Flora at the Blackbacks Part Two - RPLOG
Participants
Date
29/7/479
Log
Highlady Longtail is once again left to her own devices as the high society of Firmament swirls and eddies around the great hall in the Blackback Manor. There are not many familiar faces around, aside from her guards. And there is that blue reindeer who hangs around Brutus Blackback, but it looks like he is on guard duty and doing a very good impression of a statue.
Then there is a familiar white lion, chatting amiably with a peacock near the buffet.
Flora seems... Honestly okay with being all alone right now. Still, best to find someone she already knows, than to risk being approached by another total stranger...
Soon enough, she's standing closer to Hugo, tail twitching behind her, although she doesn't seem all too eager to strike up a conversation just yet.
". . . I told them that half measures would do them no good, of course," Hugo is saying to the peacock, "That was their problem from the beginning. No risk, no profit. Making the sure bet may be safest, but everyone is making the same bet." The enormous lion tosses his snow white mane and takes note of Flora. "And speaking of long shots, here is the new Highlady of house Longtail herself! I did not think I would ever see you at one of these events! I don't suppose you have reconsidered selling me those rings?"
"Flora... Appears in public from time to time, yes. That doesn't mean Flora enjoys it. Flora would... Much rather be working productively, in the laboratory, yes."
"Still, obligations are obligations, yes. As for the rings... Not for sale, no."
"A pity indeed," Hugo says, "I had so hoped to add them to my collection. You know, I am a Longtail myself, if only distantly. On my mother's side, you see. It is not something one shouts in the streets, you know." The lion shakes himself and looks at the finely dressed peacock. "Where are my manners?" he rumbles, "Mister Fanning, may I present the Highlady, Flora Longtail. Highlady, this is Mister Archibald Fanning, a business man of some means hoping to open a modest entertainment establishment here in Firmament."
"Yes? Mister Hugo will understand that Flora will have her guards around, considering... Most of the family, yes," Flora concludes, tails twitching lightly as she gestures for one of the guards to stick close.
"Yes? And Mister Fanning wishes to provide... What kind of entertainment, exactly?" Flora asks, a genuinely curious gaze on her face.
Hugo smirks, then assumes an air of mock indignity. "Why, Highlady! You cut me to the core! Are you insinuating that I would make an assault on your person?" The lion twitches his overlong tail over one arm and leans on his ornate cane. "My lady," he says with an easy smile, "I did say that they were DISTANT relations. I can assure you I have nothing to do with such lowlifes and riffraff and I hope that the better qualities of the Longtail line show themselves in you and your children."
The peacock, Fanning coughs, covering his mouth genteely. "Call a spade a spade, Hugo, old man," he says, turning an amiable gaze on Flora, "I plan to open a Casino, High Lady. A bit like a public house with an emphasis in games of chance. They are quite popular in many cities. I have one already in Snowhame and Mister Snowmane is kind enough to help me in applying for the permits I need here in Firmament."
"Still, given the nature of the family, best not to take chances, no," Flora concludes after a short moment of contemplation. "A... Casino? Flora... Hrmm." Flora seems a bit confused at the prospect. She's got a rough idea of what a casino is, and how it makes its money, and she's not exactly sure if she likes it... Still, it's not like she'll say it.
"Yes," Fanning says, nodding vigorously, "As I said, it has been very popular in Snowhame and I am eager to introduce it here in Sweetwater. I hope to build a fine inn and restaurant along with the casino itself. It could be an enormous draw for commerce! Even visiting Creators have been patrons of my establishment in the North. Perhaps you would be interested in investing in my endeavor?"
While the Peacock gives his spiel to Flora, Hugo has sauntered over to where Flora's guards stand watching, carrying a small platter of goodies. "Well, boys," he says, "It seems that I am not trustworthy. Best keep a close eye on me. But there is no reason to do it on an empty stomach! The Blackbacks lay a fine spread, let's not allow it to go to waste!" He offers the goodies to the guards and turns to listen to the conversation again.
The guards do, in fact, partake from the food, although they do take turns to make sure there's always one of them ready to act, should it be needed. "That isn't what Flora said, no. But Flora does have to be careful with the family... For what it's worth, Mister Hugo seems... Trustworthy enough."
"Flora will... Pass, yes. The house doesn't have a lot of spending money, and LongTech Industries needs all the reserves it can get to ensure its continued existence, yes... Business is good, but still... Need to make sure business stays good."
"Understandable, of course, High Lady," Fanning says, then fumbles in his pockets before producing a little gilt edged card. "My calling card," he says passing it to the tigress, "Should you find an interest in my work." The well dressed (if a little soft on the edges) peacock turns to the buffet to load up his plate.
"I shall take that as a compliment, my Lady," Hugo says smoothly, just a touch of northern accent showing through, "Now, since I have you here at a social event at last, who shall I introduce you to? I believe you have already made the acquaintance of Lord Blackback."
