Bloody Smears And Crimson Lips

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Season of Fall, Night 13
Tall Johnny's Casino and Cage Fights
Private, tag Kadarus and Liminal

So much could happen in a night. Reunion with a mate thought dead and lost, the fight, the passion, the acceptance. Maiming a ‘coworker’ and being sent to speak to the owner, was also such a thing that happened in a night span. An no matter how tasty the scarred face male had been, angry already she had been, or insulting his actions had been, she was fairly certain her reaction was deeply frowned upon by the human owner.

Not that the crowd seemed to have mind. All the same it was well and good to go and see the human however peculiar he may have seen. They were leaving that night it seemed. Kadarus and his little woman of clay. Beneath her cloak the zith ran fingers over the goggles her mate had gifted her, leaving the kelvic and pycon without a backwards glance as they passed through the casino door. Her hands stopped playing upon the goggles as she went to see someone about seeing Tall Johnny.

It was easy enough to tell that the pair was to wait for her in the main rooms as she went up , or back, which ever direction it was. Then they would be on their way, hopefully intact.

[Kadarus]

"You had to bite off his god-damned lip," Kadarus muttered acidly as he trailed behind Astoiredea, glaring at her cloaked back under the cover of his hood. He didn't have much reason to complain, truthfully; the incident hadn't boiled down to a desperate struggle and bloodbath, but simply something rather...anticlimatic. A dismissal and a command, one that the zith was responding to for some mind boggling reason, despite the short argument that he'd given her to simply leave and say screw it. He couldn't see the logic in keeping the appointment with Tall Johnny, but perhaps, it was simply his stubborness rearing its head.

Honestly he had two reasons to skip town without spreading around goodbyes; for one, when Kadarus set his mind on something, anything that slowed hm down from it made him incredibly impatient. Secondly, just like every other traveller in Sunberth (especially one with good ears) he'd heard the rumors of Tall Johnny. There was the face that everyone saw, the charity and the charm, and then there were the dark whispers turning the wheel of the rumor mill. The imagination inflated common soldiers into fearless legends, poor, desperate men with knives into bloodthirsty assassins, and he knew to take word of mouth with little more than a grain of salt.

But instincts weren't to be ignored, and as they approached the door of the casino, his stomach cramped painfully. A stifled grunt trickled from his clenched teeth, drawing the eyes of the posted guards. Two akalak, their skin such a dark blue it almost seemed charcoal. Though his face was obscured, their sharp, bright eyes flickered across his body, ignoring the zith. One of them crossed his arms over his chest, and Kadarus could feel them tensing up...but then, Astoiredea was through the door, and he followed her inside, still feeling the critical eyes of the dark warriors on him.

Even before his third step, the hunter coughed, covering his nose and mouth with one gauntleted hand. The smoke seemed thicker; it was a busier night than it had been on his last visit, and the air stung at his eyes. Without a single hint of hesitation, Astoiredea strode away, and Kadarus could see people in the crowd inching away from her as they noticed her passing or approaching. A small snicker escaped him, and walked slowly into the crowd, glancing around at the game tables. None of it interested him...but a small head of red clay popped out of the hood at the sound of clicking chips and rattling marbles. "I'm gonna go play the marble game!" Finn shouted, leaping from the cloak onto the nearest back, and vanished onto the floor.

"Hey!" Kadarus stepped forward, his arm darting out to try and catch her, but the pycon was small and fast. The man she'd used as a platform turned to glare at whoever had tapped him on the back, but he blinked, taking in the sight of the armored man, and returned to his game. "Damn the both of them," he muttered through a scowl, folding his arms over his chest.

[Liminal]

The bartender on duty motioned Render into a long hallway. Kadarus was not invited -- it was clear that he was to stay where he was. (Or to chase after his Pycon companion...)

The hallway led down to a solid oak door. It was pushed partway open. Upon entering, Render would find herself in a palatially-furnished room, with plush red carpeting and tasteful gold accents. Sitting in a large leather chair, wearing a pinstriped suit, was Tall Johnny. He did not rise when Render entered, nor did he offer her a seat.

"You're a good fighter." He said this pleasantly, but without any introduction. "A good enough fighter that it's a shame to lose you." He shook his head sadly. "But I can't let you stay if you're going to traumatize the other employees like that."

"It's an interesting question," he went on, not really letting Render have a chance to speak. "If you could somehow control yourself -- emotional control, not just physical control -- you would be a master. That is, I am aware, much to ask. But, should you find that control along your journeys, you may come back here, and I will reward you handsomely. In the meantime, here's twenty mizas and my personal fondest wishes." He held a small bag out toward the Zith. "I like you, really I do, but I can't risk having you around any longer. If things were different -- or if you become different -- one never knows. In any case, gods speed to you."

He would let Render speak if she had anything to say now. Otherwise, she was free to leave.