Lex and the Thief, Might as well post this one as well... Options

[Ornamental Nonsense]

I wrote this because, quite frankly, Lex is a great character from the game, but I don't see many stories about him. I usually write darker stuff, but I was in the mood for something light and funny when this idea popped into my head. Hence, here is a piece that veers into traditional territory that I normally wouldn't even consider writing. I'm not totally satisfied with the results either, but I can't decide how to fix that. *sigh*
Well, anyway, so long as someone enjoys reading this, I consider my time well spent. Please leave some feedback as I muddle through editing this.


Chapter 1: She Doesn't Like Him

The thief watched the captain of the guard with interest. It wasn't that she liked him. No, that would be a slight against everything that she stood for. Members of the Thieves' Guild did not fall for guards, especially one that harassed the guild at every turn. Still, she was watching him, and maybe it was a bit of a fascination. The man looked capable and handsome in his armor, roaming the docks with a single-minded purpose as he did. His eyes were hard steel. They always were, like he never thought of anything besides work and his hunt for the Grey Fox. Little wonder that his own comrades sometimes mocked him, but Mandila found his determination curious. Most guards could be bought or avoided, but neither seemed likely with this man. She wasn't used to that.

“Hello, sir,” she greeted as he neared her. She was perched on the harbor wall, feet swinging out over the water, head half-turned to look at the captain. His Imperial features settled on her, and she inwardly cursed herself for drawing his attention. Then again, she liked playing with fire, and Hieronymus Lex was definitely fire. Just having him this close made her jittery—like the feeling that she got right before stealing something. He was legal danger personified, and even though she shouldn't, she couldn't help herself. She had to speak with him.

“I'm busy, Bosmer,” he stated, and she smiled at his clipped tone. The captain was far too easy to irritate. Don't do it, Mandila. Oh hell, when had she ever listened to reason?

“A little touchy today, Captain,” she told him, her brown eyes brimming with hidden pleasure as his narrowed. “Aren't soldiers supposed to be friendly to us good citizens?” She caught a glimpse of someone standing to the side, observing the exchange, and she immediately recognized Methredhel, her sister Bosmer in crime. The woman was shaking her head in disbelief.

“I am on duty, ma'am,” Lex said, the words polite but not his tone. “Idle chatter when there is work to be done is disgraceful.” Gosh, someone needed to take himself less seriously. He didn't even bid her goodbye as he walked away, the sunlight shining off of his armor. He's always so impeccable, Mandila noted. She wished that he would talk a little longer, but he never did; although she swore that she'd get a conversation out of him one day. Why she found him so fascinating, she couldn't say, but she followed her inclinations without much hesitancy. She knew that her thieving friend was watching her, but her eyes were only on the captain as he disappeared around a corner.

“Did you fall from a tree when you were younger?” Methredhel asked.

“Stop being a mother,” Mandila jokingly replied. “A little conversation never hurt anyone.”

“That is Lex that you're trying to talk to,” the other elf reminded. “He's our sworn enemy.”

“And if I get him to lighten up, maybe he'll stop chasing us so much.” Methredhel burst into laughter at the suggestion, and Mandila giggled along with her. The idea was rather ludicrous.

“I tell you what, sister,” the older elf whispered, stepping closer. “I'll make you an offer since you want to 'lighten up' the captain. If you can get a kiss from our dear nemesis, I'll give you twenty lockpicks for free.” Mandila's eyebrows shot upward. Twenty lockpicks? That was a good deal, but then again...

“He'd arrest me for assault,” she huffed with a pout, and Methredhel's eyes went wide.

“You...you really do like him, don't you?” she asked, amazed. “Bosmer, you listen to me: this is a bad idea.” And Mandila shook her head in instant denial. She did not like Lex. She couldn't like Lex. Hell, there was nothing to like about the man, except maybe how he looked in uniform, and that wasn't enough for a picky elf.

