407.09.16

 

Year 1, Semester 1, Day -4

Elidor knew that she'd been lucky to get the third floor flat at Number 13, Holoshin Lane.  Her landlady, Mistress Beddell, lived on the ground floor accompanied by an orange-eyed, ginger and black cat and, from the vague sounds Elidor had heard, at least one other person. The name plate on the second floor proclaimed the occupant to be P. Usagi.  That meant her nearest neighbour was one of the rabbitfolk, but there was no way of telling which clan they were from because all rabbitfolk had the family name Usagi and the common script didn't reflect the syllabary and ideograph spellings that differentiated between their clans.  

Elidor's own nameplate read E. Scaremoor.  Mistress Beddell had approved of her decision to have a post office box instead of having her mail delivered to the building, and it appeared that both the landlady and P. Usagi had similar arrangements because there was no letter box attached to the wall beside the front door.  Elidor's decision had nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with making it harder for her family to find her.

Aunt Albidor's insistence that The Return was imminent had passed beyond eccentric and into the realms of worrying in Elidor's unregarded opinion.  Elidor had no wish to have any part of her anticipating her Aunt's version of The Return.

Number 13, Holoshin Lane was convenient to the university but not in or on top of it. A near anonymous flat in a cheap but respectable neighbourhood near the university she'd managed to secure a place at under her accepted by-name was exactly what she needed.  An added advantage was that mail deliveries to other addresses in Holoshin Lane were managed from a post office in a completely different postcode to the post office where Elidor had rented her post box.  So far the move was going well.

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3179.08.23

Helbelebore Estate, Ekald Demesne, Colony 1293-x: Security Log

Sensor readings indicate the presence of an unknown member of House Skardmord in the habitations beyond the orchard boundary.  No hostile actions detected.  No awareness of the sensors has been detected. Intent cannot be ascertained due to lack of data.  Passive scanning continues.

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407.09.16 11:12

Lady_Albidor to Family Scarmod Group Chat:

Has anyone heard from or seen Ellie in the past week?  She's not answering her messages and her flat has been dark every time I've checked on it.

407.09.16 11:37

Cousin_Breck to Family Scarmod Group Chat:

May be she doesn't want to talk to you?   Also, she has to work and have a social life of her own - you can't expect her to be sitting home waiting for you to come around when you feel like it.

407.09.16 12:01

Lady_Albidor to Family Scarmod Group Chat:

She's not on the provincial employment register or on any provincial student lists.  She knows I'm arranging for her to meet with the Mengwaid's matchmaker, and she's been raised not to sulk.  I hope I won't have to remind her of her manners.

407.09.16 12:20

Cousin_Breck to Family Scarmod Group Chat:

Don't talk about that data access in a public forum. Also, all the Mengwaid men are bad dudes.  Not cool, Aunty A.