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Afternoon, Last Seed 17
Used Sundries, Evermore
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[@Stormflyx] and [@Gcold]
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It was the early hours of the afternoon when a sophisticated looking woman stepped out into the streets of Evermore with a calm determination about her. This cool aura was of course just a mask for something far more sinister brewing inside. A lustful greed for one thing and one thing only. Something to hold and caress. Something to be a prize for her steel blue eyes. She bit down on her lower lip at the thought, steadying her trembling chin. She felt her heart race at the thought of it.

A golden tiara beset with 12 flawless diamonds of varying shapes and cuts. [i]The Lover’s Knot.[/i] 

With purposeful strides she made her way through the city, paying little attention to anyone else in her way. Her gloved hands rubbed together, golden bangles jangling with the motion, and she took in a deep breath, taking the air right to the depths of her lungs and exhaled with a sigh. [i]Soon.[/i] 

She wore an outfit which immediately informed that she was a woman of high status, with large pockets to match. A pair of cream silken trousers that contoured to the shape of her legs, clipping off just above her ankle - a gold trim piped across the seams that traced the curved outline of her hips and thighs. Today, a simple crisp white shirt would suffice, cinched at her waist with a delicate brown leather waspie that had the same gold thread embroidered around it’s edges. Lastly, a velveteen cape hung over her shoulders and tapered into a point over her rear, a jacquard embellishment was patterned into it’s centre. The colour was a burnt umber and it finished off the cosmopolitan, haute couture look that she wore so effortlessly.

She carried herself like a woman of status too, turning her nose up at some peasantly children who ran past her. She had little time for such distractions, but where she was headed, the scruffy looking children were just the beginning. “Used Sundries,” she said aloud, reading the name of the small looking building as if it were a question - intonation rising, as did an eyebrow in curiosity. She walked in anyway. It wasn’t the first time she’d enter a shithole to hire the services of questionable mercenaries to get what she wanted, and it most certainly wouldn’t be the last. This was, certainly not the worst shithole she’d been in recently. Although, the dust was a big problem.

She lifted her head to observe the whole of the room - ceiling and all. It was dark and smelt [i]musty[/i]. She wanted to scowl at it, but it wasn't the time. There were some people sat around, and she didn't wish to appear so snobby so soon. Her heels clacked against the wooden floorboards, so many of them creaked under even her tiny weight. “Excuse me?” She called out in a soft and feminine voice, “mercenaries for hire, right?” As she waited in the doorway for a response, she half wondered if perhaps a shake of a bag of her coins would draw their attention from whatever activities they were occupied with.   

Gustav was about to brief the company when he heard the telltale clickings of very delicate shoes and the voice of an even more delicate lady. This woman, looking like a misplaced doll, was not the only visitor here after he bought Used Sundries. There had been two this morning, and a couple more yesterday. Most of them were unhappy customers of the former owner, asking for refund on “unsatisfactory purchases”. Some of them had the idea that the new owners might be foolish enough to inherit old debts, while a few were busybodies checking out the latest business. Gustav told all of them to sod off; most did, and those that didn’t did when heavily armed “warehouse workers” showed up. 

However, no one had openly pointed out Used Sundries as a mercenary hub. Sure, some were suspicious. But Gustav made sure members of the company kept their mouth shut. Even if someone, somehow, did know, it would take another brand of foolishness to openly walk in and announce their intention. Perhaps this woman was part of the city guard? No, she would have to be undercover to dress like that. The guards could just kick in the front door and bust the entire premise; Gustav had little clout here compared to Solitude or Jehanna. 

So there Gustav was, not sure what to do with the visitor, as members of the company went about tasks that were definitely not fit for a tool store. Thankfully, he was dressed equally as slick as the woman, if not more so (and absolutely not wearing the appropriate outfit among cobwebs and dusty crates). Gustav was already trying on the formalwear for the banquet. He had on a green fine wool tunic, with a slant front opening and spice-colored swirls on the cuffs. It was fastened by a wide leather belt across his waist; the silvery buckle bare, for Gustav had no family sigil to imprint upon it. Finally, a pair of khaki pants, slightly flared at the thighs, tucked into leather boots that Dough-Boy spent hours polishing. 

Still, the woman seemed to look down at him.

“Right, available for hi-” the answer slipped out of Gustav’s mouth without thinking. He quickly tensed up and shook his head. “No! I mean, we’re not mercen-”

“Ugh,” Gustav stopped himself and muttered under his breath, “stupid cat left the door unlocked again.”

