Closed [Velvet Curtain] Of Things Lost (Azmere)

[Martini Elwood]

32nd, Summer, 518
18th bell, 5th chime

Waking was easy for her, sleeping was much harder. What with the mess of dreams, nightmares, and that magnetic pull nagging at her, Martini was lucky to sleep a dreamless night such as she had today. There was much to do today so she had tried to sleep as much as she could, unfortunately it hadn't done much to remove the heavy bags under her eyes.

Shaking her =self out of her daze, she rubbed her eyes as she slinked to the wash basin to clean. Naturally she needed to look her best today as her teacher had set her up with an 'unusual' client. She combed her hair and dressed as she wondered why Alice had set her up with a brothel owner of all things. Sikka… Slika… Silka! That was her name. Apparently the owner of the Velvet curtain was in the mood for a portrait and Alice had thought she needed to experience things other than landscapes for once. But why a gods damn brothel.

She didn't have a problem with the occupation, it was merely the lack of... decency that flustered her. She had never been in places like that - ever. She'd never though she would need to. Stepping up to her desk, she grabbed her toolkit and backpack while strapping her dagger to her hip. Once she was done she pulled on her gloves and headed out the door.

It was still pretty late, Syna's light was just grazing the horizon as it fled to revel Leth's… The air was humid, but the breeze was enough to cool her. The view was beautiful, and even after seeing many sunset after her time in Riverfall had not yet stolen the awe and wonder that seemed to manifest every time she viewed one.

She had a few bells to kill as she had left early for time to wander. Besides, she had been doing warmup doodles for most of the day until she had decided she was due for a nap. And while she knew the general area the brothel was in, she didn't know the exact location. She knew it was a bit away from the Valkalah Academy. She wandered mindlessly around said area, trying to locate her destination.

Lucky she stumbled upon a scantily clad woman gesturing to the masses in the window front. Leather that left almost nothing to the imagination made Martini turn away franticly, her ears and neck red as she tried to force down her embarrassment.

She took a deep breath, avoiding the woman in the window and looking to the sign above the store front. Flustered horror registered as she read the name, her destination clear and in front of her. This... This establishment was..!

"Welcome to the Velvet Curtain hun," A voice startled her and brought her gaze to another woman... with six arms? Martini held the woman's appendages in her gaze before the woman spoke again as she took in her figure. "Eyes up hun, you might not be able to look a way if you stare so hard."

Martini swallowed the lump in her throat while shifting her gaze anywhere but at the beautiful woman before her. Her pink tinted hair covered her shoulders, her figure hourglass if not better. She was wearing a light pink lip balm and she stood in all her glory with her shorts and gem adorned bustier.

The woman giggled lightly, an amused smirk adorning the pale brown skin of her face. Martini coughed and spoke, eqarning another chuckle from the woman.

"I- Drawing.. uhm, Miss Silka?"

"You must be Martini then, such a cute face you got hun," She said, a sly smile that Martini couldn't see gracing her face. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Silka, the madam of this establishment. If you wouldn't mind waiting for security I'd be glad to offer you an invite inside."

[Azmere]

“You’re not much to look at it...or maybe you’re too much. Hn.”

The comment wasn’t mean-spirited. The man with scars could feel the earnest tones like a calm breeze as the akalak sized him up. There was a period of silence as the overseer stalked a close circle around a man whose appearance was startling, to say the least. Brown boots and pants were worn as the weathered hands which shook at his sides. A kukri in its sheath, a white shirt open to the sternum and a smattering of scars and tattoos comprised the torso but it was the head that drew the eye. Disheveled black hair held a few singular strands of gray as did the scruffy beard but it gave the impression of being unwashed. On its own, such a thing might be overlooked but there was the more pressing issue of the man’s face; the left half. One massive scar ran from his collarbone up to his hairline back to his ear and up against his nose. It was uneven, pocked and held its own blend of colors which almost gave the impression of desert rock yet nestled in the middle of it all was an eye that was as golden as Syna’s halo -and as sad as the orphan who just lost his only picture of his deceased parents.