“I don't like him,” she protested. “He's just...oh...” She fought for the right words, and the longer she took, the more Methredhel's face contorted into a mixture of confusion and delight. “He's interesting!” Mandila finally spat. “And they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?” She had never tried to put her fixation into words before, and now that she was, it sounded ridiculous. Great, now Methredhel would be taunting her for eternity. “Besides,” Mandila pointedly said, “It's not like I spend that much time on him.”

“Really?” Oh that smile meant trouble. Methredhel knew something that she shouldn't. Mandila just knew it. “I've seen the way that you watch him, and I daresay that other guards have noticed too.” Mandila frowned and hoped that Armand hadn't heard any of the rumors that were circulating around the waterfront. There might be one or two about her mooning over the captain, but it wasn't mooning. They just couldn't understand that she found him curious.

“It's only talk,” Mandila claimed. “No meat to it at all.”

“But you don't deny that you watch him. You're lucky that he doesn't notice. He's too thickheaded to realize when a woman's interested. Poor man will be single for life.” Methredhel laughed, finding her own words hilarious, but she stopped herself when she noticed Mandila's contemplative face.

“You don't believe me at all,” she said.

“Not a bit, sister. Oh, I know it's harmless enough, and you really don't mean anything by it. Perhaps you really don't like him, but at this rate, you might find yourself liking what you don't want to. That's why we never watch a target for an extended period of time. It sometimes makes things complicated. Remember: the guild comes first.”

“Yes, sister. You haven't spoke to Armand, have you?”

“No, because I know how you are. You'll get over this fixation soon enough. I remember when that pirate was here. You spent hours secretly watching him, even looking for excuses to eat lunch near his ship. Thank goodness that's over.” Yes, it was. The man had been found dead in his cabin one day, and it was rumored that the Dark Brotherhood was responsible. Well, Mandila wasn't sad. Like she'd already said, it wasn't that she fell for these men. They just occupied her attention. Lex was like the others, or so she told herself. Besides, the man would never give her a second look. He was too...Lex.

“Still thinking about him,” Methredhel stated, jerking Mandila from her thoughts. “Ah honey, he's too old for anyway.”

“How old is he?”

“Stop. Just stop,” Methredhel said, face twisted into exaggerated disgust. “Lex is a pest. It doesn't matter how old he is.” Then she suddenly smiled and rolled her eyes. “I can't wait until you get over this one. See you later, sister. Don't waste too much time staring into space, and my offer still stands.”

“I would never wound my dignity by taking you seriously!” Mandila called after her. As if I would ever kiss Lex. She winced but then giggled. The man probably would arrest her, or else eye her warily for the rest of forever. There he was again, all justice and order, and speaking with another guard. Perhaps she could get closer and eavesdrop. That would be harmless enough, and she wanted to know if the man ever talked about anything other than business. She had yet to catch him in the act, but she was determined. Of course, she never made herself obvious. Besides staring and the occasional brush by, she didn't interact with or follow the man. In fact, she rarely saw him, and never outside of the harbor, for she refused to let her interest interfere with her normal routine.

This is unhealthy, girl, she told herself as she felt the familiar draw toward the man. As Lex glanced at her, her eyes moved to his lips, and she noticed how perfectly shaped they were. They looked soft and appealing, even if she'd never noticed that before. It was Methredhel's comment making her think these things, she decided. She smiled, but turned to go home, knowing that she had a job to do that night.

****************

“There goes your elf, sir,” the guard commented, and Lex frowned. What on earth was this man jabbering about? He turned to see that Bosmer girl walking by them. She frequented the harbor, for he saw her almost every single day, but he never paid attention to her. She seemed harmless enough, and therefore he had more important tasks to focus on.

“My elf?” he questioned, finally registering the guard's word choice.

