[Stumble Alley] A meeting in Stumble Alley [Casper]

[Desya Gold]

12th of Spring, 512 AV, Late Afternoon, Stumble Alley. The Disapearing Drunk was without a doubt the best kept building in the entire alley, its stone front fallen into disrepair yet still inhabitable. Desya glanced up at it as she left, then turned to where she could see the sun sinking below the horizon. Glancing around she could already see dark shadows moving in the narrow gaps between the buildings either side of her. Pulling her hood low over her eyes and slipping her hands inside her pockets she hurried down the street, glancing left and right. Her body ached, still covered with scrapes and bruises from the week before and the cuts on her check burned slightly as the rough material of her hood rubbed against them, scraping off part of the scabs that had formed over them. Her apartment wasn't too far from here, but she still worried that she would be murdered before she made it there. Brushing her fingers against her dagger she looked up, for the first time noticing the man standing it the middle of the street. His hair was white, but from what i could tell he was quiet young, in human years atleast. Looking back at her feet she walked faster, panic starting to twist itself into her thoughts. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of her dagger, ready to whip it out and unsheath it if need be. She looked up just before she passed the man, meeting his green and brown eyes.

[Casper]

Lost, again. The word ridiculous, along with a number of more vulgar terms repeated themselves in Casper's head loudly. He was lucky that he hadn't been mugged the last time, and found his way back to Pig's Foot Tavern without a scratch. But now, he was just pushing it. He had been aware of the danger Sunberth presented from the moment he stepped into the town, but the problem of getting lost was not a problem he expected. And it was turning out to be the most bothersome. He thought of how well he knew the streets of Syliras, and he never imagined that not recognizing where he was would make him feel so utterly vulnerable. It annoyed him so much, and the last thing he wanted to do was ask someone where the hell he was. What better way to prove that you're some kind of tourist who probably has a good amount of traveling money in his pocket? He turned a corner onto a street that seemed to be even shadier than the rest. The sun was going down. Not good, he thought to himself, over and over. There was one other person walking down the street (at least, who wasn't hiding in the shadows). With her cloak pulled down, he couldn't quite get a look at her face, but her figure was small and lithe, definitely less intimidating than what he usually encountered in this thug infested city. She didn't look like a thug, and even if she was, Casper felt confident he could defend himself against her. After all, she was two heads shorter than him, and a woman, no less. He saw her raise her head from her cloak as she passed and looked straight at him, her eyes a remarkable shade of auburn. She walked by him at a brisk pace, and he called after her. "Hey, lady," He said, raising his throaty voice slightly above the norm to catch her attention.

[Desya Gold]

That was all that she needed. If he thinks he's going to rob me, She thought darkly, than he has another thing coming. Though Desya was small in stature and a woman, others were constantly assuming she was as defenseless as a lamb. Drawing her dagger from her deep pockets she unsheathed it, clutching the heavy leather and iron sheath in her left hand. The sheath itself was made of so had a leather that it was practically a club, combine that with the nasty iron spike at the end and she had two weapons; her dagger and its sheath. She twisted on her toe so that she was facing him. "There is no point in robbing me, i have no valuables. And rest assured if you have any other... thoughts in mind, i will not go down without a fight." If she needed to she would fight him, she only hoped it didn't come to that, she was not nearly as skilled with the blade as she wished. She gritted her teeth and glared at him, awaiting his next move.

[Casper]

Casper stiffened and took a step back from her as she turned around to meet him. In her hand, a rather large dagger, whose intricate designs he would have admired had he not been pre-occupied with the fact that it was pointed at him. The girl was quick to come to conclusions. And he thought he was being paranoid. Looking up from the knife and into the woman's fierce eyes, he replied,"Back off, I'm not trying to rob you, girl." His tone was harsh and defiant; he didn't exactly enjoy being forced to explain himself. He added, "Though, if you keep sswingin' that pretty lil' knife of yourss around, ssomeone elsse might." His eyes darted to the dark alleyways for an instant, and back to her.

[Desya Gold]

Desya studied him for a moment before stepping back and sheathing her dagger. She didn't necessarily trust him, but he was right. He looked new to Sunberth, or in any case, newer than she was. "Sorry." She murmured, sliding her dagger back into her pocket, though she did not release it. Despite her suspicions she still felt somewhat guilty about over reacting. "What do you need?" She asked, offering an apologetic smile.