“You do know we’re a high end establishment, right?” The large blue man cocked an eyebrow as he looked down his nose at the unique human. Morgal spoke excellent Common and was under the impression that his new employee did as well. The Labor Aid office had always been good about sending over clean, efficient help who were as well-spoken as they were professional. That wasn’t true. Some years ago, the head bouncer had reached his limit with dimwits, filth and vagabonds so he marched his muscled self down there and explained the situation thoroughly to the staff. Up until today, he hadn’t received any unworthy toads. This man was a rotten onion to the seasoned skull breaker. Layer upon layer of filth and uselessness was all wrapped up in a skin that looked abused and deteriorating.

The wanderer recognized Common and knew a fair amount though he was unsure where that knowledge came from since his suspected homeland spoke a language called Pavi. Sadly, he had recently learned that there was an unspoken aspect to his native tongue involving hand signals and the like but he could recall none of these things. When the inflection of his new superior rose, he took that to mean he should answer. There was a problem since he did not know what the word establishment meant. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped. This seemed to agitate the bigger man. The scarred one spoke up quickly, his voice husky and accent thick. It was almost like his body didn’t want to form the words in Common. “Yes. Your house is on the high side.” He was referring to the Velvet Curtain’s physical placement, of course. It sat right next to the Azurite Watchtower on the top tier and looked down into the bay.

“What? Wow.” The man reached up with a massive hand and massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers and a thumb, eyes squinted shut as he sucked in air through his teeth. “I can’t believe this.” The second expression was barely audible; said more for himself than for his audience. Blue hands raised up and out as he looked to the sky in despair. “Petch it! I have better things to do.” He looked at the man with two faces and grabbed him by the shoulder then steered him into the confines of the building. “Do us a favor and piss off Silka sooner rather than later so I can be rid of you.”

They walked around the business for a while and the akalak explained the very basic of concepts and details to his new recruit. Several times, he had to stop and redirect the man’s attention for the multi-colored eyes gave away his lack of experience with matters of the flesh. Scantily clad women, half naked and fully nude models were everywhere. It was daytime and some were just heading to bed after a long night’s work. The scarred face couldn’t help but stare at some but it was when the beauty with six arms came around the corner that he realized he was out of place. She was gorgeous with skin like gold and hair like silk. The akalak stiffened and nudged the rookie with a sharp elbow to the chest. “Silka is the madame. You will do everything she says in the exact way that she says it or I’ll tear you apart.” The blue man changed as he turned to face the tall woman in her finery. “Madame, this is our newest grunt. Shall I dispose of him and bash a few skulls in the labor office?” The man’s tone was unkind and he made his emotions clear through the set of his jaw.

Big eyes glistened under lashes that had been tended with kohl and a great deal of care for they looked like the wings of a butterfly when Silka blinked. “Manners, Morgal.” She came to stand against him with her shoulder and hip, eyes cast back over the same shoulder and up into the bouncer’s soul. “You were not so different when we first met.” She winked and turned back to the new face. She gave a soft sound almost like a whimper as she examined the scars and battered attire. It was like she could read the pain in his body and the confusion and loss in his eyes. “This man needs a new start. It’s as obvious as the sunshine in his left eye.” She gave a very warm and endearing smile to the wanderer. With two of her right hands, she touched the human’s arm and his cheek. “Welcome home, sugar. Listen to Morgal, have him help you get a little cleaned up and you’ll fit right in.” Silka started to move along down the hallway then stopped when a girl rushed up and whispered something to her. The world’s most charming smile appeared on her face as she peeled a one eighty and walked between the two men. “Follow me, boys.”

Morgal’s brow creased but there was no hesitation. He directed the scarred man to follow the woman with a stiff hand to the neck similar to the way one guides an aggressive animal. They wound back up to the front where a young woman stood with some things in her possession. The amber and azure stare shifted to new arrival as she was greeted, addressed and even teased by his new boss. There was a moment where the girl’s face flushed from Silka’s attention and it made the man feel less awkward about his own reaction to the pink-haired beauty. There was a statement about security and Morgal looked to the vagabond as he looked back to the akalak. Neither was aware of how well Silka played the game but the latter at least had some clue. He went to speak but was beat to it but the madame.

“Here they are now.” Spoken as she turned but then a sensual gaze passed over her shoulder to the girl ended in a quick wink. “They’re so prompt.” Silka came and stood next to the big blue man. “This is Morgal, my most trusted protector.” She then indicated the man with two faces. “And this is…” her voice lingered as she looked to Morgal who only shrugged in the smallest motion he could possibly make. The line passed down to the man with scars who looked through all three sets of eyes once then back to Silka. In a whisper and a panic, he said the only thing he could think of that didn’t sound ridiculous.

