Open [Sakel City Event][Zhongjie Warren] Double Act

[Valour Skyglow]

Valour Skyglow

Throughout the entirety of the scenario, Valour had been assisting the injured woman. She offered her a shoulder, aiding in the painful limp to the preferred location. She was careful with her movements around the subject, considering she had yet to figure out exactly who she was and what her capabilities were. Despite her lack of knowledge on inspector Skylar, she flopped down beside her. Crossing her legs over one another, she curiously stared at the woman who was now slowly, but surely regaining her composure.

They had been sitting for barely a minute or two, though a slender feline quickly made their way towards them. It was a cougar, and ‘it’ was most probably a Kelvic; a race Valour had yet to acquaintance herself with. Despite her curiosity, she was well aware of the fact that now would not be the time for her to express interest. The cougar seemed familiar with Skylar, thus allowing a wave of relief to wash over Valour. It would definitely help if there was more than a single person there.
”I don’t know much about wounds- but your friend’s seem pretty bad.” She stated the obvious, turning her gaze back to the inspector.

The inspector’s voice sounded as she uttered a minor curse and a rhetorical question. Valour wasn’t too concerned with the whereabouts of the doppelganger, she had merely come to the foggy conclusion that it was a being of magic. She wasn’t familiar with the dangerous art, though she knew that its abilities were one that should never be underestimated. With this thought in mind, she looked back to Skylar. Her stomach flipped at the sight of the red liquid. She could handle blood, however the whole ordeal of it resulting from a possible broken nose and welling up at the back of a throat was unsettling. It wasn’t until the inspector grabbed the upper portion of her nose that she averted her gaze to the ground. A sickening ‘crunch’ was heard, followed by a voice etched with relief and gratitude.
”Oh, no problem. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, this isn’t really my expertise.” Valour shrugged, awkwardly clapping her hands together.

The woman started rattling on about the thief, speaking based on observation and assumption. Valour frowned, having noticed almost nothing strange other than the face difference. She guessed that the thief must have said something to the inspector in order for her to have noticed so much. She shrugged off the thought; this matter was none of her concern. Upon being acknowledged, her eyes averted from their light blue to a faded purple.
”I’m Valour(Val-ler)” She informed, offering a quick smile. ”You took a serious hit to the nose- and ribs, if I can remember. . . I don’t know much about wounds, but yours look pretty bad. I’d take it easy if I were you.” She added, her voice loud enough to be heard, though free of confidence. She meant what she said, though she felt rather awkward being in the presence of two beings who were clearly more than acquaintances.

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

Fallon readjusting her nose with a sloppy crunch near made Salara’s stomach turn. She wasn’t squeamish in the least so maybe the reaction was recognizing the brave effort of her mentor’s self-ministrations. With a grumble of agreement she nodded firmly at Valour’s assessment that Fallon should take it easy. In fact, she would have opined that perhaps a trip to Sanctuary would be the proper course of action. However, knowing the Inspector as tough, stubborn, and of a one-track mind when it came to information, such a suggestion would likely go un-followed anyway. ‘Whiskers,’ most decidedly a pet name, caused her ears to wobble comically as she sneezed (maybe a little to closely to Valour) at the humor of it. Point of fact was that Fallon’s mind didn’t stop even in physical handicap and they did have work to do. Rising the cougar turns to stare directly into Valour’s blue…no purple, eyes. Purple? Lifted paw, placed upon the young lady’s up-bent knee Salara looks toward Fallon and then back, curling toes to flex claws ever so slightly but meaningful. While Fallon thought through the situation under Valour’s caring eye, the cougar turns in graceful determination to put her fledgling skills to work. So much time had passed already in the busy market that she didn’t expect to find anything, but started her investigation of the scene with the brass jug still, thankfully, laying at the beginning of the bloody-nose trail that most people were trying to avoid and ignore at the same time. Coming so close as to nearly brush it with her whiskers, breath fogged it’s surface revealing no fingerprints at all; but it seemed both Fallon and the jug had come out equal as it carried a good sized dent too. Turning back toward her companions Salara lifts her paw as if giving a high five, spreads her toes and shakes her head in disappointment. Looking farther about she finds a clump of dark blonde hair that could have come from either of them as well as various indeterminate scuffs. As far as she could tell no scent lingered except fresh blood. Other than that there wasn’t much she could find. Either the traffic before and after the brawl had obscured it, nothing more was left, or Salara just didn’t know what more could be evident. Perhaps there would be some value in looking for other witnesses; but even if they could find anyone else who had seen the encounter, Salara had a feeling they would tell about as vague a story as Valour could. Her hide twitched in irritation, as all in all it was beyond creepy.

