a pretty face

“Thankfully it’s my aim with my bow that could use some work, my sword doesn’t cut through anything I don’t want it to. But a sword isn’t usually the weapon of an… assassin, is it?” He shook his head, still having trouble identifying himself as an assassin. “I’m not sure I’m the kind that’s wiling to fight my way for a job. I think I can wait my turn until something comes around that suits me. I would hate to cause any trouble for any of my…. for any of the others here.” He still could not call them family. 

Aloys laughed–but not unkindly–at her expression. “It’s not worth being ashamed of, we all live our lives with wild dreams. At least yours was to do some good for the world. Magic is a very alluring thing, particularly to those of us without the aptitude for it.” Chuckling, he grouped himself with her in being particularly bad at magic. While he had learned a thing or two from the Jarl’s wizard, none of his spells had ever worked properly. Her suggestion made the smile brought about by his fond memories waver, but he tried his best not to look shaken. “Perhaps. Restlessness seems to be a common theme around here.”

“Ah, well I shall keep a weary eye on you at all times then. I’m not overly fond of arrows in my side, and I hate to be caught unaware,” archery suited Cosette well. Unfortunately, her aim left much to be desired. She couldn’t place why but her hands seemed to grow uneasy with a bow in them, she’d initially chalked it up to using the wrong sized bow but that hadn’t proven to be the problem. “Ah well I’m glad that we don’t have to be in competition at least. You seem a decent fellow, I’m sure a pleasant job will pop up eventually-- whatever passes for pleasant here,”.

“If all else fails, I’ve got a stash of my own,” Carlotta smiled, unable to contain her instinct to impose care upon her new sister in arms; it seemed to be a recurring pattern, this insatiable need to stand behind and beside the women of the Brotherhood. They were, in her humble opinion, the more lethal sex – but that did not mean they did not need to stand together. “The regular fare around here revolves entirely around meat and stew; I think I would have gone entirely mad long ago without the apple tree – and without the generous merchants in Falkreath who know well my indisputable need for fresh fruit.”

She listened intently as Cosette spoke, nodding along absently with each puzzle piece slid deftly into place; each member of the Brotherhood was an enigma in their own right, but it never hurt to at the very least try to understand. “Well…” she began, after a moment of consideration, “Your family’s loss, and our family’s gain. You’ll certainly have to regale me with tales from your lavish lifestyle sometime; I’m afraid that transitioning from running a brothel to aiding in the operations of an assassin’s guild leaves little room for luxury. Though, of course, there is always room for improvement in that sense; at the very least, nothing is off limits here – you can get away with absolutely anything.”

As long as our mages stay fully intact.

“You would think that assassins would grow bored of this drivel after a week, I know I have,” Cosette said with a frown. Meat and stew disagreed with her, she had grown up on the freshest and finest produce. She had of course later grown used to inn food which varied distinctly in quality but that had done little to diminish her refined palate. “Perhaps I ought to go on a food run, there’s got to be more than a fair share of people with far more in their coffers than they truly need. I promise I’ll share my findings,”.

She still felt uncomfortable being referred to as a member of a new family. Cosette often wondered what really made a family. Was it shared blood or shared talents? Would killing create the same kinship between her and her fellow assassins that mages felt with each other? Only time would tell, and that was of course all dependent on the Breton girl staying. “I’ve got tales a plenty. I’m afraid hearing about feasts does not fill bellies nor do tales of plump pillows bring better sleep. I suppose you would already know that but I feel a warning is in order,”. 

“I’d say most assassins are generally fair-weather friends, as well. But you have nothing to fear from me. Nobody in this Sanctuary does. I only kill for the coin, and even then, I try to do it quickly and painlessly.” He took a long, reassuring breath to try to calm himself. “I’ve heard the stereotype before, though I don’t know where it came from. If it’s any consolation, I didn’t train with other mages. I’ve learned everything from books, and most of the mages that I know are close by as we speak.”

“I can hardly say that I hold assassins in high regard either, but you need to be men of your word to some extent to work in an organization,” she replied. Cosette listened to his words, he was hardly the first mage she’d met that assured her of her safety and she doubted he would be the last. Her brother had told her she was safe but magic had a way of consuming mages with a certain bloodlust. Convincing them they were somehow better, above the rest of the rabble. It’s what made them deadly, and she’d yet to meet a mage who hadn’t succumb to it eventually. 

“Ah… you’ve seen me train then?” he asked, though as more of a joke than anything. “I still swear that it’s never on purpose. My aim is really that bad. I haven’t taken one either but from what I’ve heard in the few days I’ve been here contracts are pretty hard to come by and I don’t plan on overstepping and taking a contract from a more senior member. I’m sure things will all eventually make more sense to the both of us.” Though Aloys wasn’t exactly sure how long he’d be planning on staying. The fact that he didn’t fit in here was painfully obvious. 

