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

[conjuredskies]

Felix practically earns his living as The Younger Brother. Wherever he can make it work for him, it’s an easy role to fall into, and Amelia has the wit to make the playful approach fun.

“To opened doors,” he adds with a smile as they clink. (Perhaps not the most politic toast, given her demonic woes, but he doubts she’s aware of that interpretation.) Earning even partial trust is a step forward, a success to savor along with his beer. Not to mention her obvious pleasure in the ale. Perhaps he’ll earn a little more credit, by and by.

“It’s a shame you don’t get out dancing more,” he says while they drink. “You seemed quite at home there, even among strangers.”

[rogueinladysclothing]

Her ale is finished before Felix makes his observation about dancing. She sets the mug aside and leans on the table slightly, giving him a wry smile as she does so. "Strangers don't ask questions. They don't remember the name you gave at the end of an evening of drinking. They don't even care if there's violence involved in your interactions. Strangers care only about themselves. Among them, I can get in and out without really being noticed."

Her attention turns to the dance floor, where one of the other patrons is trying to rouse up some interest in an organized dance. The man lacks any real skill or crowd presence, though, so the suggestion falls flat quickly and he finds himself forced to single out a partner for a dance instead. "I'm more at ease with people who won't remember me when the morning comes," she adds. "It's easier to move through all levels of social standing if no one can recall who I am when I've left their sight."

[conjuredskies]

“I can see the advantages,” he concedes, sipping the remnants of his ale as he listens. “But there are many to being remembered, too. Strangers are less likely to come to your aid when you’re in real trouble. To guard your back in a crowd. To tell you what you truly need to know.”

He nods to the luckless fellow with his new dance partner. “Sometimes one friend is all you need, to get on with.”

[rogueinladysclothing]

"I never expected to need them, because I never expected the world to be so big either. And now that I know it's just a small part of a larger multiverse?" She sighs and turns away from the dance floor, resting her forearms on the table. "This whole fucking place is too big and I'm just trying to find my small corner again."

[conjuredskies]

"I understand. I think everyone has that revelation at some time in their lives - at least if they have some luck. It's rather dizzying. Finding your foothold again, securing a place of your own... that's a sensible way to go about things."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Someday she'll explain fully her intent with that statement, but for now...? Best to let the night be full of revels rather than sadness.

She nods in agreement. "My only problem is that the foothold I want is a place that no one can find. It's as if my world decided I needed a new adventure and sent me here." She sighs dramatically, but it's a cover for the pain. Being stuck here has wreaked absolute havoc on her sense of self and the idea that she might never get home again makes it that much worse.

[conjuredskies]

He really might understand, for all he doesn't want to drag her mood down again. Felix is a man of Tamriel, an Imperial to the bone. He may delight in gallivanting through strange new realms, studying the mysteries and beings from beyond Nirn... but he knows where he belongs. He can't begin to conceive what he'd be without it. Aside from terribly, dangerously upset.

"Perhaps it's fate," he suggests. "Your world may need you here yet. I know that may seem a small hope to cling to, but it's a real possibility. And if not, there are... many ways between the realms, to say the least. Mine, for example, is closed to most beings from outside and yet, even they find the means to influence our world."

[rogueinladysclothing]

She laughs half-heartedly at that. "Everyone wants me to find meaning in being here, wants me to believe that things are happening for a reason. Can't it be that I ended up here as the result of some freak accident and that the reason I can't get home is because there wasn't supposed to be a connection between my world and the Nexus in the first place? Can't I be stuck here for no reason other than 'just because'?"

If she seems upset by his question, he shouldn't take it personally. Things have been difficult for her lately and she's gotten tired of all the optimistic talk about things getting better if only x, y, or z thing would happen.

A soft sigh escapes her and she shuffles one foot against the floor in thought. "Maybe it would be better if I kept my mouth shut. I seem to get a lot of lip from all the optimists here." Being a true pragmatist in a sea of optimists means she's usually being told she's being too hard on herself or taking things the wrong way. It's tiring and she's ready to be done with it.

[conjuredskies]

Felix blinks, taken a little aback. But he stops watching the tavern around them and focuses entirely on Amelia’s face, listens quietly while she airs her thoughts and hurt. He waits until she’s finished before smiling slightly, an expression that’s half sympathy and half apology. It’s always awkward to have your attempt at comfort go sideways, but he can’t exactly blame her for being sick of assurances. And at least she didn’t just smack him tell him to shut his mouth.

“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to join the chorus. I suppose few people would want to tell you it’s hopeless. Or that you should stop looking for a path home.” He swills the dregs of his ale, lifting a hand to signal a server for refills. “And from my perspective… perhaps it’s easier for me to believe that some greater power has a hand in every matter here. It's my natural assumption, you might say."

[rogueinladysclothing]

The fact that she didn't yell at him means at least some small part of her therapy is sticking. She'll take all the progress she can get.

"No, I didn't--" She hesitates and runs a hand over her face while debating her next words carefully. "What you're saying makes sense. I forget that other worlds look at things so differently sometimes." She sighs and hangs her head, pushing her mug aside despite the fact that he's called for a refill. The last thing she wants is to be overcome by that awful feelings of drunkenness in public. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. That wasn't fair to you. Forgive me."

