Thwack!

Rose Lalonde slammed the book in her hands shut and glared down at the cover of the heavy tome in her hands. Pursing her lips into a sneer she debated whether to throw it across the room or out the window, before deciding to do neither and setting it down on the bed next to her. Rising from her seat she walked to the small window that gave her a view of the moon, and even a small sliver of Derse below. It was exactly the 82nd time that she had looked out that window that day, and the 613th that week. Of course the scene never changed, so there was little point in looking since all it did was serve as a reminder of how she was trapped. While she would never admit it, the blonde was sure that the Condesce had only chosen to give her this room to remind Rose that she wasn't allowed to leave the palace. If she didn't see the outside world, then she would have less of a chance to miss it while confined.

An irritated sigh that was nearly a growl passed her lips and the girl pushed away from the ledge and stalked back to her bed and sat down heavily on the plush mattress. It had been far too long since she had been able to properly speak with someone, which didn't include praising the Condesce and flying to her aid at the wave of her manicured gray hand or with one of the carapaces that followed her blindly. No. Real contact with someone. Dave had been busy, and she hadn't been able to send any letters in far too long. Fidgeting with the sheets Rose thought about her options before rising and walking to look out the window again.

83 out of 614. She could wait until Dave came to find her and they had a free moment to talk. There was no telling how long she'd have to wait for that though. Turning from the window Rose started pacing, eyes fixed on her moving feet and nothing else. She could write her letter to Jade or perhaps Dirk, but if it was found in her room.. No, that wasn't even an option. She'd write it on the spot when she saw PM next. Turn. She could sneak into the library and find something to read. Turn. Sneak. If she could sneak out of her room to go to the library, then certainly she could sneak off of the moon? Rose halted suddenly and looked at the heavy door that was the only obvious entrance to her room.

Quickly she checked the handle, but without even having to do so she knew it was locked. The last check on her had come an hour ago and then there wouldn't be one until around dawn if she wasn't suddenly needed during the night. It was clockwork. Every night since the Condesce had taken over Rose was locked in her room after her curfew, and then the room was checked at dawn to see if she was still there. She had wasted a good amount of sleep making sure she wasn't checked in the nights, but after the first couple weeks when she made it clear where her allegiance was those nightly checks had stopped coming.

Then she'd do it. She'd sneak out, just to see what was happening down on Derse with her own eyes rather than having to rely on whatever lies she was told by the Condesce and her minions. Returning to her bed Rose sat down and closed her eyes, focusing only on her breathing and opening her mind. She didn't have time to do a proper ritual or sit to a proper meditation. This would have to do. Still it took longer than she liked and by the time Rose opened her eyes again it was another hour later and there was cold sweat pouring down the back of her neck. Still breathing deeply a smile now curled at the corners of her black lips. There was nothing that ought to happen tonight that would lead the waterbitch to needing her. This night would be her's.

Rose walked to her wardrobe and looked inside before only pulling out one of her simpler cloaks. It would be suspicious if after one day Rose had two outfits soiled, so she'd have to leave as she was. She cleaned the makeup off her face and pulled the hood up to send anything else recognizable of her into shadow. A final glance out the window, 84 out of 615 and Rose left her room, taking a secret passage she'd learned of when studying old maps to remember the labyrinth that was part of the Circle.

In no time she was stowed away on a late running shuttle, keeping herself tightly curled to take as little room as possible. When the thing landed Rose blended silently into the shadows and slipped away in the mysterious way those that spent too many years at the Circle did. But just getting off the shuttle she didn't stop. She needed to get somewhere where there weren't many patrols and she could spend the night seeing without having to run constantly.

Her feet brought her to the familiar area of the market, now eerily silent in the cold dead of night. Still she welcomed it, raising her hooded face to the night sky and breathing deeply the smells of the city. Dirt and ripe produce, the heavy stench of sweat from the throngs that filed through every day. Rose smiled softly to herself, content to just lean against the wall at the mouth of the alley she was hiding in.

