Shade

Getting Geared ( A & S's Adventure part two )

(Anything tagged A & S is a cowritten RP - prefacing a guild storyline. Sorry about any errors!)

*.*.*

It wasn’t to say that he didn’t believe in happenstance. He just knew better than to let an opportunity slip by out of some fear of coincidences: it was fortuitous that he had received the invite (which had been pitched in the trash immediately) to one of Flamerest’s opulent dinner parties merely a few days before someone apparently thought the other elf was better off dead. Not foreboding. The alley encounter with Shade proved to be the highlight of his evening and the rest of it, quite uneventful. He cut his night short – much to the surprise of the doctor who was still awake by the time Audemus had made his way back to Tol Barad – and even tucked up at a reasonable time. His early awakening was similarly treated with surprise (perhaps the slightest bit of unvoiced suspicion) as he had managed to get up and dressed before the clock had rolled into double-digits.

He certainly intended to make use of his plus one, although, the daintier elf might need a little… polishing to not look so out of place. His morning was spent in and out of Silvermoon’s finer boutiques and his study of her formhad proven to be a boon when it came to purchasing and tailoring a dress for someone who wasn’t there. A few other choice purchases were made — some in the less fine parts of town — and he had kipped back to Rustberg before it was even considered too late for lunch. The mage had arranged his goods on top of the neatly made bed in the room he shared with Romarique. Work called for the physician, as normal, so there’d be no prying comments about exactly what he needed a floor length gown for. Now, he just had to find Shade (fingers crossed she would be about the tavern to avoid tedious legwork) and inform the other elf that ‘their’ plans had perhaps been rapidly accelerated.

After she’d watched him leave she sighed and covered her face with her hands and wondered which deity her existence offended. She dug the battered silver cigarette case from her pocket and doled out a smoke to tuck behind her ear. Tucking the case away, she lit up her smoke and headed home, humming softly to herself.

Her existence had been one of detached anxiety since the meeting with the mage. She’d gone to work at the Tavern, she finished weapons orders on her days off, and she’d spent every free moment in with the punching bag in her apartment picturing her friend’s face. Shade waved to Mao as she exited the kitchen, pulling her hair out of the high ponytail it’d been in for the shift. She was back in her normal leathers and a loose shirt, high heeled boots laced tightly. She combed her fingers through her hair, coming up short at the sight of Audemus and the look he was giving her. A look that inspired her to run. Blowing out a short breath, she ambled over to him. She poked him in the shoulder, settling in at his side wordlessly.

He’d been pushing a chilled fruit salad around his bowl for the better part of an hour, having consumed a single strawberry and amusing himself alternatively with pulping the remaining fruit with his fork and people-watching. Maolim had come twice to impart vague tidbits of ‘wisdom’ (the difference between hungriness and horniness lies only in where you plant your cucumber) but Audemus spent most of the lunch hour waiting patiently (relatively) for Shade to be finished with her work. “I got something for you.” He commented as she settled in, reaching for a pull of a pale wheat beer at the same time. He licked at the line of froth that had collected on his lips and thought that perhaps they were past the point of coyness. He expounded on the statement, pulling out a crumpled and torn party invitation (it had been tedious sorting through Romarique’s recycling) that he slid to her beneath the table: “If you want to come wash the scent of musken ribs and clam chowder out of your hair, we’ll get it on you.”

She reached out and snagged a piece of fruit yet to be pulped by him, her fingers curling around the paper beneath the table and set it on her lap. She stole another piece and popped it into her mouth. “I’m a little afraid of what ya could have possibly gotten me to wear, but your taste is probably better than mine, so aye, lead the way,” she said, stealing another piece of fruit. She was always hungry after her shift and well, fruit was her favorite thing. He didn’t seem interested in actually eating it anyway. Shade slid the missive into her pocket surreptitiously as she got back to her feet and prodded his shoulder again. “And I will have you know that I always smell like the freshest of pine trees and oranges,” she sniffed. She did not. Right now she definitely smelled of sticky sweet booze and the plate of firecracker salmon she spilled on herself earlier because a customer goosed her. As fond as she was of Forsaken, she was not fond of bony fingers pinching her rear.

