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#1
Old 01-05-2013, 07:28 PM

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Profiles

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#2
Old 01-05-2013, 08:12 PM

Cassandra Suzanne Housemartin

Waving a few last times as she entered the railcar that was waiting for her, Cass felt rather content with the day. Everything was going well, and she had gotten permission to leave the castle and walk among their subjects. Guards surrounded the railcar, of course. Her father would never let her out of the palace without an entourage of at least six armed guards. He was a bit paranoid like that. Still, she refused to let that sour her good mood. The owner of the cafe she had stopped at was currently waving at everyone in earshot to come in and hear how the Princess herself came in and enjoyed his coffee. It was quite a large business opportunity for him, though she did that sort of thing relatively often.

"Driver? Take me to the Bronze Warehouse please," she said, the man sitting up front nodding as he released the brakes and began to accelerate the vehicle. While she waited, she checked over her hair, a lustrous platinum blonde like her father's, to make sure that none of the barrettes or her bow had come undone during the excitement. Detecting no major change, she nodded, satisfied, as she redirected her attention to the outside, peering through the window of the car as they passed by dozens of people off to do whatever it was they had planned for the day. A few caught her eye and waved, to which she responded in kind.

After about twenty minutes of travel, according to her timepiece anyway, they arrived at the Warehouse, home to all of the projects that the Bronze House was currently working on. Above was a complex of buildings where they tended to actually brainstorm their ideas, as well as meet with others to review them and work out any kinks. Usually those people were from the Mercury or Copper Houses, though others came occasionally to present ideas or just see what they were currently building.

Stepping from the vehicle, she gave a nod and a smile to the driver before readjusting her purple dress once more. The diamonds adorning her silk, lavender wrist cuffs and platinum necklace matched the shimmer of her tattoo, the symbol of her House. When she was younger, she had been rather self-conscious of the strange marking, having obtained hers rather early considering that tradition dictated they would get the tattoo when they were ten years old. But, over time, she had come to accept it and couldn't help but think on those times with a chuckle at how silly she had been.

She knocked on the door of the great Warehouse, the sound booming hollowly inside. Her guards stood at the ready, hands on their swords, to which she rolled her eyes. Their paranoia was completely ridiculous to her. But, no matter how many times she had said something, they never, ever changed how they reacted. They took their job incredibly seriously, which she supposed that she was grateful for in some way. Sighing, she knocked again and turned her attention to the door, wishing whomever was inside to hurry.

Last edited by Angelo; 01-05-2013 at 08:15 PM..

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#3
Old 01-05-2013, 11:44 PM

Rayner Miles Spelter

Crack! The man's nose snapped behind Rayner's fist. It was his fault, really, all that noise about the girl he had walked in with. Another swift punch in the gut forced him to back off, sputtering but by then the rest of the pub was erupting into violence around him. Someone pulled the stool away from beside him and instinctively he got away from the bar- and just in time too. There was a crash and then a shower of splinters rained over those men closest to the counter where he had been standing. Things were definitely getting rough, chaotic... exciting.

Rayner felt himself get pushed to the floor hard enough to force him to gasp. Above him stood a big man in a squat bowler hat, grubby button up of drab colors and a dingy brown jacket... probably a worker of some kind and muscular. Rayner curled his lip and swung a chair into him by it's leg, but the big man caught it and brought it down toward Rayner's collarbone. Fortunately it was a very sturdy make and the chair snapped where the back met the seat instead of on the legs. It still made Rayner grunt when it him him but his 'dance partner' was taken off guard just as much as he had been... and he took advantage of that by taking him off the market for any fun and games that night with a swift kick between the legs. The man in the bowler hat bowed down, gasping, giving Rayner a break long enough to spring to his feet and push toward the door.

He was almost there when another large man, this in an aged once-white shirt and leather suspenders launched the heir through the window. This wasn't the first window Rayner had traveled through in his life and he kept his arms close to his face until he was on the ground. Outside a group of guards looked back at the explosion of noise, glass and onto the street. This was one of the last things they'd want to see with Cassandra out on the street just yards away at the door of the Bronze warehouse.

Rayner looked up between the legs of the guards and saw her, finally dressed and decorated... her brilliant platinum blonde hair so neatly arranged on her head... if only there weren't an angry brawler climbing out through the window after him right that moment he could chance a grin at her. He misjudged how fast the other guy would get through the window and was pulled up by his jacket collar. Quickly he pushed his hand up against his attacker's face to make him as uncomfortable as he could immediately. Suddenly another man tackled them both and pushed the other man's face onto some glass. Rayner was pinned and grunted, trying his hardest to slide out from under both of them but to no avail.

His back popped as a third man stumbled back onto them and they all struggled to get out from under the extra weight. Rayner managed to find his feet and get to the staircase that lead up to the street level of a higher street on the other side of the buildings. He checked his pockets quickly, making sure everything was still where it was suppose to be and nodded with a laughing grin. His heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping and from where he was there was still a great view of Cassandra. If she'd turn around he'd chance a wink before disappearing upstairs.

Last edited by Mythos; 01-05-2013 at 11:50 PM..

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#4
Old 01-05-2013, 11:54 PM

Crispin Winton Gareth Alexander III

The Bronze Warehouse was an imposing fortresslike complex built of massive granite blocks of a color that was fondly referred to as bronze, though an honest viewer might consider it a particularly unattractive shade of pale brown mottled with various hues of yellow and orange. Still, from a distance it could possibly be called bronze-colored, and very few people saw it up close. Even the entrance had been disguised by a facade of gold-veined black marble overlaid with bronze fretwork so fine and intricate as to look like lace. The door itself was heavy oak overlaid with hammered bronze that opened silently and easily despite its weight.

