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 Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 9:48 pm
Dammit.
Glancing around quickly to make sure no one else saw, Semele picked up all of her scattered paperwork, and then placed them down on a table before sitting down. The library was near empty, and she wondered whether or not there actually was anyone there to spot her terribly common slip-up. Even something as little as dropping papers everywhere could make her seem unexperienced, she figured, so she decided that she had just better make sure that she doesn't do something like that again.
Thumbing through all of the papers now spread out on the table in front of her, Semele caught bits of questions here and there, but never once paused to fully take them in. Must they know absolutely all of this information about her? This bothered Semele, not because she was worried that some of the lies about her past wouldn't hold up, but because of the sheer amount of effort that would go into filling out each and every form completely. She came to the Guild to see how it could benefit her, not to fill out questionnaires that she would have to lie her way through.
Oh, well. Such is life. Putting the stack of papers to one side of the desk, Semele daintily picked up the first one and laid it out in front of her as she began to fill it out. Pausing for a moment, she cast another glance over the library. Perhaps she could find something of use around here to make her paperwork go a little more smoothly. Whether it was something to fill up extensive questions on her life before now, or something to help her to get it all done.
It didn't matter what, just as long as Semele could use it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:18 pm
When Semele was halfway through the second page, she found her concentration broken by the smack of muddy combat boots on the library's pristine tile floor. Soon enough she was assaulted by the overwhelming smell of lamp oil, old leather, and fresh blood. Her light was blocked by a large bat-winged shadow.
"You and a staffer. You're the only ones here."
The Ejderha might have been asking a question, but it certainly didn't sound like one. Her voice was low and husky, almost rasping. The fact that her hands were stuffed in the pockets of a battered old coat and her posture was casually slouched did nothing to dispel the impression that she was looming.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:37 am
A small scowl crossed Semele's face as a newcomer suddenly walked up and addressed her. She looked over the page she was nearly finished with it, and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Me, and staffer and you, it would seem," she replied in a short and cold manner, without even looking up at the new woman. After a moment of Semele continuing to fill out that paper, she glanced up at the woman. A smug smile was across her face as she searched to woman's face to see if the woman was phased at all. Shrugging, she returned to her paperwork and went back to ignoring her.
After another moment, Semele shot another look over to the woman and arched one eyebrow inquisitively. She tapped her fingers against the table, and tried to figure out if the woman was of importance to the guild. She was an Ejderha, and looked as though she could probably take Semele in a fight, but other than that, she couldn't figure out much just by looks. Returning to her paperwork, she began filling out questions once more, until she realized that the Ejderha was being a bit of a pain.
"Do you want something, or do you just intend on standing in my light?
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:17 pm
If the human woman intended to intimidate someone with curt words or obnoxious facial expressions, she was facing down the wrong Ejderha.
"Carry on with your business."
Franziska cast a glance over at the League library assistant, who was utterly absorbed in some crumbling old tome.
Good. He wasn't paying attention.
"There's a drink in it for you."
With that, Franziska used a chair to step up onto the table, and started examining the upper part of the shelf structure. The human tendancy towards substance abuse was well-documented. If it was not, considering the lax security in this library, she could doubtless pen her own pamphlet and insert it into the official literature.
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:05 am
What in the world had just happened? Were all Ejderha this mad? Furrowing her brow as this particular Ejderha began to climb upon the table that she was just using, Semele put down a League paper she was holding up and reading, and now just stared at what was slowly developing in front of her.
A drink? Well, she wasn't a frequent drinker, but this actually sounded like a pretty good idea to it. While most alcohol wasn't up to Semele's standards, she figured that in the League, there had better be something good. If there wasn't, it would just be a disappointment.
"Why not?" Semele replied after a long sigh. If she was getting something out of it, it couldn't be all bad, could it? A thought was lingering in her mind that this woman could actually be trying to double-cross her, so Semele made sure to be alert to anything that happened. Getting up from her seat, she took a couple steps back to observe just what was going on, Semele put both hands on her hips and looked skeptical.
"I don't have to get up there, though, do I?"
No telling what else was ever on that table, or what else occurred there. Wrinkling her nose up in disgust as she tried to force all of the possibilities and 'what if's out of her head, she decided that she would only stand there if she needed to. And even then, she wouldn't be nice about it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:14 pm
"No." Franziska dismissed the human. "Just don't attract his attention."
She flexed her wings experimentally, feeling out the soreness in her her back muscles, before deeming her pain threshold high enough to make a short jump bearable. Without further ado she raised her wings high, dropped down into a crouch, and launched herself into the air, flapping and straining to get as much heigh as possible. It was a considerable relief when she felt her claws sink into one of the library rafters, in spite of the fact her back felt as though it were burning up from the inside, and several splinters had worked their way in under her gloves.