He left the fruit mash and his gold for the meal on the tabletop, although he did take a moment to finish off the beer with a quick chug. Priorities. Sliding from the creaky cherry-wood chair, he gestured for Shade to follow him out of the public space and up the stairs towards the long-term boarding rooms. The space he brought her to was neat, almost spartan on one side, then burgeoning with clutter on the other. Some invisible boundary had obviously been struck here, two very different interpretations of exactly what a living space should look like. He gestured to the dress on the bed for her inspection. Black melded into shades of russet and grey, billowy enough through the legs and arms to provide an ample silhouette that allowed for easily hidden weapons, and with enough fabric than any movements to wield them could be written off as a mere shift of the luxurious cloth. Audemus considered himself a decent judge of character (in the ways that mattered) and had purchased this particular dress with exactly her work in mind.

Silversage hues widened at the dress on the bed, going to investigate the gorgeous length of fabric and embroidery. She threw him a look, “This looks like it would actually fit me, when – ya know, nevermind. Ya missed a callin’ as a tailor.” She didn’t touch the gown because she was gross from her shift, but she clearly approved. Stepping back, Shade dropped her bag by the bed and looked at him expectantly. When he’d given her a towel and pointed her to the bathroom, she locked that door behind her and stripped eagerly. A shower was definitely needed, she was sticky in strange places. The hot water was heavenly. She pulled her hair down from its messy top knot and rolled the tie around her wrist before soaking under the spray. Shade hummed a melody while she scrubbed.

Melisande was making the upstairs rounds, gathering up dishes deposited carelessly in the common areas of the boarding house. She wasn’t actually on shift, mind, but she couldn’t help herself. She deposited them in an old metal tub resting on the curve of her hip. In her free hand, she held a thermos of black coffee (deposited on Lita’s desk, wordlessly, as the dwarven woman scratched notes) and a clean white plate bearing her newest attempt at putting calories in Audemus. It was sourdough bread smeared with almond butter, honey, and a sprinkling of cinnamon, quickly grilled in a buttered pan. At least it was vegetarian, so perhaps it wouldn’t go entirely to waste if the good doctor was about. She heard the rumble of water rushing through the arcane pipes as she neared “Roma’s” room and hesitated, but then shrugged a shoulder and barged in anyway. It’s not like Aud respected her privacy, after all. “Eat this, you skinny piece of-” She paused at the sound of a feminine hum. “Uh.”

As Shade made use of the shower, Audemus moved the coat rack – missing its typical adornments of woolen overcoat and leather physician’s bag – to just outside of the bathroom door, hanging the dress from one of the branches. She’d need only to sneak her arm out to grab it and get dressed within the privacy of the other room. Melisande’s presence managed to be somewhat of a surprise, yet not, at the same time. She did seem to have an active desire to worm herself into his comings and goings in the most overbearing-affectionate-annoying way, but she usually knocked first. Typically, as she was turning the door knob, but still. He rounded the small corner from the hall and made a face at the food, but snatched it up and stuffed it into his mouth with two large bites. “Skinny piece of uh?” He teased, spitting crumbs. “You should really work on your insults. I give that one a solid zero out of twenty-three.” Wiping his buttery fingers down the center of his shirt, Audemus abruptly pulled it over his head afterwards and shucked it across the room, causing it to fall between the back of the bed and the wall. “What do you want?” He questioned as he moved across the room again towards the large wardrobe, apparently uncaring whether or not he had an audience when it came to changing clothes.

She shut the water off and groped for the towel, ringing her hair out before scrubbing the water from her skin. She smelled like their soap but anything was better than booze and food and sweat. Shade wrapped the towel around herself, finger-combing her thick hair into submission before cracking the door and peering out. She spied the dress and snaked an arm out to grab it before withdrawing as quickly as she could. Her bag was by the bed. Sighing she hung the dress up inside the bathroom then threw the door open wider and ambled carelessly out into the cooler bedroom. Shade smiled brightly at Meli with a wave, grabbed her bag then went back into the bathroom to change. Shutting the door behind her she dug out underwear from her bag and began to get dressed.

