Completed Take My Hand (Marxander)

[Tallis Ishtari]

As the hit the mid-morning air the smell went away. During the walk down the stairs there were times when it was over powering. “It smells like cat. It would have had to have been a big one too.” Tallis took in a deep breath of air to clear his head. His tone turned serious. “Do Kelvics also take the form of big cats? I have no idea why one would be in my building. It’s just odd you know.”

Tallis was almost sure that he was mistaken. It was probably one of his neighbors having too much to drink and threw up everywhere. Only thing was, the smell didn’t match. He had had a time or too when he had partied too much. A sheepish grin crept its way across his lips as they walked. He was remembering the moment when his friends had to carry him home and try to sneak him past his parents. He was still living with his parents at that time, but what memory.

Tossing Marx a curious look he wondered if she felt any of his thoughts. She may not be able to guess what he was thinking, then again maybe she could. Not that there was anything to hide. There were a lot of women at the party and he certainly had quite the time dancing with most of them.

Tallis clearing his thought with a quick shake. “It’s probably nothing.” He said calmly before continuing. “I bet the smell will be gone by the time we get home tonight. Are you planning to do some running around after we get you some clothes from my sister?” He was already planning on his next pick pocket in his mind and what part of the city. There would be a lot of tourists neat the temple around mid-day, and he would be there right in the midst of them. He could almost hear the coins dropping into his pocket.

[Marxander]

She couldn't hear his thoughts, just feel the odd burst of 'energy' from his reliving of the night. It did make her wonder what he was thinking, but she didn't comment on that "It is odd, I don't know why a Kelvic would be here unless one lives in the building and smelled me, so it marked it territory, but I can usually smell them before hand." She shrugged "They can take cat form though. Basically we can be any mammal."

They exited the building and she was sure to let him lead her around the city yet again "And yes, I was going to go looking around. Maybe look around at the jobs of Ravok." In truth, she would be finding a job for herself. Preferably something of a pick up/ drop off like Tallis to see if it would spark any ideas of how to make the mob lose interest in him as a candidate in whatever game they were playing.

[Tallis Ishtari]

The city seemed alive with people visiting the city. All shapes and sizes, accents and all sorts of languages that he would never be able to comprehend. He did his best not to go into predator mode and focus on what he meant to do first. Taking Marx to see part of his family was the task at hand. It wasn’t an easy feat to not get distracted by a few easy marks. “A job?” He said as his eyes scanned a skinny man with a light coat that flopped around loosely. One flap of the coat did not move quite as readily as the other. Tallis knew were the man’s bill fold was.

He sighed. “I should get serious about working this summer as well if we are to go traveling before winter sets in. Not sure you want to be here when the cool north wind blows on shore from the lake. It bites right through your cloak.” Tallis was exaggerating a little because as far north as the city was the winters were more than tolerable.

Tallis purposely leads Marx in a direction they had not taken the other day. After the scare they had last night he would take no chances again if he could help it. After crossing a bridge he hailed a canal boat. “It’s time we take a boat ride. It’s the only way to get to my parents’ home.”

[Marxander]

She quirked a brow "Where exactly do your parents live Tallis?" She didn't mind taking the boat, but if it was the only way to get there, where could it possibly be? What could it possibly look like? Did he live on the outskirts of town, where crime was seen as a thing of many witnesses with no help? Or was it some grand place that kept others out to reserve it's fineness. She didn't know. It certainly was an entertaining wonder.

Weathers never seemed to bother her all too much. Sure, for her human body, it was unbearable, but if she stayed tucked up in her Dhole fur for the winter months, all would be well. That is, until her season hit her right in the midsts of winter. She never understood why a race of animals would have children during the winter. Wasn't food scare and feeding someone that needed two servings was a bit much? Many it wasn't for the parents or the survival rate of the unborn pups. Maybe it was so they would be big enough to not die come the next winter. Oh well, those sorts of thoughts were for the people and gods that created things such as herself. She was after all a generational bi product of an experiment and search that literally never ended.

[Tallis Ishtari]

There was finally a boatman slowly steering the boat in their direction. It was an older man that was a little rounder in the middle and missing quite a bit of his golden hair on top. There was nothing really descript about the man other than he certainly knew his way with the boat. The man glided it right up to the retaining wall as perfectly as Tallis had ever seen in the city. Even on his best day, when he had his turn at picking up boat fairs, could he ever do it as smoothly as this man. Tallis knew him of course.

Tallis hopped into the boat. “Uncle Revis!” He said affectionately to the elder man while helping Marx into the boat. “He’s not really my uncle but he’s known me since I was little and saved my ass quite a few times.” He said softly to Marx.

Revis roared a laugh. “Yes young lady. You be lucky dat I save your man for you. When he was young one he was always in trouble of some sort. Mind you… it was never anyting dat serious that ol’ Revis could not straighten out.”

