Empire - Scene 37: A Legal Art Auction

Ada

(Ada) The coronation has drawn people from all across Elthos. It's not just denizens of the empire, but visitors from far away, too. A private auction is being hosted. The establishment is, strictly speaking, respectable, but its business is being done behind closed doors, and while the place doesn't exactly require people to present a ticket to attend, people have to know something is happening to go in the first place. Eliza has, through a friend of a friend of a friend, heard about it, and the artworks on display. So have some others. There are some imperial nobility, mostly of minor houses, and burghers too. A little more exotically, there is at least one noble visitor from the Realm of Norhame -- a spot along the northern coast of Elthos, culturally not dissimilar to Hana. More unusually still is the relative of a duke from Kordris, who has been a feature at various festivities, curious about all aspects of the empire.

Eliza

(Eliza) How does one dress for a private black market auction? Eliza wasn't sure, so she went with her best dark blue dress which she never wears because it's just so subdued and hey, it's by the docks and water is blue so it makes total sense. Her hair is pinned up in a simple crowd braid. That's unassuming, right? She hopes so since she doesn't know anything about markets in general never mind markets like these. That's why she's brought Theon along, under the pretense that he's known to the merchants around here and so he's really bringing her. "This is so exciting," she says under her breath to him, eyes shining as she holds onto his arm, "Do you see that person over there? That's a relative of a duke form Kordris! I've seen them at a couple of parties since the coronation. And have you ever heard of Norhame? Nevermind, I haven't either."

Theon

(Theon) Melissa brought in professionals to make certain Theon wouldn't wear his usual outfit of dull gray everything when he showed up to the festival back home. His usual wardrobe of a dozen gray shirts in a timeless lack of style with pairs of gray trousers was deem unsuitable. The inventor of the capsule uniform, our Theon. So he's got a very nice outfit on hand for when the auction arrives. Elizab may be scandalized to see him wear the same party attire twice, but you don't get to be an economics expert by wearing clothes once. While Eliza watches the people, Theon looks at the items on sale and what information is given about them, frowning in that frowny little way that is mostly just his resting grouch face. Somewhat distracted he says, "I'm a relative of a duchess. How many people are pointing at me?"

Ada

(Ada) Nobody, in fact, is pointing at Theon. Some people might make themselves inconspicuous by way of getting into the attic and peering down into the room below before lowering on a rope or something, but Theon has them outdone entirely for stealth and subterfuge. Eliza, though, is assuredly recognised by some minor imperial nobles, but it's hardly the sort of environment for too much woo!, and they refrain from bringing attention to themselves. As for what art is on display? It's an eclectic mix. Stand-outs include a full-sized marble statue of a regal-looking man in Dyria clothing, and a range of Cornucopian porcelain, the starting prices for which are almost absurdly low.

Eliza

(Eliza) Even though it nearly kills her, Eliza refrains from waving at the people she knows and instead tightens her grip on Theon's arm, "You're a relative of a Duchess the same way I am and mine is Grand," she points out, looking over the art of display and not bothering to hide her disappointment, "I don't see what we're looking for, but perhaps they're going to save the best for last? I've never been to an auction like this, or any auction actually. Do they always start the pricing so low? Is it in hopes they get a bidding war started or do they just want to offload what they have? I thought Concucopian porcelain was far more exensive than this."

Theon

Theon stops and considers a porcelain cow. "Hm. I might have to win that." Then he continues the circuit around the room. "Lower prices get early excitement and can drum up interest in pieces no one would have really considered if it wasn't in casual purchase territory. If someone bids on something on impulse just because it's got a low price, then they're invested enough to continue bidding for a time, driving the price up. Or, in some cases, enough that they decide they need to get whatever it is." He looks around, then adds, "Though sometimes they just have way too much porcelain and want it gone."

