Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Extreme =&gt; Extreme Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Saerrael on 22-03-2011, 02:52:54</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Saerrael</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 02:52:54</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/ee/Teahouseicon.png)</div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:06:32</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Her Office</span></div><div align="center">(http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liaeg0ZuyH1qe08x1o1_500.jpg)</div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:08:11</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Her Bedroom</span></div><div align="center">(http://www.stonesoupinn.com/Victorian.jpg)</div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:11:28</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Rubee's Bathroom</span></div><div align="center">(http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lig12h6gFw1qdz6n4o1_400.jpg)</div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:11:50</strong>
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				[save]
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:11:56</strong>
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				[save]
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:12:12</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Rubee's Accessories</span></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 07:13:29</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u">Rubee's Mementos</span></div><br><hr><div align="center"><strong>Rubee's Mother</strong></div><div align="center">(http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lig1c0Mn0N1qdz6n4o1_400.jpg)</div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>27-07-2011, 03:08:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				There was time to think about the past in the relative safety of her own bedroom. No one was allowed to come into her room unless it was the servants and even then she wanted a letter written about who cleaned the room and when just to make sure no one was trying to filch anything from her room. The Teahouse might be up more upper class than the usual brothels Rubee saw around, but the people inside could have their agenda on something more than servicing clients or cleaning up dirty sheets and dishes. There was not much of value left out for the servants to dust or fawn over, except one thing Rubee kept mounted to one of her bedroom walls, above her writing desk. She walked over to the painting and felt herself lose a bit of the tension from her work and generally her life. The painting held three horses, each one running in a meadow, with the wind brushing their long manes behind them. The painting was not drawn by her hand but a gift from one of only a few men she adored in this world. A man who was never a man, but a boy, a boy who was more man than his very own father.<br><br>Rubee looked at the painting of horses running free and thought about her past which seemed to keep popping up in her thoughts the last few weeks lately. Perhaps it was the fact that someone she hated was a patron of the Teahouse and she had to find ways to disappear from his sight. "I hate that man, but not his son," she muttered, wishing she could have a moment to tell the man what a horrible monster he was; but to do so would mean to lose her job for insulting a client. A man like him, her behind would have been out on the street with the way he threw money around especially around a few specific whores. If she could talk to the man, she would tell him to send a message to his son. A son who should know what kind of low-life his father was especially a hypocritical one at that; but Rubee knew better than to stir up the past. The past was behind her and there was no reason to think about people and places that held no meaning for her.<br><br>Yet, she let her mind linger towards someone who looked kindly upon her even if she was almost eleven years older than him. "Bastian, I wonder what you are up to now," she whispered, closing her eyes as she tried to bring up an image of the sweet faced Bastian. How old would he be now? Eighteen? Nineteen? It was only two years since she left him to wonder about her, but there were times Rubee wondered if he thought about their times together. Rubee could recall his sweet face and it was then she let herself think about one of the horse races.<br><br><em>"I have never been to the horse races. Am I even allowed to go out with you, Bastian? I am supposed to be back at your home, looking through paper work and making sure the money your father makes does not start disappearing. He might end up firing me if he knew I was here playing around," twenty-seven year old Rubee asked Bastian as she looked around at the people bustling their ways towards seats to get a better look at the horse races. She had never gone to such a place and being here, she could smell the wet dirt the horses would run on and popcorn being sold by a vendor who wanted to make his own wages by selling a few popcorns. The man was just like her trying to make ends meet at the bottom and Rubee searched around in her purse for a few coins to buy popcorn. "I should get back to the office before your father realizes his wages are going to frivolous things."</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>crystaltears</strong> on <strong>27-07-2011, 18:37:02</strong>
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				The weather was perfect for a day at the races. Not a cloud in the sky to mar it. How long had he known Miss Mariano? Long enough to bring her here, where he could be himself. "Miss Mariano, I am certain you will recall that my father hired you on for two reasons. While the primary of the reasons is indeed to manage the finances of the businesses he has appointed you over, the other was to educate me. Let us call this..." Bastian swept his hand out to indicate the crowd at large, "...an experiment in finance and mathematics." His smile was flawless, though for a sixteen-year-old at a horse race, Sebastian certainly was reserved. When he realized why Rubee was digging through her purse Sebastian addressed his butler, "Henry, if you please." <br><br>Sebastian nodded his head toward the popcorn vendor and Henry promptly inclined his head to his master, "Of course, Sir." The butler turned his attention on Rubee, his blue eyes kind toward the lady whose company his master so enjoyed, "Miss Mariano, allow me if you would." Henry produced enough coin to cover the popcorn Rubee seemed to desire and set it in the hand of the vendor, never once coming into actual, physical contact with the man.<br><br>"Now then, with the matter of frivolity resolved by the instructive nature of our visit here... Let's take our seats in the stands. The races will begin soon." Bastian was still smiling when he offered an arm to Rubee and gestured toward the stairs leading up to the stands where the nobility sat. So popular were the races that most people could not afford a proper seat. The fact that the Hatch family owned seats even with the finish line was something Bastian rather enjoyed. "Father bought this horse for me for my birthday. He's supposed to be of quite impressive breeding, and thus likely to perform very well. Henry said father spent a small fortune on the stud fee, and more on the animal itself." He paused briefly, turning his green eyes on Rubee, and for once they actually held a hint of excitement in them, "How many races do you suppose a horse needs to win to repay the cost of its breeding?