an Elf who often dealt with some of the most ruthless and dangerous people in the entire city. He had faced down common thugs and pompous aristocrats with equal fervor. He wasn't going to back down this early in his attempt.<br/><br/>Quietly he waited for Mercedes to return, and when she did she handed him his mess and asked for payment, as well as whether he wanted anything else. Her voice was still cool, indicating she was still annoyed with him. Feeling bad for making her angry, he considered maybe just paying for his drink and leaving, but then realized that would be just as bad. He pulled out the silver coins she asked for and placed them on the table, then took a deep breath.<br/><br/>"The elk roast sounds lovely, think I'll have that for lunch, thank you...oh, and one more thing. Sorry...sorry if I offended you just now. Didn't mean to imply you were easy or anything. You looked like a fascinating person to get to know, and thought I'd ask for that opportunity over dinner or something. But came across poorly just now, and feel bad for any insult you felt."<br/><br/>First had to come the apology before anything else could happen. Now it was up to her if she accepted it. He considered giving her another silver in addition to his apology, but held off, not wanting to look like he was buying her acceptance. His hand was holding the mead tankard, though he waited for her response before drinking anything. If she rejected his apology, he might have to take an enormous swig to drown his botched attempt at asking her out.