Lessons in Advanced Door-Opening [for Amelia Ronsam rogueinladysclothing]

[conjuredskies]

It’s been some while since they made their informal arrangement, but Felix hasn’t at all forgotten the light-footed rogue or the dance he promised her. A pact is a pact, no matter how many duties – foreseen and otherwise – have demanded his attention.

For that matter he and Verity haven’t been meeting for Geography Club quite so regularly, and the smells when he steps through the door of the Fox and Crosier make him regret that fiercely. Alchemy study may have to be relocated whenever possible. He scrapes some of the snow from his boots and leather armor, then strolls up to the desk chicken to ask after Amelia.

Comments

[rogueinladysclothing]

The hen behind the desk is kind enough to direct him up to a room on the second floor. Up the stairs, around a corner, and about halfway down the hall. There's nothing distinct about the door, but as he approaches, Felix can hear a familiar voice humming a soft tune and the sound of stone against metal. Inside, Amelia's sharpening her blades as she hums a song of summer in the hopes of dispelling the cold feeling from her bones - and for keeping her mind focused as she works.

[conjuredskies]

He's making no effort to sneak, so if Amelia is the watchful type, he's sure she'll hear his boots on the hall floorboards. Just as he can be sure he's at the right door: he smiles to himself as he listens, pausing just an extra moment before he knocks.

"Good afternoon!" he calls, the better to warn her who's come calling.

[rogueinladysclothing]

The call is a nice touch - she wasn't expecting any visitors, so it's nice to know who's on the other side of the door before she opens it. Her weapons are quickly set aside and she opens the door with a smile. "Good afternoon, Felix. This is certainly a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?" She motions for him to follow her inside. No need to stand in the hall to talk about their business now that he's here.

Upon stepping in, Felix can see the room is simple, containing a bed, a desk and chair, a mirror, and a dresser table with a a basin and pitcher on it. Her weapons are laid out across the desk and a beautifully sketched family portrait hangs on the wall behind it. Felix will immediately recognize the woman in the center of the portrait as Amelia. Alongside her stand an older man and woman, two men roughly Amelia's age, and a girl who looks remarkably similar to the rogue but about half her age.

[conjuredskies]

When he steps inside, a moment is taken to survey the room, especially the array of weapons. But by the time she's closed the door, his eyes are on the family portrait. There's something curious about it, if he could just put his finger on what...

Ah, but first Amelia is owed a smile. "Well, in part I merely wanted to pay a social call. But I have to confess I was equally hoping to seek out your expertise - and to make good on my offer of a dance in exchange."

[rogueinladysclothing]

The portrait has all the earmarks of a family portrait, but two questions are spurred by that line of thought: If it's a family portrait in Amelia's room, then the family pictured is Amelia's family, right? If so, how did she manage to get a portrait of her family while trapped in the Nexus away from them?

Curious thoughts, aren't they?

"Oh? And what does my dashing mage friend need from a rogue on this fine Winter's day?" That smile of hers is inching its way toward a smirk and she can't keep the mischief out of her eyes. A reason to get out of her room and use her most honed skills is definitely something she wants to hear more about.

[conjuredskies]

"Well, something quite terrible has happened in our little guard post. Terrible and wonderful." He leans forward a little, earnest expression marred only by his smirk.

"You see, I've come across a mystery. Two mysteries, in fact! I think they may be connected. And while a mage loves nothing more than a good mystery, you'll appreciate that officers can't abide them. Perhaps you can help me solve these puzzles before anyone else need be confounded by them."

[rogueinladysclothing]

She leans forward slightly, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "We certainly can't let the outside world know you're puzzled by something, much less by two somethings. Anything I can do to help, you have but to ask." How she's able to keep from laughing is a mystery.

[conjuredskies]

"Lady, you are my savior." He fishes around in a pocket for a minute before producing - ta dah! - a lockpick. "First, there's the question of this peculiar implement, the use of which I can only begin to guess at."

[rogueinladysclothing]

This time she can't help the laugh. She carefully takes the lockpick from him and examines it. It's remarkably similar to what she's used to from her world, so at least she'll be able to help him figure out how to use it without too much trouble.

"You've never seen someone use a lockpick before? My, this will be an interesting education for you." She laughs softly. "I take it you at least know what it's used for?" If he's going to ask her to teach him, he's going to have to expect some amount of teasing.

[conjuredskies]

"Seen them, yes. I've just never had the privilege of seeing how they work." His smile is easy: he can take the teasing. He does try to amuse his friends. "I understand you put one end or other into a lock, wiggle it about and the door opens for you."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Well, you know the basics. That's a definite help. Come on." She motions for him to follow and then steps out the door, locking it behind them once they're both in the hall.

"The lockpick itself is actually two pieces," she says once she has his attention again. The lockpick he gave her is held at eye level for him and she explains what she means by pulling a 'matching' half from a pouch on her belt. "This one," she wiggles the piece he brought, "has a small bend in it to hold parts of the tumbler inside the lock. The other is used to pull on the latch assembly inside to 'open' the lock. Let me show you."

She kneels down in front of the door and inserts the small pieces into the lock on the door. The one he brought is inserted bend-first into the lock, followed by the piece she provided. With practiced hands, she feels around to find the spot for the bend to sit and then begins slowly turning the other in a clockwise motion. Her movements are small and calculated and after a few seconds, they hear the click of the door unlocking. She quickly removes the lockpick and then opens the door to prove that it is, indeed, open.

"See? Not too hard." The grin on her face suggests otherwise. "Care to give it a try? I promise we'll be able to get back into the room no matter how many lockpicks you break."

[conjuredskies]

One benefit of working with a mage - they're attentive students when they want to be. Felix crouches down to watch and tries not to block the light, though after a few seconds he realizes that this is not about sight. It's about getting a feel for the trick, and until he's got his fingers on the picks there's going to be only so much Amelia can show him.

