Tainting The Streets With Footsteps (Open) Retry

[Mordechai Zoltar]

The woman didn't seem to pleased to meet me. She kinda shrugged off what I said without a second thought.

So be it.

I guess I'll talk to the furrier one instead. For some reason I never felt uncomfortable around ziths. They all seemed somehow familiar to me these past few years.

Alas, it took me a second to figure out where she went because when I looked towards where she was there was nothing. Then I noticed she had shrunk back and around to the far side of the woman. "What's wrong dear? Why do you hide?"
I asked. Zith were strong people, this behavior seemed unnatural, yet familiar.

I looked at the woman in front of her once more and asked "Do you two know eachother?" My I was inquisitive today.

[Lenonrie]

She could tell the man caught on to her view towards him, seeing as he immediately averted his approach from herself to Aveira who seemed to be inching further and further behind her. She looked back at the girl out of the corner of her eye, and then to the man, who nonchalantly spoke to her as if they had known eachother before. Curious. She listened to him question her, but by the looks of is Aveira didn't really seem the type to speak out on better judgement. The man used comforting words, and Lenonrie couldn't help but muse to herself about her past and taking comfort from strangers. Never bodes well, in the end. She looked him over once more. He didn't seem like much of a threat, so there could be no harm in exchanging a little verbal interaction. With a small smile on her face, she looked back at the girl, now becoming the stranger herself wishing to offer comfort. "Do not fret. I don't think he means any harm." It wasn't much, but it was something. Seeing as she was the one being hidden behind, maybe her words could bring about at least a little sense of safety.

[Aveira]

Aveira looked at Leonrie, then back at the man. She stopped her hiding. That was stupid, she chastised herself. You're an adult now. Start acting like one. Steeling herself, she spoke to the man. "Hi," she said softly. He'd spoken softly to her, just as Leonrie had. The man was familiar to her. Perhaps she'd seen him around town before? Shrugging it off, Aveira took a breath and continued speaking.

"I didn't mean to hide," she said. It was a poor lie, but not a malicious one. "I'm just shy." That was not a lie, though many people would have a hard time believing it. Ziths weren't shy. They flew around naked and ate people, after all! Of course, Aveira wasn't anything like that, but what did this man know about her?

Looking back to Leonrie, she smiled reassuringly, a way of thanking her. The woman was very kind, and Aveira felt safe around her. Though they'd only just met, Aveira liked the woman very much. She hoped they'd become friends in the future, if she stayed in town.

Aveira glanced at her arm as a sudden throb of pain went through her. She'd briefly forgotten about her burns. As if to remind her of their presence, they started to sting again. I wish I could afford real hair dye, she thought to herself. Though ammonia cost absolutely nothing for her to make, it burned too badly. She feared she might develop permanent damage if she continued using it.

[Mordechai Zoltar]

"Hi, Hello, not much for words are you two?" I said jokingly. "I've just arrived in town after a long boat ride across the oceans and was wondering if either of you two could point me to the nearest bar?"

I directed the question to both of them, making sure to shift my focus from one to the other over the course of the statement. I just wanted them to trust me enough to not be scared. I hated when people scorned me out of fear. Not that they weren't always within reason. Some of the things I've resorted to doing out of need and habit would be considered scary to some. Maybe to the human but hardly to a zith. I've met a few in my journeys and the ones I didn't have to fight certainly weren't frightened by what I did. They seemed somewhat respectful towards my viscous drive for profit.

That and they enjoyed when I animated corpses for them to play with. Maybe that was the real reason they didn't kill me, they were preoccupied.

I shrugged at the thought and refocused on the conversation at hand."Come now, the first one to take me there get's a drink on me!"

What the hell is wrong with me today, being friendly? How curious.

[Lenonrie]

A soft greeting came from behind Lenonrie, answering the one the man had given just a few moments before. The mist came once more, but only for a second, but Lenonrie readjusted to herself by moving a stray lock of waving blonde hair behind her ear. The small girl then stepped forward more confident than ever now, speaking and even turning to give the blonde a smile. He seemed to speak back assuming that they had known each other before now. Lenonrie offered him a look, "We have only just met, and I have not been in the city long enough to really know where anything is." Her eyes fell to Aveira, "She may know, but I am not the one to go to for directions anywhere in this town. I may just lead you to your death." She said jokingly. She looked him over, trying to imagine him as a sea farer. It was hard, but not impossible. He certainly had the confidence of a sailor, but most sailors were only that way from lack of real interaction with people. Coming back around, she spoke once more, "Aveira, do you know where to find a bar?" She asked, not even thinking about the girl's age or if she was even able to go inside of one.