Closed [Various] Honey and Feathers

[Aider Silander]

The man eyed the trident in the thugs hand. Trying to calculate the chances of him being able to escape while the other came behind him and shoved him. Both commanding him to get onto his knees. He shook his head and did as he was told. Slowly lowering himself to his knees he watched the smaller of the two move around to the package. "I told you I don't know anything about the package. The boy came up to me and forced it upon me then that thug showed up. Didn't really give me a choice to stay or run now did it" he said. He figured there was no point to talking. All the thugs in Sunberth were the same after all, violent and stupid.

He sighed and thought of Kaie as the man moved behind him to bind him. "I don't have any employers" Aider said as he looked at the smaller one again. The Myrian would probably be displeased with him if she saw him like this. Though he had no choice against the armed man. There was no distraction for him to take advantage of and no weapon for him to grab. Even his knuckleduster would be no use against the range of the trident. He figured that the other was armed as well. Even if he was able to get past the one the other would surely gut him. "Look I can tell you what you want to know if I know it. I am a reasonable man." he said hoping that maybe there would be some mercy.

Aider did not struggle against the bindings. There was no point the mans strength was his mind, even though his body was lined with muscle two against one would never be in his favor. He had only hoped that he would get the chance to see Kaie again and leave this blasted city. Being on the sharp end of the trident was not going to allow him to do that and nether would being beaten by their fist. He knew he would just have to endure whatever punishment they dealt out until they were satisfied and then find a healer or a doctor. Or at least make it back to his lover to see her once more before he died.

[Pulren Marsh]

Now was the toying with, something that Pulren had desired to do for so long and now Uncle could carry out. After following through with the orders given by Bitz to bind him, Pulren listened to her in her Wolf persona as she barked the orders and spoke in a teasing and worrying manner. He was certainly glad h had saved her life and not had to run this kind of gauntlet. Still, though, he would probably come out a little better than this guy. Poor vagik that he was.

He was giddy with the place that he was in. If every day could be like this and he could pretend to be a callous, sadistic villain, why would he ever leave Sunberth? Why not just become the thing instead of acting? He could easily never return to Zeltiva and catch lots of marks in alleys, but with no boss to tame him...oh, the works that could be wrought. Enough of the fantasizing, though. Back to work.

Clucking and shaking his head, he placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder while looking at Bitzer with a look of incredulous surprise. "Just giving in so easy. Can you believe it? I thought for sure he might have tried a little harder." Turning and crouching before him, his emerald eyes peeked over the scarf as Uncle ruffled the hair of the mark, lost in his surrender. "Chin up, friend. You're not dead yet. You could always try talking your way out." Shrugging, he twirled the trident in his hand while stepping back to Bitzer's side. This was primarily her show. No, it was primarily the mark's show, but as the mark was not putting on much of a performance, somebody had to.

[Fallon]

Fallon's expression slowly begun to fall. To begin with there was annoyance, low and minimal - but it was present, slowly bubbling away beneath the skin. His whining was something else, it left a growing sense of disappointment, his actions grovelling and pathetic - spineless came to mind. And it was the spineless that she had little time for. With no backbone to support them, no urge to try and fight back and defend ones' self until the end, what was the point in turning her gaze to him? He did not even consider the option of running away - and whilst the exits may have been few, at least then there was a higher chance of immediate survival instead of just sticking and taking.

Vigor, gusto, a willpower to fight until the end - whilst she had not seen it in action with other Scars members, there was still that inkling feeling that they would continue to operate regardless, push their limits and march on to the odds. It was dirty work, but they knew it had to be done. Her gaze moved, settling down upon Palaren, looking at his expression and attempting to gauge a reading. Was there boredom there? That flickering of not quite knowing what to do? Or was he merely waiting for an order? Still, his words did ring true.

"It's disappointing, I must say," She sighed after a while, "And there was me thinking there would be fire in you. Shame. Guess their spines aren't that great after all." She growled then, clearly growing annoyed, "Pathetic." There was a small rise of the foot and a gentle press of toes against his chest - a balance as she applied the pressure and slowly pushed into it. The toes gave movement, and eventually rested above his diaphragm, her entire form hunching in as she towered over. Eyes locked, peering in as she held his chin firmly within her fingers, "I have no time for the pathetic. I know who you work for. I know your game. Weak."