Curious outsiders often wondered why the wealthy Bronze family had settled for such an unusually-colored building material when they could obviously have afforded the more attractive stones that graced Morshall's other grand houses. Most assumed that it was the result of a good salesman dubbing the granite 'bronze' for a gullible and possibly colorblind Lord of Bronze. Others assumed the stone had simply been inexpensive and easy to come by. Few, however, landed on the true reason. Yes, it was plentiful, and yes, it was cheap... and the color had played a part in the decision. Mainly, however, the 'bronze' granite was sturdy and excellent at muffling sound. The occasional explosion did virtually no damage to the walls, nor did the sounds reach the streets to disturb passers-by. Conversely, the construction would shrug off all but the best-designed siege engines, and even a festival going on outside the front gate wouldn't disturb the concentration of the inventors within.

Crispin was incredibly grateful for that last fact, as he slipped into his private workroom and shut the thick oak door behind him. For the first time today he wasn't hearing his mother nagging about grease stains under his fingernails or how he was never going to find a nice girl to marry him if he didn't learn to dance. Instead, all around him there was nothing but the sounds of clockwork. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes, letting the sounds flow over him like a soothing balm.

There was the stately tick tock of the clock in one corner, syncopated with the ticks and clicks and ratcheting sounds of a dozen projects and pieces of equipment that graced the shelf-lined walls. From the window came the soft hissing whir of a radiometer as it spun in the sunlight. He hoped eventually to harness that spinning energy to provide power that didn't require the blessing of House Copper or the burning of smelly coal or oil. For now, however, the fragile bulb provided power only to a tiny music box he was constructing for his mother's birthday that spilled out the tinkling notes of a tune he'd traded a fine pocketwatch to have a member of the Brass family compose for him. Other people might have found the noises distracting or annoying, but as far as Crispin was concerned, no symphony could be more beautiful.

Refreshed by the percussive music of his inventions, the eldest son of Bronze sat down at a table where an assortment of miniscule gears and springs gleamed against black velvet like a jeweler's display of gems. To Crispin's eye, the bits were far more beautiful than even the most priceless diamond, and perhaps he was right, for this project had been commissioned by the Emperor himself with a downpayment that included several diamonds and other gems of fine quality. The price interested Crispin far less than the challenge, and he selected a set of tweezers and oculars with a built-in magnifying loupe to begin assembling what would become a gift for the Princess Cassandra.

The clock in the corner had chimed the hour several times when he noticed a tapping sound at the door behind him. He set a tiny flywheel down on the velvet and stood with great care, so as not to jar the workbench. The young Bronze apprentice standing anxiously outside the door burst into speech when the door opened. "Sir, your lady mother has sent several messages bidding you to come to lunch, but I followed your standing orders and ignored the messages. However, Master Talworth begs that you come assist him in the third large workroom."

Crispin frowned when the boy began talking, but the mention of Master Talworth immediately transformed his mood. He shoved the oculars on top of his head and raced down the hallway, leaving the boy behind. The third large workroom contained a cluster of mechanics around a large machine. The exact nature of the machine was unclear, as it was shrouded in sheets of sailcloth against the eyes of casual observers. "Master Talworth? You sent for me?"

The greyest and most grease-stained of the mechanics looked up and nodded. "Aye, lad. We're having trouble with the engine. You designed most of it, let's see if you can fix it. Best hurry, the princess is supposed to be coming for an inspection today."

Crispin nodded, and slipped under the sheet that covered the machine. After a few moments of tinkering, he poked his head back out. "Try her now. I think I've fixed it, but I need to see how it looks when it's in motion."

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#5
Old 01-06-2013, 12:37 AM

At the commotion from the tavern across the street from the Warehouse, Cass turned her head just in time to see a man burst from the window. The way the man protected his face and allowed himself to collide with the ground indicated that he had had practice at being thrown through panes of glass, a detail that didn't go unnoticed by her guards. Before he had hit the ground, they had their pistols out and trained on him, though they quickly acquired the other men in their sights when they came forth. Their fingers twitched a bit as they waited to see what the four men would do next.

The three men were still disoriented when the initial one darted up the stairs, Cass's eyes following his progress while the guards decided that meant he wasn't a threat and focused entirely on the three men still wrestling among each other to regain their footing. "Stop them already! Detain them until the City Watch comes along!" she ordered, frowning. Certainly the man had been involved with something in the pub, but all she could go on was what she had seen. And what she had seen was three men attacking another and each other.

Two of the guards instantly nodded and leaped into actions, clubs drawn as they went to subdue the delinquents. She was still watching as the dark-haired man disappeared up the stairs with a wink. The gesture made her blush slightly, but not much more than she would have had anyone else done the same thing. A lot of people wanted her hand in marriage considering that she was to be Empress one day. So it was that she had become desensitized to little actions like those over the years. But that didn't mean she didn't find it sweet.

Hard as it had been in the flurry of action, she did recognize him as the heir to the Pewter House, Rayner. They had never had much interaction, but she had met him as well as the others before. It was important for the Lords and Ladies to be sociable, even with their children, of course.

After another ten minutes it seemed, the City Watch came through and took away the three men. Most likely, they would get minor charges on delinquency and drunkenness, but that was about it. No one appeared to have been killed in the fray. The Watchmen treated it as an annoyance more than anything, which seemed to prove her suspicions. As they were hauled away in the specialized railcar, her other two guards rejoined her as they waited on a response from whomever was inside the Warehouse.

Getting a touch impatient, she knocked again, though louder. She was really looking forward to seeing how the flying machine was going. The thought of one day flying it set her heart a flutter and brought a smile to her face. Piloting a mere ship was already an amazing act. How much more amazing would it be to join the birds themselves in the air?

"Master Talworth? Are you in there?" she called out as she knocked once again. She knew that they had trouble hearing in their sometimes, so it was hard to be angry with them for not responding. The thought that they weren't in there never even crossed her mind. There was always someone in the Warehouse. "Crispin? Anyone?"

