Squeaky Clean (Mesa)

[Taln]

10th of Summer, 511 AV Tisuma Baths, back entrance "Go take a bath you stinkin dek!" One of the Avora had thrown his food at him and yelled at him to take a bath because he stunk. Taln caught the food and shrugged. You pick up horse shyke for ten bells and see how good -you- smell. All too quickly the meager portion he allotted himself was gone. He'd fed the other half to Reech just a few chimes before he'd eaten his own share. A half bell later, Taln walked from the baths squeaky clean and feeling better. He'd shaved his copper hair a moon ago and it was still short and neatly clipped. His mind roved ahead to fall, when he'd get a clean Lontev. Too far away. More immediately, he could use a place to finally sleep. The man didn't like having to work horse shifts when it was an unusually hot day, but there was just no other option. With his hatchling and himself fed and cleaned, he had eight hours allotted for sleep and tried to think of where he'd be allowed to. The six foot man stopped for a moment and lowered his lanky frame to the ground near the back entrance of the baths. The dek entrance/exit wasn't used often, so it gave a small measure of security. The green eyed man leaned his back against the wall and stretched out his long legs. It wouldn't be a comfortable place or position to sleep, but it was as close to safe as a dek could get without an invitation to private quarters. As the sun finally set, Taln watched the vibrant display with vivid emerald eyes through half closed lids, verging on sleep. Darkness settled around him like a feather soft blanket and he exhaled quietly in the peacefully encroaching night. Nighttime was usually safer and he always felt more comfortable in its concealing shadows.

[Mesa]

The faint sound of padded paws against the ground sounded. The noise was doubled by the thumping of her anxious heart. Lost, again, Mesa wandered around, scouting for some means of food. Scraps, a hare, anything would do at this point. Hunger pains gnawed at her insides, resulting in her weary, depressed demeanor. She knew that she had ventured out close to Wind Reach, but hadn't the courage to make her way inside. Night had crept upon the horizon now, and she figured now was as good a time as any. Thankfully, she'd happened upon a ragged blanket out in a cave, so she made her way back to where she'd hidden it. A flash of lights signaled her transformation, and she wound the material around her body. She'd found that not many places took kindly to nudity.

Again, she made her way into the city, she kept to the shadows. She fidgeted nervously, searching the grounds for any sort of dropped goods she might could take. Hunting hadn't brought much bounty as of late, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Keeping her eyes downward so as to avoid any confrontation, she continued on. Something made her anxiety grow, however, and she stopped to look around.

She knew nothing about city life, and certainly didn't like what she saw so far. She preferred the woods, especially during the winter. The snow falling on her fur, the cool air, the crisp white expanse that covered the grounds... Her stomach growled as she thought of the days when she would dig a den and store her leftover kills. How long had it been...? Her mind wandered as her brow creased and she shifted uneasily.

[Taln]

On the edge of drifting off, Taln caught sight of bright lights just from around the corner. His green eyes opened wide and scowled into the darkness, searching for the source. The man's jaw dropped when he saw her walking toward him. She had black hair and two different colored eyes! To top it off, she wore a blanket! He knew he was over tired and short on food for a few weeks, but was she real? Taln couldn't help but stare at the exotic stranger who was clearly -not- Inarta. His natural caution would have kept him still and hidden, but she had a look he recognized from his own self. Starvation, exhaustion and nerves. There was no one else to be seen this time of night to help her; except him. A dek. He had no food or shelter to offer the woman. But he had to help her. He'd felt that exact look so many times, hells, he felt it now. Taln raised an eyebrow and grinned as he heard her stomach growl loudly. Against his own better judgement and safety, Taln quietly cleared his throat to get her attention. He assumed everyone heard as well as he did, not knowing that only animals could do so. The copper haired man sat stretched out in a dark corner near some stairs, almost completely hidden within the dark shadows. Despite his lack of everything he still felt compelled to help this woman, somehow. He'd think of something. His emerald eyes watched as she approached and he frowned, concentrating on her feet. Never had Taln seen a person walk completely straight and she made -no sound- as she walked...

[Mesa]

The sound of a man clearing his throat sifted into her ears. She froze, frightened, at first. As she turned, her eyes searched the dark atmosphere. There, by a set of stairs, in a shadowed corner, sat a man. He had long legs, and something about his gentle call compelled her to trust him. She swallowed hard and pulled the cloth tight around her as she took a tentative step towards the corner. Again, she paused, looking around one last time to make sure it was to her that he called out.

One foot in front of the other, slowly, she made her way to the dark corner where the red headed man sat. Her heart thumped mercilessly, threatening to expel itself from her chest. She pondered his motives as she went, and questioned why he was out here all alone, in the dark. Was he hungry, too? Her eyebrows inched closer to one another as her brow furrowed. Her nose wrinkled as she reached out with her senses. What was she getting herself into?