“She has a habit of showing up when you're around,” the guard explained, trusting commonsense to elaborate the unspoken remainder of his thoughts to the captain, but he would be wrong on that account. Unlike a normal man who might recognize his appeal to a young woman, Lex was instead wondering if Mandila might be keeping an eye on him for the Grey Fox. All of these poorer folk were likely to have connections to their hidden 'hero', and suddenly Lex was paying closer attention to the woman strolling away from him. Of course, he understood what the guard was trying to imply, but this was a world where even the innocent might be dirty criminals beneath their smiles.

“Do you know anything about her?” Lex seriously asked.

“No, sir. She comes and goes—lives somewhere near Armand actually. She's pretty for a Bosmer.” Lex grunted in indifference. He would keep a closer eye on that girl for a few days. There was no telling from where his next lead might come.

This post has been edited by Ornamental Nonsense: Jul 29 2010, 02:49 PM

[Ornamental Nonsense]

Chapter 4:

"Sir, excuse me for interrupting, but I need to speak with you immediately," a guard announced. Lex looked up from the desk where he was finishing paperwork, and stared at the man.

"What do you need?" he absently asked, much more interested in his current task.

"There's been an incident, sir."

"An incident?" Lex questioned, his relaxed tone quickly becoming stiffer. "What kind of an incident?"

"Nothing serious, sir, but the guards can't get the women to stop." By the Nine, it was some pathetic problem. Lex just knew it, and although he hated wasting time on minor issues, he was still obligated to restore order. Then again, he had been staring at paperwork for several hours, so maybe a break was in order. Forget the tedious scribbling of notes, for there was enforcement to be done, and Lex would have been lying if he claimed that he didn't like exhorting authority over people, especially when said people were causing problems. As such, he followed the guard out of the building without much reluctance, and stepped onto the harbor walkway.

"There, sir," the guard pointed, but really, there was no need for pointing. Lex couldn't have missed the indicated commotion if he were blind. He paused, a frown creasing his face.

"Why is that woman taking off her clothing?" he asked, beginning to march toward the scene. The culprit looked like an Imperial, but it was difficult to tell since her shirt was in the process of being pulled over her head--an action which exposed ample cleavage and a leather bra to the afternoon air. The woman wasn't alone in her indecency either, for two cohorts in crime were mimicking her actions, and one was...oh, this was going to be interesting day. Lex was now amidst the scene, watching as one of his subordinates futilely tried to control the situation.

"Ladies, this is most inappropriate!" the helpless guard was shouting.

"We just want to go swimming," Methredhel laughed while tossing her shirt to the ground. A crowd was watching from a distance, and several men even shouted encouragement and made catcalls, which only served to further aggravate a certain captain. Lex could not believe that he had to deal with this. Who in their right mind would strip in the middle of the street to go swimming? Didn't these women have any propriety?

"I will be forced to act if you won't dress yourselves!" the guard continued, flustered as a shirt flew into his face amid giggles. The offending garment settled into a draped position over his iron helmet before he ripped it away, and only then did the man seem to notice Lex's silent but severe presence. "Captain, sir, I swear that I'm doing my best, but they...could you please...?"

"Captain!" Lex's head snapped from the guard to the short, stone wall that separated the street from a drop to the harbor's water. He was surprised that Mandila hadn't noticed him sooner, but she'd been preoccupied with stripping and taunting the other guard. Now her eyes were wide, as if shocked, and a shy hand reached for her discarded shirt before she stopped herself. Then she morphed back into a spirited smile, and there she stood on the wall, leather bra pushing up her chest, and a blue cloth tied around her lower regions. Her pale skin stood in sharp contrast to her dark hair, and those long lashes blinked in his direction. Although apparently joyous, the faint pink in her cheeks indicated that she was fighting back a hint of embarrassment.

"If you don't come down from that wall and get dressed this instant," Lex lowly threatened, "I will be forced to arrest you." Even though the other two woman now stood on the wall as well, his words and attention were solely directed toward Mandila--that Bosmer that never seemed capable of leaving him alone. Perhaps the elf might see reason since she seemed more uncomfortable than her friends, but feeding off of her companions' energy, the discomfort soon faded.