[Fallon]

Fallon’s head continued to throb, rattling with pain as she attempted to focus her thoughts. She had not brought herself to move yet, and in honesty she was uncertain if she was able to. So, she took the next few moments to simply collect herself, the information and assess it accordingly. Salara had moved into snuffling, padding around the place and studying the surroundings. Even the inspector could see the cougar attempting to piece together the scene into something. For the moment, she left her to it and returned her attention to the Vantha.

That was what she was after all, Fallon was coherent enough to see the small changes in shade - the manner in which the colour prickled and shifted. It was a rarity, considering the climate of the world at present. Vantha were at risk from all manner of enemies and of allies. Fallon would remain forever in the middle, drifting to and fro in whatever direction appealed to her at the time until she had a true reason to take a side. She gave a smile, followed by a wince and a sharp, whistling inhale.

"I would shake your hand," the inspector let her face fall into the comfort of neutrality - it seemed facial expressions were unnecessarily uncomfortable, "But I am slightly a mess. Valour, correct?" There was the small lift of the brow, "I think I may have been introduced already. Inspector Skylar. Investigator and well..." she let the words drift before simply shrugging, "Rest assured, I have had much worse beatings in my time. I will manage accordingly with these ones too."

With a wince the inspector stood. Straightening she wobbled on the spot for a moment, feeling the rush of blood to her head as a chorus of noise. A sway, a brief closing of eyes before a firm shake of the head. She gathered her senses, lids slowly peeling open to look upon the scene. Work flooded into her mind shortly after, body recounting the steps taken. She started some feet away from the tackling point, long strides taken to measure the distance. The inspector had managed to close the gap quickly, within forty feet or so - she counted those steps out to the point Salara had been snuffling at.

"Keep it in your head," Fallon began, looking back and forth along the strip of stalls. It was a relatively long stretch, carrying only a few breaks where other paths opened up, "Thief had been running for a while. Gap could be closed by competent runner. Not a body builder in regards to strength, presume average statistics with lift capabilities." She gave a kneel, brushing the thin layer of dirt and rubbing it between her gloved fingers. Riverfall was a notably clean city, and here was no different with its stone roads. Her own side gave a small wince of discomfort then, pain catching up from the fall, "Seemingly able to bounce back however. This one knows how to fall, and take a hit."

Her gaze looked up to Salara then, before she began to move to take off her gloves. The skin was exposed and the Lykata flickered in the light, "Whiskers. Please make sure I don't get kicked by a passer-by for the next few minutes. I need to... read."

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

*Took some liberties to move it further. Be happy to correct if needed. Pacing alongside as Fallon counted strides, her golden eyes lift at the command to remember then lowers to focus on where Fallon gestured with description. Another way to see a scene: deducing speed, distance, motion, and capabilities. While studying the scene with her mentor Salara imagined what might be revealed with someone such as her feline-self under investigation. Knowing her own capabilities with distance and drive she would later remind, for Fallon’s benefit, that there was no petching way the mock-Fallon could have stayed ahead of the cougar long enough to finally escape through the crowd. After a few observations, Salara felt a hum of ironic humor tickle her throat as Fallon, most certainly for her benefit in learning what to look for, constructed the obvious culprit as herself. Needless to say, this would be valuable information if she weren’t already looking at who they were looking for; but it did make ‘keeping it in your head’ easy. ‘Seeming able to bounce back, fall, and take a hit,’ throaty humor ended in a husky ‘chuff’ of agreement that ‘the culprit’ certainly was capable of such. The inspector, still functioning with increasingly colorful facial swelling, was proof. Attention eagerly focused as the inspector slid off those enigmatic gloves allowing Salara to confirm for the first time that, yes, indeed, there was a gnosis mark of Eyris beneath. The locked keys symbol glinted alluring in Syna’s light. The reveal was one inconsequential step closer to supporting her theory of Fallon being Araka. And apparently she would get a chance to see this gnosis in action. Fair dancing upon four paws, Salara made a semblance of effort toward crowd control. Lowering her sleek head at level with her shoulders with ears half pinned back in a pose any primal animal would recognize as a warning, she paces around the inspector’s form while trying to keep one eye on what this ‘read’ might entail. There wasn’t much to see. The slim woman motionless and undisturbed by the public moving about while her Kelvic stood guard. The pedestrian traffic seemed to naturally flow around the predatory cat and the woman in the middle of the market place with only a curious look or two in passing. Salara admitted to herself a slight disappointment having expected something more…. Turning her attention to observe the people in the area with a thought towards practicing a little profiling of her own she begins watching a tall teal Akalak with a slight light skinned girl-child perched upon his shoulder. There was no doubt that the man was besotted by his child, who at the moment was squealing with pleasure flailing a toy whip about their heads. It had a tiny wooden clapper on the end to mimic the crack of a proper weapon. Their laugher brought a thought for Karyk and Sharay. It was saddening because Riverfall wasn’t really the lecherous meat market/baby mill that they had expected. These women and their children were truly loved and cherished. His entire family would have been better than fine here. She hoped they were well. Just beyond the pair, almost concealed by the child on the Akalak’s broad shoulders was…Fallon... grinning such that it nearly seemed a wolf’s snarl. Her nose wasn’t bashed. Knowing the inspector was right behind her, she still had to look back anyway to be sure before turning again only to find the imposter had disappeared. Oh, this could be bad. Standing in alarm she scans the crowd for another appearance while wondering if it would be appropriate to break into Fallon’s reading. Was it safe to interrupt a ‘reading?’ Didn’t matter, why continue looking into whatever while the real thing might be right before them again. Her growl starts low and grows in pitch until the sound breaks past Fallon’s concentration.

