The Legend of...

Dorrance was an interesting conversationalist, that much was true. Ren gave a cheeky grin and let out a small laugh. "You would be correct there, Lady Dorrance. Perhaps I'll be the one to lead a story telling revolution eh?" She gave a small wink and took yet another sip. Oh shit maybe she shouldn't have winked.

Well...It was too late now.

Ren sat quietly as Dorrance spoke of her life. She idly took sips of her wine, completely forgetting about her food as a nice, warm feeling started to spread across her body. She'd...probably start slowing down after one more cup. That should be fine right? After all she didn't want to get sloshed right in front of her new employer! That would be mortifying!

"I'm so sorry to hear that, My Lady." Ren was visibly frowning as Dorrance finished her story. Without thinking, Ren reached out and took the woman's hand. "Tis a sad story. The world has been cruel to you as well, yet you've remained kind, for that much I am glad." Ren gave the woman a smile. It was a shame that she'd ended up alone. She, at the very least had her maid but..."And, out paths led us to each other. Serendipitous no?"...Wait...Ren swallowed hard and gently let go of Dorrance's hand. She was getting ahead of herself again. "I apologize for taking your hand like that Lady Dorrance, I wasn't thinking." That was probably not a good thing right? She didn't know how it worked here, but you generally shouldn't lay hands on nobility right?

Aw this probably wouldn't be good...Ren almost shrunk into herself as she waited for some kind of scolding for being so brazen. She couldn't underestimate the woman just because she was cute!

When Ren suggested Dorrance was also kind, a bitter edge came over her smile.

"I wish I could say that," Dorrance said as she swirled her wine glass. "I really wish I could."

But Ren, who was, at this point, quite inebriated, went out to comfort her and take her hand. Now, normally this would probably be okay with any other person. They might have been a little freaked out or be understanding considering REn was drunk, but Dorrance froze. And it wasn't a form of stiffness that one could associate with bashfulness. She didn't flinch and she didn't squeak. The emotion seemed to drain out of her face and it was as if she had been turned to stone.

"..."

Her eyes stared hard at Ren, looking at her in surprise, but in a sense that she couldn't seem to comprehend the emotional material of what Ren was saying. But then she noticed Ren's tone and her smile. It didn't make sense to Dorrance, but suddenly...

She felt warm. The color began to rise her cheeks and the dead coldness of her stare melted and softened, and filled with light.

Though Dorrance had blushed many times before, even in just meeting Ren today, it had always been protocol. "Be embarrassed when you bother someone," her father said. "A lady should always apologize for causing concern." And her aunt, "A lady must take each compliment with a flushed flattery."

This, however...this wasn't embarrassment. And this wasn't a compliment. Ren was trying to establish a bond, and nothing more. She hadn't felt this warmth since, well, since her husband.

Dorrance's eyes continued to shine and she was speechless as Ren stammered and apologized. Dorrance blinked.

"...hm?" she said absently as Ren apologized, unaware that Ren was trying to make amends. She then shook her head and regained her composure, but her eyes stared at Ren in wonder. "Oh, no...it's...it's alright. In fact, I...I appreciated it."

The maid would arrive again with dessert.

"Cake, miladies," she said plainly. "I have also brought a dessert wine that might be more to Miss Ren's liking. It's a lovely strawberry wine that--"

At this, Dorrance raised her hand and waved it dismissively.

"Oh, Viola, I think instead of the strawberry wine, we should go for something less...sour. Perhaps the cabernet sauvignon would do?" she said.

The maid looked at Dorrance perplexedly, but upon seeing the determination in Dorrance's face, she gave a small nod.

"My...apologies, milady. You are most right. This was a poor choice. Allow me to go back and fetch it."

Viola walked away. Dorrance then looked at Ren, her face still softly blushing, and she smiled.

"You must be really tired after all this, aren't you, Miss Ren?" Dorrance said softly. "I think it's best that after dining, you receive some rest. In fact..."

The color in Dorrance's face deepened.

"I...I wouldn't mind so company to the town square tomorrow. We could perhaps get you more clothes to your fancy and any other things you might like for your stay. After all, my husband's anniversary won't be for a few weeks."

Ren glanced up when Dorrance simply forgave her. She'd managed to interpret Dorrance's shocked gaze from earlier as her being offended. She was VERY relieved to be incorrect. "Really? Well...I'm glad to hear it." She beamed back at the girl, but quickly followed up with. "I will take care to keep better control of myself." Maybe...she should stop drinking for the night?