"Stupid goddamn market. The one day I want to make something for dinner and of course nobody around has what I'm looking for." Lawrence lets out a small sigh as he looked at the list in one hand, grumbling as not even one of the boxes on it are checked, tapping a pen against the side of his head, before letting out another small sigh, before pocketing both his pen and checklist.

"Well, I guess it's back to the grind.", he mutters as he wanders around the marketplace, looking through various stalls, holding back groans and irritated sighs as the shopkeeps all give him the same song and dance... well not really a song and dance but it'd certainly be compensation for not having what he needed. It seems like today is just not the day for beef stew. Then again, he did put off going shopping to take a nap, so in a way it's kind of his fault he didn't get here sooner.

Lawrence sighs again as he goes to lean against a wall near some random back alley path for the moment, running his fingers through his hair, letting out another sigh. "This is ridiculous. I should be done by now, not stumbling around here like an idiot! Ugh... May as well give it one last shot before I just give up and head back.", he mutters as he goes to push himself off the wall, dusting off his mantle coat before starting his cycle of shopping failure anew, passing by the alley Rose was hiding in as he goes to check out yet another set of stalls, somewhat miffed at his streak of unluck.

Rose hummed in soft contentment and her head lolled to the side ever so slightly. She had slowly slid down the wall to sit on the ground, legs folded awkwardly under her. The hood that had covered her face still did, but even without seeing her closed eyes it was easy to tell that the girl had fallen asleep. At all times in all places. Still after being awake since dawn and having to force three communes with the gods of the furthest ring it wasn't too strange. She snorted softly and her head fell from her shoulder, jerking her awake.

The girl's head snapped back up sharply, smacking back against the wall since she had forgotten it was there. Well that certainly woke her up. Wincing she rubbed the back of her head and pulled the hood back up. How long was I asleep? How could I have even been so foolish? How much left of the night do I have? She wondered. There was no reliable way to tell time here. She shouldn't have snuck out at all when she was this tired.

That was it. She would go back. Even if she still had time, it would be worth it to get some sleep while not curled up on the ground of an alley in the low district. Rose pulled down her hood even lower, not even being able to see where she ahead of her because of it reaching almost her mouth. Tilting her head forward she looked down at the ground as she slowly stood, careful not to rise too quickly to attract attention from her movements or to bother her head in case she had hit it harder than she had thought.

Rose took an awkward step forward, half limping because one of her legs had fallen asleep in the strange way she had been sitting. Rolling her ankle in an attempt to get the blood flowing again she froze hearing a voice nearby. It was soft and she couldn't make out what it was saying, but it had a lingering ghost of familiarity. No. She couldn't waste time trying to place where that voice had come from or who it belonged to. She had to get going.

Pulling the hood down again and holding it in one hand as if fighting a strong wind Rose rushed out of the alley hoping to be gone before the owner of the voice got any closer to her hiding spot. Instead however she ran right into the owner of the voice, and Rose had to bite her own tongue to keep from crying out in surprise. In a tangle of fabric and limbs they both ended up on the ground, her on top of him save for the arm pinned under his weight. If not for that she'd have already picked herself up and had been running, despite the weight of the overly fancy dress she wore or how much she actually detested running.

Lawrence stopped for a second, lightly slapping a hand against his head. "...Honestly, what was I thinking? I should've waited 'til tomorrow to do this, but noooo, I've gotta be stubborn about wanting to get this done today because it's not like I can't do it any other time! Jeeze... Sometimes I'm surprised my brain hasn't just decided to up and quit on me... Ah well, best to call it a day now instead of later."

He shakes his head, sighing as he goes to head back and see if there were any late-running shuttles left, before someone rushes out of the alley he walks by, crashing into him, sending the pair ass over teakettle as they both come crashing down, letting out a surprised yell. "Oh, for crying out loud...", Lawrence mumbled as he rolls off of the mystery person's arm, quickly hopping up and dusting himself off again, sighing as his hood's been lowered, not even bothering to pull it back up.