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>27-07-2011, 22:23:44</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"I doubt I am supposed to tutor you in the ways of betting and winning at a race, Sebastian." Rubee looked at the crowd and could see a few people had hung around long enough with their betting slips to try and win back whatever they lost in the beginning. She only hoped Sebastian would want to stay for a little while before going back to his home. However, having known Sebastian for a while, if he thought he might win, the two would stay longer to prove the theory correct. She only hoped the popcorn would last her that long as she accepted the bag from Henry. Thanking Henry, she looked over to Sebastian, "You did not have to pay for my popcorn, Sebastian. You should be spending it on that girl with her mother who keeps looking at you as if she would be wooed by a flutter of your smile alone," Rubee muttered beneath her breath. She had seen the young female stare down Sebastian as if she could burn holes in the back of the young man's head. <br><br>Sometimes Rubee wondered if Sebastian knew the attention he brought upon himself with his maturity and the fact the two were receiving curious looks from everyone as the two made their way to their seats. A few women looked her over and dismissed her for Rubee only wore a few basic items and none of them were considered worthy enough for a second glance. Rubee did not care but she wondered if Sebastian knew the word of her accompanying young Sebastian to the races would get back to his father. His father already warned Rubee to keep her eyes on Sebastian but never linger too long on the young man. Rubee knew better than to try to have Sebastian court her. He was like a brother to her and the age differences would vastly show up if there was ever the notion of courting and marriage. Besides Sebastian's father made it very clear for her to look over his son and not to think about sinking her lower class nails into Sebastian for marriage.<br><br>Rubee smiled at Sebastian's curiosity and calculated the winnings needed for the horse. "Considering these horses make up at least several years wages, I would say your horse needs to win at least almost all of the races, maybe less if you were to bet on the horse itself. Which I do not recommend unless you want to explain away the extra money bulging from your pockets if you horse wins." Rubee looked over to Sebastian hoping he would not try to bet on his own horse. "I would not suggest betting all if any on your horse without seeing if it will fair well against the others." It was her opinion but Sebastian was his own man and he was the one who owned the horse which could possibly win in this first race. "What is the name if your horse, Sebastian?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>crystaltears</strong> on <strong>27-07-2011, 22:51:50</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Another man Sebastian's age might have turned his head to see the lady Rubee claimed was staring at him out of pride or curiosity.. Or have rolled their eyes in boredom. Sebastian though, he simply gave Rubee that subtle smile of his and shook his head a little. "Too many young girls watch me, Miss Mariano. My family would find itself without fortune soon enough if I were to dote upon each of those who wish it. Besides, the wealth I spend on you is spent on a friend, and that often goes much further than what one spends on a pretty face. Or so Uncle James would say." <br><br>The light had gone from his eyes with the change of topic, though it returned as Rubee brought the horse back into the conversation. "All of them? That is unlikely, but he may take a few. His name is 'Another Prince', Miss Mariano. From the bloodlines of 'Prince Buck' and 'Little Lady Lion'. I'm told the mare was surprisingly fast for her size and the stud almost won the season three years ago."<br><br>Bastian remained by Rubee's side until she was seated, at which point he turned his gaze on the butler who had been following them discreetly. "Go and place a wager on the stud for me." Sebastian paused briefly before saying, "Actually two. One more modest than the other."<br><br>Henry drew a long breath, though a silent one, and nodded his ascent to Sebastian, "As you wish, young lord."<br><br>Sebastian didn't like being called 'young', though his distaste hardly showed at all in his expression as he turned back to Rubee, "Well, I know you advise against it, Miss Mariano, but what kind of owner would I be if I placed no money on my own horse? That would be as grave an error as expecting a business to be profitable without any forward risk." Oh yes, the years of tutelage under his father and uncle had groomed Sebastian to be quite a man when he grew up.<br><br>A bit of commotion from the greens across from the stands caught the young lord's eye and he smiled at Rubee as he indicated the field, "All those folk without seats gathered on the far side... I'm told the atmosphere over there is actually much more exhilarating than the atmosphere in the tiered seating here, but it would be unseemly for a gentleman of stature to be on the greens instead of in his family's seats."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Teahouse. - Rubee Mariano's office and room.</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>28-07-2011, 00:02:15</strong>
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				"You Uncle James would be smart to spend it on friends. However, I doubt your uncle would enjoy seeing you here when we should be going over your studies of geography and history. If we are going to be here a while, I might as well ask about the new exploration of countries around here. From what I have gathered, there is supposed to be a country where there are women who were skirts which only cover up their behinds and their fronts, and go without any shirts." Rubee had seen a few blurry photographs and noticed all of the women were not fair skinned but a darker color. Some of the women were very intriguing and Rubee pondered if a few of the explorers would bring them over to see the differences in culture and history. "Do you think there are people that are not from this place, Sebastian? Individuals who have a different skin tone or even language?," she asked, glancing over to him before she looked towards the people on the greens.<br><br>Rubee looked down towards the greens and knew if she was not at Sebastian's side, she would have ended up being rowdy and loud with those sitting themselves on the grass. "You know they would welcome you if you only brought them alcohol and food. They might not be up here in the seats but they are passionate about the races as you are with the bets." She noticed a female down on the greens dancing around with her skirt flowing around her. Rubee knew a few of the women in the stands were gossiping about the women being tawdry with flashing the skin of her ankles and knees. Yet, Rubee saw it as a woman who enjoyed herself without fear of being judged for her true pleasure. "Why do I feel you might want to go down and join them than have to converse with stuffy people beside you?," she questioned, her own curiosity piqued to go down to speak with the people who were from her own background and maybe drink some liquor she could obviously see was hidden in a small box. 
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