Franziska dragged herself up into a sitting position on the thick beam, then paused for several moments of panting and coughing. She bit down on the back of her glove to muffle the noise, then turned her attention back to the human.
The human was gawking. How typical.
"Unless you have a concise understanding of advanced buildings engineering or infiltration techniques, you're no use at all."
The Ejderha paused for a beat.
"As you seem to feel that standing and staring will aid in this operation remaining inconspicious," she drawled. "I would venture 'no' on the latter account."
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:45 pm
Rolling her eyes at the Ejderha, Semele turned and leaned on the side of the table; Semele's back now facing her.
"Right. Because you certainly don't already attract enough attention to yourself," Glancing in the direction of the library worker, Semele raised an eyebrow. Was he blind? Part of her desperately wanted to go and tell him what the Ejderha woman was doing, just because of how she had addressed Semele. No one speaks to her like that.
Though, there was one thing in particular that caught her attention. 'A concise understanding of infiltration techniques'? Of course Semele knew all about such things. Getting one scar on the back of her leg from trying to exit a building quickly was enough to make her re-think her entering and leaving techniques. She could eventually even learn the ins and outs of getting in and out of a building; it was all quite simple for her.
Would she want to let this on, though? Someone joining the League with so much information might seem a little suspicious. Semele certainly didn't want to be found out. She could always talk it down, however. She didn't have anything better to do, and 'building infiltration' did sound quite fun.
Quickly turning back to face the Ejderha woman, a small smile crossed her face.
"I know a little bit that might help you. Just what exactly are you doing?" Semele wanted to add something curt and rude to the end of that, but she refrained. After all, this woman could actually work in the League.
And what kind of first-impression would that make?
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:58 am
Franziska arched one violently violet eyebrow, though the human might have had trouble seeing her expression, veiled as she was by the shadows beneath the rafters. An intriguing offer. This was not official League business, in spite of Auguste Renoire's tacit approval.
The human, however, might have some skills she could write home about. Franziska was not shy about revealing her own expertise. Any reasonably intelligent League member from the Sovya occupation zone could figure out she'd been a member of Red Claw, and she felt that her terrorist affilication would act as camoflage for her true intentions. Franziska wished to cultivate the image of being honest and straightforward.
"Personal project."
She pointed a wing towards a tall shelf that could be used to scale up to the rooftop, clearly inviting the human to join her. Humans constantly overestimated their capabilities. Fransizka was intrigued to see if she'd pull through.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:44 am
'Personal project'? Hell, at this point, Semele didn't even really care what she was doing, as long as it was somewhat enjoyable. Understanding what the Ejderha meant, Semele walked over to the shelf, and stood there for a moment, deep in thought.
Her eyes scanned the entire shelf as she tried to pick the best possible place to start. Then, she simply rolled and popped her shoulders and rolled back the sleeves of her jacket. Really, Semele wished that she could take it off, but the problem was, she had no place to put it. She couldn't be sure of what others might do to it, and she cared about it so much that she'd rather not find out. Finding her footing quickly and easily, Semele began to make her way up the shelf.
Once at the top with very little problems (there was one point, however, in which she had put a foot on a book rather than another section of the shelf, and nearly slipped, but all was well), Semele sat down at the top of the shelf, panting just slightly. She then shot a skeptical look towards the other woman.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" she taunted, wiping her hands off and making sure that she didn't wind up with any cuts or splinters. "So, what now? Surely this wasn't all you had in mind?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:35 pm
"Talking and stealth aren't complementary." Franziska affected a drawl to matched her thin, arched eyebrow. She made it a point to not be particularly offended by the ape's taunt.
That kind of thing ended in accidental fires in the sewer drains; blown cover and sore memories.
"These beams," she ran her claws down the wood, disturbing dust and cobwebs. "There has to be a joint somewhere that could be removed to take it all down. I'm going to find it. Your expertise may help me to do so more efficienctly. Half the problem with such an operation is undetected set-up and extraction."
Franziska stood up on the beam, then, biting her lip at the way her calves protested, and flared her wings for balance.
"Hunting beasts for a living can improve some skills, but I think it can make you soft in other ways. I'm won't allow that to happen to me."
Not that she was totally willing to buy into Auguste Renoir's relaxed demeanor. It could be a ruse. A trap, even. Or the somewhat justified arrogance of a famous warrior.
Franziska looked down through strands of plum-colored hair, looking the human straight in the eye. Everything from the the hands on her hips to the curve of her lips spoke of mild bemusement.
"You should also practice." She challenged. "Unless you're feeling soft already, human."
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