"Forced to arrest us?" Methredhel taunted. "Oh, please. You'd gladly do it. I daresay that your guards might not mind being forced to help detain us either." One of the guards behind Lex actually chuckled, and the captain sent a scathing glare in the man's direction. Someone here had to act like a professional.

*********************************

"We're just going for a swim," Mandila added with a sweet smile. She couldn't stop looking at Lex, and for a moment, she was sure that his eyes were running over her body. He seemed to be taking stock of her long legs, rounded hips, and curving torso, and then his eyes were traveling upward to her shoulders and face. Methredhel started speaking again, but Mandila beat her to it, for she was suddenly seized by the urge to keep Lex's attention all to herself. She didn't want him to turn his blue eyes elsewhere. She wanted him looking right at her as she dove into that water, even as she was horrified by the prospect of his hands seizing her body and even forcing her shirt back over her head. Nocturne have mercy on her, but what if she actually liked it? And to add to her dilemma, Lex was making her feel extremely self-conscious.

"Captain," she began, "You could always join us." He looked at her like she'd just sprouted wings, and Mandila and her companions nearly choked on their laughter over his outraged expression. "Okay," she conceded. "But it's your loss."

"Ready, ladies?" Methredhel asked, eyes shining with excitement.

"This is your last warning!" Lex warned. And when the woman proceeded to count down their jump, it was quite apparent that the captain had reached his limit. "Grab them!" he ordered the other guards, who rushed forward to restrain the would-be swimmers, but the effort failed.

"THREE!" And the women jumped, laughing as their bodies hit the cool water and plunged beneath its surface. Mandila held onto a rock at the bottom of the harbor, and opened her eyes, looking upward at the water's surface. Light shimmered and danced across it, and she smiled as she saw what she thought were the guards lined up against the wall, staring downward at where she'd gone under. This was going to be fun, and so she finally kicked toward the surface, breaking the water with a gasp, and laughing as the Imperial beside her splashed water in her direction.

"Ladies," Lex growled from above, and Mandila was staring at him again. His arms were braced against the wall, and unlike some of the other men, he didn't look amused. Of course, from his vantage point, he would naturally have a much better view of female cleavage by this point, and Mandila wondered if he was taking advantage of that or if he was oblivious. "Get out of the water," he ordered, as if his voice alone would make them listen.

"So that you can arrest us?" Mandila asked. "I don't think so."

"And I don't think that you're coming in after us either," Methredhel added. Surely the guards wouldn't toss aside their armor and jump into the harbor, even if the older Bosmer was giving them her best 'come hither' look. Well, okay, maybe some of them seemed really tempted.

"No," Lex bluntly answered, a slight, triumphant smile curling the edges of his lips. "But you do have to eventually come out of there, and we'll be waiting. Gather their clothing," he ordered the other guards, clearly annoyed by their ogling of criminals. Then he stood there and waited, but he would be waiting for some time, for the women were swimming about and playing, dunking each other beneath the water, and giggling like little girls. Clearly, some of the guards were enjoying the show, which was unavoidable as far as Mandila was concerned. Lex couldn't very well order grown men to not notice attractive, undressed females. He was male too, after all, and he couldn't yell at guards for something that he himself was having a difficult time ignoring, or so she assumed since he was closely watching the display of female skin. Fortunately for the captain, his annoyance at the time-consuming incident probably outweighed the soft, calling eyes of his elf.

Mandila swam and played, but she kept looking at him when her friends were busy. Her legs would tire, and she'd cling to the hull of a nearby ship, her pale legs kicking back and forth in the water, and her face half-hidden by hair as she watched him. She could tell that his eyes kept returning to her, and his accusing stare seemed to blame her as the chief culprit of this crime. She shyly smiled at him in return, and then one of the guards behind Lex nudged his neighbor to make a rude comment.

