Chapter 16: Stalking
It was far more difficult than Billie expected to keep tabs on the Outsider, especially when so much else was going on in the Isles. Reports from Morley indicated the most of the nobles were disappointed that Emily did not conveniently die while getting rid of Delilah. Tyvia was as strict and cold as rumored, and much to Billie's relief they were interested in resuming business as usual with Gristol. Serkonos was in much better shape and the very least of their worries.
The relief of not being underneath Delilah's fickle thumb meant that the Parliament and populace of Dunwall were fully supportive of Emily. Of course, newfound appreciation of the Empress was not enough to stop gang activity or lessen crime, but that was more an issue for the City Watch than the Spymaster.
The Outsider seemed to behave himself, though increasing reports from whaling ships reported multiple creatures bearing the Mark of the Outsider that were impossible to catch.
"Much like their master," Billie thought. She once tried to tail him, but the slippery bastard disappeared before her very eyes before appearing immediately behind her and scaring the living daylights out of her. She wondered if Corvo had better luck.
"Lurk."
"Speak of the Void," Billie thought as the Royal Protector approached her. She had not interacted him since Emily's birthday; he was certainly in a foul mood following the Outsider kissing Emily.
"Though I would pay good money to see the Outsider weeping into his jacket about whales again," Billie tried not to let her good humor show on her face, especially since Corvo looked particularly sour. Instead she plastered an attentive look on her face and folded her hands behind her back.
"I need another pair of eyes," Corvo said by way of introduction. "Come, we are going to the Boiled Mermaid."
Billie tried not to get irked by the commanding tone combined with the lack of information and followed him.
"Another pair of eyes for what?" she asked.
"The Outsider," he replied, his tone gruff.
She rolled her eyes. "First of all, how do you know he is at the Boiled Mermaid? Second of all, what could he be doing that would be so worthy of our attention?"
"I saw him leave the tower wearing the dark glasses," Corvo said shortly as they left the tower and entered a railcar. "The Boiled Mermaid is the only place he has been where he was visible to others. He made friends there."
Friends; how odd it was for the Outsider to have something as ordinary as friends.
"I don't see anything nefarious in meeting up with friends," Billie grumbled as the railcar lurched forward. A muscle twitched in Corvo's jaw.
"He kisses Emily, then disappears for a week. Yesterday I walked in to find the two of them eating breakfast and chatting like he had not been missing for an entire week. Something is up."
"So the Outsider did take my advice," she thought. "Whatever happened, they seem to be on speaking terms again." Aloud she said:
"At least you did not walk in and find the two of them doing something else."
The horrified look on his face caused Billie to cackle. "Relax Attano. If you ask me Emily is more likely to break the Outsider's heart rather the other way around."
Corvo just harrumphed and stared out of the railcar window.
It felt strange to be doing something so normal. It had only taken a night of drinking for the Outsider… well, "Owen" really, to be invited to join a group of friends for drinks and cards whenever he felt like it. So here he was, playing Nancy with a sailor, a bargeman, and two Hatters.
"So what do you do Owen?" asked the sailor, a Morley native called Fergus.
"A little this, a little that," the Outsider replied airily. "Currently I work at the Tower."
One of the Hatters (Roger was his name) chuckled. "I knew you worked somewhere fine with those glasses and rings of yours."
"Speaking of fine, what's between you and that dark-haired dame?" the bargeman asked, waggling his brows. "The fine-looking one you kissed that week ago."
The Outsider tried not to blush. "I am courting her."
The other Hatter clapped him hard on the back, a fellow by the name of Todd. "Congratulations! Now, I am guessing that you stopped by here tonight for some advice, not just to get your ass kicked at Nancy?"
He winced and forced a laugh. "Was it that obvious?"
"You have the look of a lost boy about you," Fergus said kindly. "Someone who has not had anyone to turn to most of your life."
"But now you've got us!" Roger declared with a large grin. "We know a thing or two about treating a bird special."
Indeed they all did. Louie the bargeman was happily married, and had been so for at least seven years. Fergus had a sweetheart back in Morley, either had yet to stray from the other. As for Roger and Todd, they were less steady with partners. But they had a knack for dazzling their women, and leaving them impressed and satisfied. Yes, they were a good group to ask about affairs of the heart.
"Our only caveat," the bargeman declared with a twinkle in his eye. "Is that you return next week and tell us how our advice went."
The Outsider smirked. "You men drive a hard bargain. Very well, I accept!"
The men laughed and set down their cards, the game forgotten.
"So, tell us how you got her to agree to courting you in the first place?" Todd said, leaning forward.
"We simply talked, and she asked me to court her," he replied with a shrug.
"Not a bad start," Fergus commented, folding his hands and resting them on the table. "A good relationship takes a lot of talking."
"But a courtship," Roger interjected, holding up a finger. "Means that the gal ain't quite sure about you yet, so you gotta impress her and show that she made the right choice. So, what gifts have you given her so far?"
The Outsider blinked. "Gifts?"
The four men looked gobsmacked for a brief moment.
Louie put his head in his hands. "Ai boy, you must have quite the personality if she's asked you to court her."
"Or quite the cock," added Todd matter-of-factly. The other three gave him disbelieving looks. The Outsider tried not to turn red with embarrassment. Todd paid no heed to the looks, and carried on with dispensing advice.
"Gifts, my good man, are a way of showing a gal that you know her, you can anticipate her needs, that you can take care of her if you knock her up."
"Though try not to knock her up until you're married," Fergus cautioned. "It's no good trying to start a family if only one of you is sure you want to be together."
The four men nodded wisely. The Outsider privately thought that was not going to be an issue, but looked attentive anyway.
