A Change of Pace
Selene Vanirion
Thief

Age: 28 | Height: | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 3 - Int:
Played by: Seraphina Offline
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Posts: 6 | Total: 7
MP: 0
#1
Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
Darkness. That had been all that surrounded Selene as she desperately tried to pick the lock to that cursed door, numb fingers clumsily manoeuvering the picks, desperately trying to escape the baying hounds that scampered through the corridor after her, slavering jaws desperate for her flesh.

Now, Selene wasn't entirely unfamiliar with magic; she had seen it used before, so when that portal opened up before her, she had just tucked her picks back in her sleeve and stepped through without giving it a second thought, she knew of all the gifted in use by this noble- and not one of them had the ability to make such a wondrous thing.

When she stepped foot into that world, having decided that a port would be the best place to sell her ill-gotten goods, she hadn't realised that she had left her life behind: her family, her lovers, her business, her beloved twin- no, Selene was under the impression that this was just another one of those splendid portside towns she so rarely got the chance to frequent. So, with the Duchess' prized ruby hidden in her bodice, she made her way through the market stalls, peering at the fantastical goods on display, though she wouldn't allow herself the luxury of perusing, not when she held such hot goods on her person. So, she made her way over to the boats at the dock, straying away from the more reputable vendors, eyes flicking between the various ships, sizing each one up before she found the perfect one.

It was a small merchant ship, making preparations to take its goods and sail elsewhere, with a rather insidious looking crew loading boxes into the hull, folk that seemed practised in turning a blind eye to the origins of where their trade came from. Ideally, she would have changed outfits before she approached the merchant at the stall; her tight leather armour did not exactly scream 'subtle', and she was beginning to bake within its tight folds, but sweltering underneath the hot sun was far more preferable to being torn to shreds in a dank dungeon.

Selene approached the merchant with her usual swaying walk, bright eyes just visible between the folds of fabric wrapped around her face. "Afternoon." She greeted him pleasantly, her gaze travelling up and down the man without a hint of shame. He was her usual type, tall and tan, with the suggestion of muscles hiding under his opulent clothes, and she allowed herself a moment to relish in his appearance before she got to business, "I see you're a man soon to be gone, so let us not waste time, hmm?" She pulled the gemstone out from within her bodice, letting the heavy stone rest in the palm of her hand, "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is a particularly rare stone, and one of enormous value. Inspect it if you choose, but I'm sure you can tell, I don't want to spend too much time quibbling."

Elias
Selene
Elias Vaughn
Merchant

Age: 40 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 1 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 10 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 10 - Int:
Played by: Vee Offline
Change author:
Posts: 127 | Total: 840
MP: 655
#2
Elias
It was a normal day for Elias. He was thinking about going to see Phoebe, see how the brothel was turning out, probably ask her on another date that she'd decline. Business was booming today, the skies were bright and clear which meant that people were out and about on the port.

It was nice. Eventually, afternoon was passing by, and while it continued to stay clear, Elias and his crew were packing up the stall for the day. They were going to set sail in just another few hours.

The woman that approached him was... well, she stood out. Her armor was leather, and covered her entire body, and that caused a brow to raise. Surely she was here to get some new clothes? Her gaze roamed over him, and he hardly seemed surprised. If anything, he was used to it. Though his gaze did not roam her, that simple cursery glance to take in her clothing had been it, his gaze had found her face instead.

The gemstone she held up, caused him to arch a brow. "A lovely little trinket." She was trying far too hard to catch his interest. The stone was large, and he reached out to take it, holding out his other hand towards a young man, of about sixteen, who placed a magnifying glass in his hand without a word.

