[Closed] After Hours Acquaintance

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A large forest in Central Anaxas, the once-thriving mostly human town of Dorhaven is recovering from a bombing in 2719 at its edge.

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Raelin Locke
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:52 am
Topics: 5
Race: Human
Location: Bad Aisling
: Wholesaler//Smuggler
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot Notes
Writer: Meagalodon
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Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:07 pm

35th of Loshis, 2719
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It was a cold, Loshis night in the capital. The full moon lit the streets of the Dives, slowly drifting clouds occasionally casting shadows. Some voices could be heard from the local taverns and the shuffling of drunks stumbling home. Otherwise, the Painted Ladies district was quiet. This was what Raelin Locke had been counting on as she waited for nightfall to enter the district.

After leaving Bruce and her cart at a nearby stable, Locke headed toward the home of a Resistance contact. Raelin was still very new to the rebellion. In fact, she had received word very recently that she would be given her first assignment soon. Now that she had been accepted into the Resistance, she needed to begin pursuing her goal of securing some higher profile clients more aggressively. Of course, more wealthy clients would be beneficial to her business, which was her cover story. Her ulterior motives were to collect these clients, especially galdori, in order to start also collecting intel for the freedom fighters.

Unfortunately, Locke did not really look the part at the moment. Her old hooded cloak was dirty and fraying at the bottom, which would probably be accepted by most clients with the amount of travel she did. The rest of her wardrobe would not get as much sympathy. Until now, she had only been able to afford the clothing of a poor, human farmer – simple, earth-toned pieces with more attention to functionality that fashion sense. What she spent her money on was accessories or tools relevant to her work.

While admittedly she was much more comfortable in this clothing, she no longer had any excuses for not having at least one more professional looking outfit. She was finally beginning to make some extra income, and earlier today she had delivered to a regular buyer who would be selling in Kingsway Market. As she headed toward Woven Delights, she reminded herself that buying new clothing was an investment and not a waste of money. Not just for her wholesale business, but for the Resistance.

In reality, she had ulterior motives for this visit as well, which was the reason for her nighttime visit. The owner of Woven Delights was a fellow business woman and member of the Resistance. They both had almost the same role in the rebellion, using their businesses to smuggle and hide for the freedom fighters. Raelin reasoned that it was very possible she would be working closely with the shopkeeper soon, and felt it necessary to make contact. She also knew that her colleague would be able to give Raelin some useful advice for her new…business ventures.

Once Locke found the pink building she was looking for, she looked around to make sure no curious eyes were watching. Then she stepped up to the entry door raising her hand to knock, but hesitated for a moment. All of this was out of her comfort zone – clothes, meeting new people, sneaking around at night. But she also felt a tinge of excitement knowing her part in the rebellion had just begun. She had been waiting for a long time to help fight the galdori oppressors.

Raelin touched the locket under her shirt, picturing her family for a moment. After a deep breath, she softly knocked a few times on the wood.
Last edited by Raelin Locke on Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ava Weaver
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:17 am
Topics: 11
Race: Human
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: moralhazard
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Tue Sep 24, 2019 11:36 am

Late Night, 35th Loshis, 2719
Woven Delights, the Painted Ladies
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Woven Delights was located on a quiet street; at this hour, long after sunset, it was nearly empty. Soft noises trickled from the upstairs of several of the houses nearby, hushed, quiet voices; some were wealthy enough to afford light for the evening, faint pale glows that warmed the windows. Street lamps glowed circles of yellow light onto the ground below, with the faint echoes of rainy season mist drifting through them.

Somewhere, a few streets away, a dog barked; in a house nearby, there was a flatter like a dropped plate.

The door of the pink house where Woven Delights was located eased open.

The shopfront was quiet for the night, like the street; a curtain in the window covered what must have been a display inside. But Ava, when she opened the door, looked as if she had just dressed, as fresh as if it were still morning. There were no lights on, not inside, but Raelin would see her face, winged eyeliner elongating her eyes, dark color on her lips, and a long fall of dark cloth, soft and smooth.

Ava smiled at Raelin, welcoming, but said nothing as she stepped back, inviting the newer recruit into the solitude of her shop.

