((Note, this occurs the night of Starlight itself.))
The sound of drunken laughter echoed through the halls of the estate's top floor. No door was able to stop the loud bellowing as the man proceeded back towards the main hall where the party was being held. Within a large office, however, a certain fiery haired woman sat behind a large oaken desk. She exhaled slowly through her mouth as the noise died down and quietly raised the parchment she had snatched a moment before back to the surface.
She perused the document once more to be sure there were no mistakes. Her mouth moved silently as she read it over, then quickly made out the amount of one hundred-thousand gil to be paid to the orphanage from the estate of Jameson Taeros.
The crack of a dying fire in the hearth opposite her caused a panicked jump once more. Staring at the door for another moment she could hear no one from the hall, so she returned the quill to the inkwell. Taking the key she managed to swipe earlier while he was distracted by preparations, she unlocked the drawer to her right with a soft *click*, and opened it to reveal an assortment of business-related items. The most important of which was an engraved seal of gold with a mahogany handle.
Taking the wax she had prepared, she pooled a small amount at the bottom of the document then quickly smushed the seal into it before returning it to the drawer, closing and locking it once more.
The sound of footsteps outside had her quickly roll up the document as she sprang from the desk and around the corner to a small dressing area. She sat in front of a vanity and quickly hid the document under the rest of her things before taking up a hair brush and trying her best to look busy. She only hoped he would not notice her shortness of breath.
Jameson came around the corner half a moment later and smiled at her. "Still getting ready? Come now, you must greet Lord Mandercrown before he decides to... lose his pants again." He moved in quickly and leaned down to kiss the side of her neck as her head turned away instinctively. "You look stunning tonight."
"Mmm... must I? Please tell me he is not inebriated already? I pity that maidservant of his."
He stood upright again and offered his arm to which she also rose and took with hers.
"I do apologize, but it is business after all. Fear not, there will be plenty of... distraction once my guests have left."
"You are positively incorrigible!", she replied as he led her off to the party. She looked back briefly as the door closed. Plenty of time to come up with an excuse, or some kind of cover should he even notice the paltry sum missing. For all her risk, Coatleque hoped she could at least give a few children a happy Starlight this year.
The sound of drunken laughter echoed through the halls of the estate's top floor. No door was able to stop the loud bellowing as the man proceeded back towards the main hall where the party was being held. Within a large office, however, a certain fiery haired woman sat behind a large oaken desk. She exhaled slowly through her mouth as the noise died down and quietly raised the parchment she had snatched a moment before back to the surface.
She perused the document once more to be sure there were no mistakes. Her mouth moved silently as she read it over, then quickly made out the amount of one hundred-thousand gil to be paid to the orphanage from the estate of Jameson Taeros.
The crack of a dying fire in the hearth opposite her caused a panicked jump once more. Staring at the door for another moment she could hear no one from the hall, so she returned the quill to the inkwell. Taking the key she managed to swipe earlier while he was distracted by preparations, she unlocked the drawer to her right with a soft *click*, and opened it to reveal an assortment of business-related items. The most important of which was an engraved seal of gold with a mahogany handle.
Taking the wax she had prepared, she pooled a small amount at the bottom of the document then quickly smushed the seal into it before returning it to the drawer, closing and locking it once more.
The sound of footsteps outside had her quickly roll up the document as she sprang from the desk and around the corner to a small dressing area. She sat in front of a vanity and quickly hid the document under the rest of her things before taking up a hair brush and trying her best to look busy. She only hoped he would not notice her shortness of breath.
Jameson came around the corner half a moment later and smiled at her. "Still getting ready? Come now, you must greet Lord Mandercrown before he decides to... lose his pants again." He moved in quickly and leaned down to kiss the side of her neck as her head turned away instinctively. "You look stunning tonight."
"Mmm... must I? Please tell me he is not inebriated already? I pity that maidservant of his."
He stood upright again and offered his arm to which she also rose and took with hers.
"I do apologize, but it is business after all. Fear not, there will be plenty of... distraction once my guests have left."
"You are positively incorrigible!", she replied as he led her off to the party. She looked back briefly as the door closed. Plenty of time to come up with an excuse, or some kind of cover should he even notice the paltry sum missing. For all her risk, Coatleque hoped she could at least give a few children a happy Starlight this year.