*******************************

"You're still on duty," Lex tartly reminded them, watching Mandila watch him. She looked so free and young when spinning in the water and squirting water out of her mouth like a fountain. Lex would have left right then and there if he didn't think that the pretty women would talk their way out of trouble. The other guards wouldn't be harsh with those beautiful bodies slick from a fresh swim, which meant that he had to stay if he wanted the women properly punished. He frowned, and in annoyance, asked to see the women's discarded clothing in order to search the pockets.

"Captain!" Mandila called, and he returned his attention to the water. "What will our punishment be?"

"Twenty gold pieces for exposure and disobeying an authority figure," he rattled off. "And if you can't pay, you're spending the night in chains." The women began privately conversing, and finally they seemed to reach a consensus. Lex didn't like it one bit—their quiet chatting and plotting while they treaded water. He ordered his men to be ready, just in case the females tried to pull off something slick.

"If we go to prison for the night, do we still have to pay the fine?" Methredhel asked. No, Lex thought.

"Yes," he said, wanting to scare them into never doing this again. The women frowned, and Methredhel blatantly told the Imperial next to her that Lex was lying. Oh, how he wanted to wring their necks! "Listen," he began to demand, but with nothing but a few ripples attesting to what had just transpired, the women were gone. "Damn it!" he cursed. "Fan out! Find where they surface, and catch them. Where are the smaller Bosmer's clothes?"

"Here, sir." Lex grabbed the bundle and stormed off. The Imperial and Methredhel could be left to the others, but he was going to catch Mandila and teach her a thing or two about following directions. She had taken her game too far this time.

*****************************

She would be patient and bide her time, or so Mandila decided as she pulled herself along the harbor bottom. She could hold her breath for some time, and so she had little trouble in keeping ahead of the guards. When they went in one direction, she surfaced in the other, took a deep breath, and went back under. She was now behind the waterfront, clinging to a large rock that jutted out of the water in view of the shacks that were home to the harbor's poor. She kept herself hidden behind the weathered stone, lightly treading as she watched the shoreline with its patrolling men. They would tire of their hunt by evening, but with a glance at the sun, she realized that it was only midday, meaning that she had hours before nightfall. Great, so she would be stuck here for hours, but it was so worth frustrating the watch, and she knew that for an offense as minor and amusing as hers, they wouldn't care if she escaped their equally inconsequential punishment...or rather, most of the guards wouldn't care.

Mandila watched as Methredhel tried to sneak onto the shore only to be accosted right outside of her home by one of the guards. The other elf would opt for a night in prison rather than pay, and it wasn't that bad, really. The women had sort of known that they'd get in trouble for swimming like that, but twenty coins? They hadn't expected Lex to be that harsh, but then again, it was Lex. Mandila sighed as she bobbed in the water and wondered if there was any sure way out of escaping the captain. She doubted it, but there was always a chance that she could avoid the man until tomorrow morning. Surely he wouldn't patrol for two women all day and night, and the other guards definitely wouldn't. Even if Lex wanted them to, his superiors would override and reprimand him for detaining his men for such petty business.

"Lex," she murmured, trying to spot him, but she couldn't. She could still imagine his piercing gaze on her body, even if it hadn't been leering or admiring. He'd been annoyed, like always, but at least he hadn't looked disgusted at what he saw. In fact, she would guess that he secretly approved, for he had run eyes over every inch of her. She wondered if Lex had ever looked on a woman with the yearning of an ordinary man instead of the calculation of an officer, and more importantly, she wondered if it would ever be possible for him to look at her like that.

Mandila, don't cross that line of thought! She sunk deeper into the water, irritated by her own thoughts. This was what Methredhel had warned her against. Lex was fine and dandy as an object of interest, but not as something to actually pursue or think about like...like that. But when had speculation ever hurt her? Mandila wasn't actually trying to get him to notice her as a woman. She was perfectly content with the short encounters that allowed her to bait him or perhaps learn something about his life.