“H-Hollow, Miss.” The pavi accent was so think, it nearly changed the shape of his words. Morgal sighed and rolled his eyes but Silka was a master at smoothing out the wrinkles and jumped back into the conversation to reclaim control.

“We call him Lo.” She smiled warmly to Martini. “It’s a very common name where he comes from and he’s very capable of making sure you get everything you need to complete my order.” She walked forward and patted the man dubbed Lo on his shoulder then took Martini’s hand and gave it a delicate stroke with another. “I want you to use your gifts to brighten up some of the common areas. Scenes, landscapes, abstract color- anything you think works. I’ll pay you for your time but if your pieces don’t fit, I’ll simply sell them off and you’ll have to try again.” Silka winked then turned and headed back inside. Morgal stood before Lo and gave him a stern look.

“Walk her to the places I’ve just shown you. Make sure no one bothers her and that includes your own stinking breath.” The akalak was subtle in tone but not in phrasing. The Drykas nodded that he understood and watched both of his bosses go inside the Curtain. With a moment of awkward silence, he finally lifted his head to the girl that he took to be an artist and stepped forward. His hands shook slightly so he held them together behind his back. Silka was right- she did have a cute face. She also had the expression of a very nice person.

“Can I carry some of that for you?” The man blinked. He had used the language he spoke in the tunnels and knew he shouldn’t. It took a few more ticks but he sorted the question out into the Common tongue and tried again. “Can I carry stuff for you?” The question was phrased slowly with a rolling pavi about the words. The man held a solid baritone but the air behind it was flimsy and thus his tone flattened out on various sounds. He extended a hand towards her toolkit but never got within a foot of her space. It wasn’t good manners that he was practicing but a simply shyness at the tremble in his grasp as well as the berating he had taken earlier about his appearance. Without even thinking about it, he cocked his head to the left to try and hide some of the scars. This would not prevent the girl from seeing the stars in his eyes now the recessed squares that peeked out from underneath his partially opened shirt.

WC1770

[Martini Elwood]

Martini had not waited long before an Akalak and presumably human male exited the establishment, the former not looking to pleased when he introduced himself. She was confused - his name was Hollow? She didn't question it though - yes, it was an odd name - but if it was common in his home she had no reason to dig further. Silka took her hand, and the brunette was thankful she couldn't feel the contact of Silka's skin as her mind was already reeling enough.

Hollow and Morgal seemed to have a one-sided chat before both he and the Madame pushed themselves through the curtain of the establishment. She watched them go, an awkward silence accompanying their retreat as Martini turned to Hollow. He spoke - something martini couldn't understand - before he caught on to it and spoke in a heavily accented common.

Martini didn't know what to make of him, but she did her best not to stare at his face but his eyes kept much of her attention. He had a single multi-colored eye, an array of hues that stemmed from his pupil. She barely registered his speech, but when he moved his hand out she shifted her toolkit into her other arm and reached to grab his own in her stupor.

"Ah, I'm sorry," She squeaked, her mind slowly catching up as she shook her head slowly and held the toolkit close to her chest. She broke eye contact when she started to openly stare at his eyes and scars - at least when she noticed. It had been a good few ticks before she broke the silence. "It's fine, thank you for offering though."

She gave him a sheepish smile, trying her best to seem more confident than she was. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself, though she was pretty sure she already had.

"I'm Martini in case you didn't hear. I've never set foot in place like this so I'm... not exactly sure what to expect." Besides more scantily clad women and drunkards - which she wouldn't say aloud, but she was most certainly thinking it. She shifted her weight to her other foot, fidgeting with the kit in her arms. She was never distracted, at least not while working but this was a different situation entirely.

It was an awkward silence on her part. She felt odd just standing outside of a companionship establishment with a man she knew nothing about. She couldn't tell if the man was also a mess of nerves as she was, but she decided it was best to go in and finish than postpone the inevitable. "Should we go in?"

[Azmere]

Hollow watched the woman before him with interest. She was either not all there or not completely paying attention. The right side of his face softened. Finally! Someone who doesn’t have everything together. He sighed a great breath of relief and withdrew his hand and offer to help her with her things. The poor thing almost trembled in her uncertainty. The wanderer turned tour guide held his shaking hands behind his back and bowed his head slightly. He heard the girl’s words. for the most part, and understood almost all of it. It took him a few moments to process how to respond but he did agree with her. They should get started.

