anothercontinuity | (no subject)

[ A low hum. ]

A weekly stipend of one hundred andris. That should keep you in drink, at the very least.

[ Dryly. It's also not nearly enough to get him into trouble, but he won't want for anything while he's making his way around the city.

Not unless he suddenly becomes an art collector. ]

Sounds great.

[ after a moment, tony raises his cup to his mouth and then tilts it and his head back and back till he swallows all of it like he really, really wished the coffee were one of those drinks. ]

Edited 2024-11-04 21:36 (UTC)

...I would ask that you refrain from bringing more 'guests' here. It would be very unfortunate if one of you were to trip over one of the traps left for intruders.

[ Sip. ]

[ who? oh...right. that woman.

cup set down, tony stands. ] Not planning on it. Too much hassle. [ now that he has no one to hustle them out the door for him, that is. ]

[ He is reminded, not for the last time, of Illario. Countless lovers, faces and names he forgets as quickly as he learned them.

It never sits right with him, but then, who is he to judge? Does remembering the names and faces of those he kills make him a better man? ]

Indeed. Shall we go, then?

I'm washing up first.

[ tony claps lucanis twice on his shoulder and makes to slip past him through the doorway. ]

Startin' after!

I wasn't going to mention the smell, but...

[ With a light smirk he steps back, allowing Tony to make his way down the halls. Even hungover, he should be able to find his way to the bathroom, with its large ornate tub, marble decor, and assortment of scented bath oils.

Tony washing up will give him time to down another cup of coffee. That should get him through the day. ]

[ tony returns smelling like fresh cedar and wearing a more practical outfit to work in, the suggestive open-collared white shirt and dark scarf exchanged for an earth-toned shirt, unbuttoned tunic, and elbow-length gloves. he's cleaned up his beard and his hair he gave a small effort to comb and style. after weeks without a haircut in thedas, bits are curling past his ears and thicker on his neck, but he can make it work for now. artistically messy. despite the upcoming task, he's taken care with his appearance. he's going to look good no matter where in the universe he is.

that, and he plans to go out again tonight. once he's done. and probably the night after that, too. ]

This won't take long, [ tony says as he struts back in. not arrogantly--more matter-of-fact. ] Just give me tools and point me at 'em. When were the pulleys last checked?

Edited 2024-11-05 02:02 (UTC)

I've been out of the city for a year. Don't look at me.

[ A little snort, before he tilts his head and indicates for him to follow. It's a good thing Tony opted for something a little more durable, as there will be *climbing* involved.

At least he won't make him scale the trellis. ]

Last hit took a while, huh? [ an offhanded, disinterested comment, but yes, tony follows. the job is beneath his notice, but beggars and choosers... he needs the money. he can't coast on lucanis's good will forever.

if he were honest with himself, he just wants the distraction. something to occupy his daylight hours, keep his mind off how he's lost...everything. his money, his fame, his friends...his purpose. ]

Edited 2024-11-05 12:54 (UTC)

You could say that.

[ But those are details he hasn't divulged yet, and has no cause to. So far Spite has been behaving himself -- barely -- in Tony's presence. That's all he can really ask for.

Outside of the estate's gate and across the canal, Lucanis beckons for Tony to follow before smoothly hoisting himself atop a stack of crates next to a building wall. In the space of the blink, he's managed to make it to a second floor balcony before turning around, taking a knee and offering a hand down to help Tony up.

There's a reason civilians on the ground don't make use of the ziplines, they're not exactly easy to reach. ]

Edited 2024-11-05 17:21 (UTC)

[ tony tilts his head up at lucanis and one corner of his mouth pinches tighter, that cheek dimpling, before he sighs and climbs up the crates more, you know, normally. he's no rooftop-running assassin. with a small hop he grabs lucanis's hand and tries to imitate the path, feet and fingers braced against and into the crevices of the stone wall, but he slips once with a surprised "hunh!" and sharp tug on the hand supporting him.

he catches himself quickly. between lucanis pulling and tony hoisting himself up, tony soon perches his forearm on the balcony. the rest of him follows, crawling up onto his hands and knees.

decidedly less graceful, he admits, but aside from sex and some heavy lifting, physical ability isn't one of his focuses. he sighs and drawls, ] Don't suppose the Crows have hazard pay, [ as he gets to his feet. ]

Edited 2024-11-06 01:09 (UTC)

I didn't realize last night had tired you so. You seemed so enthusiastic, then.