Teeth bared, the rumblings of something shifting within. She gave a squeeze of the jaw, "Do not tell me lies. Tell me, little rat, what is the Red wolf planning? Don't play me no fool, your whispers will not save you now." Words were drawn, low, slow and steady, seething with venom, "I know Red Wolf is alive, don't think you can pass that bull shyke story onto me. I know that you know about the little gang ran by 'em. So, do yourself a favour and answer my question. What is the Red Wolf and the Scars planning?" Her gaze turned over to Palaren then, "Or I'll make you answer him."

[Aider Silander]

Aider shook his head as the thug tied his hands behind his back. The jests that he threw at him simple fell before his ears. His eyes still on the trident in the one thugs hand before the other pulled his gaze away. He chuckled to himself slightly as a smile spread across his face. Disappointing, a term that Aider had heard more then a few times from his days in Nyka being struck down by would be opponents and as of the current moment these thugs were no different. Brawn over brains seemed to be a common thing in Sunberth. Thugs with sharp weapons or hard hitting fists came before words. It was not unlike his home but at least there some kind of order could be established.

He felt the pressure of her foot against his chest and looked up at her before she grabbed his chin and locked eyes with hers. The earthy brown glaring into the blue with an obvious discomfort at his current position. "First of their spines? You assume I actually work for someone. That's pretty bold considering what I told you is the truth. But then again who would actually think a thug could think." he said his eyes glancing at Pulren for a moment before back to Fallon. "My whispers won't save me? But you see that's where you are wrong. I don't need whispers to save me. You have no idea who the Wolf is. You just assume I work for them? And why? Because I've sold information around the city? Spread the rumors of it's death and the certain downfall that would follow the group of would be heroes? Are you afraid of them? Are you afraid of the big bad wolf?" he teased. His words condescending and he was sure that this would be attacker would be annoyed with him more then she already was.

" Even if I did know why would I tell you? Cause you would kill me? Do you not know how this city works? I risk my life everyday telling things about one gang to another. I must have slipped up of course if you were able to pick me out. Though using a kid, that's an interesting tactic for a thug. So you can't be that stupid now can you. You would know that any gang would kill you if you betrayed them don't you? Or is loyalty not a thing for you? Maybe if the scarf crusader there might turn on you? Then what?" he asked. His eyes trying to read the girls in front of him. The one that had the position of power over him. " I could tell you what I think. I believe it is very much alive and kicking. In fact I believe that the Wolf is one of the most intelligent people in this hell hole of a city. Maybe a dreamer of sorts but one that has a mind that actually works.... You talk about cowardice and not having a spine or a fire inside of me. Why run into a trident? Judging by the way your friend their stands and moved with the weapon he has experience with it and going off of that it would be very likely for him to be able to strike me down without a second thought and you... He obviously respects you in some way. Why would he follow your orders other wise? Maybe you are giving him the chance to be something he's not? Or maybe, the more likely answer, is that you are more skilled then he."

There was pause as he took a moment to breath and read her expression. "So running at ether of you would have been pointless, and you followed me through the city and have seen me before. Who's to say you wouldn't come back and kill me at some other point. Why not take the chance to see if I can use my words on someone with a mind, someone who can maybe figure things out on her own. A fire though that is something completely different. To fight for no reason and no cause would not give you a fire, it would mean you are to stupid to think of another way out of a situation. No, no a fire is a passion right? A passion to struggle and try to get away. A passion to fight back and a will to survive? Who says I don't have a passion. My passion is different from yours, I choose to know and share. See and tell. A passion to learn and to better ones self with knowledge rather then dumb muscle." He sighed a final time before looking over to Pulren with his eyes. "Oh and he doesn't really scare me... I've been nearly killed be a Myrian on more then one occasion and I am in love with her. You may even say I am in love with death itself."

[Pulren Marsh]

It looked as if the mark took the lead that Pulren had offered, using his words to save himself. It seemed as if the stopper had been pulled and the entire cask of his mind was spilling out for the pair of thugs to see. At least his performance was a good one. He could add dumb thug to his repertoire of faces. It was quite surprising to hear him rattle so hard once he was given the prompt to do so. It was influential; inspiring even. He felt a little flattered that the man thought his stance so proper with the weapon and that he could easily turn on the two of them and kill them both. The tied one, yes. Easily.

His next topic of conversation dealt with realities and ultimate ends. Sure, it would be stupid to run at them and challenge them in a straightforward and vulgar manner, but wasn't that what he was accusing Pulren of? Were his words to her meant to enrapture her and surround her in passion? The man liked passion, saying the word at least six times, as if to change the subject. Something was ticking inside Pulren's head and it wasn't good. The dumb muscle line came again, though this time it stung a little more than it should have. The character he was portraying wanted to run the tines through his throat so that bubbles of blood gurgled from his neck.