He then goes to turn around, looking at the person who just bowled him over. "I don't know where you're going, but at least look before you come out of nowhere! Sheesh..." He rolls his eyes a little as he goes to walk over to the woman, bending down to extend a hand to her, offering to help her up. "In any case... Are you alright?", he asks, looking her over, tilting his head a little to the side as if trying to get a better look at her face, and failing miserably. Not that it's all that much important at the moment. He'll probably see it just fine once she gets up.

When the stranger stood and freed her arm Rose's hands flew up to her hood which had been pushed back in the fall and yanked it sharply back over her head. She looked at the person's feet, which were facing away from her. His back is turned then She thought and hazarded a look up. Since he, or maybe she?, wasn't facing her there was little that she could actually see, but they were tall. Taller than her at the very least, but with the cloak she couldn't tell their physical stature more than that. Still it was a wonder how she had managed to bring them both to the ground.

Also, he or she had blonde hair. Human. Has to be. Nobility? She wondered, biting her lip as she ducked her head down again as he turned back to her.

"My apologies" The girl responded to his (that deep a pitch had to be male) complaints, throwing her voice a octave or two above normal. She pushed against the rough brick cobbles and sat up to have a hand shoved under her nose, barely in the line of sight from under her hood. Rose hesitated a moment, weighing both sides of the action in her mind. He could just be being polite, but then it could be a ploy to catch her unaware. If he was a noble then this might be a trained response, but then if he wasn't and it was a trick would she be able to break free? What if he saw her face?

After a few moments she took the outstretched hand and let him help her to her feet, keeping her head tilted down as much as possible. "Yes, I am fine. No injuries sustained. I am sorry for not watching my direction. You are alright yourself?" She asked, staring down at her feet.

Lawrence helps the stranger up to her feet, letting go of her hand once she's back up. "Yes, I'm perfectly alright. I've had much worse scrapes when I was younger", he says in response, awkwardly rubbing one of his hands against the back of his head, as if recalling such an incident for a moment.

He then lightly taps his fingers against his head for a moment, looking at the stranger, taking note of the fact that her head is tilted down... though he decides not to pay it any mind for the moment. Maybe she's just shy or something.

"...Well, in any case. I was thinking of making my way back to the shuttles. It'd probably be a good idea if we stick together, considering the sorts of unsavory folks that start to wander the streets at this time of night", he says, letting out a slight sigh, shaking his head as if another incident had come to his mind for a moment. "...Oh! That is, if you don't have any pressing matters to attend to, sorry. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself there, aren't I?"

Lawrence rubs his arm a little after saying that, slightly embarrassed. "...Anyways! Might be a good idea to get names out of the way before I forget about those, too", he says, letting out a small laugh, before speaking up again. "I'm Lawrence! Lawrence Gallis. And if I may be so bold as to ask for yours?" He looks at the stranger as he asks, tilting his head to the side out of curiosity.

Rose nodded in silent understanding, curling her fingers around the sides of her cloak and drawing it even more tightly around her even though the night wasn't cold. In fact it was warmer here than in the palace and the layers of fabric that made up her dress were making her sweat. Or perhaps that was just nerves? She stiffened when he mentioned her going with him.

"No." No. Rose was not scared of others around. Fine. Maybe she was. But that wasn't why her breathing speed up, at least not the only reason. If she went with him or not she'd be in danger. And if she lied and then he saw her on the shuttle later? She didn't have time to waste, she didn't know how long she'd been out and had to get back. If she said no and then got there at the same time as him that would raise even more questions the blonde was sure. "I mean no, I have nothing to attend to. I just finished, I was heading toward the shuttles myself. " She chuckled nervously.

Her breath hitched hearing his name. I know that name. He was in the Circle, left a few weeks before I did. She started raising her head to look at him, hoping it was perhaps a different person, but she caught herself in time to stop him from seeing under her hood. "Ro- Beatrice. Beatrice Laslie. Bea is simpler if you wish." Mentally she kicked herself for messing up like she did. In her worry and momentary fright Rose forgot the backup and alias she had decided on back before leaving the palace. Not waiting for a response she began walking back in the direction of the chain that bound the moon to Derse.