Shaking his head Tallis felt his cheeks heat slightly. “You’re still telling stories about me Uncle Revis? I would think you would have gotten tired of telling lies about me.”

“Day be no lies young Tallis.” The elder man said with a grin. “Now where you be going wid dis lovely young lady? You not be up to no good wid her be you?”

[Marxander]

She giggled and blushed as the man complimented her in his strange accent. She found it cute on the old man though. It pulled at her heartstrings and reminded her deeply of her own father. She shook his hand, standing on the boat with Tallis and his uncle "No, nothing like that Mr. Revis, sir. We were just going to his house. He was going to introduce me to his sisters. But it's an even greater pleasure to meet his uncle."

She nudged the man's belly a bit and 'whispered' to him "Turn out pretty good, but he hasn't mentioned you, not once, to me." She snickered, looking to Tallis, trying to get him into trouble with his uncle. Though she doubted any real punishment would be doled out. But she found their interaction to be highly amusing.

[Tallis Ishtari]

The elder man’s brows shot up in surprise when he looked at Tallis, but then gave a charming wink to Marx. “Why dat be boy? How it be you no mention your Uncle Revis to dis lovely girl?”

Tallis sat in the boat and tossed his head from side to side. He cheeks started to heat. Knowing that Revis would do this to him was certain. Many fond memories Tallis had of this man. Their history had gone back to when he was just a brat of nine running around the city. His first memory of Revis was when he tried to pick the elder man’s pocket. Unbeknownst to Tallis, Revis was a friend of his father. He could still remember the look on his mother’s face, and the whooping he received from his father at his mother’s order. His father’s found it amusing, Tallis was becoming a version of himself when he was younger. This incident would be one of many to occur over the next decade and a half.

Tallis beamed and looked over his shoulder. “If you were me would you mention anything about you?”

Uncle Revis beamed even more as he pushed the boat away from the water wall. “If it be me? Of course I be mentioning me. I be de only reason you be alive boy. You have no forgot de time when I save you from drowning, have you?”

With tongue in his cheek and a sideways glance off at nothing Tallis groaned inwardly. His cheeks were getting redder from embarrassment. It was not the first time that he had taken a canal boat rid with Uncle Revis, and it happened that each one he had a girl with him. They would know a little history of Tallis Ishtari tucked away in their memory.

[Marxander]

She sat next to Tallis, a curled finger rubbing his blushing cheek "Awww! That sounds like my silly little human." She kissed him, giggling. She defiantly understand why Tallis blushed so much around, her uncle was relentless in his teasing of her. It always made her want to hit him. It would only be worse, in some odd, endearing way, when Tallis met him.

She pecked his cheek again "I'm Marxander by the way Mr. Revis sir. So, while I'm here, would you like to tell me anything else I should know about Tallis?" She clicked her tongue, totally willing to embarrass Tallis' pants off to find out more about her bondmate.

[Tallis Ishtari]

The spotlight was cast upon the willing Revis to tell stories about Tallis. His blue eyes shinned at Marx’s kiss and would not have needed the encouragement say things about the younger man. Over time Revis had seen many things inside of the city. People came and went but the stories would always remain and they needed a storyteller. Revis was one of the most renown canal boatsman in the city of Ravok, and with it he always had a tale or two for his fares.

“Over deya in dat small courtyard in front of the dark red building, dat is where young Tallis first met de Ebonstryfe. How old you be Tallis when dat happened?” Tallis knew perfectly well that Uncle Revis knew how old he was at the time. The old boatsman’s gift for remembering events, and dates and times was amazing. It was just Revis’ way of getting him involved in the story. “I believe I was sixteen at that time.” Tallis said searching his memory of the event.

“You be correct!” The elder man said with a chuckle that jiggled his belly. “It was den dat Tallis became aware of Rhysol and Da Voice. It was a special day when a young man sees da light of their god.” Tallis did not remember it that way. The only thing that made it special was the fact that Uncle Revis happened to be just around the corner when a member of the Ebonstryfe caught a hold of Tallis’ collar. Tallis had picked someone’s pocket and was running from the scene when he ran headlong into a member of the Ebonstryfe. What a scene it was, a tangle of bodies laid out in the courtyard. Tallis remembered trying to get up and run but he was held by the grip of the Ebonstryfe. Revis had been there to save him from certain punishment by telling some story that the young man had just seen the light and was ready to accept Rhysol and The Voice in his life.

[Marxander]

She rubbed Tallis' arm, trying to picture it "I see. So realizing a god is like seeing a light?" She tilted her head, wondering. She had never had a god she submitted to, so in all logical thinking for her, seeing a light could be a sign of a god or goddess. She couldn't be certain though. But she did like Revis' tale. She enjoyed his tone and the way he made Tallis flush so easily. It was funny "I've never had that sort of experience. What's it like? And who are the Ebonstryfe?"