The broken warrior turned his body sideways and opened his arm as he had seen almost everyone within the establishment do as a way to invite someone to move in that direction. When Martini would start to walk towards the door, the raspy baritone would release a choppy, Pavi-laden response in the Common tongue. “No sorries. I’m new to city.” He tried to force a smile but all he could do was try to ease the hard lines on his face and keep the left side -the torches side- shadowed. The vagabond felt her stares but he didn’t judge her or feel offended by it. He knew how he looked.

Once they began to move, he would take up stride next to the young girl and did his best to adjust his gait so that the limp in his left leg wasn’t quite so noticeable. This was a task that took great effort but he managed it quite well aside from the occasional grimace of pain as the dead tissue thumped at the nerves and the slightly malnourished muscles. Lo would open the door for her and use his arm to direct the pretty artist to the left where all guests are received. The foyeur opened into the bar but it held a set of comfy couches piled against the wall with pillows of all shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. There were also a few high-top tables against the other wall whose stark naked stone would make an excellent place for a gushing landscape like the Bluevein plunging into the bay or some other such place.

The bouncer made it clear that Martini could sit wherever she would like and would follow her in an almost cautious kind of way. He did not want to scare her but he didn’t want the girl to feel like she’d been left to abandon. There was also a small part of the man that wanted to be friendly but he wasn’t exactly sure how that worked. The starburst gaze took time to soak in the wavy hair and deep eyes. Her hands were concealed by gloves and he found that most curious since she was a painter. Was she afraid of getting dirty? Was she ashamed of something? A sudden sadness broke within him like the shattering of a perfumed oil vase. He knew he was not the only one with scars. The man could also read the faces of many-a patron that he was not the only one who was lost. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Hollow wanted to tell her that it was ok. He wanted to say something that might make her smile but he had no idea what that might sound like so he closed his mouth and furrowed his right brow in frustration. The trembling in his hands increased for a moment. He shut his eyes tight and focused with some deep breath to rein in the ceaseless shaking. When he opened his eyes again, he sighed then asked a very simple question. “Thirsty?”

WC1770 + 626 = 2396

[Martini Elwood]

Martini was hesitant to walk through the threshold - she didn't hide her anxiety as well as she wanted, but she tried her best to put up smile as Hollow had even if it displayed in a crooked manner. He seemed to keep his distance while also making his presence known. It was comforting in a sense - knowing that he would be there to guard her but not to loom over her.

He lead her to a room filled with an assortment of seats ad tables in many colors. She took in slowly the amount of refinement - something she hadn't expected for a place like this one. She sat at one of the couches and started to remove her things from her kit quietly. It was in her best interest to sit with her back to the entrance, as not to become distracted. Setting the paper in front of her and charcoals beside it - she took a moment to breath.

Miss Silka wanted something to make the building pop, something... pleasing to the eye. And even landscapes had never been her best she was up for the challenge. She turned to Hollow when he spoke, a slow shake of her head accompanying her words. "I'm sure water isn't a valid option, but thank you for offering."

She could only hope to focus on her work and not the amount of indecency that seemed abundant in the establishment. She hadn't even thought to ask before but now it was the most forefront question.

"May I ask where you came from? Ah, I mean, I'm not native myself so I was curious..." Her wording seemed rude once past her lips so she rushed to add something more polite. She looked as she dug in her kit for a half used stick of charcoal. Her attempt at small talk did have purpose though, she loved hearing about other places - it was a intriguing way find inspiration. Often times listening to others talk was her best option when she hit dry spells.

OOCSorry this took so long and is so short, let me know if I need to change anything.

[Ruvya]

G R A D E

AZMERE

If you return from retirement feel free to send me a PM or resubmit this thread to the queue for your grade.

MARTINI

Observation +2
Socialization +2
Investigation +1

Silka: Owner of The Velvet Curtain
Riverfall location: The Velvet Curtain Brothel
Riverfall sunrises are breathtaking no matter how long you have lived in the city
Eypharians: A race that possess multiple arms
Hollow: Horribly scarred
Hollow: Unusual starburst eyes
Socialization: Blunt, bold questions can be perceived as rude
Finding inspiration in the stories of others

If you have any queries about your grade, feel free to PM me.