“You as well?” he asked, grinning at her. “I always thought it would be quite the life. Perhaps that’s why I spent so much time around the armorers when I could. I wouldn’t say it’s childish. It’s a noble thought is it not? Being protectors of the realm and having the freedom to go anywhere.” He was rambling as well but Aloys had always been a talker, something that had annoyed most he’d come into contact with, especially here, so it was a relief to find a like-minded soul. “I will admit I expected more action than this. The journey here was more eventful than the actual stay.”

“No I haven’t but I’m terribly sorry if that’s how you train. They say the most dangerous swordsman is the one who doesn’t know how to aim. I’ve yet to see if that’s the truth of it, nor would I like to find out,” she replied with a laugh. Cosette doubted that he was truly that terrible with a blade, after all it took some skill to get invited to The Dark Brotherhood of all places. This wasn’t a washed up band of mercenaries, they were the real thing. Whatever the real thing was buried underneath years of legends, myths, and darkness. “I suppose I’ll have to wade into the ring and fight for one then. I’m afraid I grow restless with no work, but I shan’t be pleased to be paired with too grisly a task,”.

“It’s a good idea to take the time to hone our skills every now and then but I don’t think I want to get in the way of the others who want to use the room,” he agreed with a nod, though his own reasons were more to both avoid getting in the way of other members as well as to avoid showing that he was perhaps not as up to date with the preferred weapons of assassins. “Right… we’re much better at doing this all unnoticed.” Aloys dd not totally agree but he wouldn’t say as much. It was better to just smile and not make an issue.

“It might be wise. I’ve worked with many a smith and noticed the clients who rush jobs get far inferior products. Most of the time if you allow them the smiths will take pride in their work.” At the suggestion, Aloys lit up a bit. “I would be happy to show you what I know, though it’s not perfect. I’d be happy to help, of course. Small or large, it isn’t as though we have too much else to do around here.” And Aloys wouldn’t mind an excuse to avoid taking a contract. “I don’t mind it, I just know that it’s not for me. I’ve never been good at it.”

“Of course, and what better way than to do it in such a way that you could injure your compatriots. Or is that perhaps a tactic? Are we fighting over contracts now, I haven’t taken one myself and I’m rather ill informed about the politics of the trade. Give me a few months and that will change,” she said. She couldn’t help but notice that Aloys stuck out compared to others she’d met. He seemed light-hearted, friendly, and rather out of place. She enjoyed his company however and did not wish to sour the mood so she stilled her tongue. 

Well, that wasn’t the usual reaction that he got. His fingers opened up and the dagger disappeared almost instantly when he let it go. “Not a fan of magic, then, I presume.” He cocked his head, watching her carefully to see if he would need to defend himself at all.

Once the blade disappeared she rose from where she was crouched. She dusted herself off and sniffed, trying to appear as unscathed as possible. Cosette was no stranger to magic, she had seen it a thousand times over but to hold herself back from reacting violently towards it was another thing. Nor had she seen summoned blades before, that was new, and unsettling. 

Cosette reminded her immediately of a number of the women she’d called her sisters back in Riften; though the lot of them had been separated by right of blood, they were all united by circumstance and common cause, and that had been enough to constitute family. Cosette, in all her crypticism and uncertain facade, was a part of the family now. Though she did her best to remain impassive when new recruits came into their folds, she could not help but feel for the women. Her whole life, after all, had been dedicated to protecting her women. 

Carlotta leaned against the side of the chaise once more and watched Cosette consider the apple, and her probing question. “If you ever find yourself in need of a slice of life, the apple tree just yards from the entrance to the Sanctuary never seems to run dry,” she offered, “Nazir’s proclivity for horker stew does not extend to all of us; a little fruit now and then is healthy.” She listened as Cosette spoke, doing her absolute best to appear attentive; it was a relief that she was unlike some new recruits, who seemed determined to remain silent, and ‘mysterious’ to maintain a baseless allure. “Hunting mages?” she quirked one brow, “I trust you’ll give the Sanctuary’s mages no trouble. How did you find yourself in such a profession?”

“I might just have to pay that tree a visit, at the very least once a week. I’ve been informed that a number of diseases can be prevented by the consumption of fruit, it would be stupid of me to deprive myself of the cure,” Cosette said, thanking Carlotta with a smile. She had been deprived of female interaction for some time now, living with her brother for company had been a rather somber experience. She’d talked to the occasional inn keep or barmaid but it became clear that they had very little in common. She found herself enjoying Carlotta’s presence, there was something warm almost motherly in the way that she held herself. 

If Veryn hadn’t needed the coin, he would have never ended up in this situation in the first place. He wouldn’t have the contracts he’d gotten back in Markarth, from the rival gangs in the city, because his family would have been fine on their own. But that was a waste of time thinking that way. He was here now, and it was hardly the worst way for his life to go.

