Aurelia is a Courtesan, not an Assassin. Her world is turned upside down, however, when she kills a high-ranking Senator in self defense. Given his status, and the political power his family wields, Aurelia knows she will be executed without a trial...
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Aurelia finds herself pleasantly surprised by the area Colin resides in. She had expected him to live in the heart of Midcity, in a drug den with homeless lining the halls.
Instead, the area is neat, reasonably well kept. She expects that Colin may live in one of the most run-down flats on his street.
She arrives at his door- an arched, wood thing, beaten up at the bottom with rusted hinges. Aurelia knocks, and when she gets no answer, she knocks harder.
A few moments later, she hears something crash within, feels a thud against the door as she continues knocking. The door swings open, and Colin stares at her, eyes bloodshot, still wearing only his sleep shirt. His legs are skinny, pale, hairy twigs of things, his toes bony and crooked.
It takes him a second to recognize her, and as soon as he does, he scowls. "The hell're you doin' here?" he slurs, stumbling backwards a little when she pushes past him into his apartment before he gets the chance to slam the door in her face.
"I need a place to stay. I'll pay this month's rent," she says, dropping her suitcase on the floor. He eyes her up and down, and glowers.
"Go drown yourself, and get out of my damn house," he demands, pointing to the door.
Aurelia crosses her arms over her chest and glares back at him. "Fine. I'll pay for this week's supply of Blaze. Up front," she adjusts her offer, and he stops glowering.
He blinks, owlishly. He glances from her, to the still open door, and back again. "Should've said so," he grumbles, slamming the door. He makes his way over to her, palms outstretched.
"Can't you give a girl a minute to settle in?" she demands, pointing to her bag on the floor.
His scowl returns. "If you don't got the money, Rat, you ain't staying. Can't let you get too comfortable 'till I know you're not lying," he mutters, and she rolls her eyes.
After doing some quick calculations in her head, she estimates the amount she had promised to be around ten thousand alums. After all of the other expenses of the morning, she will be left with only half of what she started with. She grumbles as she counts the coins out into Colin's waiting hands, and frowns when he scowls.
"I use three vials a day, Rat. This isn't enough," he complains, and Aurelia stares at him.
"How can you even afford to pay your rent?" she demands, and he shrugs his shoulders.
"Bought the place outright, made a few good investments over the years that give a decent payout each month," he replies, and Aurelia shakes her head.
"Well, I'm not giving you any more than that," she says, pointing to the coins he clutches. He looks down at what he holds in his hands, considering, before he scrunches his face up in distaste.
"Fine, fine," he mutters. "But you pay for your own food," he mutters.
She agrees, checks the clock again, and sucks in a breath through her teeth. Her heart lurches and lodges beneath her larynx. She wipes her sweaty palms off on her dress. She drops her suitcase where she stands, and wrings her fingers together.