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#6
Old 01-06-2013, 03:49 AM

Melodie Genevieve Rassignol

When the fight first broke out, Genna stared disbelievingly from her perch near the battered and slightly off-key piano. In the world she came from, people didn't just hit each other. Fortunately for her, the girl who'd come in with Rayner had more sense. She shoved the stunned girl behind the piano and pushed her head down just as splinters started flying. "You can't just stand there in the middle of a fight, dummy."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I've never been in a fight before." Genna smiled at the strange yellow-haired girl in the low-cut gown. Inwardly she was dancing with glee at the success of her disguise. No one ever treated the heiress of House Brass this way! It had taken quite a bribe to convince her chambermaid to buy a set of plain, 'common' clothes for her, but it was worth every penny to be able to blend in like this. "What do we do now?"

The trollop stared at the strange girl's wide blue eyes and innocent smile, and shook her head. "What we do now is keep down and wait for the Watch to show up."

"The... Watch?" Genna bit one of her rosebud lips and looked around in alarm. What if she got in trouble! Her parents would find out! "Is... is there a way we could get away before they come?"

The question elicited another stare, but the blonde seemed to decide this innocent needed a keeper. "Yeah... that's probably not a bad idea. I've had a few too many run-ins with the watch lately. Follow me, and if I say run, you run... oh, and by the way, my name's Della."

"Thank you so much, Della. I really appreciate this, it's just that if I get in any trouble they'll never let me out again..." Genna's sigh of relief was interrupted by a wince at the discordant sound of breaking glass. It jarred her sensitive ears even more than the occasional sour notes of the piano had. The jarring, however, reminded her of her manners. "My name's Genna. It's nice to meet you."

Della stared again, completely baffled by the strange girl. Innocence and manners like this were even further outside her experience than bar fights were from Genna's. "Okaay... Just... follow me. It sounds like the fight's going outside, we should be able to get away easy before the watch shows up."

The two women weren't the only ones slipping out the back door of the pub to avoid notice by the City Watch. Della led the raven-haired girl along the alley to a set of narrow steps that lead to the road above. At the foot of the steps, Della paused to check her reflection in a rain barrel. She pouted slightly at the reflection and gave a touch to her bleached hair and a quick adjustment to her chest in its ill-fitting corsetry. Almost as an afterthought, she dabbed a bit of color onto her lips before starting up the steps. "So, what was a girl like you doing in a place like that?"

"I was listening to the music... it was so wonderful! It made me want to sing, and dance!" Genna had reached the top step by the time she got to the word 'dance', and she punctuated it with a happy pirouette onto the street.





The door opened quickly as Cassandra called out, revealing an apprentice's anxious face. "Your Highness! I'm so sorry it took so long! I was upstairs and didn't hear your knock. Please, come in. They're expecting you."

The apprentice hurried toward the workshop, then paused and came back, realizing it wasn't appropriate to rush royalty. The trip through the Warehouse seemed very long, sprinkled as it was with the boy's endless and awkward apologies, but it didn't really take very long for them to reach it.

The mechanics standing around had their backs to the opening door as the machine was started. Black smoke belched from underneath the sheet, accompanied by horrible screeching and clanking noises. A grease-smeared hand appeared from under the muffling cloth and Crispin's voice rang out. "Give me a number eight pentagonal wrench!"

The tool was produced quickly, and the awful noises suddenly stopped. There were a few moments of heart-pounding silence, followed by an abrupt explosion. Crispin staggered out of the resulting cloud of smoke, coughing but waving the wrench triumphantly. Behind him, the machine had assumed the regulated ticking it was designed for. "Cam was installed crooked, and the timing belt was set in wrong. I sorted it... oh... Hello, Princess."

Crispin's smile was brilliant against his soot-blackened face, and he offered his hand in greeting, forgetting it was still coated in grease and soot.

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#7
Old 01-06-2013, 04:48 AM

Rayner grinned and checked over his outfit on his way up the side stairs. His hair was tossed all about and little bits of glass still stuck into his heavy jacket. He couldn't believe his luck, getting the princess to blush like that... who did he think he was?

Well that was an easy question. He chuckled and managed to reach the top of the staircase looking a measurable amount fairer than he had flying through the window a moment ago. Rayner touched his upper lip once and looked at his fingers idly, using the light to check to see if they were stained blood red. He didn't expect them to be, really, but they were causing him to do a double-take. Rayner wiped the blood away quickly and looked up at Della and her friend.

"Well, look at these two!" 'Mischief' said, sliding his arms around their shoulders. He looked up at Della, then Genna with a flirtatious smile "Two brilliant gems loose from their setting..."

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#8
Old 01-06-2013, 05:34 AM

"Well, if it isn't Mischief himself." Della planted her hands on her hips and eyed the well-dressed rogue. Well-dressed by Della's standards, anyway. Those of his own rank would be appalled at such clothing. "Genna, this is Mischief. You'd probably be smarter to stay away from him."

"How do you do, Mr... Mischief." Genna curtsied, glad for the excuse to look down and hide her blushes. She'd never had a man look at her that way before... especially not one of her own class. She recognized him. It wasn't difficult, really, as the heir of Pewter was one of the few non-relatives she'd met. So I'm not the only one who goes out... who gets tired of the rules and routines. I wonder if I should tell him...

Meanwhile, Della was considering being insulted by Mischief's easy addition of Genna to the party, but only briefly. She was a professional, and Genna's innocence would never be able to hold the bold man's attention. Besides, Della was confident in the superiority of her bright green taffeta and carefully bleached and arranged hair over the other girl's brown homespun and unbound curls. Granted, the taffeta was water-stained and ill-fitting, but that didn't reduce it at all in Della's eyes. The internal catalogue of her advantages was cut off abruptly when she realized Genna was still talking to Mischief.

