FIRST REPLY A quiet night in Klausenberg

[Gianna de Pazzi]

room for a couple of other characters​

Location: Catholic Church Klausenburg, interior
Ambience: Late evening, chill in the air, travellers taking prayer

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It was late in the evening and Gianna had spent most of it here, she placed a small metal cup over one of the candles before moving on. This church was a good place to meet people, it was popular with those on the road and as a pretty, but devoutly Christian woman they were more than happy to share the odd tale of their travels with her. Perhaps they might give her a lead on the next big opportunity for her family, perhaps they would regain her with a fun story, or more often than not they would just talk at her, make their donation to the church and be on their way.

Cur non cubitum ibis, soror? siluit et possum pascere gregem tuum. she said to one of the nuns who served the church, she looked worn and Gianna had nowhere else to be so she might offer kindness to the woman who had been nothing but lovely to her since her arrival in Transylvania. There was also the fact that Miss de Pazzi didn't want her hovering as she eyed up a potential new contact across the room.

Manipulation 4, etiquette 2
Difficulty 6
2,3,3,5,6,9 (2 successes)

The nun thought for a moment and then smiled, happy to take the offer and get an earlier night. It was now just Gianna and one of the other nuns currently preoccupied with a traveller suffering from some darkness of his humours de facto in charge of the small gathering. "in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." she said quietly, lighting a candle of her own before walking over to talk to another of the gathered travellers.

 

[Amelia]

Klausenburg Church

Amelia knelt before the candles quietly, making the sign of the cross as she did. Her mother, God rest her soul, had been a devout Catholic woman even if her father had been far more lax with his faith. She was the one who taught her to read and write, usually using verses from the bible to study and practice. And so it was more out of habit than belief, that Amelia Hetcher offered a short prayer to the Lord God for her mother's soul.

A suicide, she would have not been Heaven-bound, but perhaps her God was a merciful creator. Just maybe the whispered prayers of a daughter might be heard by something out there and perhaps her mother might be spared. A trade might have to be arranged, but Amelia would swap her father's miserable existence in an instant, assuming he was even still alive.

Klausenburg was her old stomping grounds, though her family had lived out in the country, fairly insulated from the eerie tales and wicked rumors spread about the town straddling the crossroads, but she had visited the town enough times to be familiar with it.

"Ave Maria, gratia plena." the young girl whispered before rising. She wore a short textured gambeson over her tunic, trousers and thick leather, knee length boots that were well worn. Many a trek they had seen, as a low-born, every town was a long walk. She kept her hair short along the sides but a long braid hung to her shoulder blades, her hood was down for the moment. Her features were somewhat thin, hunger was a constant rumble in her stomach that was never quite satiated with day old bread and broth that she could scrounge around for.

A young woman with dirty blonde hair strode over to her, dressed in elegant attire marking her as a woman of means. Her clothes were at the very least not ratty, patched, or well-worn, which set her apart from a peasant like Amelia. Suspicion flashed across her features for a moment, but passed quickly and she offered the woman a short bow of her head, stepping to the side to let her pass as was the way of nobles and peasants.

 

[Gianna de Pazzi]

Gianna assessed the newcomer very briefly as she walked over, she liked to believe she was a good judge of people, whether that was because she was mostly surrounded by her own most of the time was beside the point, but it gave her confidence to approach anyone. The other woman looked well-worn from the road and she looked hungry. She also looked quietly ready to clear a path for the better-dressed woman, but instead, Gianna turned to her with a smile. "Vespere bonum, sit pater vobiscum. Vides ut bonam cenam debes.... Et balneum... Sed primum cibum alloqui possumus. she said in a friendly manner in latin but with her voice musically accented in Italian. "Gianna" she added as a greeting, nodded her head a little.

There was plenty of food here and while it wasn't hers to offer, she knew where it was and it was free to all who travelled. She fiddled with the cross around her neck as she spoke to the other woman, trying to size her up to determine which side of herself she would need, her conniving mafiosa side or her sweeter more traditionalist side.

@Amelia

 

[Amelia]

Klausenburg

Amelia looked the blonde woman up and down for a moment, as if sizing up a cut of meat, taking notice of the finery and the air of superiority she held. She offered her name with a smile and Amelia smiled kindly back at the stranger. "Amelia." the girl said quietly, careful not to disturb other parishioners taking refuge from the dusk chill in the church.

They had missed the distribution of the alms by some hours. "Food is always good, Gianna." The brunette stated. The Catholics were not known to be the generous type. Their god might be, but their priesthood was notorious for stepping on the bodies of the paupers in order to pickpocket the powerful.

Regardless, this woman believed herself influential enough to raid the church's larders without fear of reprisal. An offense that could end a pauper with a whipping by the priest if caught. Suspicion nibbled at the back of her mind, warning her it could be a cruel prank played by a pompous girl who reveled in the suffering of those less fortunate than herself. But the rumble of hunger in her gut was stronger than concern.

"Lead the way." She gestured with her hand, letting the other woman go before her to wherever the kitchens and larders were.

@Gianna de Pazzi

 

[Gianna de Pazzi]

Gianna nodded and gestured for her to follow. There was a small room for provisions, if they other girl had expected extravagant riches on offer, she would be mistaken. There was however a a hot pot with a perpetual stew fit for for travellers on the road. Some game and herbs mixed with a few spices from anatolia that someone had added at some point to produce quite the warming concoction. Gianna picket moved two bowls to the front of the table and ladelled in generous helpings, making sure to snag enough meat for each of them.

"Dic mihi, quid hac nocte te adducit? Estne Klausenberg domi? Dolemus deprecari, sed multae sunt de peregrinis novis et loqui amo." her demeanor was friendly but her Italian accent marked her too as a foreigner amongst these parts. A man in the corner of the room stirred, his eyes every so often crossing the room to them but he did not move. Gianna knew this to be her bodyguard, Nico, he was just making sure she was safe without interrupting whatever scheme she might have planned.

Gianna took a big spoon if the stew and smiled as it warmed her belly.

@Amelia

 

[Amelia]

Klausenburg

Amelia took the offered bowl of soup in her hands, letting the warm bowl radiate into her hands. Her eyes took in the room, paying attention to what and who was there. "Thank you, Gianna." The girl offered, wiping her face with her sleeve before taking some of the broth into her spoon. It was nothing great or delicious. Mostly broth, with some mix of vegetables and very lean gamey meat, the scraps leftover from dinner or the offering of alms. Still, it was better than nothing.

"No, I have simply travelled through a few times." She took another sip of soup, this time with some of the vegetables and a snippet of meat for her to chew. The meat, being from a lean game animal, was stringy and chewy, taking a while to finish enough that she was able to swallow it without discomfort. Such was the peasant's life, stale bread and thin soup filled with scraps. It was not fair, to do the work of raising the cattle, butchering it, and then to go to bed hungry while someone else ate from the animal. But it was how things were. How they must have always been.

"What brings a lady like yourself to the edges of civilization?" Amelia asked, noting the well groomed hair and nice clothes. "It is not every day I sup with a woman of noble birth."