Closed East Side Story

[Matthew]

53rd of Summer, 511AV. Matthew twisted and pulled at the little copper wire, trying his very best to find the inner workings of the lock and pop them into an unlocked position. He had failed at this the first time he had tried it, but was pretty sure his instructions had been a bit faulty. He had gone back to the person he had asked in the first place, and they had assured him that their instructions were valid. Push the wire in and jiggle it around until the door was unlocked. Matthew had expressed his doubt, and the East Street con artist had assured him that he must have done something wrong. After a few more questions the con artist discovered that Matthew's original piece of copper wire was faulty. He had offered to replace it for free. Matthew wasn't so sure how a piece of wire could be faulty, but he wasn't at all skilled in this sort of thing. So he had just nodded and decided to give it another try. A few more jiggles of the wire though, and Matthew suddenly realized that something was a bit wrong. It just didn't feel right. With a slow sense of dread overcoming him, Matthew hesitantly reached up and gave the wooden door a light push. It gently swung open just a few inches. He sighed, dropping his head. He had made this same exact mistake last time and had sworn he would never do it again. And here he had just done it again. Shoving the wire into his pocket, he slowly slipped into the room, making sure to keep quiet. ~ Some time later Matthew sat on a cold stone floor, studying a single piece of paper in front of him. It was filled with a roughly sketched map, a result of his own poor attempt at drawing. There were things to learn from East Street, but East Street was dangerous. He had learned to study the inner workings of the area and map out a plan for traveling through it, avoiding the dangerous areas and hugging the safe ones. Sometimes this required a bit of rooftop leaping, sometimes it just required a good bit of sneaking. It changed from day to day, ever-evolving as the people of East Street moved in and out. That was what today was all about, updating his information on the area. He was somewhat excited to get started. Folding his legs in his lap, the young student rocked back and forth a bit while staring at his crude drawings. He had brought along some spare paper and two quills, enough to allow him and his partner to each do their own sketch of the place. They could map it out as they studied. He was slightly surprised that he had found someone to do this with. He had asked around for someone to study Intelligence with, while also getting a bit of exercise. Perhaps he should have been more specific. Thinking back, he didn't exactly detail out that they were actually going to be sneaking and running around the dangerous East Street. What was done was done, though. If his partner wanted to back out, he certainly wouldn't be offended. It was his fault for not being clear. They were supposed to meet this morning, so he supposed he would just have to go alone if she decided it wasn't her sort of thing. With that in mind, he realized that it was about time. The sun was peeking up over the horizon, a small bit of it sparking through the nearby window. Matthew bit his lower lip, reaching up and straightening his red bow tie. He had dressed up a bit, but he always dressed up. Suspenders were slung over broad shoulders, a nice black button-up shirt complimenting the red of his bowtie. Black slacks completed the formal casual attire, making him stand out a bit from the usually casual-dressed students of the University. Turning his head he fixed eyes upon the lump in the bed, wondering if Elsa was a morning person. She had agreed to meeting him at this time though, at her room. On second thought, he realized that he had failed to specify if she had meant outside the room instead of the assumed inside. He had just wanted to practice locking. Ah well. "Elsa. Good morning. Are you ready to get started?"

[Elsa Marin]

Elsa was a heavy sleeper, and generally slow to wake up. She liked to linger on the edge of consciousness, relaxed and warm and happy. An unexpected, uninvited stranger in her room really harshed that particular groove. Tearing herself awake, Elsa rose to a seated position, throwing off her blanket, hands raised in a ready casting position. The chilly morning air sent goosebumps crawling over her skin. She slept naked.

It took her a few moments to actually parse what the fancy man in her room had actually said, and she finally recognized that face. Blinking, Elsa let her hands drop. Fully awake, she could think the situation through. If he was the killer type he would have struck while she was asleep. She had friends who knew her plans for the day, and they'd be seen leaving the building by a dorm full of students. She was prepared for this. Just, not this.

"Mornin'," she said, cracking a yawn. "Gimme a bit to get decent and we can get going. You can do a - whatchamacallit - briefing? Briefing." She hopped out of bed, stretching the fatigue from her muscles. Elsa stretched like a cat, working every muscle from her toes to the tips of her fingers.

Skipping to her wardrobe, Elsa hovered in front of it for a second, deciding what to wear. If they would be doing much exercise, bells weren't an option, which excluded her fanciest outfits, and if Matthew was dressed up, Elsa could hardly dress down. A summer dress, then. The light green one with the embroidery. Elsa slipped into underclothes and the dress and finally her boots, then found her mirror and makeup. Brows, lashes, lips. Frame the face, simple and quick.

Elsa turned to Matthew. "Now I'm ready. Feel like getting something to eat on the way?"

[Matthew]

Sharp blue eyes stared at her as she finally arose, distantly pleased that she hadn't attempted to throw something at him. Her hands had certainly lifted, but they hadn't held a thing in them. He didn't so much as twitch at her sudden movements, just tilted his head at her much like a curious puppy would. She examined him, her eyes glittering with quick thoughts. He tilted his head the other way, wondering what the thoughts were. Did she remember who he was? Did she remember the appointment they had today? He watched and waited, and soon the girl hopped out of bed. Matthew didn't so much as blink at the sudden sight of her bare body. Not that there wasn't anything to look at, he just wasn't the sort to look. He had practically developed an immunity to such sights even this early in his career. Hopefully that wouldn't be a bad thing, moving forward. He was sure his future customers would like it if he appreciated the sights they showed him. He would just have to learn how to act, he supposed. But for now he focused on her words, giving her slow nods as she spoke. A briefing, hm? Tilting his head yet again, he quietly watched her as she moved over to the wardrobe. She was moving quickly now. While she had once been sluggish, she was very quick to fully wake her body. He had seemingly surprised her though, so perhaps that was the reason for that. He was particularly interested in how quickly she put on her makeup. Women had so much they needed to do in order to get ready for the morning. It was impressive how quickly she could go through all the required steps. He rose, lithe and toned body graceful in its motions. His voice leaked out, soft and well-pronounced. "We are going to go to East Street. I like visit there every now and then, but it is dangerous in some spots. I make it a point to go and map out the place every now and then, listening to rumors and watching the crowds to kind of get a feel for where to go and where not to go. I mark these things down on map, along with anything else I notice. It just helps me move easier, and I consider it good practice for Intelligence training. There is a fair bit of running around too, so it keeps me in shape." She was ready in a blur, and her next question received a nod. He had actually already had some dried fruit and nuts this morning, but he was well aware she hadn't ate. He opened the door for her, a polite smile offered. "Of course. Lead the way."