"I loved the music they were playing... do you know of anywhere else they play anything like that?"

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#9
Old 01-06-2013, 05:55 AM

"To stay away? Della... Is that because you want me all to yourself?" 'Mischief' winked and sized up Genna. The curtsey was the first thing he found bizarre about her... the she downright blushed! He raised a brow at her. With a bit of a chuckle he took her hand and kissed it, the gesture was given an overly performed flourish as if to make it outlandish and mocking- which was his intent- so that she and any onlookers might get a laugh out of the ridiculousness of his behavior. "And how do -you- do Miss Genna?"

A glimmer could have just rested itself on the corner of his grin but Della was onto them it seemed. He rolled his eyes and looked over the blonde woman knowingly "There's that tavern down on the end of Silver street if you want to go that far..." Mischief slid his arm around the back of her waist loosely and casually as if it were something perfectly acceptable to do. "Or I suppose there's another one closer but the prices are a little high." He made a face... it was a finer establishment than those he'd prefer and he was certain they would be directed to sit in the back somewhere out of sight. Well... with two lovely ladies like he had in his company he wouldn't mind sitting out of sight, really, but the principle of the thing was that they were catering to a class he didn't feel ought to command any more respect or pay than the one he identified with. "They'd only play a few songs if any, though... It's probably not late enough for good music to be on, anyhow. Let's get on to Silver street."

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#10
Old 01-06-2013, 06:49 AM

"It's because she's a good girl, and you're definitely not good." Della walked beside him with her head high in the air. She was definitely insulted... but not enough to abandon him to a rival, even if the silly girl didn't seem to realize she was a rival.

Genna giggled as Rayner flamboyantly kissed her hand, although she couldn't hide a bit of a blush. She would definitely have someone to talk to the next time her parents sent her to a party. "Silver Street sounds good... wherever there's music. Will there be dancing? I want to dance!"

Genna gave another little spin, enjoying the freedom of a gown without corsets. Of course, she didn't wear corsets when she was singing or playing an instrument, but there were particular outfits for those activities, which restricted in other ways. Even the dance gowns she wore when she trained with the ballerinas were restrictive in their own way. Not that her parents would ever allow their daughter to dance on stage, but they agreed it was good for her to have exercise and stay in shape. This simple dress the maid had gotten her, though, was so easy to move in that even walking felt like dancing.

Raynar and Della walked far too slowly to suit Genna's enthusiasm, but rather than hurry them she expressed her happiness by tripping lightly across the cobblestones in a dance she invented as she went along. She noticed, to her fascination, that while the paving stones in the Bronze sector of the city were pale brown and square, the ones in Iron were rust-colored and vaguely triangular. It's too bad Mother will never let me have the windows open in the carriage... I'd like to know if the Gold sector is really paved with gold-- and what's on the streets nearest the Imperial palace!

Suddenly the cobbles underfoot were round, and a pale grey flecked with mica that caused the street to sparkle faintly. She looked up at her companions to call their attention to the change. "Oh, we must be almost there! Look how the streets are silver now! Isn't it lovely?"

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#11
Old 01-06-2013, 10:06 AM

Elzé & Odelia

Hands intertwined between the pair, Ode looked over at her twin the vehicle going over a bump. “Oh…” she said causing El to look over at her. She smiled, it was so simple to get her sister’s attention and she pulled her in to an embrace. Smoothing the silk collar and adjusting the pendant. “You were beginning to look messy El.” El nodded as her sister made sure everything about her outfit was perfect. El’s outfit was short and cute, it had a silk silver shirt and a stone colored bodice and skirt. She wore knee high stone colored boots to finish off the outfit. With all the ruffles she wore it seemed to have Ode worried someone would see El and connect their family to something other than being perfect. She had made sure, even under her sister’s name, to do everything in a way that would be approved of. For now her messy brown hair was pulled back in to the same bunches as her sister, it was the one thing they both loved to do with their appearance.

Ode’s outfit was more masculine and figure hugging. The ripped jeans didn’t even bother her, she liked them, her outfit was otherwise the same stone grey as her sister’s except from the silver under-bust belt with shoulder straps. Her necklace was similar to her sisters, both were silver and both were lockets of one form or another. Els was an open locket, the tear drop containing a picture of her mother, Ode’s was a small heart locket, inside was a picture of her mother holding both her and her sister.

“I want to walk from here.” She heard El speak up and the driver stopped letting both girls step out from the carriage. El first and Ode second, Ode grabbed her sister’s hand as soon as her ankle boots hit the ground. They headed down silver road and to the Tavern, they wanted to enjoy the music and grab a drink, which they could do due to their influence more than their age. Ode paused for a second and pulled her hair up and put a cap on to throw off the resemblance, the mousey brown strands escaping but not much. She was looking more and more tom-boyish by the second.

“El… do you think, father will punish us again.” El nodded and Ode sighed. “You don’t sound too worried, but it’s your turn to be grounded…” El looked at her, her azure eyes gazing in to the identical pair they found.

“I was getting bored of all those parties father was taking me to anyway, so tag… you’re it…” she said softly tapping Ode’s shoulder. The pair walked in to the tavern and sat close to the door, in case they had to run out without much warning. Drinking a pint of warm cider each, sipping it in silence, merely enjoying being out of the house, together.

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#12
Old 01-06-2013, 07:40 PM

Alexander Valerius Gustavsson


The Gold Sector, gated off to the public, is home to the members of the Gold House and their lower-class "helpers". Not very many got the chance in their lifetime to see it, and those who did were usually servants, or shunned and placed in the Lead class afterwards because they were thieves or lurking in places where one was not meant to lurk. Because of their secrecy, Gold House holds many trade secrets unknown to those outside of the house. (Thus, nobody from any other houses are able to use their techniques). This area is often detached from the others and only showing up to formal banquets or parties, when they're on official business, or when they're visiting the town and markets ... although a few members of the Gold House have opened their own shops in town. Because of this, most of the members of the Gold House are relatively safe from the assassins and the plague...for now.