[Fallon]

The ground was cool beneath her palms, stone that was rough against the skin yet in places smoothed by the ever moving traffic. Her eyes squinted, falling into narrows as she laid her hands down flat. Fingers extended, the small crease of features as she worked her way through the pain. A level inhale and exhale, she focused past the sounds of civilians, of chattering voices, feet passing by. She listened past the rumbling exhale of Salara, the rush of air as she breathed. Her skin prickled, hairs raising and eyes firmly closing.

For the longest moment there was nothing but an inky Black, a silence that stretched on.

Buzzing, a low hum of noise that filled her ears. Crackling and hissing, a sea of words formulating and pouring out into her senses. She could feel her hands tense, her arms locked in place as the sound circulated in her mind.

All shadows. Shadows. Part of us. Yet not of us. Learn; hear, see, do… her head tilted to one side, mind searching for a word of the feeling that was creeping over, Not human. A shadow. A copy. Learning. Curious. Made of nothing. Her lips parted a crack, her brow creasing as she tried to stretch for what lay beyond reach. Teasing, taunting, it niggled at her as she tried to grab at it, It knows. It knows EVERYTHING about you.

Cold sweat clung to the back of her neck, hands sticking to the floor as she tugged herself away. She felt herself tremble, a flurry of blinks while her mind turned and twisted. Inside her head sloshed with information, barely picking out the sounds of the world around her. They sparked and flickered back into life, while she leaned back on her knees. The dull pain gave some clarity, her ears twitching and hearing the sound of growling. Orbs glazed, they gradually managed to focus on the Kelvic.

”Salara?” Fallon asked. Sluggish, she could feel her tongue growing thick. It was hard to see what the cat was focusing on, alert and tensed in muscle. A threat? Perhaps, but it was hard to tell with the ever shifting bodies. But that was not her immediate concern, ”We need to find that thing. It knows things. It knows too many things. Dangerous things.” The inspector made herself stand, a brief sway on her heels. The inside of the skull throbbed, clawing and sinking as she tried to feel her way around the situation. The side effects of the Lykata was still upon her, leaving her feeling disorientated in her attempts to ground.

What does it mean? her knuckles cracked before she pulled the gloves on, A shadow. The mind gaining form in a manner that it allows others to see it?

It was not human, that much was apparent. Her mind flickered the thought of journeymen, their nature truly alien. Perhaps this creature was something similar? Her fingers gave a small tap against Salara’s shoulders, ”If I was something… something pretending to be me, a shadow of the self, where would I want to lure my quarry? Where would I want them to go to…?”

She winced, Where would I go to stab at the heart? Where would I go to crush the very soul of the prey I am hunting? To destroy my biggest and greatest enemy?

”We’re heading back,” Fallon spoke sharply, her eyes had narrowed into slits, her chin tilting up. The tone had turned authoritative, finding strength where moments ago it seemed to be lacking, ”We’re looking in the wrong place.” Her head turned in the direction of the office, ”We need to go to where it all begun. Back to the beginning.”

