The space was black... entirely black. No light entered... no light left...

A load click resounded throughout the empty area as a circuit was completed, the clanging of the switch reverbrating throughout the warehouse.

A single spotlight flickered into existence revealing the bound twelve year old. Leather wraps keeping her tightly bound to the oversized armchair. A strange dichotomy formed through the constricting black-leater belts and the large comfy chair.

"Tell me Marie... do you know what an angel is?" the ominous voice reverbrated ad boomed throughout the vast black area, impossible to tell from whom or where it came from. "When a person has made such a mess of their life, that death seems to be the last recourse, an angel sometimes appears and grants them a change in direction... a second chance at life if you will... given the recent mess you have gotten yourself into I would like for you to think of me as that angel."

Marie didn't know how she'd wound up her, but knew fighting would be no use... "Who are you, and how do you know my name?" She asked, clearly more afraid than anything despite her attempts to remain calm. It seemed that hit to the head had erased some of her most recent memory when she'd tried to rob Mortimer. Not that she knew that of course as she fiddled with her tiny white fur vest. It was a nervous habit of hers, and far as she knew only she had known about it until now.

"How I know your name is unimportant. What is significant is your numerous.... activities." Another click and what seemed to be a poorly kept projector turned on and began displaying noisy black and white images on the plaster wall. The film showed a picture of Marie... walking first, then running and accidentally bumping into someone. Apologizing quickly she ran off again. The frame changed again, this time of a convenience store. The clerk had turned their back for a few seconds, giving Marie the chance to lift a few "necessities". The scene changed again and this time a man fallen asleep drunk in the park and Marie rifling through his pockets.

"The truth of the matter Marie is that you have begun to gather quite a name for yourself in Bosporus... these were only the images I could get, but the mercenary police have a much MUCH greater collection of your exploits. When all is told you have stollen well over 400,000 Drachma.... and that's just the sums they can prove."

Allowing the film to continue sputtering with more of Maries' thefts, the chair suddenly turned around to face the opposite direction. Standing there was a red eyed boy, wearing a black over coat and loose fitting dress clothes. "Now Marie... you have two choices... I can send you to the police where you will be convicted and sentenced to juvenile detention until your mid twenties OR... you can come work for me...so what do you say?" He said extending a hand while he maintained his half-lidded sleepy smile.

Marie sighed... So someone had finally caught her, eh? She wouldn't give up just yet, but realised she would have to trick her way out of here. "Anything but Juvvie hall." She said, with a slight rebellious tone that while the normal person would likely not have caught it, Mortimer could hear it in her voice loud and clear. Then she started to remember... She'd tried to rob Mortimer, but instead he was the one that took her by surprise and hit her over the head. A moment later she had a look of realization... There was no way she could trick this boy. "Damn it... Although I'd still rather work for you than go to Juvvie hall so phooie. And I never fall for the same trick twice, just so you know."

"There wasn't much of a trick to it really. Now I think we are done here." Mortimer snapped his fingers and the belts confining Marie evaporated. I'll take care of the record they have of you. In the meantime you will sleep at this location for now and will await further instructions... oh and don't try and run away. If you do than your parole officer will follow you and bring you back to me.[/b]"

Smiling still Mortimer handed her a room key with the number 507 and a small slip of paper with what looked like an address atatched to it. From the looks of things the key was in fairly good condition and if she had known the local hotel scene, she may have recognized it as belonging to, "the strip", the most luxurious hotel and casino in Bosporus.

Fading back into the darkness, the sound of the light and projector turning off could be heard, as well ass the large industrial sheet-doorway being pulled up.

They were in the warehouse district... the good part actually. It was almost evening and it wouldn't be long before the sun had set. Warm air wafted through the warehouse, bringing with it the sounds of the bustling city of Bosporus. Marie had a place to spend the night and a warm meal... so the only question was what she would do now that she was once again "free".

