Flashback Those Who Wait (Nickolai)

[Siobhan]

46 Fall 512 AV
22nd Bell
House of Immortal Pleasures

oocLet me know if I ought to change the time stamp in any way!

It had hardly been half a bell since her shift had started, and Siobhan could already feel the peculiar sense of cold creeping into her body. And it wasn't because her chemise was far too scanty to be considered clothing.

In all honesty, it wasn't really too peculiar of a sensation. It wasn't normal in most cases, yes, but over the years it had become all too familiar to the woman. It would start in the pit of her stomach, she knew, just as it had started for the first time in Sunberth all those years ago, just a short while after she'd first begun "working". She welcomed it now, and the quietude it brought. Time had made it her crutch, a mechanism by which she could continue to function in the soul-sucking arena that was the brothel. It was easier to pretend she wasn't strapped with a deep-seated sense of resentment when all she could feel was cold.

Plenty of the other workers felt the same -- not that their clientele noticed. Or, if they did happen to notice, they must not have given much care. Clients didn't like to see their whores sad. Or, rather, they didn't like to see them as much of anything. They were here for a good time. Where Siobhan saw a building full of disappointment, most saw debauchery. After all, that's what they paid for.

That's what they paid her for. And Siobhan was in no position to refuse money so readily given.

The night was still young by young folks' standards, though the excess of black curtains made it all but impossible to tell just how late it was really getting. A few men and women were tinkering around at the bar, either drinking or appraising the sights. Some were sizing up their pick for the night, while others, who had been ogling for bells, clearly didn't have the coin to spare and were simply content to look. Those were Siobhan's favorites -- the poor ones -- because when they could afford to spend the money, they treated it as a special occasion.

Siobhan, for her part, lounged on a couch against the far wall, legs crossed and positioned longways along the silken cushions while her arm rested outstretched on the backboard in a pose that would at least offer her the appearance of being warm-ish and responsive despite her decided indifference.

Depending on what kind of night it was, she would either have to play the waiting game or take a more active approach. Potential clients were still filtering in every so often, but if she couldn't land anyone sooner rather than later, she would have to return home with the knowledge that she had earned nothing. And, with a hungry son waiting on her, that would be unacceptable.

[Nickolai Marin]

For what seemed an eternity, Nickolai felt as though he were in a daze. In but an instant, all that he knew came to a swift and abrupt end; literally turning his life upside down. In a time past, what was intended to be a simple burglary turned into a hellish chase that ran the young larcenist out of his hometown. Overnight, he lost his family, his friends, and most of all...Cecilia. Although the two had known one another for a lifetime, the distance was such that it placed her face on his mind perpetually. In fact, Nickolai was unaware of the feelings which began to manifest now until he was forced to leave her behind. He loved her, of this he was now certain...but because of his mistakes, he had to run away from Zeltiva with the intention of never returning.

And so, he ventured forth to Ravok: a city well befitting such a wretch as himself.

Although he had it "made" at the moment, Nickolai felt only the contrary. He had shelter, under the roof of his mentor's sibling. He had food, water, and warmth...and all the coin he could reasonably snatch. For the first time in his life, there was not a struggle to survive; but simply theft for the hell of it. Yet, despite this comfort, a metaphorical cloud of darkness hung over the young larcenist's head perpetually. His depression was so pronounced that his caretaker thought it high time for him to "live a little". To this end, he loaded the young man's pockets with mizas and sent him on his way; providing him only directions and the promise of a good time. Thus, with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat, the young larcenist made his way through the cold streets of the foreign city.

After chimes upon chimes of trudging along, Nickolai arrived at the destination...and scoffed. Sure, in the back of his mind he rationalized that the directions may lead to a brothel; but to see one up close for the first time was surprising. Despite his youth (and so-called "good looks"), the young larcenist had not ever known a woman. In fact, the furthest he had ever "gone" was a childhood kiss. The sad reality of it all was that he was too busy attempting to evade starvation than to tend to those desires. Being perfectly honest with himself, Nickolai was not in any hurry to do so either. He had always entertained the thought of sharing that experience with someone he deeply cared for; like one of those romantic sagas that made the women of his life swoon.

And even now, he felt a sense of guilt for even standing before the establishment; for there was one he loved enough to even consider...No.

He had petched that up. He had burnt that page in the story of his life by being an overconfident larcenist. Now he had to live with the harsh reality that he would never see Cecilia again. He needed to live a little! Swallowing down his guilt and apprehension, Nickolai raised his chin defiantly into the air and strode forth into the brothel. His strides, long and confident, bore him over the threshold and into the home of debauchery; where his confidence was almost shattered by the sight of a woman...in practically all of her glory. Never before had he seen such a sight and caught himself gaping; but the moment concluded when he quickly averted his gaze. Continuing along, he began to look around and witnessed the "hustle and bustle" of the brothel in full swing.