Something in the water was moving near the shoreline, and Mandila's eyes shot toward the dark splotch. It looked as though the Imperial was attempting to sneak back onto the waterfront as well, and Mandila watched with dismay as the woman was apprehended. Now it was only her—alone, skin wrinkled from the water, and the constant fear of slaughterfish hounding her. For four more hours, she shivered in the water and obstinately waited. The sun finally began to set, and only then did the guards leave. The waterfront was again devoid of uniformed life, and most commoners were already locking their doors for the night. Maybe another hour, just to be safe...oh forget it! Mandila was sick of waiting, and she was fetching freezing.

With carefully controlled strokes, she advanced on the shore, and when she reached the shallows and began wading toward the grass, her teeth nearly chattered. She stood there, nearly naked and with her limbs looking even paler than usual in the moonlight, and tiptoed toward her small shack. She would have to go through Oblivion tomorrow morning, for Lex would still be waiting for her, but she could at least get a good night's sleep. And besides, she rather liked the idea of giving him a run for his gold. He thought that he was so good, but she'd show him. The poor man probably wouldn't sleep a wink tonight, because he'd be consumed by the idea that a criminal had temporarily slipped by him.

Mandila's hand reached for the door handle of her shack, and she was about to open it when...

"And what do we have here?" She froze, scared that she was about to be attacked before she realized who was talking to her. She sighed and even wearily smiled, feeling a familiar presence at her back.

"Captain," she greeted, slowly turning around and wondering where the man had been hiding. Lex's arms were crossed over his armored chest, and he moved extremely close—so close that she was looking up at him, and he down at her. If he was trying to intimidate her, he'd need to work a little harder than that, for Mandila knew that he would never physically harm her. He was too controlled and obsessed with upholding the tenets of his office for that.

"I commend your patience," Lex told her. "Four hours?" Mandila gave a forced laugh.

"I didn't think you'd put forth that much effort to get me," she admitted, and ran a hand over her wet and tangled mane, pushing it away of her face.

"You should have known better," Lex corrected her. "I don't like to be made a fool of, Bosmer, and for that alone, I would have waited eight hours to get you."

"You are persistent," Mandila agreed, rather enjoying that he was here, standing in the dark with her. This was the part where the handsome captain was supposed to open the door for the fair maiden and bid her a goodnight after returning her clothing...or not, and being alone, almost naked, and cold made Mandila even more self-conscious than before, causing her to gently wrap arms around herself.

"It's a little late for modesty," Lex commented, his eyes firmly focused on her face.

"It's cold," Mandila defended herself. "I'm going to get dressed now, if you don't mind, captain."

"Not at all, citizen," and Lex thrust out a bundle toward her. Mandila realized that it was her clothing from earlier, and that Lex had no intention of allowing her out of his sight. She dressed in front of him, and felt his eyes on her the entire time. There was no one around, and she was already in trouble, so maybe now would be a good time to steal a kiss? She straightened from pulling up her pants, and began to button her shirt. Lex watched her fingers work on each and every one, and when Mandila grinned, he scoffed.

"So what will it be?" he quickly asked her. "Twenty gold or a night in prison?"

"Neither," she smartly answered.

"If you won't make a decision, I will, and," he leaned closer, inadvertently giving Mandila a much better view of his lips. "If I make the decision, I guarantee that you won't like it." His lips looked nice, and even when pressed into a stern line, she liked them.

"You really won't let this go?" she asked him, amazed by his insistence.

*******************************

"No," he carefully enunciated. She sighed and then rolled her eyes, a gesture that Lex did not appreciate. Here he was, trying to arrest her, and she was still mocking him. It was enough to make him lock her away just for impudence.

"I'll pay the fine," she decided.

"Good."