Marie seriously doubted there was a parole officer involved in this, but still something told her to trust this guy. She could sense it, he was showing no signs of lying. Yet she wasn't ready to believe about the parole officer... She sighed, not sure what to do. Having a secure place to sleep and a good meal for the night was a blessing, but still something about this didn't feel right to her. She had no way of knowing this was all because she was subconsciously abhoring the changes in her lifestyle she knew were coming, She'd never studied psychology beyond the point of knowing enough to lie properly and read others.

Still she decided to obey his instructions, hoping he would explain to her more later.

Following the instructions, Marie found herself in front of one of the largest buildings in Bosporus. Over fifty floors and a block wide AND long, the building was a veritable palace. Upon entering the hotel she would be greeted by a young clerk girl, possibly in her early twenties or late teens with gentle auburn hair tied in a braid down her back she said "hello little girl... do you have a room key with us?[/b]"

Marie produced the key from the inner pocket of her white fur vest as she nodded, a neutral expression on her face. Though she didn't show it on the outside she couldn't help but to be impressed. If the fellow was able to afford a room at this sort of place he was very well off indeed. In her mind she was thinking 'Well at least I'm beginning to realise what to expect, maybe it wasn't so bad that I met him. After all, he did take mercy on me...'

After the clerk took the key Marie closed her eyes for a moment in that thought then opened them again a split-second later, looking at the clerk again expectantly.

What followed next was a blur to Marie. Taking the key the woman placed it into a slot behind the desk and turned it. Marie was quickly assured through the door to the side of the desk and found herself in one of the most Luxurious suites in existence. Large screen television, beds, the total suite was like an apartment complex itself, even having a hot tub in the floor. The numerous closests held any number of clothes and robes, compliments of the hotel. A grand piano a vast desk, and this was only the first room. Had she progressed farther in she would hae found herself in a vast indoor garden complete with menagarie. Another room which was a heavily stocked kitchen filled with whatever she could want to make for herself. A fully stocked library and ball room. It was like a fairy tail castle all for her. And of course there was the telephone on which she could call and bring up anything she wanted in a heartbeat.

Marie was so amazed at this place, she at first thought she must have been dreaming. She pinched herself just to make sure, then began walkign around the place specchless. She didn't know what to do first, so got out a die to roll it. She decided in her mind the results would be:

1 - Watch some TV.
2 - Look in the closets
3 - (try to) play something on the Piano
4 - Enjoy herself in the garden
5 - Make something to eat
6 - Look at the books in the library

Marie's stomach growled and when she tossed the die it landed on five anyway, so she made her way to the kitchen after picking up the die. "This is gonna be so much fun!" She shouted happily, almost (but not quite) forgetting how much she'd initially hated the guy who'd gotten all this for her.

She was left with almost a million raw ingredients. Plantains, king crab, water mellon, raw venison, the the choices and variety were endless.... there might have even been some unicorn meat if she looked far enough but that was for another day. The point of the matter was that there were plenty of raw-ingreients but no substances which could be consideed "ready" by themselves... this would take some preparation... or a professional chef.

Marie sighed... She knew no cooking of her own, and out of all these ingredients had little idea what she liked. Most of them she hadn't even heard of, and some had an apprearance that defied her explanation. She looked back towards the phone. Looked like she'd need to make a call or two. But what number? She puzzled the matter for a second, and began looking around for some sort of list of phone numbers somewhere.

Had she looked closely at the phone she would have seen a list of numbers.
1. For management (complaints)
2. For room service
3. For massage
4. For other
5. For XXX

The phone was the second place Marie checked, and she quickly dialed the number for room service. She'd never had a phone of her own, but knew how they worked from watching others use them. Needless to say she'd never thought before she'd need that information, so it did take her a few minutes before she recalled it correctly and actually got room service.

"Hello, you have reached room service. What is your will mistress?"

Marie couldn't help but to smile. The voice on the other end of the phone was so kind, she almost felt like a jerk for being so impatient at first. "Y-yes... Get a cook over here, I'm afraid I have no clue how to cook. Even if I did, a lot of these ingredients are... How best do I put it... Not familiar." And she waited for a responce, holding the phone with her left hand and once again fidgeting with her vest with her right hand.