The mention of Dira and fear signed the contract. Looking to his small leader, he nodded and politely stepped in front of her so that he was in between them. "Excuse me, dear." Unwrapping the scarf, Pulren stood in front of the man and put his foot where Bitzer's had been, but he pushed him over so that he fell backward, looking up at him. With his face revealed, the scarf rested on the Zeltivan's shoulder while a look of utter disdain and strange happiness crossed his features. "Well, you can see me now, hero." The trident came up and was swiftly turned until tines came down mere breaths from the downed man's face. "I sharpen those tines every day. They have absolutely tasted blood in these streets. I am glad that you have danced with Dira as I have, friend. It will make the next few moments of your life so much more pleasant to me."

Stepping back, he turned the shaft of the trident so that it was pointed down. With a firm grip, he slammed the blunt end down into the man's nether regions. "You said passion six times. I will remove passion six. There went once." The shaft came down again. "Twice, for your passion to struggle and flee. Thrice, for your will to fight and survive." Four five and six came with swift strikes to the upper thighs with the sixth returning to that so tender of places, not meant for the unforgiving wood of the trident. "Four, five and six are for your lover. She can caress and soothe that pain that I left for you." Stepping back and away, the trident turned in the air again until tines met the stony ground. Uncle watched him writhe.

[Fallon]

The man spoke, and did not stop talking. If it could even be called that. It would be more akin to the twittering of a shell-shocked budgerigar than anything remotely useful. Fallon met his gaze, refusing to budge as she merely smiled and otherwise let the pointed questioning attempting to rile her up slide on past. It was a waste of time and energy - so she let the man come to his own conclusions. They had their end goal, they would do whatever it would take to reach it. And he? He would break in good time - it was merely finding a weak spot in which to crack and splinter down. She let her partner for this task step between them, all smiles and the grim mask. She released him repeating the words in her head, pick out the key points.

Passion. It paired up with adoration, desire, lust, emotions. Rage and anger as well if rubbed right. Her eyes gave a narrow, her head turning away as she picked and pulled her way through it. Fallon did not know about many she Myrian's in Sunberth, but the one she did know was one of the Scars. Was it a possible link? Or just a shot in the dark? Fallon looked back, and begun to smile cruelly, teeth peeking out from beneath her lips as the information dribbled together and begun to formulate an answer.

"In love with death and do not fear?" She turned her head, "Least, for yourself. Big words however for a man who is bound. Still, you are a man of the world... character built and developed. It will make things much more fun for us." Fallon moved, her face turning hard when Uncle begun his tortures. She forced herself to watch, refusing to bat an eyelid as the tortures continued. She stepped round, circling the events that were going on as she focused - thinking and constructing what was to happen next. Her lips pulled, curling slightly, the plucking of the pit within her stomach. There was an inhale, her head stooping as she returned her gaze.

Slow, pulling, rising up from her innards, rising up and lacing into her throat. Her mind spurred, holding and looking down on to her target. Intention, suggestion, an understanding of the person. She needed to be able to step right in - but found it hard to, she knew not enough other than his twittering and his supposed passion for another. A fatal mistake if it fell into the wrong hands. Nostrils flared, a deep inhale as she felt the cooled chill of power seep its way through her voice, "Tell me, what is the Red Wolf and the Scars planning?" - I would do it - "Or did you need more reminders of your passion?"

Suggestion, power, it swelled up in her chest, filling her as she looked to keep that fine balance of control - there was no use in allowing herself to be heated in such discussions, "Answer me." She placed a finger tip beneath his chin, "For it is not just you who is dancing with Dira this day. If... you get my meaning. But let us not get hasty," Her eyes looked to Palaren, her voice growing dark, "Pants him."

[Aider Silander]

The trident wielder moved quickly to take over. A smile on his face as the boot caught his chest and pushed him into the dirt."The scarfed crusader has finally chosen to but in?" he asked in a rather sarcastic tone. His eyes looked up at the man as if he was drawling a mental picture of his attackers face. "God's you are even uglier then I thought" he said. "And I never said I was a hero. To be a hero you have to serve a greater good, I serve no one but myself" he said. He looked up at the points that were but a few inches from his face. He sighed and shook his head as the man spoke of Dira. One of the all powerful that he so desperately despised. "Do you know whats worse then a walking slab of dumb muscle?" he asked looking between him and the woman. He chuckled slightly before speaking again "A walking slab of dumb muscle who follows a petching worthless goddess."

