Luck (Quinten)

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

12th of Spring

The dusk was on the verge of night, tipping precariously into the dark. The warm spring air bit with a chilled wind that blew in from the East, pulling with it a wild and open feel. But this wind did not touch Jess.

Jessor moved through an alley, her eyes darting from side to side. The girl was clad only in dark clothing and a cloak. Free of Itsu, Kitchi, or Badger, the Drykas drew little attention, and that was the way she wanted it.

Jessor was on a mission from Killroy's- send out to steal (or as she liked to think, rescue) an aimal from the streets, and not to come back until she had one. So the young Drykas stalked the alley, watching piles of mud and carefully analyzing misread-able prints in the wet ground that lined the streets.

It wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. Her eyes settled on a malnourished cat, clearly disregarded by an owner long ago, up ahead of her. Jessor dropped into a crouch and crept forward ever so slowly. Her hands moved in habitual Grassland Sign, even though she knew the cat could not understand her.

Calm. Reassurance. Good.

But just as she got within touching distance, a thin shadow passed over Drykas and cat. Both were spooked, as they thought they were alone, and both shot off. The Drykas stood with a loud, Pavi swear, and the cat bolted off in another direction entirely.

[Quinten]

"He's at the bar. She's all alone." The thief in front of him seemed pleased. He was a regular customer of Quinten's information gathering services and Quinten wanted it that way. All of them had to be happy with his information, specially those that paid upfront such as the one in front of him. Without saying a word, the thief just left, entering a close by alley. Quinten however, stood by for a bit and watched as the thief began to climb the buildings on the alley. Once the thief was on the top of the building, Quinten began walking home. "Another job well done." On his way home, he passed near another alley and suddenly heard a woman speak. On a city such as Sunberth, this was often either a call of pleasure or danger, but after looking towards the alley and noticing that the woman wasn't speaking directly to him, he decided to approach her, his cane sword still within it's scabbard, but firmly on his hands. He wasn't carrying any kind of armor besides his normal clothing, but he was confident on his skills with the sword, should it be needed. "Is there something wrong miss?" He asked. For Quinten, there were two types of people in Sunberth. The ones that are dangerous, and the ones that he can make use of. It was time to see on what category did that woman belong.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

The Drykas had long been described as fiery, strong, active, and wild. She had been called rebellious, instinctive, and intuitive. She had fought beasts larger than her and won with her fists. She had faced things on the wild plains she should never have faced at her age.

And yet, the man's voice made her stop cold.

It was a smooth voice. The kind that sounded like music and felt like a snake's tounge. His voice was gentle and cool, like the relief of a cool drink on a day that was too hot.

She didn't trust it for a second.

Jessor spun up and about on her feet, turning to face the man in one swift turn. Her fists and teeth were clenched, prepared for a fight. Her eyes burned with the fire inside as she drew herself up tall. She was ready for whatever this man may bring.

And yet, despite her preparations, he did nothing. Instead, he stood and watched with a careful eye. I could use a careful eye...

"That was my cat," Jessor lied, "He got scared off when someone walked past. Probably an old drunkard. Is there anyway you could help me find him?"

Though she had little of the wiles that most women did, Jessor knew enough to relax her clenched muscles and smile ever-so-sweetly at the man. She even held out her hand to shake. "The name's Jessor. You can call me Jess."

[Quinten]

Quinten smiled, not to be polite with the girl but because he realized that it would be a good idea to keep her as a friend. It wasn't her voice that drew his attention when she asked for his help. It wasn't her hair floating with the wind as she turned around. No. He was paying attention to a more satisfying part of her body. Her eyes. Her fierce eyes that gave him a slight chill, warning him of danger. Her fierce eyes that showed a wild beast waiting to be released. Yes. Those were the eyes of someone that Quinten would love to have near him. It was decided. Quinten usually worked in terms of favors. You help me, I help you. I need you to do this for me. I will do that for you. Those were usually the terms of Quinten's agreements. Of course, most of the times his favors were in fact traded with money, but a man had to survive someway. "Of course I'll help." He said, now smiling gently in order to gain some trust with the girl. He also decided to use his real name instead of an alias as he usually did. He was determined to get this girl's friendship, so he firmly grabbed hold on to the girl's hand, bent over slightly and gave a small kiss on her hand. "A pleasure to meet you miss Jess. You may call me Quinten. Quinten Rutherford." On his days of begging, he had seen many young men courting young woman, doing what he was doing right now, but he wasn't expecting the girl to fall for him. The wild beast inside of her wouldn't allow it he thought. Still, he wanted to be a gentleman, a rare sight in the great city known as Sunberth, but a quick way to get what he desired. After letting go of her hand, he began looking for the cat. It was getting dark, and his eyes still needed to embrace the darkness, but he was determined. "What's the name of your cat by the way?" He asked, hoping that calling it by name would be of any help.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

In Sunberth, it wasn't uncommon for one to wake up with money one day and grow poor by sunset. There might be a mugging, or you might get a brand new job. A gang might come after you and attempt to be rid of you, or you might be a member of said gang. Either way, it was clear to anyone who had ever been there that Sunberth was a city of surprises, and Jessor loved it that way.

She loved surprises, so it was a great impression indeed that Quinten made when he bent to kiss her hand. Her eyebrows rose up into the mess of stray hair falling above her forehead and her lips curved into a slight grin akin to a smirk.

But when he inquired of the cat's name, Jessor's face fell. She could not stop her mouth from popping open lightly and her tongue slipping as she muttered, "Uh...Whiskers."

All suave was gone. Jessor could feel the blush burn her cheeks as she lied. She had never been good at it, and was frankly surprised she had made it this far. Still, she stumbled on.

"Yes, Whiskers was his name. I almost had him just back there," Jessor pointed. "While he was busy eating something, but then he got away. I think he's hungry, so if we put down some food and call for him..."

Jessor's mind drifted, lost in the hunt.

A moment of silence passed before her head snapped back up to look at the forgotten man. Struggling to remember his name due to her bustling mind, Jessor just smiled politely at him and nodded. "What do you think?"

[Quinten]

"Whiskers, huh?" The small pause before the girl mentioned the cat's name was slightly suspicious. It seemed as if it was made up on the spot. This made Quinten's mind ring a few warning bells. Was there a reason for the girl to lie about the cat? Was she really searching for a cat? Was she doing something illegal instead? Suddenly, the warning bell ended and the profit bell sounded way louder. If she was doing something mischievous, Quinten could use that information against the girl. All he had to do was find out what was really going on. " I'm afraid I have no food here with me, but my apartment isn't that far away. Still, I don't think we'll have much luck finding that cat. Dark-fur cats are hard to see in the night, and it's getting pretty late." The first part of the bait was set. Now, all he had to do was to set the second part. Soon, he would have enough evidence to catch the girl in her own lie.