Solo Visiting the Dark Side

In which Rosela visits one of the darker sides of Riverfall.

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

Visiting the Dark Side

Postby Rosela on November 19th, 2013, 3:35 am

Timestamp: 79th of Autumn 513AV

In, pull, cross, out.

Cross again.

In, pull, cross, and out.

Check the door.

Cross again.

In, pull, cross, and out.

Rosela paused to rub her forefingers together before grabbing the needle again and resume stitching.

It had been herringbone stitches all day long, hemming a seemingly endless supply of trousers. She had decided to try out a new method of sewing several items in a row, by doing an entire cache of a single item at a time, but dividing the work by the type of stitch, rather than fully completing one item at a time.

It hadn't gone well thus far; the only thing worse than doing backstitches for five bells solid was doing herringbone stitches for the remaining five, and knowing she had buttons to put in for several hours more. Even worse, the process hadn't improved her speed by much at all, so the effort was essentially wasted. Much of the day had been stormy and after a small rush around lunchtime, the shop had been dead.

Pausing to check the door once again, watching the sun move painstakingly slow down the horizon, she finally heard the glorious sound of the evening bell. She threw the trousers, a stylish black wool pair, onto the desk and trotted to the front to flip the sign. On a normal day, she'd stay late to finish the set of trousers, but her mind was frazzled and impatient. She'd already had to redo the hem of two pairs after realizing far too late that the hems were crooked.

She didn't like to linger in the front of the shop after she closed, lest she mislead someone into thinking she was actually still open, but for the moment, she paused to stretch cat-like in the back mirror. Her figure was looking good, she decided, and she was gaining back much of the plumpness she'd lost in her seasons of hard living just after arriving in the city. At some point, she'd have to return to watching her weight, as she did in Ahnatep, but she was doing well for the time being.

"Vanity is one of the great mortal flaws," the shadow under her front desk remarked, and Rosela snorted.

"I'm assuming jealousy is one of the great flaws of your kind?"

"You should hope for such high regard."

Moving briefly to the desk, she reached into the shadow and pulled out her purse and her stiletto dagger. The purse she clasped in her left, middle hand, and the stiletto was pushed into its sheath, hidden in the right side of her dress. She didn't take it home often, and the decision was usually based on whim, rather than any sense of safety.

Seeing no one outside, she lowered her stance and spread her feet, as she'd learned in her lessons at the Kendoka Sasaran. She felt powerful, carrying a weapon on her person. Not to actually use it, one of the benefits of being Kuvan was having access to the Kuvay'nas, but because she could use it, if she wanted to.

With a short breath, she whipped the dagger out, making a small thrust towards an imaginary opponent. It was low, she imagined it would be the belly. Slipping it slowly back, she made two more practice draws and thrusts before the shadow under her desk took it upon itself to comment.

"Are there are a great many knife fights on your walk home?"

"Until either one of you cares to step in on behalf of my defense, or I get a personal bodyguard, it's not out of the question to be mindful of how I may defend myself." Lifting her chin self-righteously, she turned and moved toward the door.
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Rosela
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Posts: 906
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Visiting the Dark Side

Postby Rosela on November 19th, 2013, 4:19 am

"Rosela? Hey!"

Rosela had just stowed her shop key back in her purse when she heard the call, and turned in confusion. There were precious few she spoke Arumenic to in the city, but one of that select few was walking towards her up the street, wiggling her fingers at her coquettishly.

"Silka, what a pleasant surprise." She returned the wave happily. She'd seen the owner of the Velvet Curtain on occasion, though the only truly 'social' visit had been her first visit to the house of ill-repute, when she'd been fascinated by the art of seduction and been intensely curious about their methods. Visits after that were seldom and strictly business, taking an order for another costume or making quick repairs. At the moment, Silka had two arms wrapped around the well-muscled bicep of Morgal, her head bouncer. "Morgal, nice to...see you again," Rosela greeted the Akalak awkwardly. They hadn't spoken much at all, but she didn't want to continue in Arumenic in front of someone who didn't speak it.

"Miss Rosela." He bowed his head briefly, he serious tones somehow making his poor accent less offensive.

Rosela's face was pure surprise and Silka squeezed his arm sweetly. "Wasn't that wonderful? I've been teaching him Arumenic so we can talk discreetly while I'm on the floor. Oh, do walk with us, sweetie? It's so nice to see you outside of work." She pouted prettily and Rosela felt herself being drawn in. It was comforting to speak in her native tongue for a change.

"Oh, if you absolutely insist..." She laughed as she fell into step next to them, intertwining two arms in two of Silka's. It wasn’t the end of the world if she was seen with the proprietor of the brothel, not when she was the beauty she was. She imagined the sight would magnify her own beauty: carnality and propriety, side by side. ”Do tell me, how is the Velvet Curtain?”

”Just peachy. We’ve had a wonderful year so far. Planning an expansion you know?”

“I thought I heard something about that. What are you adding?”

“A set of private luxury rooms. I’m having a reimancer come in and put a hot spring in three of them. I wanted all five, but he said it wouldn’t work.”
Silka huffed a childlike sigh, prompting a sidelong look from Morgal.

”He said it mistake the floor.”

“Compromise, dear. It’d compromise the floor.”
Silka patted his arm.

“…Yes, compromise.” Morgal’s expression did not change from the usual steady calm.

There was a heartbeat of silence as a gust of wind blew dead leaves around their feet. ”So where are we actually headed?”

“A little ways into the Sea of Grass. The Rattling Chains, Haev Provedan’s hovel. Miserable little place, have you ever been?”

Silka’s question was so casual, Rosela felt hot with embarrassment. “Ahem, I’m…afraid I haven’t actually heard of the place.”

“Ugh, count yourself lucky. He’s pretty much the only slave trader in the city; he lets me know when he gets a slave in that might be good for the Curtain. Doesn’t actually happen that often – it’s only ever girls who can’t be bought to be Nakivaks as soon as they’re in the gate.”
She tossed her hair with a self-indulgent hand. ”He knows I pay top miza for them, so he’s a sweetie for me.”
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User avatar
Rosela
Bring me pretty things.
 
Posts: 906
Words: 739794
Joined roleplay: August 24th, 2012, 7:54 pm
Location: Riverfall
Race: Eypharian
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 6
Featured Character (1) Featured Contributor (1)
Featured Thread (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) 2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)


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