Ada

(Ada) It /is/ more expensive than that. It really is. The stuff only comes into the empire via a single port, Pearlsedge, and is in as limited supply as the spices and silk from there too. But perhaps someone did have too much porcelain? There's a little bit of a stir towards the front of the room as the proprietor -- a wholly respectable businessman, as far as anyone knows -- emerges. A tall, plump 50-something-year-old, and well dressed, he takes up space. He doesn't look to be about to commence immediately, but his presence alone is enough to see some people getting istuated in chairs. Still no sign of stolen statuettes from a gallery, though.

Eliza

Eliza rolls: 5(Mind: d6), 4(Perception: d4), 3(Distinction: d8) Total: 9 (vs 7) - Success | Effect Die: d8

Theon

Theon rolls: 4(Mind: d10), 2, 3(Administration: d8 (Doubled)), 4(Distinction: d8) Total: 8 (vs 7) - Success | Effect Die: d8

Eliza

Eliza hms and leans down to take a closer looks at the porcelain cow that Theon showed interest in, "I think this is actually real," she sounds and looks impressed, both brows raising, "This is honestly a steal! Which...is probably why so many people are here," she glances around as people start taking seats and gives Theon's sleeve a little tug, "Let's get something somewhat near the front but also near where they're bringing things in so we can get a better look at what might be coming next that's not already out." She's ever hopeful those little statues will show up.

Theon

(Theon) "Even with what I said before, these prices are far too low. Pearlsedge holds a monopoly on this stuff. Even on a secondary market, this would only start so low if you're hoping to offload it quickly. Or use it to cover up some other criminal behavior. Graft in the auction house, perhaps. Or to avoid the royal tax." Theon frowns at the cow, like its participation in malfeasance is so disappointing he will no longer be purchasing it, thank you. At Eliza's prompting he nods and follows her.

Ada

(Ada) The chap from Norhame who is in attendance had meanwhile gone to have a brief, quiet conversation with the proprietor, and then he, too, goes to take a front row seat, not far from Eliza and Theon. The auction commences before long. The first lot is a set of Adanan paintings of various bucolic scenes, which fetches a reasonable if unremarkable price. The second is for a whole tapestry, property, apparently, of a minor noble house, which was either doing a spring clean or is really down on its luck. So it continues -- lots of these look legitimate. The bidding is brisk, though the main buyers are other merchants present. Most of the minor nobles in attendance aren't the sort with a lot of cash to hand. It all seems terribly legitimate.

Ada

(Ada) At the back, meanwhile, the Kordrisi noble watches. She's not being social, and she's not bidding. She /lingers/.

Eliza

Eliza doesn't have a ton of patience when it comes to waiting. Waiting is boring and that's dangerous because she's the sort of person that wants to make things happen. But the bidding is at least interesting. Kind of. For the first two rounds at least, but then it ends so quickly and boy does this seem like a regular auction and this is why she never comes to them. Her eyes and attention start to wander, noting the Kordrisi noble in the back. "Do people at auctions normally talk to other people," she whispers, "or is it all just waiting for what you want to come up?"

Theon

Theon shrugs. "I think you can talk to people. As long as you don't do anything that makes it seem like you're trying to bid on something, like raising your hands." Theon raises his hand to demonstrate to Eliza what not to do.

Ada

(Ada) Theon had made it to the point where the proprietor was looking for 110 caseri (the standard imperial coinage) for the marble statue of the late (very late, he died 150 years ago) Duke Alekos Mardas. "The gentleman in the grey bids one hundred and ten!" He seeks bids for 120 and more. Meanwhile, the next lot is being prepared just behind the scenes, and since a staff member has been careless enough to leave a door open, one can see some jewelry in the next lot, waiting atop cushions, including a fine coronet and a sceptre.

Eliza

(Eliza) "Look," Eliza whispers excitedly, nodding her head towards the open door, "There are more valuable things they haven't set out yet! Do you think those are real too? Is all of this less illegal goods and more smaller houses looking to make some quick money without drawing attention to their sad lot in life? Is there more than one secret auction and we're at the wrong one?!" She doesn't know how crime works! "..do you think they'd let me try that crown on before purchasing? What if it's too big. I'm going to go ask," and leaving Theon to his new stone best friend, she stands up and heads over towards that back door. .