[Casper]

Surprisingly, his words got through to her quite easily. She put her weapon back, trusting that he was telling the truth. For a moment, Casper wondered how funny it would be if he truly were pulling a clever ruse and attacked her after she lowered her guard. He wondered how much money she had on her. Snap out of it, Cass. You're not some desperate thief. His thoughts were interrupted when the girl asked what he needed. Then he remembered that he had actually tried to speak to her in the first place for a reason. At first, he wanted to just say nevermind and be on his way, but now that he got someone's attention, he might as well ask. "Wass just lookin' for the way back to Pig'ss Tavern, and I'll get out of your hair," He growled, not eager to admit needing help. He was looking forward to getting out of this alley, it was unnerving him every second the sun lowered in the sky. Anxious to get away and go back to the tavern, he just wanted to drink some ale and get to sleep.

[Desya Gold]

Desya couldn't help but smile. "So you're lost?" she asked, pushing her hood back away from her face. Her hair feel forward, knotted and tangled as usual and she tucked the inky black strands out of her eyes. "In any case, I pass by Pig's on my way home, so I’ll show you the way if you like?" Her mood was rocketing; it had been months since she had had the chance to have a proper conversation. Grinning once again she gazed up at him, practically forgetting her aches and pains. It was only a short walk to The Pig’s foot tavern, but she would take what she could get, even if there was no guarantee that he would accept her help, let alone have a conversation with her.

[Casper]

"So you're lost?" To Casper, the question sounded condescending no matter which way he put it. For a fraction of a second, he imagined grabbing her by her newly exposed hair and smashing her against a wall. He jerked his head a little, as if the small jolt would erase the disturbing image. Rather, he focused on the fact that, now that he could see the girl's face properly, she had a very attractive quality about her. But her eyes, they put him off. They seemed unnatural, not human, for some reason. Still, he didn't want to owe this girl any favors. She seemed to have assumed that since he had not originally intended to mug her, that he was actually a decent human being. If only she could see what went through his head, she would not be so irritatingly cheery. He scratched the back of his head, looking towards the falling sun. It would be dark soon. "Sure," he grunted, not looking her in the eye as he said it. Shuffling his feet slightly in the dirt, he finally picked them up and walked closer, ready for her to lead the way.

[Desya Gold]

"We had better get a move on them." Desya said, a smile still curving her plump lips. She turned on her heel and began walking at a steady pace. She limped slightly however, her left leg still stiff and sore from the previous week. "My name is Desya. What is yours?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him. It was all she could do to prevent a torrent of questions from tumbling past her lips, but, somehow, she managed, biting the inside of her check to help keep herself in check. He held a cold, perhaps even hostile air about him, as though he would prefer it if she would just shut up and show him the way, but Desya was determined. It had been months since she had been able to speak of things other than money or work and she would have this conversation or dye trying, which judging from his glare was a real possibility.

[Casper]

Something in his peripheral vision was making him uncomfortable. The growing shadows made him increasingly uneasy, and he was eager to leave this place, no matter how trouble the girl might be. He had to be sensible, even if it wasn't exactly his forte. When the girl started walking, he noticed that her steps were rather uneven, favoring one foot over the other. Walking beside her, he felt unaccustomed to matching his pace with someone else. He found that it irritated him almost as much as the girl introducing herself and asking him to reciprocate. He knew he wasn't as intimidating as many of Sunberth's local residents, but most people assumed his general animosity suggested that he was not looking for friends. Still, he had to humor her, if only even a little. She was doing him a favor by helping him out of this mess. He replied bluntly,"It'ss Cass." He took another glance over his shoulder. This time he really did see two ominous figures lurking some distance behind them. He was not a paranoid person by nature, but he found that living in Sunberth without knowing how to use a weapon or even having one on him made him flinch at any act of violence. Which was often. He wondered why he had not bought himself at least a dagger by now. "Walk fasster," he said in a low voice to Desya. He quickened his pace and put his hand on her back as though to make her walk faster, though he put little pressure. He hoped she could easily shrug off the limp she was sporting.