u_can_have_it_4_a_song: A Man of Wealth and Taste (Unimpressed)
Schön W. Freund ([personal profile] u_can_have_it_4_a_song) wrote2015-09-10 09:21 pm

Unfamiliar Ceiling [For Amelia Ronsam]

Dappled sunlight and soft birdsong await when Amelia wakes. The room in which she does so features whitewashed plaster walls surmounted by smoke-darkened beams, standing over a well-fitted hardwood floor covered by woven-rag rugs. A desk sits by the window, paired with a chair in which sits a well-dressed man, currently occupied in reading a slim book. Next to the door are a mirror and a table with a pitcher and basin; opposite them stands a wardrobe.

Amelia herself lies atop the blankets of a single bed that smells faintly of lavender, having been neither undressed nor disarmed. The wall is to one side of her, a nightstand to the other. If she cared to assume that a trunk stood at the foot of the bed, she would not be mistaken.
rogueinladysclothing: (Thief)

Have a story post.

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-13 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
While the previous day had been one of the worst Amelia had experienced in a long time, today appears to be much better for her. No fainting, no emotional outbursts, and a much better understanding of what's going on around her. Add to that a job that is well within her skill set, and she could almost skip with joy.

Taking into consideration everything Schön told her about the job, she stops at a shop selling dried treats and and picks up a few varieties of meats and fruits for later use. She then quickly makes her way to the Forum and then on to her target's house. The home is of average size, compared to the rest on the row, and nestled squarely in the center of the block it resides on. It also has many small windows, which is all the better for the rogue's purposes. A closer inspection reveals two bedrooms, both located on the upper floor of the house. The dog pays little notice to the woman as she darts around the house, peering into windows and testing doors as she goes. It's a good sign, but one she reminds herself not to take for granted.

As she lays in wait, the sun begins to lower in the sky. She keeps a wary eye on the house as she watches from the roof of a house across the street. When the sun is about to set, the owner of the house - a relatively small, and unassuming man - arrives home, his arms laden with goods purchased in the Commercial District. Amelia watches closely as rooms in the house begin lighting up one by one. Two hours after the man arrived, a woman, who could not possibly be much older than Amelia, arrived at the door. Dressed in what one could only assume is a "date night" dress and with her auburn hair pinned up with small silvery objects, she enters after a loud and enthusiastic welcome from the home owner. Amelia watches their shadows weave throughout the house as the evening progresses - first to the kitchen, then the dining room, and then, finally, the bedroom.

When all the lights in the house have been out for an hour, she creeps up to the backdoor of the house. With a wary ear open for signs of movement around her, she pulls out her lockpicks and gently inserts them into the lock. Schön wasn't kidding when he said the lock was intricate. It takes her three unsuccessful attempts to figure out the pattern before she is able to open it. Once inside, she makes straight for the stairs, her hand in a pouch the entire time. The dog opens an eye to look at her as she passes, but quickly forgets her intrusion when she drops a handful of dried meat. The dog sated, she rushes up the stairs, her feet barely touching any of them as she does.

The soft sounds of snoring draw her attention to one of the two bedrooms. Keeping her cloak about her, she peers through the small gap between the door and the frame to get a better look. The man and the woman are both fast asleep. Exhaling slowly, she slips through the door, taking care to place it back where she found it before surveying the room. The walls are covered with art, leaving no space for her to leave the drawing. That, however, is no problem for Amelia. Stepping up to one of the smaller paintings, she carefully checks around for possible trip wires or alarm bells - and finds a trip wire that runs between all of the paintings on the wall. Cursing internally, she turns and makes a face at the sleeping man before walking back to the door and shutting it carefully. The chalk makes a bit more noise on the door than she would like, but the drawing takes less than a minute to sketch out. After one last check of her drawing, she withdraws from the room, closing the door behind her completely. She flies down the stares, leaving another treat for the dog, then out the back door, which she trips to lock behind her.

The job now done, Amelia makes her way back to the Forum through the shadows. Although the edge of the Forum she passes through on her way to Schön's office remains sunny, the streets are mostly empty. As she walks, she pulls the dried fruit from her pouch for a snack. The way to his office is shorter than she expected and she finds herself arriving in what feels like a matter of minutes, though she realizes much more time could have passed. It's hard to tell, seeing as she still doesn't have her bearings in the Nexus yet.

Rather than going straight in, however, she knocks and waits for Schön to open it. It gives her time to finish off the last of her dried peaches.
rogueinladysclothing: (Regal)

(No worries. I wrote the above post over 5 hours during my first home brewing experience.)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-14 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Many of the things inside of the office are unfamiliar and strange to Amelia. Still, she can tell he's a man of impeccable taste and the intricate beauty and nature of things Schön owns is not lost on her. She steps in and over to the chair in front of the desk without comment. The chair is much softer than she expected and gets a small raise of her eyebrows. Other than that, though, she gives no indication of her take on the room.