The Gold Workshop, prized for its aesthetically pleasing architecture and extremely valuable net worth, rests nestled in the direct middle of the gold sector of Morshall. Designed with the thought of the jewelry-makers and silk-weavers in mind, the workshop boasts a rather lavish setting for a working area and even a drinks bar for the tired worker. But of course, only the best for the second most powerful house in all of Morshall.

"That's it, easy does it..." Axel's eyes locked onto the gem as he moved it towards the base of the tiara. It was his latest masterpiece, and according to the clock ticking away on the wall, he'd been working on it for the past four hours. It was designed specially for the princess as per her orders, and the only part that remained was to place the final gem into its setting and let the glue dry. He pressed the gem into place, and held it there until he felt that it was ready to polish off. The handsome young male spun the tiara around in his hands, and got up out of his workbench to place Cassandra's tiara in a glass showcase when a messenger burst into the room, his hair messy and his clothes rumpled. "A-Axel Gustavsson!" The boy panted as he read off the piece of paper. "Urgent need of help from the head of the Mithril House."

"Goodness!" Axel was shocked by the sudden intrusion, and had almost tripped over his own feet and dropped the tiara in his surprise. "Will you knock before you burst in like that next time, please?" He heaved a deep sigh and locked up the tiara in the case. "Go on, then. What is it that he needs from me?"

"There was a fight that broke out at the tavern near the Bronze Warehouse, and he wants you to inspect the damages done so that the one who did the damage will pay the price." The messenger read off the paper, and looked at the older man. "That is all."

"Ah, for god's sake." He scratched his head and leaned against his desk. "For the last time, I am a mercenary, not an inspector!" Axel huffed and picked up his official Mithril House coat, shrugging his arms and shoulders into it, and then buttoning it up. "And I hate the thought of going into that disease-riddled town." He made a face that displayed just how much he hated the thought of becoming infected by the plague. "But I guess I have to do whatever he wants me to do..." Axel thought for a moment, looking out of his window to the streets below. "Tell him that I'll get to work on it."

"Y-yes!" The young boy was, no doubt, a bit frightened by Axel's intimidating figure and his behavior. He dashed off and nearly clipped another jewelry-maker in the face on his way down the stairs.

------------------------

By the time Axel reached the cavern, the place was already in a mess, glass littered on the floor and two burly men inside cursing about some "little rat" and something about "payback". The mercenary just rolled his eyes. Fighting about such petty things when there was an epidemic spreading around. "Gentlemen?" He called out to the two incredibly well-built men and cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Now, just who did this?" Axel pointed to the damaged window and looked at the two of them.

"It wasn't us!" One of them exclaimed. He was wearing a bowler hat and a rather distasteful set of clothes. His nose was at an incredibly odd angle, and Axel assumed that it had been broken. "It was that little, son of a-" The worker growled, then stopped himself from cursing when he saw Axel giving him a raised eyebrow. "That heir of the Pewter house." The guy with the bowler hat continued. "Y'know, that...one."

Axel sighed. Of course, he should've known. "You mean Rayner?" He took down notes and put the notepad back in his pocket. That was "Mischief's" second window-smashing in just this week alone. "And do you know where he went off to?"

"Well, he did have a girl with him." The second man replied, and pointed off into the direction of Silver Road.

"Okay, thank you for your time. I have to leave." Axel just nodded and left, looking for that little troublemaker. He'd have to do something about him once and for all...

"Hey, aren't you going to do something for us...?" The two men were left in the tavern, watching him walk away.

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#13
Old 01-06-2013, 09:15 PM

Smiling at the boy, Cass followed him into the Warehouse, her guards fanning out upon entering. The sight of them noticeably inspecting everything and everyone that happened to catch there eyes made her shake her head, though they never seemed to notice that. Paranoid was what they were, or at least that was how she saw them. "It's fine, really," she said, both to herself and the apologetic apprentice.

As they entered the workshop where the craft was being built, the screeching set her teeth on edge. No matter how often she had come by, she could never get used to those kinds of sounds. However, the rhythmic sound that it took up once Crispin had fixed it was rather soothing. The explosion had caused the lot of them to jump back a bit in surprise, some less voluntarily than others. Carefully removing the guard's hands from her upper arm, Cass turned to address the heir.

"Are you and it okay?" she asked, taking his hand with a smile as she thought about what her father would say. Still, it was clear from her expression that she was concerned for his well-being. "That couldn't have been very good for either of you at least." The guards were finally starting to relax, though they eyed anyone who walked within ten yards of her. That was typically the optimum shooting distance of a small, concealable, pistol.

Upon verifying that he wasn't merely going to keel over dead, she continued, her eagerness clearly leaking into her voice, "How's progress coming?" All of the parts and tools lying around were, for the most part, incomprehensible to her, though she did recognize a few that were used for tuning vehicles that a pilot would keep on board, but that was about it. "Is the engine almost... operational?"

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#14
Old 01-06-2013, 11:43 PM

"A little smoke won't hurt me." Crispin grinned and removed his sooty glasses, knocking off the oculars that had been on top of his head. He let out a muffled curse and grabbed for the expensive eyepieces, catching them just before they hit the ground and further traumatizing Cassandra's guards by the sudden movement. He spotted the apprentice-- or at least he assumed the bronze-clad blob near the door was an apprentice, it was hard to tell without his glasses on, and waved him over. "Could you take these back to my workshop, please?"

The apprentice hurried out, and Crispin searched through his pockets to find a handkerchief. He turned back to Cassandra and polished his glasses. "The mechanism will be fine... the timing was just off, and it interfered with the exhaust. When I fixed it, the pressure all got released at once. It should work fine, now."