Ava closed and locked the door behind Raelin. “Welcome, Spade,” she said, smiling a little more widely. “I’m Silk.”

The inside of the shop was as dark and quiet as promised; dark shapes of shelves lined the walls and interior, and what little light filtered in from outside caught bright fabric like the faintest of sparks. The only light spilled from a small door, half-open, at the back, with a glimmer of welcoming color beyond.

Ava led Raelin - or, perhaps, Silk led Spade - through the darkened shop, her dress swishing softly, her feet nearly silent on the wooden floor. She held the door at the back of the shop a little further open, and let Raelin step into the light.

The back room was lit by two lanterns; it was all color and smoothness, with two upholstered couches sitting welcoming, a small table between them. The walls were hung with brightly colored fabrics, and they shifted and swayed with the opening of the door.

A man was already half-rising from one of the couches. He grinned at the sight of Raelin, straightening himself and extending his hands. “Welcome, Spade!” He said, and here there was no need to keep quiet. “I am Topstitch,” he bowed lightly, trim gray waistcoat buckling with the motion, and lowered himself back onto the couch. If she were the sort to notice, Raelin might see a slight stiffness to him, the way he held one leg a little too straight.

In the light, Raelin would be able to make out the details of Ava’s dress - what had looked dark outside was revealed to be a deep olive green, with narrow tailored sleeves, an embroidered pattern in pale green dancing down the outsides. The dress had a high scoop at the neck, tucked in gently at the waist, and fearing out over the hips, falling almost to the ground with a softly pointed hem at the front and back, with more pale green embroidery tracing vines and leaves across the bodice and hem. Despite the simplicity of the design, despite the careful adherence to human fashion conventions and colors, it was flawlessly tailored to her.

“I’m glad you arrived safely,” Ava shut the door to the back room behind them, carefully. “Please, sit,” she smiled at Raelin, and gestured lightly to the couches with one hand, black-lacquered nails gleaming in the lamplight. “Would you like some tea?” A teapot and three cups sat on a tray on the table, with sugar cubes, lemon wedges and a tiny pitcher of milk next to them.

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Raelin Locke
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:52 am
Topics: 5
Race: Human
Location: Bad Aisling
: Wholesaler//Smuggler
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot Notes
Writer: Meagalodon
Contact:

Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:59 pm

35th of Loshis, 2719

Raelin was trying to quietly kick the dirt from her riding boots when the cherrywood entry door swung open, revealing the feminine silhouette of the shopkeeper. Raelin’s sharp eyes only took a moment to adjust and recognize the familiar face she was hoping to see. She scanned the woman’s face briefly, and then returned the smile with a weaker version. Ava looked as if she had been preparing for Raelin’s arrival. Although her fellow rebel was indeed a pleasant sight, Raelin hope she did not spend an exorbitant amount of energy primping for this meeting.

Raelin crossed the threashold and turned to Ava, waiting politely for her host to lead the way. As she dropped the hood of her cloak from her face she replied, “Thank you, Silk.” A shiver traveled down her body as it adapted the warmth of the shop.

Spade studied Silk further as she followed her into the back room, her eyes adjusting again to the added light. Now she was feeling even more out of place. Ava’s ensemble was already lovely in the darkness, but the light revealed that it was even better than that. The color of her gown complimented all of Ava’s features, as if they even needed complimenting. To add to it, Silk had a dapper looking assistant as well.

Locke politely nodded to Topstitch, and with a soft smile replied, “Hello.” Spade removed her dirty cloak, careful to not touch any of the surrounding furnishings. Then she obeyed Silk’s request and carefully sat on the couch facing her hosts, folding the cloak into her lap. Her flat affect turned into the slightest frown for a fleeting moment as she looked at the mud caking the bottom of the cloak, and she wondered for a moment what exactly she had gotten herself into.

Spade cleared her throat, an almost nervous reflex, and answered, “Yes, please. Thank you.” A warm beverage sounded splendid after coming in from the cold night. It was comfortably warm inside the shop, but Raelin's cheeks an nose were still tinted pink from being chilled.