When he sits, she gives him a nod and hands back the drawing she paper with the drawing on it that he gave to her before she left for the job. "It's done."
rogueinladysclothing: (Natural)

(Stressful, but hopefully good. I'll find out in a month-ish!)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-14 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
"No." The dog she knew about and the tripwire was a minor nuisance that barely slowed her down. It's not worth mentioning, in her mind at least.

"I take it you'll find out soon enough if my work was seen?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Thief)

(Thanks!)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-14 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
"It was a nice stretch of my legs." That's not really an answer and they both know it. Still, she's not going to offer up anything else unless asked.

"I don't suppose you have anything else for me right away?" No time to rest. If she can keep moving, maybe the time until she gets home will come sooner.
rogueinladysclothing: (Natural)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-14 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Simple is often boring, but if it fills the time in a place like this, she'll take it. "What exactly are you looking for in this warehouse? Size? Location preferences? Features inside? What would you need stored inside of it?" All important questions.
rogueinladysclothing: (Natural)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
She's a quick study, and if she wants to stay on her feet rather than off them, she'll adapt quickly, too. The ability to hit the ground running is something she prides herself on.

"All of those seem like easy enough needs to cover, but... what is the Atlataban Empire?" Some part of her tells her that asking questions can be dangerous, but she always one with a curious nature. Besides, she's only recently arrived in the Nexus - what harm could there be asking about things she didn't know of or understand?
rogueinladysclothing: (Restless)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
While not a history buff, Amelia's done enough reading in her world to know a thing or two about the rise and fall of powers in a world. "Empires don't crumble without reason. So what's the story? And why is it so important to hold onto things from their empire?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Fierce)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
"He fucked over his own people because of his own selfish beliefs?!"

The thought escapes her before she can really think it through. After it's out, she takes a breath and nods. She takes one more moment to collect herself before looking back at Schön. "I can see why it's such a precious opportunity to someone who collects rare valuables and oddities." She motions around his office to emphasize her point. "I will see about procuring the largest warehouse with the requirements you specified as soon as possible. However, I'll need to know how much you're willing to spend on the building, as I'm assuming you aren't willing to rent, and then I'll need some kind of advance as a show of good faith to the person I purchase it from."

Amelia may have let that first comment escape from her, but she won't be doing that again any time soon. It's easier for her to maintain control when she's working, because she knows the stakes and has a reason to stay focused. It's when she feels relaxed that such outbursts happen.
rogueinladysclothing: (Wonder)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
The fact that he doesn't get upset with her for that outburst is duly noted. She'll still try to avoid it in the future, but it's good to know it didn't put her on bad terms with him so early in their relationship.

As she looks over the objects he pulls from the drawer, an eyebrow raises in question. The pouches full of coins she understands. The container the portrait (or portraits?) is in is odd, but she can chalk it up to being glass and ask about it later. The cube, however... Her eyes widen a bit in wonder as she takes it in. She slowly reaches out to touch it, but her hand stops a few inches short. "What is it?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, as if she's afraid to disturb the vision in front of her.
rogueinladysclothing: (Wonder)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
She doesn't understand most of what he said, but she files them away for later research. Carefully, she touches her fingertips to the cube. The humming can be felt, rather than heard, and elicits a small gasp. She removes her fingers for a moment, then touches them to the cube again. The process is repeated several times before she carefully draws her hand back, checking her fingertips in spite of the promised safety of the object in front of her.

Her eyes are still wide as she looks up to Schön. "How is something like this possible?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Regal)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2015-09-15 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
An honest answer, albeit a useless one. She nods. "So, hold onto it for currency, got it." She stands and slowly gathers everything he pulled out of the drawer. The pouches full of coins get hung from her belt and the other items get stored in some of the bigger pouches she already had on her.

"I expect this will take a little longer. A few days to make sure I find the right space and a few more to get the best price I can. With any luck, I'll have something within a week - whatever that means in a place like this, of course." Despite her unfamiliarity with the flow of time in the Nexus, she seems confident in her estimation on the amount of time the job he's asked of her will take. "I'll return here when it's done. If you need me before then, leave word at the inn. I'll come as soon as I can."

Despite the rudeness of getting up and letting herself out, Amelia does so anyway. She has no need of Schön's platitudes and patronizing words, and even to her untrained eyes it's obvious he's exhausted. Besides, with a job to complete, she has every reason to get moving, to keep busy.

Her lack of rest is likely to cause problems in the future, if she continues to keep up this pace with her jobs.