And then dessert came. And then dessert WINE was happening. She didn't even know that was a thing!? Ren's eyes cast down for a moment. One more drink and that was it. She NEEDED to try this dessert wine. She didn't dig into the cake just yet though...As much as she wanted to, it was probably more proper to wait until Dorrance began to eat right? She needed to eat though...the alcohol was REALLY starting to hit her. If Dorrance was paying close attention, they'd notice Ren sway slightly every so often. She would fix this immediately. It seemed she was trying her best not to show just how much she alcohol she had had.

She didn't get it though, she could've sworn she'd only had like...two cups?

When Dorrance suggested rest, Ren's lips twitched downwards just a bit. She wanted to explore more, or even talk with Dorrance or her made more! They had interesting subjects and so did she! Wait no, super bad idea. By the end of this she might not be able to control her speech as well. "Rest...May be good, yes." It might be hard for most to see, but a close eye could tell Ren focusing hard on her speech. This was definitely her fault for not eating too much today...

She perked up though, when Dorrance suggested accompanying her. "I'd love to accompany you, Lady Dorrance. I mean...It would be my honor." Thats the word she should've used right? "Well as much as I like being spoiled, is it wise to be spending so much money on me? I might become quite hard to get rid of~" ...She wanted to slap herself right now.

"S-sorry! That was some umm...Saadedge style humor there!" She giggled and took a breath. "Truthfully, I don't think I could pay you back if you did such things." Another embarrassed smile crossed her face. Dorrance could already see a more noticeable blush starting to form.

Dorrance continued to smile bashfully as Ren stammered and mentioned her appreciation.

"Think nothing of it," Dorrance said. "I'm literally all alone in this house, and I'd love nothing more than to spend on companions and acquaintances."

It was then that she noticed Ren becoming even redder than she was before, looking a little dazed, even. Dorrance tilted her head curiously.

"Miss...Ren? Are you alright? You seem a little flushed. You're not feverish, are you?" Dorrance would gently put a hand on Ren's forehead to check her temperature, an instinct of hers as a result of her years with her medical father.

Dorrance's words hit Ren pretty hard. She blinked and frowned once more. She wanted nothing more than to pull Dorance into a tight hug and tell her that she'd be her friend. Of course, she also knew that THAT wouldn't be a good idea. She swallowed hard, taking a moment to take a breath before speaking. "Well, you aren't alone now, Lady Dorrance." Her hand twitched out once more, but she quickly pretended like she was just...shifting silverware. "Besides, I doubt I can say no to...to you." She would've said, 'such a pretty face.' Her mouth was starting to speak faster than her brain could think.

She was in danger of saying something incredibly dumb.

"Eh?" Ren tilted her head slightly as Dorrance suddenly placed a hand on her forehead. Suddenly, she giggled lightly. "Aw this just means I might be enjoying myself too much." She snickered, leaning against the table a bit. She was starting to feel a bit lightheaded..."You're really sweet though, My Lady."

heh...

"I never quite understood that expression. 'my lord or my lady.' It seems possessive no? Wouldn't it be the other way around? Like, 'my commoner or..." Suddenly she let out another giggle and looked towards Dorrance. Her eyes flashed with a bit of mischief before she actually spoke. "My bard?" Another giggle. "I mean, TECHNICALLY you own the land and therefore the people. Its a responsibility though, ownership. Some people forget that yeah? Hmm, but can you really own a person? Well still, it doesn't make sense any which way then...Hey, Lady Dorrance, what do you think?"

Dorrance continued to blush as Ren continued in her intoxicated tangent. She would have interjected in between her questions, but Ren's rapidfire speech bounced from one question to another. At this point, Dorrance felt Ren was basically flirting with her, and she covered her face to prevent her from seeing a smile forming on her face at being flattered.

"M-Miss Ren, really now..." she squeaked as Ren suggested being 'her' bard. She carried on about nobles and ladies having 'ownership' of individuals, to which Dorrance continued to listen. The flush eventually subsided, and with Ren's last question, Dorrance offered another calmer, more composed smile. The same bitterness from before reappeared and she let out a small, hummed laugh.

"That is an interesting concept," she said.

With Ren as inebriated as she was, Dorrance drew closer to Ren's face and touched it softly. Ren would not her hands were smooth and soft, but there was a coarseness to her fingertips. Dorrance looked at Ren in the eyes. Hers felt...hollow and detached. She smiled wider.

"If owning people were possible, I wouldn't have to be where I am today."

Slowly, Ren's vision would blur and her body turn limp. A darkness crept from all sides of her eyes and things went dark.

............................................

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Ren's eyes would open and she'd find herself in the dark of her bedroom. She still wore her clothes from dinner, but it appeared she had been put to bed as a blanket was over her. The large windows that led to the balcony showed a sky draped in dark blue and smeared with gray clouds. There was a full moon somewhere behind them, peering from the edge like it was afraid to come out.