Lawrence blinks as he takes note of Bea's reactions, cocking his eyebrow slightly as he hears her stumble when she tells him his name... before simply just smiling in response. "Alright, then Bea! Nice to meet you!" He says with a hint of cheer in his voice, going to walk alongside her, arms behind his head and a small spring in his step.

Though, he still can't shake something off his mind. Ro...? What was she going to say before she mentioned that name? Hmm. Don't think questioning her about that would be a good idea, so... He stretches out a little, before speaking up. "...Hey, Bea. If you don't mind me asking, are you alright? You sounded a tad frazzled earlier." he says, kicking his leg out a little. Hopefully, maybe kicking up a little small talk would make the trip back go by a little more quickly.

"Say, what'd you come down here for anyways? If you don't mind answering, that I mean. Myself... I kinda went here in a fit of stupidity after having woken up from a nap, because I... uh. Kinda forgot that by now the market's a bit on the 'empty' side at this time of day." He says, looking a little embarrassed as they continue walking up to the chain, whistling a small tune as they move on.

They had walked in silence awhile before Lawrence spoke up, but it was enough for the girl to calm herself. He didn't question her slip up or the fact she kept her hood raised which left her able to breathe easier even though she still stayed her awkward ridged self like whenever she was around people. "Yes, I am fine. I had simply not expected to see anyone else this late." She explained, which was mostly true. "Not many dare the darkness and indeed even fewer embrace it. A person's imagination can be their greatest strength, but even more so their greatest weakness."

Rose bit down harder on her lower lip, almost tearing the chapped surface. She had expected him to start questioning her, but had hoped for a few more minutes to think. Why is he explaining himself to me? And why does he sound embarrassed? It's a simple enough mistake. I left wanting to see how this place and the people had changed, and of course I go at the time of day that you can't actually tell. She shook her head at her own folly.

The blonde didn't answer the second question right away, but spoke up before he could ask it again. "I hope you will excuse my rudeness, but my reasons for being here are my own." Rose finally said coolly, forgetting to raise the pitch of her voice.

Lawrence simply nods in response to 'Beatrice' when she answered his first question. "I suppose so! But even then, I'm sure if one gathered up the strength, they could perhaps overcome their weakness, or maybe even make it into a strength! It all depends on how one goes about it, really." He says in response, stretching out a little. "Then again, not many people can say and actually do that, so it's certainly more difficult than it sounds."

...And then he stops for a split second as he hears 'Beatrice' respond to his other question, her voice sounding a bit different. Curiouser and curiouser... Had a feeling something was up about this, but... Don't really think now's the best time to confront her. Not at all. May as well just keep playing along... He takes a short, small breath before starting to walk again.

"Oh, that's perfectly alright, Beatrice. Not everything has to be an open book! We all have our reasons for keeping secrets, after all!" He responded a little too cheerily, holding himself back so that he doesn't give her a knowing wink, trying to think of some more small talk. "...You know, I've always wondered." He says, stopping for a moment to tap a finger against his head. "...How exactly did they manage to tether Derse to its' moon? That's always kinda bugged me a little, to be honest." Probably a really stupid question, but honestly, this actually kinda has been a thing that's bugged him sometimes.

Rose almost didn't notice his brief stop since her hood cut off view of everything but what was immediately in front of her. Almost, but not quite. The break in the soft rhyme of footsteps, the only sound in the darkened market besides the soft night breeze blowing through nooks and crannies, caused her to look to see what caused it. Of course her head moved but her hood didn't turn with it so she got a face full of dark gray cloth. Sandy yellow hair peaked out from under the thick fabric and tickled her cheek from the movement. Frowning she looked forward again, had she given something away?

He started walking again a moment later though so she pushed it back in her mind, making a note to be more careful. She wasn't able to see anything he was doing, only looking at the ground could she see one of his feet walking adjacent to her's. But then he stopped again, this time for longer. Rose halted and turned fully so she wouldn't have to push against her hood to see what he was doing. "I've never actually thought about that. Perhaps magic? Or maybe years of labour.." This time she remembered to change her voice, and with a shrug she walked again but now lost in thought. She remained silent as they left the market and headed down the streets.