BEfore she could finish her last sentence a chef stood in the doorway. Or rather, a young man with purple hair and red half lided eyes did. Though he was wearing a chef's uniform complete with apron, tall hat and long swirly black moustache. "Ah ho ho, I am jean piere. Ah ho ho. What can I ah hoho cook for you dis evening ah hoho." Giving his best imitation of a stereotypical french accent.

Marie could tell tell Jean was just acting the accent, and couldn't help but to laugh a bit at that detail. She kept it somewhat quiet though to avoid hurting his feelings, and then gave a thoughtful look. "You know what I hadn't decided... So many choices. How about I let you make what you think I'd like?" She was liking this already, having decided she wanted to be surprised. She was starting to get used to being surprised and doubted she'd ever have a pleasant surprise again where she thought she was dreaming.

"Ah hoho, very well mademoisele." With that the man made his way to the kitchen and began baking, taking ingredients out and mixing them up as fast as possible. It took himless than five minutes to mix them all together, and he even set aside a portion of the dough in a small bowl. "Pour la madmoisele" he said leaning down close to give it to Marie.

In under thirty minutes, the rest of it was done as he pulled tray after tray out of the oven and peeling off the small circles.

Presenting them on a square plate he showed them to Marie and said "How you say, de cookies are leady"

Marie was so happy she nearly had a heart attack when she saw those chocolaty cookies with the marshmallows in them... "Oh my gosh!" She was once again very happy at the surprise. "Thank you. My favortie, how'd you know?!" She asked before grabbing and nomming on one of the cookies. "Mmmmm... So goodth." She muttered, still chewing. These were the best cookies she'd ever had.

"Ah hoho, well it is because, ah hoho, I'm your employer." Taking off the chefs hat and removing the false curly Q mustache it was plain to see that the chef was in fact the boy she had met in the warehouse. "Mortimer C. Graves, good ta meetcha" he said as he reached down for one of the marshmellow cookies.

"What the fu-" Marie stopped herself by munchign down the most of her cookie. "Mortimer eh? Well at least I know your name now." She felt so foolish for having not realised it was him... It seemed she'd finally met someone who could outwit her. In made her feel so jealous and foolish, feelings which showed themselves by her crushing the rest of the cookie in her hand without realising it. "What sort of job did you have in mind for me anyway? You never told me that either..." In her strong emotions she swallowed too fast, starting to chocke for a moment before she recovered... "Owwwww~!"

"Slow down... you'll choke on your cookies if you eat too fast. What I need is for someone with thievery skills, moral flexability and a waist size smaller than 57 centimeters. And quite simply you fit that description to a T. But until I call upon you for a job you're the reason why I can afford to stay at this place... as your guest of course. A one night room for a child is much cheaper than for an adult... you're my lil money saver" ruffling her hair slightly as he said this.

To put it simply Marie could not stay angry at Mortimer... She sighed. "Figures it chalks up to that. I wondered what you wanted with me when you could afford to get stuff like this. Usually those are the people after me for my theivery." All of it was quite true, Marie had gotten several mages on her tail as of recently. In particular there was a Light Mage who believed she'd seriously wronged him by stealing from the funds he was saving up for enchanting his sheild.

"Well, there's one bit of trouble with that plan because of my past... I have quite a few mages after me for stealing from them. Are you going to be willing to help me deal with their resentment when the time comes?"

"Pff, as if you'd ask me such a silly question... What do you think I am, some kind of charity giver?"

Mortimer left off there for a few seconds to let Marie think about what he said before continuing. "Of COURSE I'm gonna protect you if they come. You're my employee and I'm not going to let anyone but me chew you out. Besides, do you have any idea ow many thieving waifs there are out there in that city? Dozens, but you're the only one with potential. I have a talent for it really, I can see a persons potential for growth and out of all of them, you were the only one who fit the bill.

In the meantime just sit back relax and get ready to make a break for it in the morning because we're gonna run before they ask us for the second half of the payment got it? asking this with a smile.