I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble, meeting you like this tonight,” she added, her voice modulated and slightly low-pitched for a lady.
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Ava Weaver
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:17 am
Topics: 11
Race: Human
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: moralhazard
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Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:54 pm

Late Night, 35th Loshis, 2719
Woven Delights, the Painted Ladies
Ava knelt at the table, and carefully poured the first cup of tea, steam curling from the stream of dark liquid up into the air. In the quietness of the back room, they would all hear the soft curl o the tea against the small, delicate cups. “Milk, sugar, or lemon?” She asked Raelin, smiling. When she had the woman’s answer, she’d make the tea appropriately, and set the cup and saucer in front of her.

Next, she poured a second cup, added two lumps of sugar to it, and set it in front of Topstitch with a little lemon wedge on the saucer; he picked the wedge up, and carefully squeezed about half of it into the tea himself, then set the rest of it back on the saucer. Finally, Ava made her own cup, with one lump of sugar and a few drops of milk, lightning it to a pale smoky gray; she set the saucer in front of the place next to Topstitch, then rose and joined him on the couch.

Ava sat perfectly upright on the edge of the couch, but she made it look comfortable; as if there was no other way she might sit; she didn’t bother to adjust her skirt, but there didn’t seem to be a single wrinkle in the lovely, smooth fabric. Topstitch had leaned back much more into the cushions, and one leg looked – just a little – uncomfortable against the ground.

“No trouble at all,” Topstitch said with a grin. “It’s why we do the rest of it, isn’t it?” He picked up his tea, taking a sip of the hot liquid. “It’s practically a favor, your coming by.” He spoke well, but there was a roughness to his voice, just a tinge of the Dives that crept in, sufficient to place him.

Ava grinned at Topstitch, and then at Raelin. It lightened her face, that look, and there was something almost a little wicked to it. “Yes,” she agreed, cheerfully. “Topstitch is an excellent tailor, Spade. Whatever we decide on tonight, he’ll make from the fabrics.” Silk’s accent was not quite – not quite – Uptown; it was not as if she were trying to sound like a galdor. But there was a precise sort of properness to her speech, a delicacy, with no clear signal in her words - no sense of roots, not from the Dives, the Harbor, the North, or anywhere else.

“With pleasure,” Topstitch added, and grinned. He set his cup down and picked up a slim pad of paper from the couch next to him, settling it and a drafting pencil onto the table next to his saucer, patting them lightly with one hand. Even in the dim light, he had a tailor’s calluses. “We’ll take some measurements tonight as well, but there’s no need to rush in.”

“No,” Ava grinned at him again. “What do you want out of this, Spade?” She smiled at the dark-haired woman again. “What would you like these clothes to help you achieve?”

Topstitch started to shift again, and Ava shifted, ever so slightly – turned, delicately, the flat of her hand towards him. The tailor’s mouth closed, and he settled back down on the couch, waiting. Ava’s hands went back to her lap, holding gently together, and she didn’t say another word, letting Raelin take whatever time she might need.

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Raelin Locke
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:52 am
Topics: 5
Race: Human
Location: Bad Aisling
: Wholesaler//Smuggler
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot Notes
Writer: Meagalodon
Contact:

Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:08 am

35th of Loshis, 2719

Raelin watched the hot tea fill her cup, steam rising from its surface. When her hostess asked how she took her tea, Raelin replied, “Just a dash of milk, thank you.” She then took the cup as it was handed to her. Spade watched how Silk prepared the other cups, how Topstitch dripped some lemon juice in his, and how the two sat next to each other opposite her. She only took a sip after they had both been served.

She did not let her eye wander to Topstitch’s leg, but briefly wondered why he had been positioned this way. She studied Ava’s posture too. She looked so natural, though Raelin thought she must have practiced this, and her regionless diction as well. Taking another sip, Raelin thought to herself that she needed to learn as much as she could from this woman. She seemed to have formulated an effective veneer for being successful in the capitol.

One of Raelin’s eyebrow rose slightly when Topstitch called her visit “practically a favor.” The hint of mischievousness in Ava’s smile and voice was also curious. They seemed almost excited for this little make-over. In fact, Topstitch was ready to jump right in, readying his notepad for measurements. But while Raelin was happy to see their eagerness, she also appreciated Ava slowing the pace. Raelin thought that maybe Ava sensed her internal aversion to shopping or fittings, or maybe she just saw the mud on her cloak and Raelin’s plain, function-focused clothing. Whatever the case, Raelin was relieved to feel some understanding between them.