“We need to have a conversation about-” She paused at the sight of Shade, cheeks blooming pink. “….Hello, Shade,” she sputtered, watching as the petite woman returned to the bathroom and shut the door. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze on Audemus. “Really?”

“Yeah? What do you want to talk about?” He didn’t bother to turn from his task, rifling through a selection of finely bespoke frock coats that looked rather jarring next to some of the other drab, muted garments that hung there. He had heard the water cut and the padding of Shade’s feet, but that was of little concern to him either. The mage selected a garment of crushed velvet, ultramarine in color, filigreed along the edges with silver, and shrugged it over his shoulders before finally turning towards Melisande, fingers working the long line of buttons down his center. “Really what? What’s that look for?”

She always had heels for off work and was grateful she only ever wore black strappy ones. They would suit the dress well enough. Shade strapped on daggers, and the waist cinch lined with tiny vials and tools. Tightening the ankle clasp on her left foot she finally looked at the dress with her hands on her hips. From beneath then, she hummed to herself. Shimmying into the dress was easy enough, it certainly did give nothing away of the weaponry beneath. She zipped herself up and pulled her hair into a loose twist over one shoulder. She did her makeup quickly then stuffed her work clothes into her bag and opened the bathroom door. She stepped out and paused, blinking. The look Meli was giving Aud – while amusing to see – meant something of a misunderstanding. Shade snorted delicately, grinning impishly at Meli, “I wouldn’t sleep with him if you paid me,” she assured the woman before dropping the bag and giving a twirl. “Do I pass muster?” she asked Audemus.

Melisande’s shoulders dropped as Shade made her proclamation. “Me either,” she agreed, smirking softly. She stood back to observe, quiet. “Excuse both of you.” Audemus made a noise of mild affront. “I’ll have you know I never pay for sex.” He finished up buttoning up the elegant item of clothing and turned to appraise Shade, humming low in his chest with approval. Eyeing her hair, however, the noise ended on a flat note. “Pretty, but a little understated.” His hand patted the edge of the bed with a command of, “Sit.” Flitting back towards the recently vacated bathroom, still half-fogged with steam, he arranged a basket full of hair products with a few grooming tools. These were deposited onto the bedspread next to where Shade had obliged to seat herself, and he grinned at the two of them before moving to perch himself cross-legged behind her, and undoing the simple plait she had tied.

“Yes, that’s all fine and good,” she said as she settled primly on the bed, “we were simply agreeing that even if we were paid - by you or otherwise - we wouldn’t be interested.” She sniffed at him, an amused curl to her lips taking the sting out of it. She straightened, mildly discomfited with him settling behind her but forced herself to relax as he took up her still drying hair. She threw a long-suffering look at Meli before quietly clasping her hands in her lap.

Melisande snickered and moved closer to watch. “So what’s this all about? A fancy party? And why don’t you ever braid my hair?” She plopped onto the bed to admire Aud’s braiding technique.

He infused his hands with a steady pulse of warm magic as he combed his fingers through the dark hair, working in a volumizing serum. His fingers were obviously quite practiced at styling hair, and he shrugged at Melisande’s question. “Yes, she’s my plus one. And you’ve never asked. Do me a favor, though?” He used a long-tailed comb to gesture towards one of the overstuffed bookshelves crammed full of eclectic items. “There’s a wooden milk crate down there with a white cloth lining. Can you bring it here?” The end of the comb was poked at a spot on the bed next to his outer thigh, indicating where he’d like it to be placed, before it moved back up to tease out a few spiraling wisps to frame Shade’s face.

Shade sat quietly as Audemus’ warm fingers sifted through her thick, blue-black hair. It was something of a first for her having never had anyone put her hair up for her before. Her silversage hues were lowered to her neat steel grey manicure, a pointed canine chewing on the corner of her lip.

Melisande considers this but a moment. What could be in the crate? Nothing too illicit, she hopes. She fetches the crate and hoists it up onto the bed with a soft grunt, placing it near Audemus.