Anger was an emotion that was easy to provoke it normally did not take much. It was interesting to Aider to see if this woman really did care for the information that she asked for. It made him curious to if she really did care or if she already knew the answer and was just testing the man. Aider had all but drowned the mans words from his ears until he felt the hard metal smash against him. He winced and bit his lip as the pain coursed through his body. A warm liquid trickling into his mouth as he had pierced the skin with his teeth. His eyes remained closed, lip bitten as blood trickled into his mouth and down his chin. Each strike more painful then the last. His body twitching until the man stopped. Saying something about Aider's lover which only caused the man to spit the blood onto the floor next to him and chuckle. "Oh she's not one to soothe pain. She's a killer more then she is a lover" he said his voice wobbling through the pain.

He turned his head to look at the woman, once again ignoring the man. "You know for one who asks the questions, you don't seem to mind who does the actual work" he said to her. He struggled to pull himself up, and after a few grunts and attempts was he successful. He looked at the woman and smiled. he chuckled and half expected to get hit by the man again. His mind wandered as it fought against the pain that plagued his lower half. His breathing being slightly labored. He pushed his way to his feet, moving his knees beneath him and pushing up. Even he had a stubborn will to him, he was not about give up so easily and not to such little pain. "Something tells me that you already have your answers. Though I can't be for certain. Maybe you just want to see if you can get me to talk about it. Give up something that you already know." He stepped forward to meet her and stand over her. He was taller by a few inches and could look down at her. His hands behind his back made it hard for him to really strike. Having not been fully trained in the art of combat he would have a hard time keeping his balance if he tried to kick out with any success. His eyes met hers again and he licked his lips. His entire lower half almost numb with pain. His eyes searched in hers for something and even through her words and threats he continued to search before he finally decide to speak.

"She is alive and well. Her group grows stronger every day, even if not in numbers but in skill. I've heard that her right hand, the girl with one eye, was a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Nether her's nor the wolf's strength rely on each other. Every member of her group is strong in their own right, most by way of combat." he stopped and searched for his words. He was speculating from rumors and forming a tale of his own by weaving the words together. He had not had the time nor ability to actually find out if they were true. The pride in the Nykian was swelling, he never had been in a situation like this. He had never had his back pressed to the wall with so little options for him to talk but, for now, he was enjoying it. Even through the pain and threats of death, he finally felt that he had a hidden strength within him and it was beginning to boil over ready to strike out. "But then again, you would already know this being the Wolf wouldn't you." It was a challenge and more of a guess then anything, but he did his best to mask the words with the confidence he was feeling.

[Pulren Marsh]

Great Gods on high, could the mark ever talk? As the jeers and words continued to spill from his mouth, Pulren began to see red. He had heard of people seeing red before, as talk among braggers for the most part, but now he was sort of seeing red. Besides a kind of red haze around the aura of his vision, there was a steady stream of blood imagery coursing through his imagination. He imagined that the man would speak and laugh less with the parts that allowed for those noises separated from his body. If it was anger that the mark was trying to inspire, he was very successful. the problem was, as he watched the man chuckle and spit blood, that Pulren had a kind of coldness sometimes when it came to killing. He would occasionally forget the idea that there was a living, breathing being before him. They would just become an obstacle, ready to be cleared out.

And here he went, adding insult to injury, pushing his way up to stand up. Pulren watched him like one might watch an injured creature trying to cross a stream. A sort of spectacle while waiting for Caihya to take Her course. Though he didn't care for the man's stance so close to his leader, Pulren was more than willing to put him down at this point. He looked him over as he spoke more, of course, to Bitzer. The guy was following the trail as he should have but he was too slow. If this was another gang, his entrails would already be painting the walls of the area, a thought that brought a vague smile to the Zeltivan's face. The grin dropped when his tapestry of telling ended with marking the Wolf as the Wolf.

"Pants him."

Nodding, Pulren loosened the drawstring of the breeches he wore and dropped them to the ground. Actually, it was helpful now for him to be standing. He could already see blood and bruises rising on the inner thighs of the man and yet, no regret was to be had. The only regret he had was that they weren't done playing with the thing and killing it so they could go in for some lunch. He felt a sensation rising in him that he hadn't in some time, if ever. A kind of rising wave of murder. It tingled through his core. "Don't you think we can just kill him now?" He said it in a regular, happenstance way but looked at Bitzer with hopeful eyes, that they might communicate that he really would rather just put the trident in the soft hollow of the man's throat and move on with the day.