"So, what sort of gifts should I be giving?" he asked.
"Well, what does she not have?" Louie suggested.
The Outsider leaned back in his chair, far enough that it was balancing on its two hind legs. What did Emily not have? She certainly would never want for food or clothes, the Tower could be completely refurnished to her taste if she so wished it. Perhaps information and the ability to predict the future… but that was what he was there for. But there was nothing obviously romantic about sharing political secrets and murmurings about vague futures. What did other rulers have which she did not? An idea came to him, and he rocked back forward.
"Do any of you know where I could get foreign creatures?"
Corvo watched the Outsider talk with the four men as he nursed a pint. Billie abandoned him to talk to a burly woman when the five dropped their cards and started talking in earnest. He sat just far enough away that it was not obvious that he was watching them. The downside to that was he could barely hear their conversation. He could see the Outsider flush pink multiple times, one of the men placing their head in their hands one point, and a skinny youth gesture with knowing importance during another. Billie returned to the table just as the Outsider rocked backwards in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face.
"We should call it quits Attano," she said, an annoyed look on her face. "This is clearly a waste of time."
Corvo hummed in dissent behind his pint, narrowing his eyes as the Outsider rocked forward and the five men leaned in. Billie made a noise of irritation, and the wooden chair squeaked as she sat down.
"Admit it, you cannot hear what they are saying at all," she said pointedly.
"Did you get what they were saying?" he retorted, determined not to admit that he may have allowed his protective father instincts to go too far.
"No, because I was busy actually doing something productive and talking with a potential operative," Billie sassed before taking a sip of her whiskey.
They watched the group of five in silence for another few minutes. They all leaned back, and seemed to be settled with the discussion. Then the Outsider turned around and waved at them. Corvo tried to not choke on his beer. Billie waved back, offering a small smile along with it. The group began gesturing for him and Billie to join them, and with deep reluctance they stood up and walked over to the group.
"Protector Attano, Spymaster Lurk, fancy seeing you here," the Outsider greeted with far too much innocent surprise. Corvo could not help but glower at him. The little shit had known they were there the whole time.
"Nice to see you taking advice from people who are not part of the Oracular Order," replied Billie with a smirk and a sip. The smug smile immediately fell off his face while the other men at the table started to howl with laughter.
"You took… love advice… from a fuckin' Blind Sister?!" wheezed the skinny youth between cackles of delight. A broad older man was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. Another youth was smacking the table while laughing like a gull. The blond sailor was the only one who did not seem sent over the edge, but appeared to be no less amused. Corvo himself was chuckling.
"So, what did Sister Manderly say to you?" he taunted. The Outsider gave him quite a chilling look from behind the dark lenses.
"It was cliché things that one would find in a novel," he replied, his voice just a little too icy to go unnoticed by the group. The sailor reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
"One of my cousins is in the Order back in Morley, and she offered wonderful advice on most things but love," he said kindly. "At least you did ask for advice rather than blundering your way into a potentially hurtful mess."
The rest of the men got ahold of themselves and offered similar reassurances and pats on the back. The Outsider nodded back, a small smile on his face. Corvo felt a bit awkward standing there, looming over the group. He glanced over at Billie, who polished off her whiskey and looked down at the Outsider.
"Attano and I are returning to the Tower, Owen. Care for a lift back?"
Corvo was so certain that he was going to refuse that he was taken aback when the Outsider said:
"You know what, yes thank you, I would appreciate a lift back."
So after saying their goodbyes, with the four men reminding the Outsider to return next week and "update them", the three of them got into a railcar, with the Outsider sitting alone across from them. He took off his glasses, and his black eyes were brimming with anger.
"So, did you get the show you wanted?"
Corvo could feel the Void practically dripping off each word. Billie visibly shuddered.
"Look," she said, her voice remarkably even. "I am sorry we did not have enough faith in you-"
She was abruptly cut off by the Outsider raising his hand. "You were not the one who lacked confidence in my good intentions, though I did not appreciate being made a fool of in front of my peers, especially when one of them thinks I used to be a bedwarmer for Baron Griess."
Corvo found himself shivering at the dropping temperature. The thrum of the Void was in his ears, and the Outsider turned his considerable cold fury to him.
"Dear Corvo, have you so little faith in the maturity of your daughter that you must stalk her potential lovers?" he hissed.
Corvo found himself bristling, and glared back at the deity. "It is my job to shield the Empress from people who would harm her-"
He was cut off by his tongue freezing to the roof of his mouth as the Outsider seemed to blaze with ire.
"You think I would harm Emily?" he snarled. "I would willingly pull all the magic from my being for her; I would put the knife to my throat again for her."
Corvo found his tongue loose again; he was not swayed by the Void god's passionate promises.
"How could I trust that she is not some passing entertainment for you?" Corvo snarled back. "Like all of your Marked?"
A somewhat hysterical laugh bubbled out of the Outsider. "Am I even the same person as the one you met those fifteen years ago?"
Billie looked at him, astonished. Corvo reflected on those words, and especially how the Outsider seemed to be realizing them as he uttered them. Gone was the dispassionate alien being who was barely phased by anything. Gone was the god who Marked him.
"No," answered Corvo with a hushed whisper. "You have changed."
The Outsider nodded. "Let your daughter pass her own judgment on me. I will not suffer yours."
At those words the railcar came to a halt, and he dematerialized from the car. Corvo found himself turning to Billie, whose dark skin was unsettlingly pale.
"You know what is funny?" she murmured just before she opened the door. "I've forgotten to be afraid of him."
He hummed in agreement before leaving the car. "So have I."