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

As Fallon slowly pulled herself out of her reading the Kelvic winced to hear her true name spoken aloud. Her head swivels to see if Valour was near enough to notice but the young lady was nowhere around. ‘We need to find that thing.’ ‘It was just right here again,’ she wanted to say but instead frustration at her inability to speak radiated as her head swiveled again searching the crowd for the Inspector’s double, finding it also currently in absence. Seeing her mentor’s unsteadiness she steps close offering her furred body as a support while Fallon regained balance and clarity. Encouraged to move forward at the tap upon her shoulders she stayed near to ensure no further support was needed as they began a return to SWI. Fallon’s comments lent an even more dangerous air to the situation than a single occurrence of an aggressive doppelganger. The thoughts spoken aloud made her hide twitch involuntarily. It was all she could do not to leap ahead to what she thought of as the safety of their own territory. But she wondered if Fallon were considering it more safe there or the location that this shadow was trying to lure them? It would be like her companion to spit in the eye of danger by voluntarily walking into a trap. Needless to say her instincts were screaming alarm as they passed easily through the crowd that parted around them almost magically at the large predator’s dangerous display. Tuft tail bristled while hair rose along her backbone as she stalked, constant growl rumbling low and deep from her throat. She didn't note the children that were pulled to safety in parental embrace. Her glances only skimmed those who turned to quickly walk another way. Hard eyes sought through every face near and far but only the menacing feeling of being watched accompanied their progress. By the time they reached to door, Salara had become a ball of nervous tension as thoughts and wonderings ran rabbit-assed through her mind. Heedless of the potential of a trap, as Fallon opened the door Salara darted through unmindful of the chance of knocking the Inspector from her feet. Before the glow of her change dimmed her voice rang out, “What do you MEAN stabbing at the heart? Crushing the soul? How is it any different than all the other occurrences in RiverFall? IS it any different? Do you think these… this...THING has a plan?!” Normally not caring of her state of undress Salara felt quite exposed so quickly grabbed a cloak next to the door to wrap tightly about her body, shivering, pacing around the room to ensure they were the only ones there. “It had substance yet left no petching prints Fallon! How could…you…IT so easily outrun ME?!” Clearly her thoughts were scattering in their priorities as she tried to keep from climbing the walls by throwing herself into the nearest chair, lip biting with an owlishly blinking stare. She all but moaned, “It IS still around. It was there again before we left the market!” She leaned forward in her chair wrapping her arms tight about her torso as she shivered, “I felt it watching us.” Magic and mysticism had always daunted her. It was unnatural and, in her mind, not a part of life’s cycle. Even the deities’ gifts of Lykata were vague and incomprehensible to her. “What DID you SEE?”

[Fallon]

Fallon’s eyes squinted into narrows as she walked, lips pursed into a line. The hand gave a small shift back, resting upon the pommel of the kukri. Mind flickered to and fro, calculating and working through her own headspace. What would she do if she looked to torture and torment? A mental self-flagellation, her mind often led her through bouts of over thinking and edged onto despair. But this was thoughts made flesh, a parallel of a darker self-made real. Something that could not simply be pushed aside or comforted with words. There was no drowning in drink, no wailing out, to smash fists or be rocked asleep by a warm embrace. It was real, too real.

And that in itself was a terrifying thought.

Salara was on the prowl, parting the way as the ascended through the tier. The cold stone of the cliffs greeted them, the sensation of eyes ever lingering. Occasionally Fallon was certain she heard the tell-tale snigger on the air, the faint whispering stab at her consciousness.

Weak.

She swallowed, reaching the door she gave a twisting turn of the handle – finding it already unlocked – before opening it. Barely allowed time to side step as Salara burst in, the inspector was left listening to the ranting that began. The door was closed gently behind her, hand sweeping back the strands of hair in thought. The Lykata buzzed, twitching and itching. The Kelvic declared explanation, the demands akin to a child. But Fallon simply let them wash past her. Back leaning against the door now, she looked to the room.

Fallon held a habit of making sure things were always as she left them. The chairs facing the desk, Salara now occupying them. The water jug was on a small side table, three tumblers there – the fourth was on the corner of her desk. The notebooks remained neatly stacked in the opposite corner, ink well neatly lined up next to it. Her gaze shifted to the wall, ears straining through the noise, shifting and moving. Her fingers however found the lock on the door, quietly turning it with a soft click. The map, annoyingly, was left lopsided once more, the board it was mounted too had surrendered to the whims of gravity – she would have to fix that again. The windows were closed, the lanterns out while the daylight poured in. Her gaze slid over Salara, noting the cloak with a squint – black fabric, light, mine – but eased it off when she remained silent. The blue-green orbs moved, flittering up past the desk now to her high backed chair with its back to the door.

She raised a finger to her lips, feeling the hairs upon her arms rise. The other moved once more to the Kukri, gripping and pulling. A large step away, the gloves creaked around the hilt as she drew it. With one swift movement she threw it, sending it wind milling across the room and lodging itself into the top of her chair. A crack of noise, the form lunged out of the chair and threw itself against the window – the copy glaring back.