[Fallon]

He just would not shut up. Fallon continued to let him twitter, hissing and spitting despite his aches, those grunts as he tried to clear his thoughts and make an answer. If it could even be called one, he forced himself to stand that sway on the spot as he let his conclusions fall once more. But Fallon maintained silence, looking him up and down as he struggled to keep balance. His tale spun, she looked to Palaren as he begun to fray. The setting of the jaw, the tell tale signs of annoyance and anger bubbling up within. For now however, he held his patience and performed as desired weaving the story along as wished.

"Don't tempt me," Fallon sighed, a frown upon her face as she simply looked down. Her fingers moved back, gripping around the kukri as she held the hilt, tensed, considered, and paused. No, she had another plan, even with her own wants to simply gut him and leave him to bleed. The kukri was drawn with a quiver of steel, the faint ring as she closed in upon him. Her heel raised aiming to stamp upon his foot before she firmly grabbed him by the fabric - it was only then that she hooked the blade into his shirt collar and brought it ripping down to slice the material. The blade was withdrawn a firm ripping pull as she gave him another look over. It was carefully that she opened the parcel, the faint ripping sound as she unravelled it before his eyes. Within were the articles that had to be so carefully protected, a wooden box and a glass container of a honeyed liquid.

She looked at him, pointedly as she unscrewed the top turning it in her grasp. It was raised, lifting as the congealed contents rolled out across the limb and into the hair. It was from there that it rolled, sticking and seeping into the skin, gathering as it came across the shoulders. She withdrew, quickly, flicking the remaining contents of the jar onto him before letting it go. From there she looked, studied the figure up and down, and the offered the box across to Palaren, "Thing is, if you kill him now, we'll miss out on all the fun we could have." She gave a wiggle of the box for him to take, "Be a shame to waste such an opportunity, don't you think?" Her lips peeled back, a wolfish smile sprouting upon her lips, "Have fun with him, let out some of that... fire."

[Aider Silander]

Aider stood there as the other man dropped Aider's pants. A shake of his head and a sigh escaping his lips. Public embarrassment? Is that all? his mind questioned and he shrugged to himself as he stared the obvious leader in the eyes. The man wielding the trident was growing impatient rather quickly but the woman seemed to have more to her. The quick pressure and pain added to his foot made him wince before looking at her again as she grabbed his shirt and began to slice down it with her curved blade. "Oh but tempting people is what I do best" he said, a simple smile on his face as she went about unwrapping the package that he had brought in and what was revealed was not what he expected. The light shone off of the liquid inside.

"Honey?" he said with a tilt of his head. He was expecting poison if she was going to actually show him what was in it, but the sweet goo was the last thing he expected. When she dumped it on top of him, he felt his body cool as the sticky mess rolled down his body and onto the cloth that still clung to his body. He licked some of the honey off of his cheek and chuckled. His eyes flicked from her to Pulren and then back. His original observation of her being in charge had been more then confirmed at that point and she seemed to just ignore his accusation. Not that he really expected her to react in the first place. No she was far to smart for that. She was calculating everything and trying to counter any move he made. His eyes looked to the box that the thug now held.

He stepped back from her as she had released him. Stumbling more then he thought as he remembered his pants had been dropped. The man moved his foot slightly to step on the lace of his boot. Moving it slightly to loosen the lace and then repeating the process for the other foot. His options were limited as it were and his pants around his ankles would only slow him down. His best chance for freedom would be to kick of his boots and try and free himself from the binds that his pants formed. Running would be the smarter choice, but his Nykian pride made him want to fight. To shove his fist into the man with the trident's jaw and maybe even kill him if possible with his own weapon. The sick satisfaction that would rush over him excited the Nykian but he knew it would be difficult not only with the woman there, but with his binds as well. A flash of murder showed in the mans eyes for a tick.

He mumbled a curse under his breath to the gods and blinked. Death was not something that scared him, it never had truthfully. He did not want to die, he wasn't ready for it. But he knew that it would come when it pleased and there was no way to stop it from eventually taking him. But even a weakened animal could fight back and he felt that, if left with no other choice, even he could. He turned his attention towards Pulren and the box. Scars could be seen around his legs and the lower half of his body, one bigger and fresher then the others where the dagger had been plunged into his skin that night in the graveyard. Surrounded by death and decay which he would have joined if he was alone. His mind raced to Kaie as he looked at Pulren. Remembering the times she tried to kill him and the murder that he saw in her eyes. Then the murder he saw in her eyes that night. Both of them were different from what he saw in Pulren's eyes. It was not something that he understood and part of him wondered if he ever would.