He hummed as he examined the stone, handing it to the boy to examine. "And what, pray tell, is a woman such as yourself looking for in return?"
Nothing around here is quite as it seems,
Not sure if anything's real or a dream,
And the only thing sure from the start,
Is the song that's inside of your heart,
Don't let it leave.
Selene Vanirion
Thief

Age: 28 | Height: | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 3 - Int:
Played by: Seraphina Offline
Change author:
Posts: 6 | Total: 7
MP: 0
#3
Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
There was a momentary flash of confusion that passed over Selene's face at the man's words, 'What was she looking for in return'. What else would she be looking for, other than a hefty amount of gold coins? She quickly reasoned with herself, the port she landed in must have been one of those uncivilised ones far from the city, where they traded in goods, rather than coins. Odd, and a little tedious, but not entirely unworkable.

"A dress, perhaps two," she commented, her eyes flicking over the exquisite dresses hanging nearby, though her gaze quickly returned to the gem in the man's hands, not quite sure of his integrity just yet, "-and information."  

Selene moved from in front of the stall, her hands reaching out to gently trail down the dresses as she inspected each one, her fingers finally stopping on one particular gown, an exquisite shade of red, and tightly cinched at the waist, as was her preference. That would do if she needed to portray herself as a helpless noblewoman, in need of desperate assistance by some noble yet gullible knight.

With the dress taken down and folded over her arm, she abandoned the admittedly beautiful dresses, now focused on the various shirts and breeches that hadn't yet been taken back to the ship. It was all very well and good to look the part of a damsel in distress if there were gallant knights around, yet she hadn't seen such a man yet, so she would have to acquire quite a different disguise.

Her time spent perusing these clothes was far shorter, and she picked a bland white shirt, with a simple red waistcoat, and white breeches. It didn't need to be all that impressive; if she couldn't find a chivalrous knight, then she would have to make her own way, and it was far more intelligent to gallivant around masquerading as just another common man not worth another glance rather than a beautiful, and defenceless woman.

Carefully balancing the garments on her arm, she made her way back to the merchant, "I believe this is a fair deal." She leant one elbow on the wooden stall, her eyes focused on the man before her once more, "Now, onto information," she looked around the port curiously, hoping to catch sight of a familiar flag attached to one of the masts, but, without luck, she was forced to turn back to him, "Where are we? I don't believe I've been to this part of Lorendale before."
Selene
Elias Vaughn
Merchant

Age: 40 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 1 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 10 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 10 - Int:
Played by: Vee Offline
Change author:
Posts: 127 | Total: 840
MP: 655
#4
Elias
Elias watched the woman pick out what she wanted. The gem could garner many more items, but she didn't seem to know that. A merchant had to swindle the ignorant sometimes, no? Once she'd claimed her items, and he had ascertained that the gem was indeed real, and flawless, he tucked it into his pocket, and smiled at the woman, charmingly.

"Indeed, fair." He raised an eyebrow as she requested information, tempted to tell her the gem did not cover that cost, but then, the information she was asking about was...

"I'm sorry? You're in Caido, at Port Kaiholo in Torchline." He'd pegged her as an Outlander, her accent was strange to him, but he had not pegged her as an entirely new Outlander...

"You must have just portaled in, then." He commented idly. That did explain her strange choice of clothing, and the gem. Probably meant it was stolen. She certainly did not look the wealthy-sort. "I hope you've more to trade, miss, otherwise you'll be sleeping in the streets." He might as well level with her; Torchline was a dangerous area, and while he was nice, not everyone was like him.
Nothing around here is quite as it seems,
Not sure if anything's real or a dream,
And the only thing sure from the start,
Is the song that's inside of your heart,
Don't let it leave.
Selene Vanirion
Thief

Age: 28 | Height: | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 3 - Int:
Played by: Seraphina Offline
Change author:
Posts: 6 | Total: 7
MP: 0
#5
Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
"Caido?"

The confusion that returned to Selene's face was now intermingled with a touch of fear; she'd looked over a thousand maps in her father's study and not once had she seen the mention of such a place, even the sailors who had been rumoured to touch upon other continents had never spoken of this realm.