”Gods woman, what’s wrong with you?” came the exclamation.
”Don’t you DARE move my things!” came the snarled retort of the inspector. Already she was moving, fists clenched, face full of fury. The copy was given no time to move before Fallon was upon her. Hands grasped around the collar, slamming the form up to the window before down onto the table. The books were scattered across the floor in the process, but the inspector did not care. Rage took over, fingers knotting into the hair and slamming the head onto the surface once, twice, thrice, before flipping it over. A choked gasp, it stared back – caught off guard by the whole ordeal.

”Not a guest insp-“
“What, do you want? You are nothing but a Shadow. Here to haunt? To torment?” She shook the copy, slamming the back into the desk while she herself leaned over, ”Answer me!” There was a long struggle, hands gripping around her wrists as it tried to fight back. A grunt, a groan, but Fallon snarled angrily in reaction, ”I’d play along if I was you. We’re not out there now. So, I don’t have to be nice when you make this personal.”
A fist struck out against her jaw, a grunt of annoyance was the response followed by an additional slam. The jeering began soon after, ”You can’t do it, can you Wolf? Gotten oh so scared. Can’t hurt. Not really. Grown so soft.”
“Shut up.”
“It’s true, though, isn’t it? You’re the reason they all gave up. That they were chased out of their homes. I know what you are. I am you through and through…”

It was a swift kick to the gut that pushed Fallon away. Winded, she watched the copy make a move to the chair and tug the kukri free. Her own back to the window now, she barely caught the offending wrist as it made a swing at her. Wrestling, she felt the hot breath upon her, ”So silver tongued, but shyke with your fists. What’s this I smell, fear? Are you scared by what’s before you? Have you forgotten how to fight back when you looked so promising?”
“You’re not human, are you?” she hissed, pressing and shoving. She did not hesitate to make space by retreating back around the other side of the desk.
The returned smile was cruel, a point of the kukri across the space and the gaze growing dark, ”Well done. You worked it out. Though, I suppose it was more obvious for you given…” the point circled, ”Particular assets. Go on now, run away again. Shoo. I know too much, and you would just hate for the wrong people to know things – wouldn’t you now?”

[Salara Kel'Halavath]

Salara watched Fallon’s gaze run across her then move onward toward the business chair swiveled as if to look out the back window. “Wha…,” her question stops mid-vowel at the lifted finger pressing lips beneath her mentor’s mashed nose. She’d learned well to watch hand signals as a part of their silent communications; so instead, her eyes followed the hand that reached for the kukir as dark dread ran a chill across her flesh. For a tick that seemed a chime everything moved in slow motion as Fallon drew back her weapon with a long step forward. Her own eyes widened as the weapon revolved over and over to thud shuddering into the back of the chair’s headrest. Then everything sped up as she scrambled circling about the guest chair she’d been resting in as if it would be a barrier to whatever was…the petching double who hadn’t been there just a moment before! Of all things to say,‘Don’t you DARE move my things!’, the Inspector’s raged shout forced a maniacal giggle from the stunned Kelvic who stood with hands clasped tightly to the chair back. The grabbing, smashing clatter kept her well distracted through several heaving breaths until she finally, silently lifted the chair, held like a lion tamer, to skirt around the opposite side of the room. Through the taunting and raging, Salara couldn’t help but wince as the real Fallon seemed to get the upper hand by smashing the false one again and again onto the desk’s polished surface. Then false Fallon lifted strong legs, breaking their connection with a kick to propel her mentor against the window that reverberated in its frame at the impact. They met again, with the deadly kukir held back by the true Fallon holding wrist before being shoved aside. Salara felt book bindings and shelf ledges pressed against her back as the Inspector scurried around opposite her position to the back side of the desk taking the copy's attention with her. ‘Well done. You worked it out. Though, I suppose it was more obvious for you given…’ The Kelvic watched the kukir’s point circle in further threat as she lifted the chair up alongside her shoulder. ‘…and you would just hate for the wrong people to know things – wouldn’t you now?’ A deep silent breath was the only thing left to be quietly expelled through pursed lips as Salara knocked the chair back slightly further in the determined step forward, followed by a mighty swing of it just at the edge of false Fallon’s peripheral. With a smashing clatter the chair exploded into splinters against the copy. The kukir catapulted from familiarly gloved hands as false Fallon crumpled to the floor but quickly rose again with a snarl holding a shattered chair leg in each hand. ‘That’s enough from You! Good night, Kitty!’ Salara managed to drop the broken chair back left dangling in her hands just in time to block one bone bruising chair leg with a forearm, but couldn’t dodge the second projectile that ricocheted off her skull. She dropped boneless to the floor in a pile of black, light fabric and tangled blonde hair.