Ada

(Ada) Not just Eliza had noticed the open door. The Kordrisi woman has converged on the same spot, though not gone so far as to simply walk through it. No, she's looking at the coronet, wide-eyed, from just outside.

Theon

Theon is relieved when someone outbids him, but then goes ahead and outbids that person when he raises his hand to gesture to Eliza as she walks off. "Son of a..." Now he finds himself trapped between buying Melissa and unexpected duchess present or being the strong manly man protecting Eliza from wrongdoers.

Eliza

(Eliza) "That's really beautiful," Eliza comments in her usual friendly tone to the Kordrisi woman, giving the crown a nod, "Are you thinking of bidding on it? I was going to see if they'd let me try it on first, perhaps we'll have more luck if we both ask!"

Ada

(Ada) The statue might be Melissa's fourth cousin five times removed, so there's a great family link. It's also drawn the interest of a merchant from the Great Green, who is obviously surprised at Theon's intention to escalate, but goes ahead and ratchets it up further anyway. The Kordrisi woman seems to find it a surprise to even be addressed, though still not as surprising as seeing the jewelry there. "That's my uncle's," she murmurs at Eliza. "Or my cousin's, now. Should be. It was stolen twelve years ago. And now it's /here/."

Theon

Theon is now keeping track of too many, so he gestures to the auctioneer that he's out and doesn't want to bid anymore, which is sadly not how that works. One increasing the bid he shoves his hands into his pockets and silently vows to keep them there.

Eliza

Eliza isn't the best at keeping her emotions hidden, so her eyes light up when the Kordrisi woman says those are stolen items, "I knew it!" she says delightedly, although in a slightly hushed tone. She's not a complete moron, "I was hoping to come across some...misplaced...heirlooms here as well. Are you going to try to purchase them or just see who does? Hold on," she boldly steps closer to the open door to see how many people might be back there and how much attention they're paying to everything.

Ada

(Ada) Theon, safe from buying statues of extremely distant relatives for now, loses the bid to that merchant. A brief pause is taken as the proprietor starts to talk up the next lot, though it's in awfully vague terms, about how exotic they are, of their remarkable provenance, and so on. "I am here to retrieve them," says the Kordrisi, hardly keeping her intentions under wraps. When Eliza steps through the door, she's met with some surprised -- and careless enough to have left the door open -- staff, who try to usher her out with various pleas to go back to the public space, which only escalate as the Kordrisi woman follows Eliza in.

Eliza

(Eliza) "No, no, it's fine," Eliza says smoothly, trying to wave away the concerns of staff as only nobility can, "We didn't want to bid on things that might not actually fit or look good. It's so hard to tell from afar! Are these up next?" She gestures to the crown and scepter, "I want to make sure my man is only bidding on the things I actually want." Even so, she eagerly looks around the room to see what else might be up for surprise offer that wasn't on display before.

Eliza

Eliza rolls: 3(Social: d8), 3(Influence: d8), 5(Distinction: d8) Total: 8 (vs 9) - Failure | Effect Die: d8

Theon

Theon keeps shooting nervous looks in Eliza's direction. She's gonna get us in trouble!

Ada

(Ada) "Yes, my lady, there are," says what seems to be the senior employee there. She looks a little stressed by having Eliza in this back room. It does contain more art, but no immediate sign of little gem-inlaid statuettes. "These were brought all the way from Norhame," she says. The Kordrisi all but hisses at her. "Those are /not/ from Norhame." It's a little tense in there.

Eliza

Eliza keeps smiling like she has no idea everyone's on edge, "See, this is why I travel with experts," she says to the senior employee, giving a nod to the Kordrisi woman, "How embarrassing would it be if I purchased something and didn't know the provenance? I'd be at a party, showing it off, and someone would correct me and then I'd just have to end the festivities before anyone found out! Can you imagine?" She shakes her head at the horror of the thought, "Are these the only two things in that lot? They are quite lovely, whether from Norhame or elsewhere."