“Alright, who are you?” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “And how did you even find us?”

Relyssa wasn’t one to mince around with her words, and yet when asked by the Nord in the store, she couldn’t resist but have a slight tug at his string. The woman held a pause as she looked him up and down from head to toe more than once, an eyebrow raising as her lips curled to an impressed smile. “Well, it seems rather odd for this old shop to be bought out so quickly like that - and all of a sudden there are men walking in and out - even past opening hours. A woman just puts two and two together…” 

There was a playful twinkle in her steel blue eyes as they met Gustavs and she began to pace slowly around the room, dragging a finger across a dusty mantel as she walked, hips swaying. “All of the supposed hired help you have and yet nobody to clean… One would think a shop should be presentable?” The Breton once again turned her head to face the ‘Shopkeep’. “But of course, this is all just a presumption, and if you’re not… [i]Available for hire[/i], then I’ll be on my way...” She stood slightly slanted with one leg at an angle - the other straight, and she blew off the dust from her fingertip with a soft chuckle.

“Oh, and my name is Relyssa Deserine. How rude of me to not lead with that...” She brought a hand to her chest and moved towards Gustav once more, reaching out her other hand for him to shake. “I must say, you’re looking rather dashing in those clothes - if not out of place for an old shop like this. Going somewhere nice are you?”


“Very perceptive of you, Relyssa Deserine.” Gustav conceded. He shook Relyssa’s dainty hand, noticing the expensive looking silver ruby ring. This was no peasant, probably someone who had never done manual labor in her whole life. “And as someone so perceptive, you should know there’s a monumental event happening in town, a celebration, as many calls it.”

Holding Relyssa’s blue eyes in his own green eyes for a moment, Gustav traced the line of dust her finger traveled over. He cocked his head, mulling over what kind of opportunity Relyssa could bring them. “We are available, but there’s other [i]obligations][/i] we are contracted for.” A faint smile appeared on his face. “And you should know that we only provide, well, premium security services.”

“The name’s Gustav, Lady Deserine.” He introduced himself, and straightened his sleeves. At that moment, Alim Blackmoore, the Redguard rogue, walked by them in a servant’s uniform. 

As Alim walked by, Relyssa broke her stare on the Nord gentleman and tracked his path, paying close attention to him with an eyebrow raised - interest piqued. She absent-mindedly responded to Gustav “yes a banquet at the castle - as a matter of fact that’s why I’m here - believe it or not.” Her eyes snapped away from Alim and back to Gustav and she smiled at him, returning her full attention to him. 

“I believe we started at a bit of misunderstanding; our facility is not yet prepared for browsing.” Gustav gestured to the mess of a lobby around them. It was in poor shape, he admitted. He turned his gaze away from Relyssa (most notably her full coinpurse) and towards the door on the other side of the room. “Let’s discuss business further in my office, perhaps over a drink. That is, if you believe you can afford our expertise.”

With that, Gustav walked to his office, a room that had a polished oak desk, a set of cushioned chairs and several file cabinets. It was actually clean enough to be free from dirt and cobwebs. He took the map of Evermore Castle and a list of important guests off the desk, putting them in the closest cabinet. Then Gustav sat down on a chair behind the desk, waiting for Relyssa to come in, or leave.

As she followed him into his office, she felt more at ease in those surroundings and took her seat opposite to the gentleman, keeping an upright posture, knees together and her legs slanted to the side again. She stole a prying glance at whatever the documents were that he was folding away out of sight. If there was one thing that she knew, it’s that there was nothing in life that wasn’t important in some capacity. Those documents were important, whatever they were. She was thinking about just what they could be, when she caught the tail end of his comment - and just about scoffed at the suggestion she may not be able to afford the hired help, but it was best to hold the attitude for now. She still wanted to make a good impression. 

“Well, Gustav - I imagine you’re quite perceptive yourself. This isn’t the first time I’ve… Outsourced work to companies such as yours. I’m quite aware of the price, believe me, what I’m looking for makes every coin spent on your [i]premium security[/i] a coin well spent.” Her voice was soft and unthreatening, but there was an air of professionalism beneath it - and a tone that suggested this was but a game to her. She began to relax more into the chair, and brought one leg over the other. The Breton flashed a quick smile in Gustav’s direction. “You can name your price, and I will pay it. I just expect a job well done.” Relyssa placed an elbow on the arm of the chair, her foot swinging softly. 

