[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EJqBY0V.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SWuKAAn.png[/img] [h2][color 4169e1]Vitus[/color] & [color be4238]Liv[/color][/h2][/center] [center][color=silver][hr]𝓝𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝟕𝓽𝓱, 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟕 / / 𝓐𝓾𝓼𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓭 / / 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓪𝓷'𝓼 𝓔𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓮 / / 𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰[hr][/color][/center] Liv had been restless through the entire carriage ride, her displeasure at being locked into a confined space with few places to hide and fewer things to steal thinly veiled beneath small, fidgeting motions. The behavior hadn't stopped even when the carriage had come to a stop, and had certainly not stopped when the servants--[i]servants that...would actually listen to her? That was odd[/i]--had asked whether the two would be sharing a room. Having a room was, of course, practically unheard of as far as Liv was concerned. The thief gave a noncommittal gesture in response, leaving the ultimate decision to her partner. Partner. The term rolled in her head as she mulled over it, only partially paying attention to the tour at hand. Prior to being bonded to the noble, Liv wouldn't have used the word "partner" to describe Vitus. Victim, target, mark, even [i]adversary[/i] were all better matches, but partner? That word was reserved for the gutter trash that she'd spent her life around. People that helped her steal coin or escape from watchmen or guards on their scent, not people that lived in estates ripe for the picking. The entire situation was still unwieldy, clumsy with uncertainty that both tantalized and terrified Liv with the unknown. [i]'[color=be4238]So we ask for something an' they'll give it?[/color]'[/i] Liv questioned, the convenience of not having the words out in the open to be questioned outweighing the fact that she wasn't fond of speaking without using her voice. The thief made no attempt to mask the slight level of distaste at the concept. [i]'[color=be4238]S'what it's like to be you?[/color]'[/i] Meanwhile, Vitus had already stepped out of the carriage, running his hand through his perfectly maintained hair and taking a deep breath. Good, clean air. Truly, it was one of the few things money couldn't purchase. But this was certainly no time to lollygag about and gawk at the scenery; that much would be for later. The duo had business to attend to, after all! "[color 4169E1]One room. Two beds. A decent view of the garden, if such a room is available.[/color]" Vitus said curtly, stepping down from the carriage. There was absolutely no reason to waste the time on long-winded explanations, especially when it was just the help. He wasn't being rude, obviously; he was just being expedient. Really, it made it easier on all of them. A small thought crossed his mind as he strolled past the servants, quickly turning him back around to face them. "[color 4169e1]And a small bowl of mint candies for the little one.[/color]" 'The little one.' His unwitting companion in this whole adventure. Truly, it was a miracle that he'd managed to pry the little rodent from his rafters, much less get her to agree to the bonding. It was an opportunity for greatness, one that he certainly wasn't going to miss because a street urchin didn't want to play along. But it was to her benefit as well; maybe a few items went missing from the estate; heavens knew that seemed to happen frequently around him. Still, as much as he looked down upon her...[i]very[/i] far down upon her...he had a special little place in his heart for Liv. A battle of the brains, as it were. One that he'd just taken the upper hand in; there was no way she could steal his possessions if they shared the same room. It would be [i]far[/i] easier to keep an eye on her! Speaking of which, Liv was saying something. "[color 4169e1]No dearie, [i]I[/i] ask for something and they'll give it. Who knows what they'll do if you start running around making requests. They'll probably think you blew in from the outside and give you the boot![/color]" Vitus said, his voice making it clear that it was not intended as a joke. "[color 4169e1]But, to answer your second questionnaire; [i]this[/i],[/color]" He gave a wide flourish of the arms here, showing off an estate that did not belong to him, "[color 4169e1]...is what it's like to be me, yes.[/color]" "[color=be4238]S'weird.[/color]" Liv held back nothing as she moved after Vitus, nimble fingers raking through dark locks as she swept them behind her. The fact that they caught in tangles, only to subsequently rip a handful of strands out of place when she didn't stop against resistance, did nothing to slow her down. She glanced at the servants, aware that she could probably have stolen half of their belongings if she [i]really[/i] wanted to try her hand...but the thief did no such thing. Not until after she'd gotten a quick scope of the place, she reminded herself. Instead, she brought her focus back to her conversation with Vitus. "[color=be4238]What're ya supposed t' want if you just ask for it an' it's there?