All about, seated on couches or standing, men chuckled and chatted with women who were the definition of stunning. The women were very...affectionate with their potential customers: brushing their arms, whispering in their ears, and other such antics that caused a light crimson to touch his cheeks. As his eyes slid back and forth about the room, Nickolai eventually saw a woman seated alone upon a couch. Although "lightly" dressed, she was not actively engaging anyone; and as such the young larcenist steeled himself. Approaching, he offered a slight wave before coming to a halt just a pace away from her seat. "Good evening." he almost stammered. "I would like to...er...hire your services?"

After speaking, he then offered a warm smile and fished into his pockets. There, he produced a quintet of gold-rimmed mizas and offered them to her. "W-Will this be sufficient?" he inquired, ignorant of the fact that he was commisioning a "marathon".
.

[Siobhan]

The door opened, and as a new potential customer made his way into the building, a few eyes turned to size up the fellow. Even if it wasn't particularly noticeable, a good number of the workers would covertly observe newcomers to see if they might be more worth their while than their current engagement. But the lad who stepped through the door didn't appear to be of any particular note -- he was neither dressed richly nor easily recognized as richly blooded. Many who had glanced his way promptly shrugged him from their minds.

Siobhan, however, wasn't already engaged, and was therefore currently in no place to be picky when it came to the clientele. She shifted ever so slightly in her seat, peering around a "couple" (client and worker, they were undergoing some kind of verbal foreplay) to get a better view. From what she could tell, the fellow couldn't have been very old at all. Perhaps early twenties. He wasn't particularly remarkable, with a demeanor of nearly overwhelming averageness that gave Siobhan the impression that he was good at disappearing into the crowd.

It was always a little sad to see young people frequenting such establishments as these, but the coldness now had a thorough grip on her. Emotion, good or bad, was nullified. It was quite convenient -- it simplified what she had to do.

She allowed her eyes to drift away from the young man (it was unprofessional to stare), gaze drifting about the room, not fixing on anything in particular, though she kept a careful watch on him from the corner of her vision. She gave a slight mental tug at her djed, feeling the force of it push back. It had occurred to her that she couldn't afford to let him slip out of her grasp. Most nights, she would have let the opportunity pass in expectation of a more remarkable (and "remarkable" typically meant "rich") client later on. Unfortunately this was not shaping up to be like most nights, especially considering the fact that, most nights, she would have already gone through a few rounds of clients by now.

It had taken her too long to get into the game tonight, which was why she now felt the need to ensure that this opportunity would not pass her by. Hence, the djed-tugging. If the lad didn't naturally find himself compelled towards her, she would have to take take measures to ensure that he would.

Luckily enough, it wouldn't be necessary, as evidenced by the acknowledgement he gave towards her. Siobhan now returned full gaze to him. Now was the time to really get to work. In the time it took the fellow to reach her, she had readjusted her pose. Her arm which had been stretched across the back of the couch now folded to provide a place to rest her head, a lazy gesture that would hopefully suggest a sense of complacency. Her other hand slid from the armrest to her thigh, then traced a pattern across to her knee. Rather than offering an immediate smile as he approached, she simply relaxed her face, allowing her lips to part and her eyes to fall closed only slightly. They were practiced gestures she had performed thousands of times before, always with the same intention.

She was composed. Yet... the next words out of his mouth inwardly threatened that composure, though it was really less about what the fellow said and more about how he said it. He was hesitant and yet warm, almost to the point of seeming awkward in Siobhan's mind. The smile he gave was not lecherous, and while it didn't exactly reach his eyes, it seemed genuine enough to her. The whore was struck by the feeling that he didn't belong here. That thought struck prodded at the mother within her.

Until he fished out the money.

And her composure was back on track.

The mizas he'd produced were enough for a marathon -- five hours -- which was just fine with her. It would make up for the fact that she'd failed to catch any business earlier in the night.

Siobhan smiled, consciously forcing her eyes to narrow slightly in a gesture that would denote realness, but the cold still had it's hand on her and such was still reflected in the expression. "That'll be just fine," she assured. As the words slipped from her tongue, she stood. There was no hesitation in the movement. Long legs uncrossed in one motion, arms falling from their positions to push her forward. The motion didn't stop once her body had left the couch, instead carrying her forward until Siobhan's own body was nearly touching the young man's.

A delicate yet firm hand rose to grip the fellow's shoulder with a light pressure, and as she got the chance to examine his face more closely it occurred to her once more that she could have seen him before and she wouldn't have remembered him. The only feature that really held her attention was his eyes, which were an unnerving kind of blue.

With an eyebrow cocked, she nodded past the bar, towards the deep purple curtains that would lead them upstairs and out of the common room. In that same moment, a muffled moan rang out from overhead, emanating from the rooms contained therein, as if to hammer home a point. Siobhan was a woman of few words, but there was no mistaking exactly what was supposed to happen.

oocSorry about the wait! I'm still trying to get settled in to my college schedule. Anyhow, you can assume that she'll lead him upstairs upstairs and whatnot. Feel free to take some liberties as far as npc-ing actions if you need to.