A quick squint at his glasses showed a clear view, and he put them back on before turning thoughtful bronze eyes on the draped machine. "She'll probably be ready for a test flight tomorrow, but we have direct orders from your father that you are not to go up until she's been tested and fine-tuned."

Knowing Cassandra would be disappointed by that, he gave a conspiratorial grin. He liked the princess, and understood her passion for piloting. It seemed very similar to his own for building and inventing. "I think he's trying to delay things as long as possible, but we plan on having her ready for you by your birthday."

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#15
Old 01-07-2013, 01:25 AM

Mischief laughed and shook his head "There's dancing anywhere you want to go, beautiful." He was almost sure by her innocence that the girl was simple, but her eyes were far to sharp for that. They weaved their way through the streets to the Silver district when Genna chimed in again about the cobblestones. He couldn't hold in a snarky laugh at her enthusiasm for the change in paving style and looked at her disbelievingly. "Where have you been to not notice that? Each of the districts has their own road managers, doll, so they have their own style to suit the wishes of the wigs that run them. Silver district is pretty flashy but you should some Gold and Platinum...you'd swear they have nothing better to spend their money on... like the plague doesn't won't bleeding bother them."

He opened the door to the drinking hall and gestured them to head inside toward the music that plucked itself off of the player-piano. The mint colored wall coverings took the edge off of the warmth of the room, made apparent by the ruddy faces of those enjoying their drinks, friends and dances. It was a lovely place, much nicer than the place they had left, but not nearly as lively. Mischief followed the ladies in the door, tugging at his lapels to ensure they were straight and would lay flat against his chest while they approached the bar. "Vermouth, three glasses of it for these two angels and myself." he called to the barkeeper who didn't look impressed at all by him. The last time Mischief had made an appearance there two bottles of whiskey went missing... and so did the barkeeper's daughter. To Mischief's credit she returned to her family before the night was over with a bright red hand... and he returned home with a bright red mark on his face.

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#16
Old 01-07-2013, 02:04 AM

"My family is... protective. They don't let me leave the house much." Genna looked around the room with delight, then confided, "I snuck out tonight. They were all going somewhere, and they think I'm asleep with a sore throat."

Rayner's comment made her conscious that her actions were making her stand out, and she determined to do better. But it was so hard! The people were all so different, and the dancing was like nothing she'd ever seen. It had none of the fairylike grace of ballet, nor was it the stately measures of the formal dances at the parties she'd attended. This was music for real people. People who didn't stand on their toes until their feet bled or lace their corsets so tightly they could barely breathe. And the player piano! She knew such things existed, of course, but her father had always scorned them, saying Bronzes should keep their noses out of music.

Genna kept silent, but her eyes sparkled and her face practically glowed with delight as she perched on a barstool. She took a tiny sip of vermouth, wary of the burn of alcohol. This was far more potent than the genteel wines and champagnes she was accustomed to.

On the other side of Mischief from Genna, Della leaned on the bar and drained her glass in a single swallow. "Another."

The bartender looked at Mischief for confirmation before pouring a second glass, and then a third as the second was drained. Della smiled at her companions. "They have good stuff here... aren't you going to drink that, Genna?"

Genna blushed and took a slightly larger sip of the herbal wine. "I don't have much money... and this is probably expensive..."

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#17
Old 01-07-2013, 02:28 AM

Ode frowned as her sister got up, heading to the bar alone. Ode remained at their table, head lowered slightly. “Barkeep…” Elze began softly before hearing the comment of a girl at the bar. She thought she recognized Genna from somewhere but with the alcohol she couldn’t quite place it. She smiled to the barkeep that happily walked over. He knew the girl well, or thought he did. She smiled sweetly, “Let her try what she wants you can charge me for it… as for me…” she pushed off the bar counter. “I’ll take a bottle of Orca black, two glasses and 2 ice cold Ciders.” She didn’t enjoy going to the bar so the nights drinks were ordered now.

Ode may have had her head lowered but her eyes were tailored on her sweet sister, she wasn’t going to walk over and blow their secret on a possibility, she however did recognize Genna, she knew who she was and wondered what she was doing here, the only explanation she could come up with, was that just like them; she had snuck out.

El bowed her head to Genna giving a slight curtsy as she did “please enjoy yourself tonight.” She bashfully muttered before turning to head back to the table knowing the drinks would be bought to them.

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#18
Old 01-07-2013, 02:58 AM

"Something tells me that you've gotten more than a "little" in your lifetime, Crispin," Cass said, smiling softly as she examined the engine. It was only because of her experience with vehicles that she could identify how most of it worked. Some of the parts were completely foreign to her, specifically created for the purpose of making it fly. Turning to her guards as on actually pulled out his pistol halfway before he realized Crispin was merely catching his goggles, she said, "You guys go and set up a perimeter or something. Leave one here, but go around the walls. You all are entirely too jumpy to do a good job of guarding me."

The lot of them hesitated only a few moments before they dispersed, choosing strategic positions around the large, open room. "I'm dreadfully sorry for that," she apologized, causing the remaining guard to blush as he continued to scan the area for potential threats.

The thought that the machine was fine did brighten her mood a bit, an effect only magnified by the thought of it being ready for a test flight soon. "Truly, I would be a fool to expect anything less by now," she said, still smiling though a bit weaker. She had been hoping to sneak on without his permission, but it seemed that that plan wouldn't come to fruition.

"Knowing father, that wouldn't be much of a surprise," she replied, remembering the horrified expression on his face when she'd told him of her idea. It had taken weeks of pointing out the benefits to the Empire for him to agree with her. But the thought of being able to fly it on her birthday brought the grin back to her face in full in addition to the irresistible urge to wrap Crispin in a hug and thank him repeatedly, all with the added bonus of giving the guard next to her a heart attack.