[/color]" Contrary to how legitimate her question was, the girl didn't seem to be giving it much weight. Instead of anxiously waiting for an answer, her attention was divided again between conversation and action. Liv glanced around the area as they walked, her attention not entirely focused on the servants so much as looking for potential escape routes--always better to have a way out than to be stuck in a worst case scenario. What kind of inquiry was that? Truly, Vitus could think of no other answers to the young rogue, save for the obvious one: "[color 4169e1]My word, what a ridiculous question! When you get to a grandiose stature such as this, why would you ever want to want? It's all at your fingertips! There's no need to [i]want[/i] or [i]desire[/i] anything when you get to this state; it's the end! The top![/color]" He was completely unaware of how uncomfortable Liv seemed to be in the situation; rather, he was marveling in the shadow of the structure. He was worried that he'd start to get homesick without his staff around, but with a place such as this...it was better than he could have dreamed of! ...well, not quite. He could dream of some [i]incredibly[/i] magnificent things, after all. "[color=be4238]Hm...[/color]" Liv mulled over the response. She wasn't surprised, but the thief could hardly say that she was convinced either. It might have been true, to a certain extent, that living in the lap of luxury was the height of achievement--she definitely knew her fair share of thieves that thought that to be the case--but she couldn't imagine it. Being restless felt like an integral part of her life, and being complacent was all but a foreign idea to the youth. How Vitus was completely at home without a hunger for [i]more[/i] was beyond her. She did not bother attempting to hide that either. "[color=be4238]Sounds borin'. I don' think I get the uh...[/color]" The word that she was looking for was on the tip of her tongue. Scrunching her face in a moment of concentration, the ragamuffin did her best to replace it with something that sounded relatively the same. "[color=be4238]Aplee? 'Sat the word?[/color]" "[color 4169e1]Ap[i]peal[/i], but that was close![/color]" Vitus said, in the same manner a teacher would speak to their kindergarten class. He'd subtly been trying to expand Liv's vocabulary since she'd been roosting in his house, to limited results. As far as he was aware, she could read a little bit, but he'd never actually found any notes [i]from[/i] the little urchin, so it was hard to tell if she could actually write. He'd be a little irritated if she couldn't, considering how much the calligraphy pen that had 'mysteriously vanished' was worth. "[color 4169e1]It's an acquired taste, I suppose. I'm sure if you got to taste the richness of it for yourself, you would wholeheartedly agree.[/color]" "[color=be4238]Acquired?[/color]" Liv frowned at the word, turned it over in her head, eventually giving up her attempts to understand it, marking the defeat with a shrug of her shoulders. "[color=be4238]So 's this a taste of the...[i]richness[/i]?[/color]" The physical words came accompanied by mental ones directed toward the man. [i]'[color=be4238]What's a uh...mem...[/color]'[/i] She fumbled the word a few times more. [i]'[color=be4238]The thing they said the garden is. Mem...memorl.[/color]'[/i] "[color 4169e1]It is a taste, savor it to the fullest extent of your abilities while you have the opportunity.[/color]" He was a little caught of guard to hear Liv's voice inside his head, but quickly shrugged it off. Perhaps she was just too embarrassed to speak the thought out loud. It would be a shame if that were the case, because Vitus responded out loud, instead of through the little telepathy they'd been given. "[color 4169e1]Mem-or-ree-al.[/color]" he said, carefully pronouncing the word for Liv. "[color 4169e1]It typically means that the structure is dedicated to someone. Like, it's in honor of, or something to remember them by. Usually for dead people though; you don't often find a memorial for someone that's still alive. We call that a 'tribute'.[/color]" A dedication to the dead--another thought that went a bit further than Liv's understanding. The girl stewed over it silently, uncertain of why anyone would want to be reminded [i]constantly[/i] of what had already passed. Outlived, outgrown, it didn't matter. Frowning to herself slightly, Liv raked her fingers through her hair in frustration, a hefty sigh coming with the action. Things were more complicated when the questions of where the next meal weren't involved. "[color=be4238]Rich folks're weird 'f they think 'bout dead people all the time.[/color]" Deciding that was plenty of new information for the day, Liv chose not to pursue the subject herself. Instead, she sped her pace up, hands fidgeting impatiently as her focus drifted from the tour again. She didn't bother trying to hide that either. "[color 4169e1]We don't think about them [i]all[/i] the time, dearie. But some people have had enormous impacts on other individuals, and those people would like to remember that.[/color]" Vitus said, trying to explain in the best way that he could. It was a rather difficult experience to convey if one had no prior knowledge of it. Still, it seemed his words may have been lost on her, as she appeared to be getting rather antsy again. "[color 4169e1]Shall we go look around the inside? I need to make sure the staff is familiar with you so that they don't try and chase you out, at least.[/color]" [hr] The tour of the estate had ended with little incident, primarily because Liv had decided that she did not, in fact, need to add to her collection of stolen goods quite yet. The thief was reasonably sure that wouldn't continue being the case with Avarice in her possession, but without the compulsion of "do or die", the motivation to steal without abandon had been dampened considerably. That, and Vitus had been there the entire damn time. It hadn't occurred to the girl that sharing a room with her partner would hamper her ability to indulge in procuring items that did not previously belong to her. That, fortunately (or unfortunately) had been the primary concern on the street rat's mind while they had prepared for the obligation of dinner. [i]Odd that the meal was an obligation and not a treat.