Chapter One

Our late fees are murder.

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Onyx
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Chapter One

Post by Onyx »

The Meeting-

A plain folded sheet of paper scrapes along the floor and under her door. The sound wakes her up from counting.

"One, three, five, seven..."

She rolls up from bed, crumpling a thick pile of maps on her sheets with her feet. Bare feet slap on a dusty floor towards the note. The wax seal makes her groan.

"What the hell do they want now? I'm working as fast as I can, so they call me in just to delay me that much more."

Ripping off the seal she quickly scans the meager paragraph, the note flung from her hand as if it was on fire. Growling with frustration she rams her feet into the boots by the door, grabbing her coat in a tight grip. A few flights of stairs pass by in a blur and out into the city she goes. Her body posture is stiff and aggressive, hair that has not been caught under her collar whips her cheek.

She hates entering the library proper, preferring to do her work at her room with little to no distractions. Every time she crosses the library threshold it feels like a march of baby spiders are scuttling up her spine all the way to her scalp. She swears they get off on it. It's right there underneath the beards they stroke with ink stained, dusty hands.

3 Months Ago-

"Fill out this form, and this as well. When all is completed we shall contact you."

What appeared to be some sort of survey was briskly shoved at her without preamble by a woman in dark brown. Her hair was brown; eyes...brown, as well as her wardrobe. On closer inspection Onyx tries to guess her age, since the fullness of cheek just isn't quite right.

"Fifty three if you must know, but it's rude to speculate," Ms. Brown acerbically murmurs. Feline ears swivel to project the very air of innocence; she even bites back the silent mental curse about telepaths. Ms. Brown patiently waits while Onyx finishes the paperwork. Every so often Ms. Brown lips would twitch as if about to spasm into laughter. Oblivious, Onyx fills in her answers, soon standing to return the forms.

"Who wrote this anyway? You might want to check their medication. And do you usually pick a tavern to hold job interviews? It's not even 10 o'clock in the morning, is this place even open yet?" Onyx never saw a single patron enter, but when she walked into the place to meet Ms. Brown the tavern keeper had acted business as usual. Ms. Brown gave Onyx a slight bow and departed. Onyx hesitates in her own exit but the tavern keeper is doing all he can not to invite a customer. She sighs, rubbing her tense shoulder, an ends to the means, she keeps telling herself. An ends to the means.

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"Ah, we've been waiting, your impressions Ms Brown?"

"Displays extreme distaste, to an almost primal level. There is an aura of honor, faint, but it’s there. Wary, determined, headstrong she is, but filthy language. However, I do not doubt she will not be tempted."

"Excellent, set up the meeting."

"Here, sirs?" Ms Brown asks with raised brows.

"Not that we don't have every assurance in your intuition, but policy is policy."

"Absolutely, I will make the arrangements."


Today-

As much she wants to ask them what is it this time she holds her tongue. If she doesn’t think too much, she’s able to breathe in the room. So she takes out her discomfort by clamping her fingers on her waist.

“We’re giving you a new case. And before you protest, as we know you will, this is of immediate importance. The details we have to give you will be prepared in just a moment, but we stress utter secrecy in this matter. We’re pleased you have discarded your most recent distraction. You will have more time to concentrate on your job. Do not interrupt us! Ah, thank you Ms. Brown. Here are the files Ms. Solare. We expect progress in one week. Good evening.”
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Onyx
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Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:01 pm
Location: in bed

Chapter Two

Post by Onyx »

Closer to present day-

She stands in the lobby of the Library, her impatience is rising. This will be the second time she has been kept waiting this week. Her time is running out and she was tired of them screwing around. If they wanted this job done she would need more information than was in the files they so begrudgingly gave her.

A rhythm of footfalls approaching causes her ears to swivel in that direction. She already knows whom those sensible shoes belong to. She must have been hitting a nerve if they sent Mrs. Brown to meet her.

Imagine, if you will, every stern teacher you had as a kid. Perhaps not as ugly, but just as devoid of warmth. That, is Mrs. Brown.

"You have five minutes, Ms. Solare."

She opens her mouth...

"The file is everything we have on this particular ..issue. I suggest you do not ask again for what we do not have. Think of it as a challenge of your resourcefulness. On that note, how is your friend? Devon Goral, is it?" Mrs. Brown murmurs, taking a seat behind the lobby desk.

"Stay out of my head, old bat. Since you have been as helpful as a crap bandage, I called in a friend. He will have no contact with the book, but he can help me locate it. Leave him out of your schemes." Onyx could feel her blood pressure rising, fear and anger boiled in her stomach.

"Schemes? How trite, Ms. Solare. It is our duty to safeguard our property. When tomes do slip through it can be, may I say, a sensitive issue. We cannot risk an unknown factor. You could always...guarantee this associate of yours. We will require insurance of course." Mrs. Brown was already laying out paperwork.

Shit, she thought, they always get me where it hurts. She wasn't ready to trust him, but now she had to decide. She had to sacrifice something of hers to keep him out of the Librarys web. If he were a fly on the wall, he'd be furious.

She reads the document, panic buzzing in her head. She grits her teeth and signs.
It's mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack. Not rationality.
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