Ada

(Ada) The employee lifts her hands apologetically. "My lady, I assure you, our supplier brought these from Norhame and has an established history." The Kordrisi seems about to reply, but deflates slightly at Eliza's input. She watches for a moment, tense, but she keeps carefully quiet. "Yes, my lady, these are the only things. Bar the porcelain, indeed, and these few pieces here, we are coming towards the end of the lots," she says. Then, "Please, my lady, we are due to bring these out shortly." The proprietor is still talking up the jewelry.

Theon

(Theon) Meanwhile, Theon is now the unhappy owner of a statue. "How am I getting this home?"

Eliza

(Eliza) "I wonder if you could give me the name of your supplier so that I might have them inform my associate here of her mistake," Eliza asks cheerfully, stepping back so the pieces could be brought out if necessary, "It's never good to have an expert that turns out to be incorrect and I do love the style so may want more pieces in the future assuming we can secure these..." she looks at the crown again, then back to the Kordrisi woman, "Why don't you go sit with our master of coin and let him know he should bid on these things? I'm sure he's brought enough." She has no idea what Theon brought, but she turns a bright smile on the staffer, patiently waiting for a name.

Ada

(Ada) The staff member has the agitated demeanour of someone who wants this conversation with this very nice person to end so they can go back to their job, please, and so she says, "Yes, my lady, Lucas of Ruby Rock. Please, my lady, we must..." She tries to disentangle herself to get out to the main room to bring forward these pieces. The Kordrisi, though dour-looking at best, goes to sit. The bidding starts at ten times what Theon paid for that statue. They are /fine/ pieces, even if the proprietor declares their provenance as being the lost and now-found heirloom jewels of House Broz of Norhame.

Theon

Theon sits back to watch the remainder of the auction, though he pays close attention to the bidding for the heirloom jewels and for the porcelain. He has yet to see anything that looks fishy in the way Eliza was hoping to see, but there's something about that porcelain which just isn't sitting right to him.

Eliza

(Eliza) As soon as she's able, Eliza follows the Kordrisi woman out and hurries back to her seat beside Theon, "I need you to win those," she tells him, gesturing to the jewels, "It doesn't matter what it costs, we need to win and we won't have to pay for it really. Probably." she's not sure how this works!

Ada

(Ada) The bids are high. They are just really very high. There's a whole bunch of gold in those jewels, granting them value just by dint of existing, never mind gems, and the Kordrisi is sitting there, clenching and unclenching her fists. Up and up the bids go. It's probably a bit gauche that all these merchants are looking to buy noble jewels, but at least they're foreign nobles' jewels?

Theon

(Theon) 's eyes widen as the prices go up. "What do you mean you need me to win those? I don't have this sort of coin! House Aetos just spent quite a bit on our festival. How are we not paying for it." Theon is getting an ulcer. This is getting well outside of his strong suit!

Eliza

Eliza reaches over and takes Theon's arm and tries to lift it up, "What I was looking for isn't here, but something someone else was is! We just need to be the top bidder so they don't go anywhere and then sort it out with the officials!" She really has no idea how it works but that seems like how it -should- work. "That woman over there can probably provide evidence so that they're confiscated, but if they were my statues I'd be brokenhearted to see someone else walk off with them." She's using 'probably' a lot. That's worrying.

Ada

(Ada) The Kordrisi woman is perched on the edge of her seat. From her clothing, it's unlikely she's rich. She's certainly not bidding. She mutters at Eliza and Theon. "Lucas of Ruby Rock is a thief and a scoundrel." The bids escalate steadily. Up and up.

Theon

(Theon) Eliza has a lot of personality here and that's really unfair for a giant nerd and misanthrope like Theon. "Stop... stop pushing my arm up!" Theon bids on the jewels. "Fuck. I'm going to get in so much trouble." An entire lifetime of being well-behaved compared to his siblings and it all goes out the window now as he spends Melissa's fancy dog money on jewelry. An entire litter of corgis will be turned into gloves thanks to Eliza.

Ada

(Ada) Those bids sure are soaring. Nobody can outbid Theon though. The minor nobles aren't even trying, and even the wealthiest merchants are a little aghast at the prices. The Kordrisi woman -- she introduces herself as Lady Meike Hafer -- is utterly intent on speaking with Theon after the fact, too.

