Romus Sisters
Victoria Darya Romus "Vika"
&
Marinalia Romus Olympus "Mali"
Mixed locations about the city and times . Prologue.
Marilania cursed as she changed lanes managing to go into her old harbour lane instead of the park district, they had moved in a while but she still seemed to be trying to drive to her old home. Her new job was going alot better and as she turned down to the quieter road by city park as the sun set over the expanse of grass, trees and small forested areas.
Hitting a little beeper on her keys the tall steel gates opened to thr parisian style property, a central area with the main house and two wings with garages and other uses. The home had been in the family many decades but shuttered and closed up, Recently now restored and repaired, secured and upgraded once more. They had sold a few properties in the family no one used, and the funds where now repairing those whom they did, London, Paris, and more. This particular one was a favorite of her grandmother, and grandfather and kept out of sentiment and practicality being in better state of repair. The loss of his wife, and age given the acomodations entirely on the second and third levels had meant they where first to use it in a good few years.
Pulling up, and walking into the lobby, the ball room was closed up, what on earth they would do with it was beyond her, most of thr furniture on the reception floor was still covered and so, the ground floor had a large ball room extending away behind folding tall glass and wooden doors, a suite of various rooms for receiving guests, parties. Alas they would have to put them to use. Eventually. Heading up a handsome curving staircase, with detailed iron work and looking at self in a tall mirror over looking the more private family levels above.
Long blonde hair hanging straight, and brushing it slightly to get out her face with a lazy gesture revealing her striking pale grey eyes more. Her leather flight jacket was glittering with wings and patches from former airlines and places, the look did suit her athletic figure, honed by many hours at the Luna sports centre pool. Maybe some 50 years ago another elegant women, twirled slightly in a long dress and checked her hair one last time before greeting her assembled guests wand walked down the curving stairs. Her grandmother, Marinalia Olympus.
Was it vanity to say she looked good right now... Working as a flight instructor suited her and was starting to feel more like her old self. She had been a mess so what recently and o ly now was life starting to feel better. The safety and reassuring quiet of the Manor was definitely helping her to recover faster.
Smiling slightly as home at last and flopping onto a sofa in the shared living area, kitchen and a more intimate dining room than the one below on the found floor. It was nice, between a set of iron and glass doors was a balcony area overlooking the entrance hall of the property. Victoria also had taken the private office that overlooked the rear gardens, it was only fair but the wood paneled space with massive desk was certainly impressive. Above was the suites, each with a ensuite, private living area and bedroom and a walk in wardrobe... She was liking the perks it had...
Lieing back and resting, the lights and quiet waters of old harbour where nice but set far back from road by the gates, entrance hall and courtyard, it was quiet here despite the road. The park was darker, quiet. For once in a few weeks sleep came easy here. The nightmares of Bob and being drugged where less severe, extensive ranges of cameras and alarms secured the home meaning no one would ever be able to approach her unseen or warned here. Some may call it paranoid but after events, it was reassuring to know.
...
...
The past week or two had been a wild one for
Victoria recently as she walked down the curving marble stairs, still taking it steadily but before her treatment she never would have considered this un aided by stick or support. Gone was the white haired woman, now Raven haired slightly gothic lady, looking sat on the stone Steps to the garden drinking a mug of tea. There was somthing nice about having open space, and it felt safe, private ringed by high outer wall, trees and nature planting meaning no one could see in bar a helicopter. Her sister had already taken advantage of that sunbathing.
Still only 4'9 that was not going to change, and lightly built, some effects would never heal, her skin was slowly taking a more normal tone, even if they had told her she may not quite tan and remain pale. It beat being white as morning snow. Some things she did not mind, the paler skin worked nicely with her intensely black hair, its bold highlights in purple graduating into blues and back into sheer black as a ravens feathers.
She had taken up a new job too, a chance email from a old contact had lead down a rabbit hole, and to a somewhat wealthier rabbit hole at that. Working security and encryption for a defense contractor, the work was finally somthing that challenged her and things atchually felt... Well for the first time in this city, even with her friendship to Milo a a little rocky, well hopeful.
Living here for a while could not be so bad, the calm of there new home, its privacy and reassuring security was doing both sisters good. Even some spare bedrooms, that's if they still had friends left after things anyway.
They had moved into this new home, well Manor in fact it was named on the gates, it had taken some getting used to but they where finding there pace, and now the lower levels unsheeted and shutters thrown open, the ground floor was light, airy and she had taken a former grand drawing room downstairs as her public office for greeting clients. At the front of house, with large light windows, ornate carved fireplace and semi formal sitting areas, just off the large entrence Hall it had views of the extensive city park.
Above on the second floor, the private office was her domain, sanctuary and place of safety looking over the gardens. It was meant to impress, but the relatively tiny Victoria behind such a large desk, with modern state of the art monitors, computers and a particularly squishy leather sofa ideal for when she was hitting a mental wall.
The family had previously been paying for maintenance anyway, and taxes, so living here hardly changed things much bar some extra utility bills and the security company coats. Now someone lived here, even if they used the upper floors mostly, things gleamed, wood shone, and it seemed the soul of the place had been restored once more. No longer a dusty shell that starred blankly over the park, its windows dark pits, now a light, bright, and so far, home. The company maintained many homes in the area and others and had a reputation for discretion and tact, no need to change that.
It had taken a while to agree on things but they had chosen to keep the rooms to rear more private, and it's gardens strictly theres not matter what they did here. They had plans for the grand ball room, hopefully at some point they could work out a way to use it for benefit of people, maybe hold a charity ball.