[ There's a little smirk on the assassin's face as he patiently waits for Tony to steady himself and catch his breath.]

Edited 2024-11-06 01:51 (UTC)

[ it only takes that one sighed breath as tony's standing up and one deep one afterward. he's in shape, just...comfortably so. the surprise from the slip winded him more than the climb itself.

coolly: ] Oh, I could relay in great detail what tuckered me out. [ a wave--keep leading. ] Found out about Qunari males, actually. [ nearly chirped: ] Big all around.

Edited 2024-11-06 05:08 (UTC)

Imagine that.

[ Oh, he hasn't missed this part at all. ]

A rather bold way to take my advice to 'take in the sights', but you know yourself. I assume.

To be fair I was the one being taken.

[ tony lazily points down the walkway. walk and talk, let's go. ]

This way?

This way.

[ He hardly bats an eye, snorting softly instead and moving ahead into the lead. Past several stone columns lining a balcony, and across a wooden plank that only seems barely big enough for one person to work their way across, and they arrive at the zipline: a wooden structure with gears and pulleys, and two thick cables bridging the gap between this rooftop and the next. ]

[ tony crosses the plank with confident, long strides and only a minor wrinkle of concentration in his brow. balance is something he has little problem with--decades of practice walking in straight lines (while drunk).

tony inspects the system at a glance. it's about what he expected: rudimentary but functional. thedas seems technologically stuck in the middle ages from what he's seen, by earth standards. he brushes aside the way his mind automatically reworks the whole thing, brings it into a future already possible with thedas's resources. the crows want routine maintenance; he'll give them routine maintenance. nothing more.

after flipping open the metal box fastened to the main beam, he pulls out and sets on top what appears to be tools and supplies for maintenance. good. he won't have to lug things around while scaling walls.

then, tony peers up into the gears, braces his hands atop the box and supporting beam, and lifts one foot. without looking over, he says, ] Gimme a boost, [ clearly expecting lucanis to obey. ]

[ There's no hesitation there, a gloved hand cupping beneath Tony's foot and hoisting up, like he's done a thousand times before. He's not too proud to lend an assist, if needed. As if this busywork he's providing Tony isn't proof enough of that.

Smells like...whiskey and soap. ]

Stop that.

[ Lucanis's eyes dart to the side, to apparently...nothing? Nothing visible, at least. ]

[ tony wedges his other foot onto the supporting beam, his weight heavily favoring the side lucanis supports. he feels around the gears, wiggles them, checks for fit and rust. at lucanis's words, tony stoically glances down, then--right back to it. ]

Not fired already, am I?

What?

[ Lucanis actually sounds puzzled for a moment, before letting out a quiet sigh. ]

No, you're doing fine.

[ just a low hum as tony carries on. a couple times he steps heavier into lucanis's hand, crouching to reach for the supplies atop the box. a quick twist here, some lubricant added there. efficient. fast. then, without warning, he shifts all his weight onto lucanis, grabs the closest bit of hanging cable, and yanks down on it with both hands, checking the tension. ]

[ It holds taut under the weight of him, calibrated to bear men and women around his size and build. Lucanis chuckles slightly under his breath. ]

We'll need to get you a stepladder, won't we?

[ He's fine with helping on this one, but he'll have business elsewhere, and Tony will more or less be left to his own devices then. ]

[ while performing a final check, tony mutters, ] You mean you won't always be at my beck and call? [ and then climbs back down, a hand on lucanis's shoulder for balance. ]

[ He lets him drop down with his support, a faint smirk curving across his lips as one brow lifts. ]

You couldn't afford me.