With great effort, Selene swallowed the anxiety bubbling up in her throat, knowing that to appear weak was to open herself up to be preyed upon, "I see." Her steady voice did not betray the anxious machinations of her mind, but the agitation in her hands was harder to control, her skin itching to escape the now suffocating confines of her armour, fingers continuously fiddling with the straps of leather that bound her outfit together. How was she to get home if none had heard of her country? How was she to sustain herself with thievery and gossip if she knew nothing of this new land she had been marooned in? Her hand gripped the edge of the stall as though it were driftwood, and she adrift in a raging sea, threatening to swallow her up and drag her down to her watery grave.

"I-..." Selene faltered, a wave of fear flooding over her as she realised the direness of her situation, her usual confidence having fled her form. An unfamiliar sensation of defeat came over her, and she clumsily dug out an emerald from another hidden pocket, placing it before the man, uncaring if she was overpaying in her desperation, "Could I make use of your quarters?"

Willingly going aboard a ship where she knew none, a ship that she had chosen specifically for its furtive style was not her smartest move, yet her usual cunning was lost to her now, all she could think of was escaping the oppressive heat of the sun bearing down on her, the roar of the crowd as they moved around her, and the unfamiliar stares of the people of this foreign land.
Selene
Elias Vaughn
Merchant

Age: 40 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 1 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 10 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 10 - Int:
Played by: Vee Offline
Change author:
Posts: 127 | Total: 840
MP: 655
#6
Elias
The woman went through a variety of emotions, right in front of him. He watched her, reaching to catch her should she fall. It was a great shock, one he could not imagine, being a native. Though he had heard Phoebe speak of her own appearance in Caido, and having to learn to deal with it.

As she voiced a question, he laughed. "Ah, no girl. My men have respect, but only for so long." The laughter had been cut short, as he spoke in a serious tone. "But nor are the streets safe for you." He studied the gem she had laid down, and once again began to wonder about her.

There were too many eyes looking, now, having seen her produce a second gem. One was rare enough, but two? Next they'd think she had mageglass or something more valuable. He waved his hand, for the crew to continue packing the ship, and offered his free hand to her, claiming the emerald in his palm, fingers curling around it.

"What's your name, girl?" Too many people were eyeing her; he knew two safe places for a girl like her, and only one of those places was currently habitable.

They walked, leisurely. "How did you come by so many stones? Were you wealthy in your homeland?" The question was serious; if she had been wealthy there, she was nowhere near wealth here. Certainly, her stones would sell for goods, but she'd eventually run out, and the wealth was not sustainable.
Nothing around here is quite as it seems,
Not sure if anything's real or a dream,
And the only thing sure from the start,
Is the song that's inside of your heart,
Don't let it leave.
Selene Vanirion
Thief

Age: 28 | Height: | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 3 - Int:
Played by: Seraphina Offline
Change author:
Posts: 6 | Total: 7
MP: 0
#7
Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
With the man's rejection, Selene's world seemed to close in around her further, and she pulled at the straps on her chest, loosening the tight bodice in a vain attempt to dispel the tight knot of tension that had formed in her breast. It took her noticeably long to realise that he had not, in fact, left her to fend for herself, and was instead offering a helping hand to lead her away from the crowded docks. She stared at the hand for a moment, brows knitted together with apprehension, choosing to slip her hand around the crook of his arm instead; it would be far easier to escape that way if he were to reveal himself as a villain.

"Caoimhe." That was the name that slipped out of her lips when he asked, as it always did to those she traded with, it had practically become second nature to her. His pace was slow, forcing her to walk at a slower speed than she would have liked - preferably a sprint, far away from the bustling crowd- but she was unfamiliar with the lay of the land, and therefore had no choice in the matter.

When he inquired as to her wealth, and how she came to possess such trinkets, she nibbled on her lower lip. She had heard of how men would commonly hold young women for ransom, threatening harm, or worse, unless their fathers paid for their freedom. "My father is a tradesman. I was captured with goods on me, and I came upon that portal in my escape from their dungeon." It wasn't entirely false information, after all, her father was a tradesman, albeit a legitimate one, and she had been captured with goods on her, they just didn't belong to her.

