<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/25/48/27/25482718e4d3e4ff323d2d930caf1db9--character-creation-character-art.jpg)</div>"I trust you were satisfied, Lady Alista?"<br/><br/>The noblewoman was in the middle of securing the clasps of her dress when she heard Ethirdir ask his question, looking up to address him. The Elf was naked and stretched out partially across the length of his enormous and luxurious bed, though his modesty was covered by the sheets beneath which he had shared space with her not too long ago. If anything, the sly smile that he offered her was more alluring at that moment than his naked flesh, and she blushed noticeably as memories of their experience crossed her mind.<br/><br/>"I was, Lord Talion," she said with a sincere smile on her lips as she did her best to straighten her tangled brown hair. "I was...most satisfied. Honestly, I can't remember experiencing such a night in forever. You know how to treat a lady well, I must say."<br/><br/>"It wouldn't be right to do anything otherwise," Ethirdir said as he gently tapped a couple of his fingers on his hips, a set of thin yet expensive-looking rings still adorning his digits. "I can see you are in a hurry, so I won't keep you for much longer. My servant will see you out. Please give my regards to your husband, and let him know that I shall have his shipment of spice ready for him by week's end."<br/><br/>"He will be most pleased to hear that," Lady Alista said as she secured bunches of her hair with garish hair clips, using a nearby mirror to make herself look as presentable as possible. "I shall relay the information to him when I get home."<br/><br/>"Thank you," the Elf said. "And please feel free to stop by the next time your husband sends you out to do business. I shall make it worth your while."<br/><br/>The Lady's response was only another blush and a smile as she finished getting dressed and fixing her appearance. With one final formal bow she departed from the chamber, blowing Ethirdir a kiss before softly closing the door behind her, her satisfaction evident in her eyes and in her reluctance to leave.<br/><br/>Alone in his chamber, Ethirdir rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling that was adorned with a small chandelier composed of tiny glass pieces hand-made by Elvish glass-smiths. His own satisfied smile slowly melted away as he sighed. Another week, another flirtation cumulating into an evening with a beautiful lady. Last week had been the Lady DeVint, another noblewoman who at least didn't come with the baggage of being married. Before that, he had bedded a blacksmith who had worked on some metalwork for his business. And several others rounded out a list of ladies who had been all too eager to climb, nay,<em>jump</em>into his bed. In all honesty, it was getting a little tiresome.<br/><br/>He could remember a time when, back when he was still a successful but modest merchant without a Nobility title, he had to work to get ladies interested in him. Not that he wasn't handsome, of course - a look at his angular face, his pale green eyes his long red hair, and his angular facial features were very desirable, and that wasn't getting into his muscular frame built up by years of hands-on work as a merchant. But social status was a far more important variable than looks, and back then he had to learn how to properly flirt just to get someone's attention, building a well-deserved reputation as someone to keep an eye on when ladies were nearby. Nowadays, it felt too easy. He longed for something of a challenge, someone who would catch his eye but force him to work to get more than a wink and a smile. Seduction seemed to be a lost art in this city, and he lamented that decline, albeit more out of boredom than despair.<br/><br/>Ethirdir stared at the ceiling for a few moments longer before he turned away and looked to his bedside, his eyes falling upon a piece of parchment containing a message he had read several times since receiving it.  He had read it so many times now that he could recite it from memory:<br/><br/><em>I have found a rare crystal. It is so rare I know that a Mage would pay a huge amount of gold to possess it. I offer it to you first. I am sure you know how much a Basilisk heart is worth? I need to meet with you soon to discuss price.</em><br/><br/>The message had been delivered to him by Theolin, one of the Elves he had put in charge of running important portions of his underground fencing network. Ethirdir had started fencing stolen goods as a means of supporting his merchant business, knowing full well that honest trade in a city as hostile as Crescent City would get him nowhere, but the side-business had proven too lucrative to give up once he had obtained his lesser Nobility title, and he had only expanded it over the past couple of years. Theolin ran much of the operation with several other coworkers and was considered one of Ethirdir's more trusted underlings, but whenever something came along that even he was unsure of, he gave it to his boss to decide.<br/><br/>Receiving word of one of his usual thief customers offering a Basilisk heart for sale definitely fit into that category.<br/><br/>Ethirdir was only mildly knowledgeable with the thief who had made the offer, only caring about the fact that she was good at her job and most likely wasn't lying about possessing such a rare gem. Basilisk hearts were indeed damned rare things, and anyone found to be in possession of one illegally was courting a lot of trouble. But to sell something like that in his fencing network to a Mage willing to keep the transaction under the table...the amount of gold just might be worth the risk.<br/><br/>He had spent most of the day since receiving that message debating whether or not to at least go to the thief's known favorite haunt and discuss a price with her, and looking at the curling edges of the parchment - caused by holding it so many times between his thin fingers - for the hundredth time finally convinced him to just go for it. After all, things had gotten fairly stale recently, so why not take a big gamble and see if it paid off? With a resolved look on his face he tossed the sheets off his naked frame and climbed out of bed, looking for something to wear for a night out on the town...but not too gaudy. He might be a Noble, but he refused to dress like a colorblind pantomime...<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Evening had covered the City in its twilight hues when Ethirdir arrived at the Dew Drop Inn, dressed in an expensive yet modest blue suit adorned with silver markings. A casual glance might make some people mistake the garment for a military uniform, but closer inspection would reveal it to be more ceremonial and Elvish in design than anything military-related. More attention had been paid to making his face look handsome and his hair clean as it draped across and behind his shoulders. Already he had gotten a few looks from some ladies - of all social classes - on his way to the inn, but he had ignored them with his focus on business this night. He didn't have an escort, because he never wanted one - he knew how to take care of himself, and besides, his logic suggested having an escort would make him look like even more of a worthwhile target to potential muggers.<br/><br/>Stepping inside the inn, he looked around for any signs of his contact, only realizing that he didn't know what she looked like. For all he knew, she wasn't here tonight, and he would never even notice. Still, their previous correspondence had made it clear that this was where she frequented, and if he ever wished to speak with her, this would be where he would find her. His fencing network had contacted her before, but this would be the first time he would meet with her personally.<br/><br/>Taking a seat in an empty booth, Ethirdir could now only sit back and wait and see if she would notice him and approach him. The signal of one of his Elvish employees being part of his fencing network was a silver brooch of a wild lily flower pinned on his chest, and Ethirdir indeed remembered to wear one. A maid stopped by to ask for his order, and he requested a bottle of their most expensive wine. If he was going to wait, he might as well drink the best that this place had to offer...