Mixed locations about the city and times . Introduction . Wensday Afternoon
Marinalia Romus Olympus "Mali"
Marinalia pulled her flight jacket over her neat office uniform with fitted skirt, office jacket with gold flight wings and a simple blouse below. It had been a big wig visit day so she had been doing lessons in her full uniform. Teaching someone to fly in a office skirt was not quite the easiest but she had managed it, and there flight was a safe and uneventful one.
The viability was good and they had done a circuit of the city, before some lower flight training out over the wildreness following the river inland towards a large lake dozens of miles outside the city limits. Quietly instructing and keeping a close eye, her student was learning fast and only needed a few bits of instruction and reminders.
It was warmish day but still winter so she was wearing her leather flight jacket gold wings glittering in the sun, a multitude of patches from various airlines from Rome to Alaska and nations. Near one shoulder one of a blonde haired winged Valkirie. She had picked up the nickname quite often.
Long blonde hair, figure toned from swimming, and if she did say so herself, rather attractive. She looked the part anyway and the gold wings glittering, well she certainly at least got a few glances.
The walk to her white Land rover Discovery was not a long one but bare legs bit slightly even in the unseasonal weather. Driving out the airport it was a Maintenance day so they had a early one at the flight school. If only she had not missed lunch....
The drive through the city was a busy, even living now in Park View the route home would be annoying and she could eat a small horse. Or Rhino... But given pokey kinda had a Gaint horn, she was not planning to go to the zoo for lunch. Heading to Footsteps, the sports bar did good food and once you got used to it was not bad at all. Even if the items she did not quite understand and there was always some kind of American sport on... Hand egg... The ball was a egg... More like rugby with extra safety, baseball, bit like rounders... with more padding, Basket ball, reminded her of Net ball at school, Soccer, just call it football why don't ya.
Parking in Footsteps she remembered meeting Joel and Tommy there in happier times, when things more simple... Pranks.. Life was so much easier. Locking the 4x4 parking was a pain always when you drove somthing like that but she never could drive a little car... It felt wrong... She had driven a land rover or similar since she was 17 and passed her driving test.
Coming from a Rich industrial family had its perks.
Finding a seat at the quiet bar, old memories. If only she had not fucked up that evening... Urgh... She, d be lucky if Joel ever replied to her messages, the picture of there air race they had signed behind the bar.
Good Afternoon mam, Steak, chips and a black coffee please. 1 sugar and cream if possible.
Rest of afternoon off... Got lucky. Talking to server, she ordered and sat waiting as a coffee arrived alot faster than her steak but it was fresh... Fresh was worth the wait. Noting the woman was same too as that night... Why did she choose this place... Crazyness... Wanting to relive a momment... She had no idea... At least the food was good.
Victoria Darya Romus "Vika"
Victorias day at work had been a tricky one and she had been busy patching the firewall and security systems after a attack. They had not done anything at all but bounce off outer defences but a number of weak points that needed a minor but tricky fix.
Hitting enter and watching all the icons shine up green this time, it was meant to be a shorter day but jobs where done when jobs where done. Leaning back the raven haired woman, hair highlights in blues and purples with a black and red corset topped dress. Tapping her ring ice blue diamond ring against the table, the second and final tests all came in green and successful. Looking out window, maybe a dress was not best choice for day but it was strangely warm for the time of year. The newspaper did think a big storm was coming though, why did Marilnalia not pick maybe like Italy, Spain, or Caribbean. Working on a beech with a cocktail sounded kinda fun.
See you tommrow, the Twinnings is my tea!
Firewalls done, threat maps pretty busy of late. Mostly small fish with no bite , they been bouncing off easily, odd shark probed but never committed. Good sharks.. Though not quite immune to detection.
Have fun, and drive safe. Sure, she did not look the norm for working in city, but no one was here. The company was a outpost of a larger defence contractor and hired everyone on merit and skills. Given some of there specialities it had meant they where... Charecters. Especially in the cyber and engineering areas... Quirky, diffrent but everyone was the top of there fields. Admitly she had a rather grey job, not everyone wanted to work for people who also where a Private Military Company and had a few dodgy moments to say the least. She had already turned down a offer from the University, but the pay was gak compared the one she had now. Some called it immoral, but her view was more distant, mostly due to having a father and fanily who was in Arms industry.
Heading out the underground car park to her Mini Cooper, she kept roof up as it was still a tad cool for her being British and not quite used to these winters, even with her Russian trips and heritage. She hated the cold. Driving out past the large entrance guarded by the tower on statue of two warriors of the sacrad band of Thebes, spears High glittering in bronze and marble, Sheilds shining in the low hanging sun. The hidden guardians was there eyes... Concealed cameras that meant they still served to guard the building in a little sense.
Driving round to the Coffee pot and parking nearby, despite her cure she was still in treatment and considered allowed a to have a disabled parking badge. It did make parking alot easier though as she headed in quickly... Why did she not wear somthing warmer... The dress did look so nice though...
Sitting down, and ordering a light lunch, Mocha and a extra espresso to wake her up a a little, she played slightly with her hair between fingers not quite believing the changes. It's was no longer white. The walking stick was in bag, she had not had to use it bar a few times that day on a bad stair case. They had been honest, she would never fully regain but 70% at least increase in her movement, balence and so. Everyone forgot the little luxury it was to her, just to walk for a coffee un aided without hell they always took for granted.
Looking round, it was... Averagely busy, and she pulled out a advanced laptop to have a seach about for a few things to Fox Marlins old laptop... It was ainciant but she loved the thing, despite the part she needed bing out of production for a couple of years. Her laptop was a gift from work, latest gen and modified, it was more secure than the norm. She had worked out a little golden hello in exchange for a longer contract. Well they offered, she was not going to say no.
Food would be a while, hopefully the ebay store had somthing... Marlins old laptop was proving to be quite the challenge to repair...