Eliza

Eliza has never been so interested in prices as she is now, clasping her hands together delightedly once Theon is in the bidding. After all, it's not her money! Bogdan is probably going to want to have some words with her once he hears about it though, "Don't pay for them right away," she warns Theon, standing up as it seems like this might be coming to a close, "Lady Meike," she says in a lower voice, leaning down to the other woman, "There are people standing at the ready that can help--will you provide testimony to the fact that they are not what they say they are?" She probably should've asked this first, "If so, I think we can ensure they go nowhere, Aetos is not beggared, and Lord Theon isn't reduced in position to dog walker."

Ada

(Ada) Meike replies in a hurried murmur to Eliza, "Yes, of course I can. Those are my house's by right. /Twelve years/, they have been gone. And now they are here. Sold to them by some 'noble' from Norhame." Theon wins! The proprietor beams a smile out at the crowd. "What a showing! What a showing indeed! My most hearty congratulations, my lord. One of my staff can arrange the particulars with one of yours anon, of course."

Theon

Theon stands there looking a little lost as he thinks about what he just did, the equivalent of this purchase in, say, grain or irrigation or bridge building. He looks over to Meike. "So you can prove this to the guard if they are called in? Because if not, we are all in a very sticky position. And by sticky position, I mean that my cousin may hit me with a stick."

Ada

(Ada) Actually, that much money builds a reasonably respectable bridge. Meike's shoulders sag slightly. Her answer to Theon is a terse, "They are /ours/. Is my word not enough?"

Eliza

(Eliza) Not understanding the exact implications of what Meike says, Eliza nods and then, perhaps for the first time that day, looks to Theon, "Do you want me to go signal Helena? I'm sure the guards could raise a fuss about the prospect of possibly stolen goods being sold here before any payment is exchanged. That would give you," she gestures to Lady Meike, "Time to make your case. Or do you want to purchase them and take it up with the Duchess?"

Theon

(Theon) "Obviously not, or we could have just gone up there and asked for the jewels without paying for them. You need some kind of proof so that Lucas goes away and you go away with jewels and I go away with my coin purse and good reputation intact." Theon rubs at his eyes. "If I end up having to purchase these, I won't just be handing them over out of the goodness of my heart. My heart is not known for its goodness. It is known for its obsession with balancing profits and losses, and handing over a small estate's worth of jewels to a stranger is an enormous loss." He looks over at Eliza. "I suppose. If nothing else, 'Lord' Lucas should have his bona fides confirmed."

Ada

(Ada) Meike falls into a sullen sort of silence. She's sure not arguing that point. The auctioneer is distracted from the great sale, preparing to move on to some cheap, cheap porcelain.

Eliza

Eliza gives Theon a nod and then stands and hurries outside to find Helena. She makes a long story even longer with the details: no statues, but other possibly stolen goods, she had Theon do the winning bid on them, the guards should come in and maybe cause a scene and question their acquisition and talk to a Lady Meike before any payments are made maybe they can quarantine them? Is that only for sick people? That might only be for sick people. But they should probably be confiscated until the true owner can be discerned. She leaves it to her cousin to figure out the details!

Ada

(Ada) The people outside assembled by Helena -- mostly city watch, with a couple of well-dressed very minor nobles in service to the Imperial Crown -- come piling in in short order. It's oddly enough not a great surprise to the proprietor, whose initial reaction is to see if they are all here to bid. A thorough inspection ensues, but it's just the damnedest thing. None of that porcelain was stolen, as far as they can tell. There is no paperwork indicating it ever passed through the Grand Republic of Thasen or had tolls paid on it on its way from the Sea Between into the Encircled Sea region, the sort of thing that might fascinate Theon and literally nobody else in the room, but it's not actually illegal to sell cheap porcelain. As for the jewels? Neither the watch nor the Crown are in a big hurry to deal with /those/. Theon has purchased a minor diplomatic incident, no less, and it seems simplest to fob that off onto him. And where are the missing statuettes? Not here.