"Speaking of my birthday, will you be at the party?" she said, wincing as she did so. It was almost expected of everyone who was anyone to be there, though that was mainly because the Lords and Ladies of the Houses wanted to make sure that the Emperor saw their support. All of the political scheming was rather disgusting at times. "You know how Papa loves to throw large parties for Mother and I."

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#19
Old 01-07-2013, 03:39 AM

"A little honest smoke can't be that bad for me. I've heard House Gold is importing some new herb specifically because people like to inhale its smoke. They call it 'tabak', or something like that." Crispin idly used his fine linen handkerchief to polish away some of the soot marks on the side of the untried airship while she spoke to her guards. It took him a moment to realize she was speaking to him again.

"Sorry for what?" He asked, puzzled. The reactions of the guards had completely escaped his notice-- and would have even if he had been wearing his glasses at the time. His mother often despaired over his obliviousness to anything around him that didn't go 'tick'.

It wasn't quite as bad as Lady Bronze feared. He did notice Cassandra's disappointment at not being the first to fly the airship. He began climbing the short ladder into the ship. Proper etiquette, of course, dictated ladies first, but he'd learned from past lectures that the Emperor did not approve of his daughter being the first one to enter an untried and untested vehicle."I could show you the controls... you probably know most of them, of course, but being able to say we'd educated you about it would probably help ease your father's mind."

"Party?"
He paused in the doorway of the airship. "Ohh, that must be why Mother dragged me to the tailor's yesterday. It took all day, and I had so many other things I wanted to do..."

Crispin realized he was complaining about a party to the person in whose honor it was being held, and hurried to redeem himself. "I'm looking forward to going, of course! I just hate getting new clothes. Standing on that little stool for hours accomplishing nothing while strangers stick me with pins."

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#20
Old 01-07-2013, 05:02 AM

"That explains a few things--" Mischief said, his eyes and thoughts trailing behind Della and the free-flow of drink and his money.

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" he jumped up and pulled the glass away from Della "What are you doing? This isn't some nasty cheap brew that's been watered down there, girl! It's the real thing..." Mischief furrowed his brows and turned to the barman "No more for her, not on my purse at least."

She, of course, didn't look amused by his comment and he scowled back at her. He drew in close and lowered his voice as to save her a little embarrassment "Just sip at it slowly, alright? Dignified like... Folks around this district are a bit grander and picky about how things are done, right?" His words caught up with him and he looked darkly at the barman and anyone else looking on. Mischief continued softly "Not that they deserve anyone to behave differently... just do it on another man's purse."

He remembered Genna suddenly and looked incredulously at her "Wait... They're letting you stay in for a sore throat?"

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#21
Old 01-07-2013, 06:43 AM

"Yes... they're very protective, like I said. They don't want my voice ruined." Genna looked down, feeling a little embarrassed. Inspiration struck her suddenly. No one would think it odd if a singer was careful of her throat, and singers came from all walks of life. "I sing, you see..."

Elze's offer surprised Genna, and she returned the curtsy with one of her own and a shy smile. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Meanwhile, Della was sulking and nursing the last glass slowly. She'd been so excited when the infamous Mischief had started paying attention to her, but the day had been steadily going downhill since then. First, they'd run into a former client of hers, whose sneering remarks had started the fight that evicted them from the tavern near the Bronze Warehouse where she usually did her drinking. Then, he started flirting with that babyfaced little twit. And now he was refusing to buy drinks for her!

To add insult to injury, the silver-clad waif offered to pay for anything Genna wanted to drink! Seething, Della determined to get his attention back. To get everyone's attention. She set her glass down and linked her arm with Mischief's. "Mischief, baby... wanna dance? Maybe Genna can sing for us."

Genna looked up, intrigued. "I've never really sung for a crowd like this... I'd like to try, though."

Before anyone could respond, Genna hurried over to the player piano. It took only a moment to find the switch to shut down the playing mechanism, and the music resumed as soon as her fingers found the keys. Giddily aware that all eyes in the tavern were on her, Genna launched into a lively tune from a popular comic opera. Her clear voice cut through all other noises in the bar. By the time she was done, everyone in the room was singing along, at least on the chorus, and she was inundated with requests for more.

Della's expression grew cold and she clenched Mischief's arm tightly. Then, the final straw, the bartender set a wooden bowl on top of the piano. A bowl that quickly filled up with tips for the impromptu performance. She began trying to pull Mischief toward the door. "Let's get out of here."

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#22
Old 01-08-2013, 09:27 AM

Slowly strolling up Silver street, Axel yawned. Was there really nothing better to do than chase after the city's prime troublemaker? He could have taken up the offer for a meeting about some new herb that Gold House was importing and tea with the rest of the members, but no, he'd insisted that he would work on his crafting. Well, look at just where that got him now. Leisurely walking along, his attention was caught when a tune started to play from the inside of a pretty well-known bar. He took time to peek inside one of the windows, and by that time there was also singing added along to the tune. Axel had to admit, that voice was nice. Soothing and clear, and definitely showed hours and hours of training to perfect. He caught a look at the performer's face, and she looked awfully familiar. He couldn't quite match her face with a name, though.

Eyes wandering to the rest of the people in the bar, Axel saw someone whose face he did recognize. "Well, would you look at that." He shook his head in disbelief. "What a coincidence." The little troublemaker he had been searching for the past good half of an hour has just appeared right in front of his eyes. And not only that, but he had a girl stuck onto his arm like a cat clinging to a tree. Axel opened the door of the bar and walked inside, deciding that it would be best if he got a drink and watched what Mischief would do instead of directly confronting him. Axel sat down at the end of the bar, and ordered a drink.