[conjuredskies]

"Already forgotten," he assures her. "Besides, it is easy to sink into platitudes when speaking of troubling things. It's fair to chide me for that. I'm not certain I could be so... composed in your position."

He's quick to forgive as a rule, but it's all the easier because she apologized on her own.

[rogueinladysclothing]

"There are always bad days," she admits, "but others are better. Today... today is a better day." She offers him a small smile and thanks the elven bartender when she switches out their empty mugs for full ones. Not that she's excited about more alcohol, but at least the ale hits a hell of a lot softer than wine does.

"Could you... tell me more about it? Your world, that is. I'm very curious to know how much like mine it really is." They've spoken about it generally in the past, but now she wants to know more. Anything to keep the topic off of herself and her world for a little while.

[conjuredskies]

“Hmm.” It’s a question that needs a little thought.

“In some ways, I suppose they’re not so alike,” he admits. “Tamriel is a great continent, divided between many different inhabitants. Humans, elves, cat and lizard-folk all have their own lands, but the greater number of them live together in the Empire. Especially in my home province, of course: Cyrodiil is the heart of the Empire, and there are probably as many people from other races as there are Imperials like me.” He grins, quite proud of his people’s cosmopolitan ways. It's their hat.

“Magic is also relatively commonplace, of course. At least in Cyrodiil. Most people aren’t really mages - I mean, they don’t train for it – but lots of them can work at least some small spells. Some races practice it almost as easily as breathing. And then there are many beasts that use magic, as well. But those are just the obvious differences. We have our noble families too, though they answer to the Emperor. There aren’t any electrical gadgets in everyone’s pockets, no… phones or miniature timepieces.”

[rogueinladysclothing]

"No pocketwatches?" Amelia's obviously surprised about that one. Even Kairn, as far behind in technology as it is, has clocks of various sizes. She's even kept the one she brought from her world lovingly repaired so she'll always know what time it is back home. "I... find that hard to believe, actually."

With the shock out of the way, she'll address the rest of what he said. "Perhaps it's not so different as you might think. My world is, mostly, one large continent as well, though it's only divided into two nations. A third nation does exist, but it occupies a large group of islands south of the main continent and I'm afraid my knowledge of it is very limited. The other nations, however, are each ruled by their own king and have nobles that are loyal to them. In my country, major cities that aren't the capital, like the one I come from, are ruled over by a Duke, who has nobles under him. There's no emperor uniting all of the nations, but they get along peacefully." Or they do now, at least. But no need to delve that far into history tonight.

She pauses to take a sip of her ale. "As for magic, well... you know about that already."

[conjuredskies]

"We have other ways of keeping time if anyone really needs to mark it so closely." Felix shrugs, clearly doubting how common that need is. "And in cities - at least in Cyrodiil - the chapel bells ring the hours for everyone."

He thinks over what she's saying before observing, "Your system sounds something like our provinces with their kings and nobles. In Cyrodiil the cities and surrounding counties are governed by counts and countesses on behalf of the emperor. Otherwise the nobles don't hold direct power, except in whatever position the Empire chooses to grant them. Civil ones, mostly. There aren't many hereditary posts any more... well, officially. I'm sure you know how that can be."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"But... what happens if you need to meet someone in a different city at a certain day and time and they don't have a clock tower? How would you keep track of time for that?" Because being late doesn't seem like much of an option with some people.

"Nobility is passed from one generation to the next in my world, unless a lord or lady falls out of favor and needs to be replaced." She shrugs lightly at that, as if that's simply a normal thing. "Or, as in the case of my family, there's extenuating circumstances to make them noble. That's much more rare, though." So how did she manage it, hm?

She cracks a small smile between sips of her ale. "So similar and yet so different. I never would have expected that, even if I should have."

[conjuredskies]

"Meet at dawn, or noon, or some hour in between them." He shrugs. "If you're going to do business in such an uncivilized place, you should really know what you're getting into." Which isn't to say people don't get upset, but such arguments between the city slickers and the provincial workers aren't Felix's problem.

"Well, nobility is one thing, you know. Importance..." He grins. "Not to doubt yours, of course."

Maybe it's the ale and the pleasant company, but he adds, "Who knows, maybe you'll end up visiting one day."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"That doesn't always stop people from trying to put you off-guard by claiming you're late," she points out. "But I suppose that can't be helped sometimes." Mainly because people in the habit of claiming such things are going to be jerks no matter what one might do to dissuade them from being that way.

She gives him a small, half-hearted laugh and shakes her head, an almost wry smiles coming to her face. "I'm just a girl who wanted to give her family a better place in the world. Nothing more." What an unapologetic way of professing that she feels worthless compared to her family. And how odd it is that she feels that way, given all she's showed Felix tonight. How can someone so fearless in the face of crowds of strangers and breaking into places she shouldn't be think she's worth so little?

"Oh?" A slow grin spreads across her face. "Given the similarities, I think I'd be able to get around without having to buy new clothes. What a change that would be from previous experiences." And how much more fun it would be without having to worry about leaving her weapons behind on an unfamiliar world.