Pushing off the thin wooden lid revealed the contents contained within: a veritable hoard of precious stones and sparkling bijoux, with no apparent care as to their storage. He hummed and fished through with his hands, selecting an ornate looking silvery spike that had a rather fanciful, spiraling ornament at the end embedded with fire opals. “This was my sisters.” He offered by means of explanation, leaning forward with it in the palm of his hand as he moved his arm around Shade’s side for her to view. His other hand snaked around her in what could’ve been misconstrued as a hug, but the mage merely unslipped the spike from it’s sheath, revealing it as a hidden dagger, and the ‘ornament’ as a cleverly disguised quillion. He pressed the two pieces together again and withdrew his hands, slotting the spike in to act as a decorative hairpin in her refined chignon. “Think you might appreciate it more.”

Shade blinked at the arms that went about her but hummed a pleased noise at the revelation of the quillion. “That’s gorgeous,” she murmured, gaze cast forward once he’d withdrawn it from her view, “I will make sure it’s returned to ya in the condition in which ya lent it.” She glanced toward Meli, “We’re goin’ to a party and he think makin’ me pretty will make up for a lack of manners, but I think he would rather see the hilarity of my rubbin’ elbows with nobles more than anything else.” Shade smiled warmly at the other woman, remaining still for Aud, “How’s your day been?”

“It’s been like any other, mostly. Clobbered by small children. Which I don’t mind in the least.” She peers at them both, suspicious. “You’ve told someone where you’re going, yes? I hope?” She watches Audemus braid with fascination, ears twitching watchfully.

Audemus handwaved the suggestion, instead, bouncing up from the bed to sweep the remaining products back into the basket before aiming a flourishing hand-gesture at Shade’s hair. “Like it? And we’ll be back before sunrise, most likely. It’s just a party.” Dismissive and with all the practiced smooth evasiveness that was typical of him. The boots and pants he already wore were of elegant enough make and already equipped with weaponry: it very well wouldn’t be ‘just a party’ in Melisande’s eyes if he were to arm himself anymore in her presence, so he was thankful for his foresight in that, at least. He did take the time to slick back his riotous curls with a small amount of hair oil, although he didn’t bother to bind it. Humming a small arcane incantation – and kicking a stray book out of the way of where his portal would be summoned, he smiled glibly towards Melisande. “And I think we’ll be leaving soon, Meli – if you don’t mind locking the door on your way out.”

Her hands lifted to touch her hair as she stood. She nodded at Audemus, smiling softly, “Thank you,” she murmured. For the hair and the dagger both. She smoothed down her gown and looked to Meli for a thoughtful moment. Going to her bag she rummaged around for a small black card, it was a square cut cardstock that was simply black in color though there was a strange sheen to it. She handed it to the redhead, “If we are not back by noon tomorrow, burn that,” she instructed softly, “Then perhaps alert Roma .. and Sera. Talyn too if he’s around.” Shade gave Audemus a look, “It’s just a party, yes. But it never hurts to be cautious.” She turned a beaming grin on Meli. “Right?”

The mage only scoffed in reply, obviously of the mindset that reporting his whereabouts to anyone was not a notion he held dear. Two of the names were unknown to him but he wasn’t ignorant to see what conclusion had been drawn between who to notify. He kept tight-lipped about it, seeing as it would serve no use to protest. As Shade spoke, he concentrated instead on the familiar magical energies, drawing forth a crackling, shimmering image of Silvermoon. “I’m always cautious.”

“I know when I’m not wanted,” she laughs, holding the square reverently and then tucking it into her bodice for safekeeping. “Good luck?” she asks, unsure, before letting herself and closing the door with a click.

Shade watched Meli leave then smacked Aud’s arm lightly, “Your cautious and my cautious need to overlap more,” she murmured, before stepping through the portal. She stood to the side with an idle smoothing hand down her gown. Silversage hues took on a strange black line around the edge, her gaze scanning the street before blinking it away as Aud himself stepped through the portal.