"When I have the money." Lex's eyebrows scrunched together as he stared at the elf's completely honest expression. How could one person be so insolent? "I don't have twenty coins, but when I do, I'll pay you." His eyes hardened. "I'm poor, sir," she pointedly reminded him.

"Then it's a night in prison," he replied.

"You are unbelievable."

"You brought this upon yourself. If you'd done as I said, you wouldn't be in this situation, and we both know that you wanted to irritate me. You won't convince me that I can trust you, so there will be no extension. Come along peacefully."

"Sir," Mandila pleaded, a hand shooting out to grab his armored forearm. He paused and looked into her imploring eyes. "You see me every single day. I promise that I'll have the money tomorrow." Tomorrow? Where was she going to get gold that fast? "Do you think that just because us waterfront people are poor, that we're also liars?"

"I've seen little to indicate otherwise," he told her, and noticed that her hand was still not moving from his armor, but she seemed oblivious. She was too busy staring at him with eyes that seemed so innocent and naïve at times, but serious and even old on rare occasions. He wondered how old she really was, and how she had ever afforded even a shack in this area of the city.

"The people here might seem less open, but it's only because they don't trust you," she told him. "They have no reason to trust guards." Suddenly seeming to realize where her hand was, she snatched it back to her side, but she wasn't exactly timid. Not once did she seem uncomfortable as she made eye contact with him, which was what Lex expected from her—not that semi-shy girl that he'd witnessed right before she jumped into the harbor. He had noticed several months ago that she wasn't afraid of his rank or talking to him like an equal.

*************************

"Hold out your hands, citizen," he ordered her. Mandila frowned and didn't budge. "Now," he stressed, and so she stretched her arms outward as he removed a pair of iron bracers from his belt and snapped them around her wrists. A thin chain dangled from his hands, and on the end was the key to the bracers. He allowed her a long look before he tucked the chain into a pouch that was connected to his belt. "Goodnight, Mandila," he quietly stated with a satisfied smirk, and then he took several steps backward, leaving Mandila confused. She stood watching him with a befuddled expression while her hands remained locked together, and wondered what in the name of Oblivion was going on.

"The other two got off with a warning and a fine of five gold," Lex shared, but he didn't seem happy about the admission. Mandila was guessing that it wasn't his choice, but rather the directives of his superiors after they'd watched him waste manpower hunting for stripping women. But if the others had gotten off so lightly, Mandila couldn't understand why Lex had told her that the fine was twenty gold or prison, unless... "I expect that you'll bring the required sum to me as soon as possible, or I will arrest you."

"Captain?" Mandila half-protested, half-questioned, and he looked at her with that same, pleased smile as before. By the Nine, he was really going to leave her here with locked hands, and she'd stupidly allowed him to fetter her, thinking that she was actually going to prison. That crafty, evil, handsome...

"I trust that you have some experience," Lex stated, holding up a lockpick for her to inspect. Oh gods, but he must have found it in her clothing. She shouldn't have left it in her sleeve, stupid girl. Now he would be sure to watch her activities. "And I'll charge you for the loss if you don't return the bracers." With that, he departed, disappearing into the night.

Mandila didn't know what to think, but she suddenly found herself grinning and enjoying a light chuckle. Oblivion be damned, but Captain Lex had just played a trick on her—probably in retaliation for the slack punishment that he had to accept dealing out. She was pleased with his attention and frustrated that her hands were locked together, but she would fix that. Oh, she was going to get these off, and she was going to present them to him in public. The man probably thought that she'd need to wait for him to unlock them, but he had another thing coming. With a smile, Mandila set to work in the confines of her small home, all the while thinking about how this event was the first time that she'd felt Lex responding to her game. Dear gods, but simply watching him would never be enough after tonight. No, she wanted more interaction now that she knew how truly engaging the captain could be.

This post has been edited by Ornamental Nonsense: Jul 30 2010, 08:28 PM