[PM to Join] Friendly Rivalry

[Evandria Sericks]

She looked at Titus sympathetically as her slender fingers wrap around her glass of twemlaugh. “I have heard that investigative paperwork is a nightmare.” At least that was what Emric kept telling her every chance he got. “I make my ensign do most of my paperwork,” she whispered conspiratorially. Although that wasn’t exactly right. Lysandra made sure that she did most of their squad’s reports ever since she was horrified at the sergeant’s recounting of the Daffodil murders. Not before pointing out that a fifth year Brunnhold student would be able to write a better report than her.

Evandria took a moment as she considered the older Seventen’s question. She could not tell if she really did not have anything interesting or the alcohol was simply muddling her thoughts. Perhaps a bit of both. Her gaze trailed to their surroundings once more. As the night grew darker, more men swayed at their feet, their laughter getting louder. It still bothered her, how there were so many people in this city. Perhaps too many.

“It might be too early to tell,” Evandria mused as she let her eyes return. “But it seems that there had been a bit of a spike in crime in the once word goes around that a new, young sergeant that had only been stationed in small towns. Some think that this was their golden chance.” Unlike her predecessor, Evandria and her squad decided to make the extra effort to go to the streets personally. She flashed a mischievous grin at the inspector. “I’ll just have to teach them how mistaken they are the hard way.”

The sergeant tapped her fingers on the wooden table. “HQ has been keeping us busy too, especially with the crackdown on the Resistance.” It was only two days ago that she was summoned by Captain D’Arthe and it was not something she wanted to dwell on right this moment. After all, she was drinking to get her mind off things. “We are still getting used to Vienda, though. It is… so much bigger than the mining towns back in Northern Tors.”

“Any tips on handling our lovely city?” she inquired, slowly sipping the whiskey.

[Titus Greycastle]

The Jaded Princes | 10th of Yaris, 2719 | Evening

At the mention of paperwork Titus made comically exaggerated exasperated face and let out a theatrical sigh. Then his face returned rapidly to its accustomed neutral expression, the swiftness of the change was enough that an observer might think they imagined it. Then his face cracked into a smile and he took a swig from his tankard, the fine ale and company had indeed lifted his black mood.

He listened intently as Evandria spoke, nodding and smoking his pipe. Indeed, he knew how small town life could be. Titus scratched at the edge of bushy dark eyebrow with the stem of his pipe thoughtfully at her question. What advice to give? He had come straight from Numbry to the capital after all.

Setting his pipe down he took a sip from his tankard before speaking.

"Learn the streets of your patch, not just the physical geography but the… feel of them, for lack of a better word. Get to know who runs what business, their families. My old sergeant used to say 'you should know where you are, even with your eyes shut.' She meant by smell and the feel of the cobbles under your boots.”

Titus smiled warmly at the memory, he had been in awe of sergeant Garret when he was a recruit, she had been his mentor. He had managed it, over the years he’d learned his patch like it was second nature to him, till the Riots.

“Other that keep your eyes and ears open, if you have old hands or locals in your squad or the ear of an experienced inspector, even old crotchety ones.”

He shot her a grin then and carried on.

“Then listen to them. Oh and if you ever find yourself faced with a group looking to start trouble, whoever is doing most of the shouting is the least dangerous. In my experience it’s the quiet ones with hard eyes you need to be wary of. I learned that the hard way.”

Titus paused, looked thoughtful as if he was deciding if he should say something else, he lent forward and said his voice low.

“Now this isn’t ‘technically’ allowed under the regs, but you go for the biggest kov first and you put them down hard and bloody as an example to the rest of them. I’ve found that takes the fight out of most groups.”

He sat back and took a drink of ale.

“However, I don’t say that lightly Evandria, I do not think I need to tell you how dangerous these streets are.”

Titus placed his tankard down and gave Evandria a warm smile.

“Well that’s my advice,I hope it’s of use to you sargeant. My apologies if I rambled on. It is a park of old age.”

Laughing he took up his pipe and relit it, letting out a great cloud of grey blue smoke he said.

“I think the city is very lucky to have you Sargeant, I truely do. If there is anything else I can help with, just ask.”

[Evandria Sericks]

Evandria had been sending her squad through the streets every day. While the Hoxian had spent most of her childhood in the city, her routes mostly revolved around the Uptown and the rest of her squad were not so different. Still, out of all of them, she had the most knowledge of the Dives. After her parents’ deaths, Evandria had foolishly spent her nights walking and up and down the grubby streets – as if she could somehow stumble upon the Resistance if she did it often enough.

The young sergeant gave him a wry smile at the inspector’s additional advice. “That seems like an idea worth considering. As far as I can tell, word already got out about the new, inexperienced female sergeant on duty.” She swirled the glass in her hand lazily, her lips tugged into an amused smile as the alcohol settled into her system. “Yesterday some group humans tried to target multiple shops for a burglary at the same time. I didn’t know what they were thinking really. Maybe thought that we would be stretched thin of some sort? We got them all, of course. It probably never occurred to her that there would be a legitimate reason that a young woman to be able to climb the ranks rather quickly.”

Her slender hand waved away Titus’s apology. “I do not mind in the slightest. It is nice to start knowing the competent members of Viendan Seventen. These last few days my interactions have limited to bumbling recruits and a different, much more infuriating inspector.” And the captain of patrol division, but that didn’t seem like the thing you bring up in a casual conversation.