As they moved away from the relative quiet of his stall and through the bustling crowd, Selene became meeker, drawing close to the man's side in a display of entirely uncharacteristic shyness, desiring nothing more than to get away, but having no choice but to stick to her guide. So, she just kept her head down, and her mouth shut, drawing her hood further down over her eyes and allowing her mind to drift into happier avenues, entirely dissociating from the world around her.
Selene
Elias Vaughn
Merchant

Age: 40 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 1 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 10 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 10 - Int:
Played by: Vee Offline
Change author:
Posts: 127 | Total: 840
MP: 655
#8
Elias
"Nice to meet you, Caoimhe. Elias." His conversational tone is neutral, quiet, friendly. "I see." He muses, as she tells him how she got the items she possesses.

"Well," They stopped in front of a small house, a hovel by any wealthy man's standards. "You can stay here. You'll pay your rent on time, and if you wish, you can learn to help with my stall." He nodded towards the house, waiting for her to go towards it. She'd find the door locked, and he'd unlock it quickly, before leading the way into the two story home.

The bottom floor was the kitchen, and various amenities. The top floor held two bedrooms. "And, once you've settled, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, she might be better fitted to explain what's happened to you."
Nothing around here is quite as it seems,
Not sure if anything's real or a dream,
And the only thing sure from the start,
Is the song that's inside of your heart,
Don't let it leave.
Selene Vanirion
Thief

Age: 28 | Height: | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 3 - Int:
Played by: Seraphina Offline
Change author:
Posts: 6 | Total: 7
MP: 0
#9
Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
As they walked, Selene barely noticed the crowd thinning around them, the bustling port giving way to vast, empty fields, and the trees that had crept up around the road they were walking on. It was only when a sudden gust of wind forced her hood back that she realised they were walking down a quiet country lane, the sea just visible as a teal streak on the horizon, glinting in the distance.

They had come upon the man's residence now, a quaint little brick house in a rather wild state, the grass threatening to overtake the small path that led up to the door, and wild ivy creeping up the brick walls, dark leaves tousled by the slight breeze. It wasn't much, compared to the stately manor that Selene had spent her life in, but it held a certain whimsical charm to it - at any rate, it didn't seem like the house of a deviant.

He gestured towards it, and she reluctantly relinquished her grasp on his arm, then carefully picked her way through the weeds that seemed intent on tripping her up as she walked up the garden path, waiting on the porch for him to unlock the door, and then following him through into the house.

Much like the outside, the interior of the house could have done with some attention and care. Covering every surface in the kitchen was a thin layer of dust, only disturbed where something had been moved, and the stone floor was discoloured, in desperate need of a good scrub with a wet brush. Though a little unkempt, the house was not unpleasant, there were few decorations, yet somehow it still had a rather homey feel; the ball of tension inside Selene's stomach already beginning to unravel.

However, with the primal desire to fight or flee having relinquished its dominant hold on her mind, sorrow crept in, bringing with it the deep, burning pain of having lost her twin, her family, her entire life, all in one fell swoop. Having dug out another gem from a hidden pouch in her bracer, this time a dusky pink stone dangling on a silver chain, she pushed it into Elias' hand without a word and retreated into the spare room, not bothering to take off her armour as she crawled into the bed, pulling the blankets over her head and blotting out the world.
Selene
Elias Vaughn
Merchant

Age: 40 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 1 - Strg: 15 - Dext: 10 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 10 - Int:
Played by: Vee Offline
Change author:
Posts: 127 | Total: 840
MP: 655
#10
Elias
The necklace that was pressed into his hand reminded him of the bright woman he had met a few days past. She disappeared into the room, crawled into the bed, and he shut the door without a word.

He took the time to write a note, with directions on how she could expect to find him in the morning, and where she might find food and the like, before retreating into his own room.

-FIN-
Nothing around here is quite as it seems,
Not sure if anything's real or a dream,
And the only thing sure from the start,
Is the song that's inside of your heart,
Don't let it leave.


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