Flora nods and smiles, tucking the card away, before looking to Hugo. "Flora wouldn't know. Flora is... Not a fan of social functions, no. Whatever Mister Hugo thinks is best, Flora supposes? People who could be useful to Flora and LongTech, yes."
Hugo raises an eyebrow at that. The girl sounds rather like the Lady in that respect. "Who should I introduce you to?" "Why, the people who will be useful to me, of course." The old lion shakes out his mane and extends an arm to Flora, keeping all of this hidden behind an avuncular smile. "Then come along, my Lady," he says, "Let old Uncle Hugo give you the who's who tour."
"No... No touching Flora, no. Not a fan of touching Flora. Flora will follow," she notes, gesturing for the guards to join the duo, her tails flicking behind her. "Is that not the purpose of a social function? Meeting people who can help you? Flora prefers being direct, yes."
"Yes, my dear, that is the point," Hugo says, "But it is considered. . . indescreet to say it plainly. We call it building relationships. Much more acceptable." The lion shrugs at Flora's refusal and leads the odd little parade across the hall to where a tall, severely thin ibis is chatting with a short, round beaver. Both wear the long, dark robes of academians.
"Gentlemen!" Hugo says to the pair, "If I may ask your indulgence." The lion steps aside to allow a clear path between the tigress and the scholars. "I would like to present Highlady, Flora Longtail. Highlady, the most esteemed scholars, Himmel Longbeak and Gregory Oddbody. Formost scholars in their respective fields."
"Flora doesn't get it. Why? Being direct is easier. Wastes less time," she concludes after a moment of mulling it over. "Is efficient, yes."
"Of course. And their fields are?" Flora questions, brow raised, although she does offer a warm, inviting smile.
Hugo seems unsure if he should laugh or scold. "Efficiency is rarely the best way to deal with other beings, Highlady," he offers, "It usually ends with someone sticking a knife in someone else's gut. That is rather efficient in most political arenas, after all." He indicates the Ibis and the beaver and leaves them to introduce themselves.
The Ibis speaks up first. "Oddbody there works in engineering painfully complicated bits of useless machinery," he says, "While I work in the more elegant realm of alchemy."
Flora smiles. Now that's more like something she can work with. Mechanics and alchemy. "Flora is... Rather a fan of both, yes... And mechanical devices are far from useless, yes. Just need to have a good purpose for the mechanics, yes," she concludes after a short while, a flick of her ears.
"Flora may have matters to discuss behind closed doors later too, yes. But not now. Flora is supposed to be socializing, yes?"
The beaver scowls at the ibis, but he is all bucktoothed smiles for Flora. "It is nice to find someone who appreciates quality machinery, Highlady," he says in a rather nasally voice, "And I am sure that both myself and my colleague here would be happy to discuss business with you sometime." The Ibis look at each other and then back at Flora.
"Yes," Longbeak says slowly, "That is, indeed what we are supposed to be doing." Both scholars seem to be a bit at a loss on how to continue this conversation.
Flora smiles again, her tail flicking behind her. "This is... Not how it's supposed to go, Flora is pretty sure," the she-cat concludes after a while, her tail flicking behind her. "Flora... Flora supposes Mister Longbeak and Mister Oddbody could tell Flora about their recent work?"
"Ah! Of course!" Longbeak says, "I have been doing some truly intriguing work with the application of heat to tinctures of certain exotic herbs and flowers and the distilation of oils from the same. I have made a number of interesting discoveries in the alchemical composition of several foreign specimans currently thought to be useless weeds." The Ibis starts to drone on in the tones of a life long academy professor. The gist of the matter comes to something about how the oils of these plants could either help to cure the red plague, or possibly promote waxy ear buildup. It seems a little vague around that point. Oddbody, though he is obviously doing his best to maintain a professional interest has glazed over a bit, listening to the long winded explanation.
"Ah. Medicinal alchemy, then? Or also alchemy for other applications?" Flora asks after a while, although she does offer Oddbody an almost apologetic glance over the whole, longwinded explaination, her tail twitching behind her.
"And mister Oddbody's most recent work? Anything Flora should be excited about?"
The beaver shakes off his lecture induced stupor. "Oh! Oh, nothing that I am ready to show to the general public, yet," he confesses, "I do believe that it will be more than worth its weight in gold, though."
"My work, on the other hand," Longbeak says condescendingly, "Is ready at hand for people to test and to benifit from. I like to work with organic, living things. To follow in the footsteps of the greatest of our Creators to understand the fundamental building blocks of life itself!" This is obviously not a new speech on the bird's part.
"Yes, so. Medicinal alchemy, then," Flora concludes, seemingly dismissing the speech at the end, for the time being. "Very imprtant, yes. But other things are also very important. Technology. How would Mister Longbeak expect to do what the creators do, without the tools of the creators?"