She smiled at Ava and Topstitch when they had finished their back-and-forth comments. It was an interesting question Silk had posed, and a little unexpected. Spade thought for a moment about her answer, taking another sip of her tea. She felt a wary trust for these two, but it was time to be frank about her role in the Resistance.

I suppose what I am hoping for is a more appropriate façade,” Raelin answered, her tone calculating. Though she was sure no prying ear could hear them, the volume of her voice was a tad quieter. “As you both seem to know, dealings with the wealthy in this town require it.” Her accent was still recognizably that of rural human, but not nearly as thick as it had been when she opened her business. It was still something of a work-in-progress.

The Resistance has tasked me to smuggle for them. It would be advantageous for me to gain the trust of some of the galdori elite.” Spade had no idea if Silk knew any specifics of the orders she had been given, and she decided to leave details out for the moment.

I don’t see myself living up to…this,” Raelin added, one of her index fingers gesturing around the room indicating all the finery on display in the shop. “An adequate disguise for a farm girl with aspirations of a lucrative trade will do.
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Ava Weaver
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:17 am
Topics: 11
Race: Human
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: moralhazard
Writer Profile: Writer Profile
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Wed Oct 09, 2019 9:36 pm

Late Night, 35th Loshis, 2719
Woven Delights, the Painted Ladies
Ava took a sip of her tea as well, careful and soft, without slurping. She set the cup noiselessly down on the saucer, and her hands settled back in her lap once more.

Topstitch leaned forward a little more when Raelin began to speak, nodding slightly. Ava didn’t move, but her gaze didn’t flicker from Raelin, and she listened carefully.

“The best disguises are the ones you don’t fake,” Ava said, still sitting perched on the edge of the couch. She took another sip of the tea, and set the cup back down, carefully; her back never bent, and there wasn’t even the faintest click of noise. Ava was aware of Topstitch turning to look at her, for just a moment, before looking back to Raelin again.

Ava smiled at Raelin again. “I think that’s very sensible,” she said. She glanced around the back room of the shop herself, at the glossy fabrics that hung from the walls, the clean floor, the small table and the two couches, the bright, warm, welcoming feel of it all – and, behind it, all the rest “This might be a bit much,” Ava grinned now, a little broader, inviting Raelin and Topstitch to share the joke,

Topstitch smiled too; whatever there had been in his eyes before seemed to be gone. “It certainly takes something, dealing with those jibberers,” he grinned, but there was an edge of sharpness to it, and there was a moment in which he very nearly seemed to be looking down at his leg – his chin didn’t move, but his eyes flickered down, just briefly, before he took another sip of tea instead.

“Practical,” Topstitch said, thoughtfully. “Wool?” He turned to Ava.

“Yes, I think so,” Ava rose from the couch, and crossed to the stand of fabrics. She pulled out three rolls of wool, and carried them back to Raelin, sitting next to her on the couch. “A wool dress, I think.” Ava suggested. “Nothing that will be out of fashion in a few years, and nothing that you can’t change into by yourself, somewhere quiet. Do you favor any of these?”

All three rolls were of rich, lovely wool, thick and well-woven. They were earnestly human colors, all of them: green, the dark green of an overlapping canopy of leaves with the light just filtering through it; light brown, a light brown like the smooth body of an acorn; and a reddish brown, like changing leaves in the autumn, with just a hint of vibrancy. All were simple colors – none would be ruined by a touch of dirt or sweat – but they were lovely too, blooming with color in the quiet light of the back room.

Ava spread them out one by one for Raelin, encouraging her to touch the cloth, if she wanted; she displayed them with the same care and delicacy she used for her finest silk, and let Raelin linger as long as she wanted.

“Not too subtle a point, I think,” Topstitch said. “Ankle-length at the front and back, mid-calves at the side,” he was already sketching, the quiet skritch of pencil against the paper nearly as loud as their voices; Raelin wasn’t the only one to have grown quieter as they reached the subject of the meeting, and he trailed off into silence, bent industriously over his work.

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