“Now then,” she began with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “about that drink…” 

After Relyssa had seated, Gustav got up from his chair and closed the office door. When he sat back down, he leaned his elbows onto the desk, his fingers interlaced and chin rested on his hands. He carefully studied Relyssa, and found her making herself more comfortable than he’d like. He nodded when she mentioned the banquet; it was as expected. “Joyous occasion, the banquet, isn’t it? The defeat of Corsairs in Wayrest, being graced with the presence of heroes and monarchs, and simply the marvelous feast.” Gustav said plainly, not much excitement in his voice. After all, people didn’t just attend this kind of event for the fun of it. The guests on the list certainly didn’t.

“I understand a lady like yourself may wish for a bodyguard? I heard there are often, schemes, happening in Breton gatherings.” Gustav unlinked his hands and rested back on his chair. He looked up to the ceiling briefly, trying to avoid Relyssa’s eyes, which had no shortage of questionable motives. “We can assign one or two individuals per your request, nothing more. The rest of the company are needed elsewhere; we will be quite busy keeping the celebrations secure.”

Pulling his eyes back down from the ceiling, Gustav got up to search the cabinet he stuffed his documents in. “Let me get you a quote, and a good drink.” He offered. Sure enough, the contracts were exactly where he put them. On the other hand, the beverage tray only had two containers on it. One was a jug of water, the other was a thin bottle of medical ethanol Wylendriel had ordered. Gustav kept the ethanol label facing away from his guest.

“We have a variety of talents, but I recommend Alim Blackmoore, a cunning Redguard lad that you saw out there. He has an eye for danger, and other matters as well.” Gustav suggested as he placed the employment contract and a personnel roster in front of Relyssa. The drinks tray followed, with the two containers and two cups. “Now, would you like something mild or strong?”

If Gustav had chosen to look away from Relyssa, she did not look away from him - noting his brief refusal to meet her gaze. It prompted a slight half smile at the corners of her mouth. She had chosen to let him speak - truthfully she had little to say on the banquet and its guests. The fat, pampered nobles all in one room. How utterly delightful it would be to be in their company. “Heroes and monarchs indeed… I’m sure there will be many a toast to their splendorous achievements…” She began to trace the outline of her lips with her finger, watching Gustav’s every subtle move like a hawk. The bottle next to the water - she wondered if it was something important. She had seen enough medical vials to recognise it as such. Was Gustav ill? The situation was curious, and were she not in a hurry to close the contract she might have found a way to press against that nerve. But she had a job to do. 

She did not move with haste to appraise the contract, and instead she flashed yet another smile at Gustav, prudently lifting it from the desk and unfolding the parchment with such a soft hand. It was [i]expensive[/i], and considerably more than she had been willing to budget for. Her head tilted slightly - she restrained herself from showing any other reaction to it. She examined it scrupulously for a few moments in silence, the fingers of her free hand drumming against the arm of the chair. 

Finally, she released a long breath and folded the parchment once more, placing it in her lap. “I’ll take the strong drink.” In a manner which mirrored Gustav's, she placed an elbow on the arms of the chair either side of her, bringing her hands together as he had done. “At such a hefty price, Gustav, I will be expecting Alim to do a stellar job at… [i]Protecting me[/i].” After several blinks in quick succession, she narrowed her eyes, traces of her full smile had faded and her expression fell to something far more neutral and executive.

It was interesting that his entire company was set to attend, or was that an embellishment on his part? The detail of his colleagues keeping the celebrations secure had not slipped past her, and now was the time to pick at that. “Before we formalise anything, I must confess that my attendance at the banquet may directly contradict your assignment there… Keeping it,” she leaned forward, and lowered her voice as if to invite him to lean closer too, “secure, as you say.” Her hands separated and set down into her lap. “Not going to be a problem, is it?” She asked as a soft smile returned to her lips once more. 

There was something alluring in the way Relyssa smiles, and something creepy. It was like she’s casting an illusion spell, except that she wasn’t, at least her hands weren’t glowing. Relyssa was probably sizing him up. Gustav shook his head lightly, trying to not let any hints spill from him. He sat straight as Relyssa studied the papers, his gaze darting between various items on the desk, and occasionally back to the guest herself.

“Strong drink it is.” Gustav answered. He poured a shot of ethanol into one cup, barely filling it up halfway, and probably not enough to poison the drinker. It’s not pure ethanol, and one may almost miss it if not sniffing carefully. Ashav once said a strong drink tested the customer’s conviction. Well, Gustav didn’t want to test Relyssa too much, so there’s still a customer left in the end. “Here you go, Lady Deserine.” He slid over the cup.