"Maybe Mister Oddbody's creations are not directly useful. Flora doesn't know without an example. But each invention brings beings closer to creating tools like the Creators', yes.
It seems that Flora has said the wrong thing. Oddbody frowns at the Highlady. "Not useful!" he huffs, "Not useful! I think we have wasted enough of the Highlady's time, Himmel." The beaver bows his head, then turns and walks away.
The Ibis is not far behind. "I am sure we will manage," he sniffs, turning to join his friend.
"But... Flora said Flora didn't know," Flora mumbles, looking exceptionally confused about the whole thing... she was trying to defend Oddbody, not -offend- him.
"Flora doesn't get it, no. Mister Longbeak even said the same thing."
"Perhaps, Highlady," Hugo rumbles, rejoining Flora, "But the way one says things is often more important that WHAT one says." He leans on his ornate cane, watching the two scholars stow a few goodies from the table in their pockets before heading for the door. "And, it makes a difference that the two of them have been friends for a very, very long time. There are things an old friend can say that a new acquaintance can not. Conversation is an art, my lady."
"Flora doesn't get it. Honesty is nice, yes," Flora concludes after a moment of contemplation. "Even if the words said aren't the one someoen wants to hear, they're the truth, yes," Flora concludes after a moment of pause, scratching the back of her head... She thought she had this socializing thing down, but she simply looks more and more confused.
Hugo actually laughs out loud at that. "No, Highlady," he says, "It is rare that a person wants to be told the truth. They much prefer a flattering lie." The snow white lion samples a tiny sausage on a stick from a passing servant. "That is what all of this courtly nonsense is about. Everyone stands around telling pleasant lies to one another in attempts to learn the secret truth. It can be quite diverting, honestly."
"But -why-? If it distracts, why do it?" Flora asks, looking genuinely confused about the whole ordeal. "Flora understands... White lies. That's the name, yes?"
"What Flora doesn't get is why everything seems based on... Not white lies... Regular ones, yes. Why not something more... Honest?"
"I'm not sure what you mean, my dear," Hugo says, "Just because people don't always say what they think does not make them liars." The lion waves a beringed hand at the room in general. "Everyone here is more than happy to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But not necessarily with their words." He considers Flora. "Your trouble is that you are a hammer, Highlady."
"Flora doesn't get it," the she-cat concludes after a short moment, her tails twitching behind her, her gaze cast out over the whole of the party. "Flora doesn't get it. Not telling the truth is almost the same as lying, yes. Not quite, but... It's dishonest, yes."
"Indeed it is," Hugo agrees, "Welcome to the court. Surely you have a teacher or an advisor who has taught you all of this already? The game of the court is no simple one and is defined by its million shades of gray." The lion plucks a flute of champagne from a passing servant. "Never cared much for it myself," he says, "I dabble from time to time, but mostly I keep myself occupied with the equally cutthroat, but far less subtle realm of business."
Flora nods. "Flora is... Working on it. But this is why Flora prefers delegating. This is... Not Flora, no. Flora prefers being Flora over being... This," she notes, her tail flicking behind her. "A necessity, yes. But not one Flora enjoys. Flora prefers research, as Mister Hugo has seen at LongTech, yes."
Hugo shakes his head, setting his luxurious mane rippling. "I am afraid, my girl, that if you do not learn to play the game, or at least SEEM to play the game, your house will not last. You do not have the luxury of blunt honesty, Highlady. You will need friends among the noble houses and influential people of the city, even if you do not like them." The lion sighs. "I really do not have the time here to properly school you, nor have I much interest in training up a young lady. Besides, you have already told me that I am not to be trusted."
"That is not what Flora said. What Flora said was that Flora needs to be careful around the family. That includes family who work with or even for Flora, yes."
"Flora understands, though. As for knowing the right people... Flora knows, yes... Flora is... Trying, yes. Mister Blackback seemed okay with Flora, yes."
"Like I said, Little Highlady," Hugo says, "I am not here to teach you anything. I have not the patience, nor the temperament to be a teacher. Is there anyone else you think I ought to introduce you to? I do have my own business to be about, after all. Mister Fanning is rather more socially inept than even you, my dear." He considers Flora for a second. "Yes," he says, arriving at some conclusion, "You are definitely a hammer. A useful tool and remarkably versatile. But only so long as the job does not call for delicacy. I do not mean to offend, Highlady, I only say what I see. We are what we are, I suppose."
"Flora understands, yes. And Flora has... No idea. But Flora is able to do delicate work. Creator tools require it, yes. Small parts, everything needs to fit together. Golems, too. Lots of parts that need to fit together properly. Thermometers, too, yes."
"Flora just isn't very social, no."
Hugo sighs. "You are also not much for metaphor," he says, "It has been a pleasure, Highlady, but now I must excuse myself." The lion tosses his extremely long tail over his arm and saunters away, tapping his ornate cane on the tile floor.
Flora is left once more with only her guards for company as conversation continues to buzz around the room.
