Post by caladwen on Feb 27, 2008 0:16:06 GMT -5
Mishka climbed out of the backseat of the cab, staring up at the old Victorian home that she was to be renting a room in. It looked extremely old, but oddly beautiful at the same time, reflecting the dignity of the people that had built it. She walked to the back of the cab, lifted the trunk up and allowed the driver to help her carry her three bags of luggage up to the main house.
She dug around in her pocket and paid him off, including a generous tip for helping her with her bags. Turning, she rang the doorbell, waiting patiently.
An elderly asian woman opened the door, pushing open the screen and allowing her to bring her luggage inside.
"Miss Yan?" Mishka asked, remembering the name from the paper she had looked over in the hotel.
"Yes, child. I believe you'll be wanting a room?"
"If it's not too much trouble, yes," She answered, looking around the hallway she found herself in. Everything inside was delicately preserved, and looked as though they were either the original that came with the house or a very well-crafted replica.
Directly in front of where she stood was a beautiful staircase, wooden stairs leading up to the second floor where her room likely was. There was a door to the right of the staircase, and as she turned her head, she found there was one to her immediate right and another behind Miss Yan to her right.
"Of course it isn't. Miss Ying and I enjoy having young folks such as yourself come and stay here with us. You may stay as long as you like, provided you don't have parties or friends over every night."
"I've just moved here... I don't have any friends in the city," Mishka admitted, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.
"Just as well; it's a strange place around here. You wouldn't want to go making friends with the riffraff that hangs around most of this city. Anyway. How about I show you to your room, so you can take your things up, and then meet you in the parlor for tea?"
"Of course," Mishka said politely, wrapping her hand through the strap at the top of one of her suitcases and following Miss Yan up the stairs.
They didn't feel very stable; when she put her foot on the first it creaked horribly. She wondered why it hadn't done the same when Miss Yan had gone up, but passed it off as the extra weight from the suitcase she was dragging along behind her.
"Ooh, here's an idea," Miss Yan said suddenly, turning at the top of the stairs to face Mishka, who was having trouble with getting the suitcase up the stairs, "I'll get Kami to help you! She's a nice young lady, you'll see..." she trailed off, and disappeared down what Mishka assumed was the hallway beyond.
Even with the promise of help, Mishka continued dragging the suitcase up the stairs, being careful not to scratch the wall or the banister. The stairs were rather narrow, and she was having a hard time as it was.
She heard footsteps coming her way, and stopped for a moment to focus her attention on the top step.
A lithe young woman stepped down to help her with her suitcase. Kami, or who she assumed Kami must be, was a bit taller than Mishka herself, and had dark hair that was pulled back into a loose bun.
The two of them slowly got all three suitcases up the old rickety stairs, while Miss Yan watched from the top and directed.
"Kami, dear, would you like to join us in the parlor for tea? We'll be telling Mishka the way of the house and such things," Miss Yan asked after all of Mishka's things were situated in the small room she would be renting.
Kami nodded once, and the three went back down the stairs. Miss Yan went straight to the kitchen to get the tea ready, and Kami followed to help. Mishka was left on her own in the posh parlor.
Each pillow was either light pink or filled with embroidered images of flowers, all of them rimmed with off-white lace. There was an extremely fluffy white cat with a snub nose sitting in an ancient looking armchair. It surveyed her with distaste as she looked around, its green eyes narrowed.
There was a large bay window in the middle of the opposite wall, with poofy pink cushions and more lace. Mishka really couldn't complain about the decor, as much as she thought it needed an update; she did have a place to stay now, and money enough to pay for a few months until she found a job. She couldn't be more grateful.
A china cabinet stood like a silent sentinel on the left wall. The inside was well-lit, displaying clean white plates with blue images on them.
She dug around in her pocket and paid him off, including a generous tip for helping her with her bags. Turning, she rang the doorbell, waiting patiently.
An elderly asian woman opened the door, pushing open the screen and allowing her to bring her luggage inside.
"Miss Yan?" Mishka asked, remembering the name from the paper she had looked over in the hotel.
"Yes, child. I believe you'll be wanting a room?"
"If it's not too much trouble, yes," She answered, looking around the hallway she found herself in. Everything inside was delicately preserved, and looked as though they were either the original that came with the house or a very well-crafted replica.
Directly in front of where she stood was a beautiful staircase, wooden stairs leading up to the second floor where her room likely was. There was a door to the right of the staircase, and as she turned her head, she found there was one to her immediate right and another behind Miss Yan to her right.
"Of course it isn't. Miss Ying and I enjoy having young folks such as yourself come and stay here with us. You may stay as long as you like, provided you don't have parties or friends over every night."
"I've just moved here... I don't have any friends in the city," Mishka admitted, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.
"Just as well; it's a strange place around here. You wouldn't want to go making friends with the riffraff that hangs around most of this city. Anyway. How about I show you to your room, so you can take your things up, and then meet you in the parlor for tea?"
"Of course," Mishka said politely, wrapping her hand through the strap at the top of one of her suitcases and following Miss Yan up the stairs.
They didn't feel very stable; when she put her foot on the first it creaked horribly. She wondered why it hadn't done the same when Miss Yan had gone up, but passed it off as the extra weight from the suitcase she was dragging along behind her.
"Ooh, here's an idea," Miss Yan said suddenly, turning at the top of the stairs to face Mishka, who was having trouble with getting the suitcase up the stairs, "I'll get Kami to help you! She's a nice young lady, you'll see..." she trailed off, and disappeared down what Mishka assumed was the hallway beyond.
Even with the promise of help, Mishka continued dragging the suitcase up the stairs, being careful not to scratch the wall or the banister. The stairs were rather narrow, and she was having a hard time as it was.
She heard footsteps coming her way, and stopped for a moment to focus her attention on the top step.
A lithe young woman stepped down to help her with her suitcase. Kami, or who she assumed Kami must be, was a bit taller than Mishka herself, and had dark hair that was pulled back into a loose bun.
The two of them slowly got all three suitcases up the old rickety stairs, while Miss Yan watched from the top and directed.
"Kami, dear, would you like to join us in the parlor for tea? We'll be telling Mishka the way of the house and such things," Miss Yan asked after all of Mishka's things were situated in the small room she would be renting.
Kami nodded once, and the three went back down the stairs. Miss Yan went straight to the kitchen to get the tea ready, and Kami followed to help. Mishka was left on her own in the posh parlor.
Each pillow was either light pink or filled with embroidered images of flowers, all of them rimmed with off-white lace. There was an extremely fluffy white cat with a snub nose sitting in an ancient looking armchair. It surveyed her with distaste as she looked around, its green eyes narrowed.
There was a large bay window in the middle of the opposite wall, with poofy pink cushions and more lace. Mishka really couldn't complain about the decor, as much as she thought it needed an update; she did have a place to stay now, and money enough to pay for a few months until she found a job. She couldn't be more grateful.
A china cabinet stood like a silent sentinel on the left wall. The inside was well-lit, displaying clean white plates with blue images on them.