Judging from the darkness of the sky and the lack of light, it was safe to say she had blacked out and had been placed in bed as a result.

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Ren's ears would pick up the sound of metal hitting wet loose earth. It was rhythmic, methodic. It stopped every now and then, but would return just as fast.

The sound seemed to be coming from outside, though what it was would be hard to tell.

If Ren looked around her room, she'd notice that an oil lamp had been left with a match, but it was not lit. The door was ajar and invited her to the hallway.

She'd see a silhouette pass, but it left as fast as it passed by.

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Ren awoke with a start. She'd been having a fairly pleasant, possibly alcohol fueled dream. A certain sound had reached her in her slumber. Something metal. She shot up and grabbed towards her left where her scimitar would be-

Oh wait...

No, that life was gone wasn't it?

The pain in her head brought her back to reality. God it ached. Had she drank that much? There was that sound again. Metal hitting earth. A shovel? Maybe. She let out a small sigh. She was on edge for some reason. Well, no. It was night, any sound like that was bad. She looked at the lantern left for her and saw the shadow move past the doorway. Something was amiss here.

Silently, Ren got out of bed. She grabbed the lantern and the matches, yet did not light them. She was planning on checking out whatever this is and hopefully, assuaging her fears. She'd rather not be caught while doing it. Next, she grabbed her lute once again. It was her best weapon at the moment...come to think of it, she didn't know where she left her weapons...

...

She moved out of the room and made a beeline for the stairs. Thankfully, she explored the house before. She would attempt to get to a window nearer to the sound itself and, of course, she'd be as silent and as stealthy as possible. She hoped beyond hoped that she was just being paranoid.

OOC: Some ambience

Though Ren had walked the halls earlier, the dark seemed to make everything look all the wider and all the more longer. Shadows stretched on the wall as bits of moonlight clawed its way into the house from the cracks in the drapes and the doors.

The manor was all but silent and nothing seemed to be moving about. While the hallway was dark, the lower floor provided a bit more from below and she'd easily be able to make her way to lower floors. There were a few Cartic marks for faint blue light.

In the red hallway leading to the living room, red walls glared against the light of lit oil sconces. Ren would still be able to hear the sound.

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It was getting somewhat louder. Eventually, she'd reach the living room. It looked the same as ever. The curtain had been drawn, but due to its gossamer nature, light still poured in naturally. The window was, strangely, open, and the wind blew on the curtains gently.

Ren would also hear another sound.

tick




tock




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The pendulum of the grandfather clock was swinging and the sound of the clock hands were also audible. If she looked at clock's face, she'd see the time.



Still five minutes to twelve. Still broken.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

A creaking sound would come from behind Ren and she'd see a silhouette run away after angling the armchair in Ren's direction. She'd hear a door swing open that led to the dining room.

Ren was getting closer to the sound...She noted the window. She couldn't help but wonder why it was open in the first place. It could be as simple as letting a breeze in? She took a step forward, but glanced towards the clock as she heard its ticking. If she was in any other situation, she'd try to see if she could get the hands moving...Not right now though. Another step and...

!!!

She spun around, wide eyed as she saw a silhouette dash from the armchair. There was no hesitation as she sprinted after it. She wasn't sure who it was. Could be Dorrance, could be her maid...Could even be some kind of intruder. She didn't have time to think. If she could catch them, she could get some answers.

This was a stupid idea. It could very well be a trap but...She couldn't imagine why anyone HERE would want to hurt her though...

Ren would find herself in the dining. As was with the rest of the manor, it was dark and the windows were the only main source of light. Nothing really remarkable about the room stood out. Although...

Ren would notice that the table still had the plates and food from earlier. Ren's plate was barely finished and Dorrance barely touched her cake. Nothing else had been kept either. The bottle of wine now floated in a bucket with barely cold water. Both Ren and Dorrance's wine glasses also were still there.

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The sound seemed to be getting louder and was just up ahead. The door leading to the kitchen had been left ajar. If she entered the kitchen, she'd see nothing too remarkable. The kitchen was polished with marble and granite countertops. There was a door going to the pantry but it was bolted lock. In the sink, dishes had been unwashed, namely those from the main course and appetizer.

Ren would feel a light breeze touch her. A crack in the door leading to the backyard.

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It seemed to be where the sound was coming from. Of course, the way back was still there. She could simply head back and decide to go to bed. It was clear nothing save for the odd silhouette was around the house and that it had gone into the garden. Perhaps going back was the safer option.