Very stuck out his hand theatrically, a blue ethereal dagger forming in his fist. “I prefer daggers that don’t need to be sharpened,” he mused, smirking at Cosette, and slashing it through the air.

Carlotta’s nonchalant facade fell with a notable thunk as the poor girl’s cheer disappeared. She’d not meant to ruin her fun; for a cold-blooded killer, she surely was far too concerned with the feelings of others. She oft wished she could be more business – and less camaraderie. “Well don’t give up,” Carlotta sat up, snatching back her apple, “We’re all a bit moody nowadays, is all; we don’t bite the nice ones.” 

“Cosette,” she repeated the name in as welcoming a tone as she could muster; it was lucky the poor girl had run into Carlotta, surely, for not all would be as patient. She loved her brothers and sisters dearly, but they could certainly be a dreary bunch. “Well, it’s a pleasure, Cosette,” she held out the apple once more, “Tell me about yourself. Something unusual.”

“Another time perhaps,” Cosette was no stranger to playing dress-up with one’s emotions. She had played the seductress, the maid, and countless other roles with varying degrees of success.The people she was trying to fool were not within these walls however, no, her brothers and sisters were far too clever. Too adept in their own disguises, her poor acting would do her little good here. “Yes, I must say everyone I’ve met here hasn’t shared the lust for life I’ve found in the rest of Skyrim. I suppose I’ll soon learn why,”.

“If only I had the luxury of being able to merely play with swords,” Very murmured, shaking his head. “I think that I’ve seen some of this armor before, in Markarth. Some of the Silver-Bloods would joust and fight with each other.” He gave her a shrug. “So long as the blade is sharp, a dagger is a dagger. I’m glad that you aren’t. Not everyone has such self-control.”

She refrained from rising as her newfound companion – with a cheery demeanor and a strangely peppy smile to rival that of Nazir post-stew – reached for the apple, instead holding it up in a languid display of laziness. For a moment, she felt a twinge of guilt for acting so lackadasical around someone new, but today was an off day. “Won’t hurt a bit. Picked it m’self just this morning,” she smiled, “I’m Carlotta – much easier to say than that other moniker. Are you always this cheery, miss..?”

Cosette’s cheerful demeanor evaporated as quickly as morning mist. Her smile slacked and her arms rested limply at her sides, “no I’m usually not-- I was trying it on for size but it seems that nobody has taken to it quite the way I would have imagined,”. Underneath the charm, the long hair, and rosy lips was nothing particularly sinister, but a calculating thinker nonetheless. 

“It’s not always quite that easy. Though I guess it depends on the piece you’re working with and  the skill of the smith,” he pointed out, though pleasantly and with a smile. He liked to think he was generally a reasonable sort and he certainly wasn’t going to go out of his way to offend anyone here. He smile back at her with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s no real problem. It would give me something to do other than make a mess of the training room at least.”

“When it comes to making the armor I wouldn’t mind helping out… if we found a forge. As far as enchanting and magic goes, I think it’s best if I stay away from that part of it but I’m not too bad t the rest. Or I like to think so anyway. It’s a lot of work. The best armor can take weeks or even months to get right.”

“Ah, I suppose I understand that. I’ve been avoiding the training room to say the least, I don’t particularly like confrontation-- none of us should really,”. Cosette’s talents were not the sort that required a training room for the most part, talking was something she did on a daily basis and mixing poisons was an art more suited for a work table or a cauldron. Perhaps, she was just a little afraid to see how her skills compared to the her brothers and sisters. Many of which had years of experience over her. 

“I had no intention of insinuating that, sister.” He shook his head, confused. “I honestly had no idea that ornamental armor was even something that existed. Why they would think someone as skilled as you would need less-than-adequate armor is beyond me.” As pretty as she may be, he would never in his life think that she was anything less than a warrior. “So is he still alive or no?”

“Good,” she sniffed as color rose to her cheeks. She felt bad for having so quickly assumed the worst in him, but it was hard not to assume the worst of those who made their home in a bed of assassins. “The wealthy prefer to play at swords while still dressed in finery. I would be lying if I did not say that I should like to own a bejeweled set of daggers some day but they are just that, impractical and lofty and most of all self-indulgent,”.

“You know, they’re not that hard to modify to be a bit more… protective? If you bought some you need altered, I mean. I’m not too bad at it,” he offered, the type to try to go out of his way to help out. And maybe it would have the added benefit of making him seem more like he fit in here when he felt that he clearly didn’t. “Designing your own might be a bit of a struggle without a forge… unless you were planning to borrow one in a nearby town.”

“No I suppose it isn’t hard to modify armor but when I’m paying for it I prefer that it come in the shape and form I’d like in the first place,” she replied. Cosette was awfully particular about things, especially in regard to her coin. She’d come from wealth, fallen far from it, and then found herself with more money than she knew what to do with. She smiled at him, “thank you though that was very kind of you to offer, perhaps when I do acquire armor I’ll ask for your assistance,”.