[/I] The complaint only fell behind in Liv's priorities when it came to the hassle of dressing herself, her ratty old garments replaced by something that looked like it would fit a lady. A lady that Liv most certainly was [i]not[/i]. The folds of the fabric got in her way,stifling the ease of movement that she was accustomed to, frustrating her even when she'd finally managed to piece together what some of the additional items were. "[color=b24238]Can' I wear what I came in?[/color]" Liv questioned while struggling, for the third time, with how to manipulate the skirt of a dress without it catching or snagging on any of her personal belonging. "[color=be4238]Damn thing don' even move right![/color]" "[color 4169e1]Absolutely not.[/color]" Vitus said, adjusting in collar in front of a mirror. He'd been modest enough to wait the [i]frankly absurd[/i] amount of time it had taken for Liv to get herself dressed, but he needed to make sure he was immaculate. Of course, he would be wearing his traditional outfit; the colors of the Ayolous family proudly embroidered along the collar and down the front. Although, he hadn't met any of the dinner party yet, so he sincerely doubted that anybody would appreciate the finer details of his clothing. No matter, he'd be sure to introduce himself properly to the important attendees. "[color 4169e1]It is important to make a decent first impression, especially if we are to be dealing with some of the more influential people of the Empire. I will not have you sully appearances by showing up looking like riff-raff.[/color]" he rolled his eyes as he walked over and grabbed a part of Liv's dress in an effort to help. "[color 4169e1]Heavens, Liv, you're nearly exposing yourself. Put your arm through this hole, here.[/color]" "[color=be4238]No, 's too tight.[/color]" The thief objected, her tone petulant and her expression defiant. "[color=be4238]Can' put anythin' through there, 'n it makes it hard t--[i]this keeps gettin' stuck.[/i][/color]" Frustrated, Liv pulled aggressively at the skirt again, agitated by how easily it fell around her legs, between her legs, taking up space that could make her movements falter. One wrong move might have been acceptable for her noble "friend", but Liv didn't like entertaining the idea of not being able to move as freely as she wanted to. "[color=be4238]I don' like this thing. I can' move 'n it like I want.[/color]" "[color 4169e1]Please, that's not even the most complicated dress I've ever seen at a seating such as this.[/color]" Vitus said, as Liv wriggled around like a frustrated child. "[color 4169e1]What kind of movement do you think you're going to need at a fancy dinner, anyway? These kinds of occasions are perfectly put together so a large range of movement is [i]not[/i] required.[/color]" He sighed heavily. Hopefully she wasn't going to be an embarrassment; he'd hate for their 'partnership' to be looked down upon as a whole just because the little brat didn't like her outfit. "[color=be4238]Not rekwird don' mean I won' want to,[/color]" Liv grumbled while grudgingly shoving her arm through the gap that Vitus had specified. As expected, it fit her perfectly, which was too tight as far as the thief was concerned. After all, if she stopped moving, she died. That was how it had been before her sudden assimilation into Vitus's estate. "[color=be4238]I don' like this.[/color]" Liv repeated, this time less petulant and more concerned. "[color=be4238]...les' finish this fast.[/color]" [hr] Lord, there were more children here than he would have expected. Clearly, he had worried far too much about being the sloppiest looking pair during introductions. Vitus's eyes flitted merrily over the lot of them as dinner progressed, his thoughts and opinions on them mercifully quiet. It seemed as though there were groups of all sorts joining them at the table tonight. From the more fanciful looking pairs, to the...not quite as much. He chuckled inwardly to himself at the thought; most of these guests were probably far over their heads here at the estate. They'd likely never seen such elegance in their lifetimes, whereas this was common fare for those around the table who could enjoy such luxuries. Surely, he had it... Dear gods, what was that [i]atrocious[/i] smell? Liv had remained uncharacteristically quiet, her hands fingering the silverware. Disinterest was evident, but the thief did little more than keep her observations. Keeping her hands to her own belongings was...harder than it should have been. After what seemed like [i]far[/i] too many people to bother remembering the names for, introductions had finally passed to him. Of course, he'd been ready and prepared; it was his duty to make sure that all present knew his name, of course. He stood, motioning for Liv to stand also, as he spoke with great authority and pride. "[color 4169e1]Friends, acquaintances, and all those in between! Allow me to introduce myself, for those of you that do not already recognize me: I am Vitus Ayolous, and the pleasure is all mine. With me is my...'companion', Liv, and we shall both operate at our [i]highest[/i] caliber in our duties. As, I hope, the rest of you shall![/color]" he finished, raising his glass in a single-person toast. "[color=be4238]Don' take 'm too seriously.[/color]"