“Trust me, Alim is well worth the price.” Gustav returned one of Relyssa’s smiles with a cryptic one of his one. “While we went about our businesses, Alim studied the blade. Not only does he have the heart of a noble protector, he also likes to spoil his clients with little favors.”

“As for your attendance.” Gustav smirked, pouring himself some a cup of water and downing it in one gulp. “I trust a lady of your stature would wish no harm upon her peers. Even in the worst case scenario, gods forbid,” Gustav motioned for Relyssa to flip over the contract; just above the client signature space was a tiny line of fine print, “you’ll only need to provide additional monetary compensation, and we will take care of the rest.”

“If you don’t mind me asking.” Gustav shrugged, and silently pointed to Relyssa’s cup, urging her to drink it. “Is there anyone you wish to see at the banquet?”

She took the glass into her hand and allowed herself a small sip to taste first, it was definitely strong. That said, she had been expecting something other than this. Perhaps Gustav was keeping his nice whiskies elsewhere. Still, she nodded in appreciation of the refreshment, even if it was less refreshing and more dangerously flammable, both in alcoholic content and in the way it burned down her throat and brought sudden heat to her cheeks. She momentarily closed her eyes and politely cleared her throat before laughing softly. “Gustav, I’m impressed… But please don’t give up your day job to become a barkeep.” With that, she placed the glass back on the desk.

“You sure can stomach the colorful beverage, I’ll give you that.” Gustav laughed as well. He rubbed his hands together, looking quite impressed, both at how Relyssa drank it without questions, and managed to look somewhat composed afterwards. “And don’t worry, drinking the tough stuff is more of a process of discovery for us Nords.”

“Anyhow, back to the business at hand.” Gustav straightened himself.

“Little favours? My my that sounds intriguing. I only need him to follow my orders, no added extras are required and it would be preferable that way. That said, if he is as diligent as you say and can get me what I want then he can take as many liberties as he pleases.” Her eyes ran over the fine print on the back of the parchment. He was unequivocally a businessman through and through, but to Relyssa, that gave her a level of assurance and confidence that she wasn’t expecting. Not that she would let him know that. Her eyes flicked from the fine print, back to Gustav’s. “You’re really driving a hard bargain here, aren’t you?” She turned her mouth to a wry frown - but her eyes were tinged with mischief again. 

“What can I say, Lady Deserine,” Gustav forwarded his quill and inkpot, letting them sit in the middle of the desk, “you and I know both know a successful operation requires every advantage possible.”

The woman lifted herself from her seat partially, to reach for the quill. With care she swirled its tip in the inkpot, letting any excess drip back down the glass edge and back into the pot. She held it in between the fingers of her left hand, once more reading over Gustav’s terms and conditions. She was backed into a corner - it was the day of the banquet and she needed help, she had no choice but to pay the premium price now. 

The quill came down upon the parchment and she signed her name in full on the dotted line, finishing her signature with a delicate flourish. She pondered over his question, of course there would be many people at the banquet she would, in some capacity, know of - or have minor connections with. She didn’t think too highly of them. After placing the quill back into its inkpot she left the contract open on the desk to allow the ink to dry, as it did, she relaxed back into her seat with a gentle sigh. She peered over the desk at Gustav with a coy expression, before responding in as silken a tone as possible, “well Gustav, I do hope I’ll get to see [i]you[/i] again.” It took every ounce of willpower not to grin smugly over at him, and she held a fixed gaze upon him with a suggestive intensity behind her eyes. After just a few silent seconds, she let go of the chain she had been playing with at last. “Really… It’s a banquet after all, I do hope to mingle and rub shoulders with everyone, that’s the point is it not?” 

“Indeed it is.” Gustav agreed. He leaned forward and shook Relyssa’s hand to close out the deal. He locked glances with her for a second, feeling the satisfaction of finally working with someone of more subtlety than his company of brutes. “Pleasure doing business. Alim will be briefed over his task; you shall find him with other personal attendants.”

“And do share a dance with me, if you get the chance.” Gustav added. As he said that, his eyes followed the movement of Relyssa’s coin purse. 

“Oh the pleasure will be all mine, I'm sure.” She replied as finally she stood up from the chair. She took her full coin purse and placed it down upon the desk, allowing the weight of it to hold down the signed contract.