[Taln]

Despite her foreign look, he felt he -understood- her at a deeper level. But it was impossible because he didn't even know her. Taln wondered if that's how he looked to people too. Anxious, starving, half wild with fear and mistrust, and utterly exhausted. Keeping his head bowed, the man watched her through his lashes, with his eyes averted to avoid any direct gaze. It couldn't be farther from the usual shades of red hair around here. It was gleaming ebony black instead. Her eyes--he'd never in his life seen such unusual eyes! When he followed her glance, he nervously checked as well that no one else was around. Taln had a feeling that if he didn't do something quickly, she'd end up hurt or worse by some one of higher caste. The large man kept very still, not wanting to frighten her with any sudden movement. He did however, want to get her directly out of the walk way where she might be seen by anyone who wandered by. "It's alright, you can come closer." Taln coaxed the woman in a barely audible whisper, the pitch of his voice was deep and quiet, his tone kind and patient. "It's safer to keep more to the shadows this time of night. I won't hurt you, I promise."

[Mesa]

His voice came quietly, though not too quietly for her to hear and understand. His tone eased her worries, soothed her anxieties. With a swift, carefully placed turn, she sat next to the copper-haired being. She drew her legs up, folding her arms around to hug her knees close to her chest. Her nerves settled slightly. This man was calm and collected. His ease influenced her own. But the question still remained, what did he want? What was so dangerous to make the shadows a comfortable haven?

"Why is it safer here, in the dark?" Even in the hushed whisper, her voice carried crystalline clear. Her eyes searched through the darkness for any sort of threat. Nothing appeared to be near, though what did she know of this place? Better to trust a native, she concluded.

[Taln]

Although his head turned as she moved gracefully to sit beside him, he still kept his head down. Taln's voice stayed gentle as he talked with the woman, knowing that it would startle her if spoke too loudly or suddenly. "Anyone who isn't about to fall asleep in a corner like I am, is sure to be up to no good. The main threat out there is mostly a few hostile Inarta heading back home after having a bit too much to drink. You seem to behave a lot like I do -a dek- which is the lowest caste here. If one of those drunks saw you, they might mistake you for low rank and try to order you to do something.. uh.. unpleasant." He didn't want to scare the newcomer, but she needed to know all possible dangers. He knew that was what -he- would want to know first. "This little bit of darkness should keep you safe from prying eyes. I'm Taln, by the way. What's your name?"

[Mesa]

She cocked her head to the side as he spoke, ever confused at the idea of being of "low caste." Ranking? For the way one lived? It seemed like madness, to her, having been born in the wild, where the only rank was the food chain. Nevertheless, she listened carefully as he spoke. He seemed kind enough, and thoughtful. How considerate of him, thought she, to shelter her with his warnings about this place. She felt as if she were taking a liking to him already. Not many others she'd seen would have reached out to her like he.

Her name, he asked.

"Taln," She repeated, more to herself for the sake of committing it to memory. "My name is Mesa. Thank you for your help..." She wrung her hands nervously as she spoke, now uneasy again. Dangers lurked everywhere, she knew, but it seemed she'd walked into the bowels of this situation unknowingly, foolishly, even. Hopefully this Taln would stick around long enough to help her.

[Taln]

When she tilted her head to one side, Taln couldn't help but find the gesture endearing. What better way to ask a question without making too much noise? Against his own distrustful nature, he took an immediate liking to her quiet demeanor. The man frowned and thought for a moment, trying to word the idea of a complicated system of community worth and ranking to a stranger. "Caste here works like a pack of animals. At the top of the literal food chain, you have the hunters and protectors, these are the Endals and Avoras; pack leaders. Then chiet who take care of the nurseries, heal and gather. Then yasi are the children and teens. Lowest rank are the dek. We dek are the ones who do all the harder work like lifting and stacking heavy things or the dirtiest cleaning that no one else can handle.There are also a few of us that have either a deformity or aren't born perfect. I can't see good, so they made me a dek. I guess it's kinda of like a pack of wild dogs or wolves maybe." He'd never explained how this city actually worked before, and the man hoped he'd cleared it up for her. "You're welcome, Mesa." He allowed his green eyes to flick to hers for a brief chime and back down again. Just enough to acknowledge her, but not enough to make her feel stared at or defensive. The tall man's gaze followed her motions as she wrung her hands nervously. Taln toyed with the ring piercing on his lower lip, not sure what to say or do next. It was just beyond strange to meet someone that acted almost identical to himself. "So if I were you, I'd be nervous, starving and exhausted. Does that about cover it?" Taln asked quietly, fairly certain that all he was feeling at the moment, she would inexplicably be feeling the same things.

[Mesa]

She listened as he spoke, taking in his every word much like bread soaks in water. A little scowl crossed her face momentarily at the thought of people being discriminated against because of something like a deformity or other ailment. You cannot help how you are born. It's not someone's fault that they are born with poor eyesight, or six toes on one foot, or faulty organs. How discouraging it must be to live in such a place! She could not quite bring herself to understand, but it was not up to her to judge, was it? Certainly, she may not agree with the caste system, but it was out of her hands. She dismissed the thought before it wrought her emotions any more.

The glint of the ring piercing caught her eye, and she watched as Taln toyed with it. Another curiosity. Never had she seen others put thin bands or bars of metal through their skins before. This was an interesting place, indeed. At last, he spoke again.

She replied, "I, well, yes... I am nervous. Hunting has held little bounty for me as of late, and it's hard to sleep with hunger pains." Upon closer examination of this stranger, she added, "We seem to share the same at this moment."