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#23
Old 01-08-2013, 10:13 AM

Mischief had tried to make a comment before Genna sprung to action but she was away far too soon to stop her. Right away she played along some music that was equally lively as it was lovely and he could resist Della's coaxing to dance no longer. They joined the other merry-makers on the dance floor which was quickly growing crowded. No matter! Mischief grinned at Della and as they swung around again out stretched his leg and he kicked the most offensive table back and out of their way. This wouldn't have sat very well with those who had left their drinks on it so they might dance, and it definitely didn't sit well with the barkeeper who only caught enough of a glimpse of the act to watch him closely in case it was repeated... Which is was.

"You're quite good at twirling, Della, have you been dancing often?" Mischief grinned and swung the woman around only to catch her close and move back toward the middle of the dance floor. Throwing chaos into the once somewhat orderly arrangement of dancers added wonderfully to the madness in the room. People were bumping into one another and tables and chairs were being bounced outward here and there. Mischief grinned impishly when he and Della saw a quite lordly fellow trip over a table leg and burst into laughter when another dipped his wife over the back of a chair and, not knowing what to do about it immediately, left her hanging there for some moments. Of course he was smart enough not to be looking directly at the pair when he laughed, but it was certainly easy enough to find him doubled over with his hand on his stomach and just about convulsing in giggles if you had been watching for the little scoundrel.

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#24
Old 01-08-2013, 11:29 AM

El was more than happy to dance and join in with the merry-making, she didn’t mind that she got jostled slightly, Ode did. When a particularly clumsy couple danced knocking El to the ground, ode was on her feet pushing through the crowds, the hat knocked off but she didn’t care as she pulled El up to her feet. “You need to be more careful…” she hadn’t thought about it but at the time but how she had pulled her sister up was with their hands locked and the other arm round her waist. A few guys whistled and she rolled her eyes, it was something that she would never understand. El corrected her outfit best she could.

Ode had seen exactly where the trouble had started, feeling anger boil in her over the fact her sister almost got hurt, she didn’t hesitate to storm over to the man, she knew him but it wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t know her. “You could get someone hurt acting like that…” she said before turning to storm off back to El. He didn’t deserve much more from her than that. El had been standing by the door when someone new had entered and headed to the bar to get a drink.

Ode also headed to the bar unable to face her sister who would look at her so sad for getting so worked up over it all. She looked to the barkeep who was looking between the pair and sighed softly “Don’t ask, and if you tell anyone… well it won’t be wise to do so…” she said simply before adding. “Give me your strongest wine, just a glass of it, and…” looking back to the table. “just the one drink…” El had gone back to enjoying the dancing with the others there.

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#25
Old 01-10-2013, 02:48 AM

Like mist before the sun, Della's sulks vanished instantly when the dancing started. Dancing with Mischief was like dancing with a whirlwind. A mischievous whirlwind, appropriately enough. She giggled when chairs were kicked, and the spin into the middle of the crowd produced a bray of coarse laughter from her at the chaos it caused. The angry glares and shocked murmurs of the crowd were a balm to her disgruntled soul. There was no place Della would rather be than the center of attention, and it didn't matter if the attention was good or bad. In this case, bad was even better after her earlier humiliation. "I'd meant we could go somewhere and maybe do a different kind of dancing... but this is fun, too."

Genna, meanwhile, was in heaven. A grizzled old tavern musician had joined her on his fiddle after the first song, and he was now teaching her a tongue-tying song about a tree in a bog. It was the first time she'd ever met a musician who wasn't from House Brass, but she was delighted at the way he'd immediately taken her under his wing. Her parents would have been appalled at her association with someone so rough, but she couldn't find any fault with the way he treated her, not even his calling her 'baby sister'.

Over the course of a few songs, the fiddler dropped bits of advice, and Genna felt she was learning more useful and practical things than she had in all her years of studying with proper tutors. Certainly he was neither as musically talented nor as well-trained as any of her tutors, but he was a brilliant showman, and it occurred to her that showmanship could be just as important as talent or training. After all, what good was talent if the song was boring? It was from the fiddler that she learned the bowl of coins on top of the piano was meant for her, and she had to take care not to stare at it in awe. She had never earned anything before. It was a novel experience... and an exciting one! There was a surge of triumph every time another coin dropped into the bowl, and an even greater surge when someone brought drinks over 'for the musickers.'

It was while Genna was thirstily draining the tankard of its contents that she spotted Axel Gustavsson, and recognized her earlier benefactress as Elze of House Silver. She nearly choked on the honey-tart flavored drink she had been handed, surprised at their presence. That put four House heirs in the same tavern... which almost had to mean she was the only one who had never ventured out alone before. After all, it defied belief that all four should have made an escape on the same day. She had always known she was a bit sheltered, but it seemed she had been practically a prisoner her whole life. She finished the drink, feeling dizzy with the revelation-- or perhaps the dizziness came from the unnamed beverage. It was hard to tell, but it was a rather invigorating feeling, and she turned back to the piano.

If they're all here, my presence can hardly be improper, can it? And it isn't as if they're likely to recognize me. No one outside of Brass has ever seen me without enough flour on my face to make a wedding cake and so many layers of frills and lace that I look like a wedding cake, too! Having a drink and singing for the crowd is a perfectly harmless way to occupy my time, and Elze Mercer is even dancing. And besides, it's so much fun!

Conscience eased, Genna started in on a racy song she wasn't supposed to know. An apprentice had been sentenced to a tedious month of transcribing complicated chorale music for showing her a broadsheet copy of the music and lyrics after she asked him what he was humming. The broadsheet had been confiscated, but it had been a simple matter to rescue it when the singing teacher was distracted, and she'd committed the contents to memory. The tune was catchy, even if the lyrics didn't make a lot of sense to her. They apparently made sense to the crowd, however, because the first verse set people to laughing so hard she improvised an instrumental break to let them recover, and the level of coins in the bowl rose even higher.

 


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