Anona couldn't help but feel amused at the outsider's embarrassment, especially since the blush spread out over his face looked so discordant with his gruff features. His obvious discomfort was funnier to Anona than he supposed it ought to be, so he tamped down the short laugh he felt building up in his throat with no small amount of effort.
He nodded when the man finished his questions. "Essentially, yes. There are some bridges, but in all honestly you'd have more luck looking for a canal that's a little thinner than the one we just crossed. Bridges are sparse, to say the least." He thought for a moment, considering whether or not he should impart the outsider with a bit of advice. After only a tick or two, he decided that he would; he may have been more comfortable with Daegron than most because he was an outsider, and therefore posed little to no threat to him, but finding men whose presence he didn't find threatening and frightening was a rare event indeed. It'd be a damned shame if he'd wasted this encounter.
"On second thought, don't go looking for canals. I wasn't exaggerating about you being fortunate when you found me in that alleyway; you might be bigger than some, but size means nothing when three or four thugs gang up on you in tight quarters. Without being a citizen, even if you managed to live through an attack you'd be hard-pressed to find any aid in this city." And that was the way that things were. Citizens were valued because they contributed to the community-- because they loved Lord Rhysol as he loved them, because they respected and feared the Stryfe, because they understood how life should truly be lived. Outsiders held none of this reverence or understanding, and every bit of space that they occupied was wasted on them for it.
Still, as long as Daegron was in the city, Anona could perhaps take comfort in his presence, if only because it didn't make bones squirm under his skin.
When Daegron pointed behind Anona and asked if that was the inner city, Anona became acutely aware of the water soaking his boots, the bottoms of his breeches, and the edge of his cloak. By the Voice, he'd already gone and ruined his one passable outfit, he was barely halfway to James's house, and when his employer got home--
Anona couldn't quite repress the shudder that jerked through his body. "It is," he finally managed. "I'm afraid I have to go. Tarsin's is in that direction." He pointed generally to his left. "Three stories tall, near the entrance, or thereabouts. You can't miss it." He turned quickly to leave, setting a brisk pace as he left the alley. Just as he was about to put the whole scene behind him, he realized that he'd never offered his own name. He turned his head slightly.
"I'm Anona, by the way. Good luck, outsider."
He nodded when the man finished his questions. "Essentially, yes. There are some bridges, but in all honestly you'd have more luck looking for a canal that's a little thinner than the one we just crossed. Bridges are sparse, to say the least." He thought for a moment, considering whether or not he should impart the outsider with a bit of advice. After only a tick or two, he decided that he would; he may have been more comfortable with Daegron than most because he was an outsider, and therefore posed little to no threat to him, but finding men whose presence he didn't find threatening and frightening was a rare event indeed. It'd be a damned shame if he'd wasted this encounter.
"On second thought, don't go looking for canals. I wasn't exaggerating about you being fortunate when you found me in that alleyway; you might be bigger than some, but size means nothing when three or four thugs gang up on you in tight quarters. Without being a citizen, even if you managed to live through an attack you'd be hard-pressed to find any aid in this city." And that was the way that things were. Citizens were valued because they contributed to the community-- because they loved Lord Rhysol as he loved them, because they respected and feared the Stryfe, because they understood how life should truly be lived. Outsiders held none of this reverence or understanding, and every bit of space that they occupied was wasted on them for it.
Still, as long as Daegron was in the city, Anona could perhaps take comfort in his presence, if only because it didn't make bones squirm under his skin.
When Daegron pointed behind Anona and asked if that was the inner city, Anona became acutely aware of the water soaking his boots, the bottoms of his breeches, and the edge of his cloak. By the Voice, he'd already gone and ruined his one passable outfit, he was barely halfway to James's house, and when his employer got home--
Anona couldn't quite repress the shudder that jerked through his body. "It is," he finally managed. "I'm afraid I have to go. Tarsin's is in that direction." He pointed generally to his left. "Three stories tall, near the entrance, or thereabouts. You can't miss it." He turned quickly to leave, setting a brisk pace as he left the alley. Just as he was about to put the whole scene behind him, he realized that he'd never offered his own name. He turned his head slightly.
"I'm Anona, by the way. Good luck, outsider."
oocI think that's about it! Feel free to put the last post up, or PM me if you'd rather this be the last post of the thread, and then we can turn it in for grading!