"That seems easy enough." He's half-joking: it's never that simple, that'd be like watching him throw down a summoning spell and thinking the motion was all it took. Once she's locked the door again, he'll happily take the picks and kneel down to try for himself.

It'll take all of a second before he's frowning, feeling carefully around with the bendy piece. "Ah, so how do I know where to place this...?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia purses her lips as she tries to think of a good way to describe it, but nothing she can think of seems good enough. "Here, let me guide you through it the first time." Despite the fact that physical contact tends to make her rather uncomfortable, she carefully places her hands under his as she grabs onto the picks. Slowly, she guides him through the whole process.

"The idea is to find the catch for the first pick and then carefully move the second without actually moving the first." It sounds like a contradiction, but as she demonstrates a second time for him in that same slow manner, it should become obvious. The concept is easy, the execution slightly less so until the whole motion becomes second nature.

[conjuredskies]

The contact may discomfort her, but apparently not Felix; he relaxes easily into letting her touch guide him. His eyes are half-closed as he focuses on the tiny vibrations through his fingertips.

"Hmm. I think I can get that..." He at least has a sense of how to place the first pick now, but once he starts trying to move the second it won't be long before he slips and snaps a pick. "Damn. And you made it feel so easy."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Years of practice will do that," she teases. "But there's no need to fret. There's plenty more where that one came from." She pulls back her hands just long enough to retrieve another handful of picks from a pouch on her belt. Once the offending, broken pick has been discarded, she inserts the fresh one and nods for Felix to try again.

"Take all the time you need with this. If you need me to guide you through it again, I can. But for now, why don't you lead? If after a few more tries you can't get it, I'll correct you as you go. Sound good?" She gives him an encouraging smile. He can do this, of that she's completely certain.

[conjuredskies]

"Thank you." He nods, takes the pick, and gets to work, taking it step by step. Place the bend...

"So," he says absently as he works, "is this trade part of your family's business, or more of a personal hobby?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

Slow and steady, Felix. No need to rush.

"This is a purely personal skill I developed," she says with a small laugh. "If my father had known what I was doing, he would have locked me away from the entire world. Or tried to, anyway."

Oh look, another broken pick. Not to worry - Amelia's still got the spares out for him.

"What about you? Is magic something that's always come naturally to you?" If he's going to ask about her, she's going to ask about him.

[conjuredskies]

"Now that would have been a crime. Lucky for us that you evaded detection!"

Amelia is a generous - not to mention tactful - teacher. Felix will keep trying: he's really doing his best not to break them.

"Oh, certainly. But then, my family was on the lookout for it. All my father's family were some kind of mages. Mostly Legion battlemages. Less magic on my mother's side, but... oh, not another one. This is more delicate than dissecting torchbugs."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Lucky for everyone, really." Had she not become the rogue she is, she would never had made her family noble. She tries not to let her smile fade at that thought, but she doesn't fully succeed.

Amelia's also been in Felix's position. The first few hours of practice are always the hardest. It only gets easier from there.

She laughs softly and quickly replaces the broken pick. "That's why there are so many available," she teases. But then back to the questions! "So, magic tends to be a patriarchal thing in your family, then? Not too many lady mages?"

[conjuredskies]

Felix nods slightly, eyes on the lock. "Sometimes we need people who know when to- let's say 'bend' the rules."

Her guess does get him to glance at her in surprise. "Far from it. My female ancestors were just the same. Aunt Arvenna - my father's sister - was a battle-mage in the Eighth Legion. And I happen to be named for Great-aunt Felicia, who I... think was a legate with the Fifteenth." Okay, okay he hasn't broken this one yet. Nice and easy does it...

[rogueinladysclothing]

There's nothing she can add to that without coming across as an ungrateful, spoiled child, so she's going to focus on Felix's story instead.

"Wow, that's rather impressive. Does your world have so many people in it that your army can support that many regiments at once?" She's used to her world feeling small compared to the many Earths she's heard of, but she is thoroughly impressed if Felix's world is that big, too.

He's almost got that lock open. Just another few seconds and he'll have it...

[conjuredskies]

"The Empire's a big place." Even nowadays. "Not all of the old legions are still active, but there've been more than twenty at different times." Almost snapped the pick there, but he's carefully, gently...

Click!

Felix blinks, peering into the lock hopefully. "Was that it? did that work?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Twenty regiments at a single time?" Well, she certainly feels tiny and insignificant right now.

The click gets a surprised blink from Amelia. Carefully, she releases her hold on the pick and turns the door handle - and the door opens. She turns to Felix with a bright smile. "Well done! Now, let's try that a few more times to make sure you've got it down." He can sulk while she locks the door again.

[conjuredskies]

"Well, when needed." Not that they aren't needed now. But the ten or so legions they can still field are recruiting hard just to get up to strength. For all the rumors about another two or three being raised, Felix hasn't heard anything sure.

He smiles with obvious surprise as well as pleasure- and a sigh when she sends him right back to work. He starts again, hoping his success wasn't all luck. "Of course."

"And what about your homeland? I've still met few people in the Nexus who come from a realm so like mine."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"That's still more people than my country could manage for regimens. Maybe across the entire world, sure, but I don't know all places in the world well enough to say for sure." She's likely giving her world too little credit, but it is obviously still smaller than his.

Sorry, Felix, but Amelia is firmly of the 'practice makes perfect' teaching camp. She'll leave her hands near his for now, though, to guide him if necessary.

The question changes the air about her to one of unspoken sadness. "What about my world? Is there something specific you want to know?" It may not be effective in such close quarters, but she's trying to keep her easy going manner and smile up for him. Being away from home so long after she left obviously hurts, though.