12th/Summer/518 AV
Aster had been moping around since she entered Ravok. Despite being in a new city with new opportunities, she'd gone straight to Tarsin's Boarding House, and holed herself up there. Ravok, while beautiful, didn't necessarily strike her as the sort of place she might want to reside permanently, so she was paying for her room by day.
She'd been advised to go to the citizen registration office if she planned on staying very long, but dismissed the suggestion since she had no idea yet. Aster sighed, lounging on her bed; it was perfectly positioned to receive sunlight from the window, but even so, it wasn't enough.
She was also beginning to go stir-crazy; paranoid as she was, Aster didn't think she could isolate herself for much longer. She realized as she pulled herself out of bed that she had yet to explore the city during the day; she'd really only left her room when her mortal form's need for food had forced her out.
Stripping out of her chemise, Aster pulled on her pants and shirt and threw her lighter cloak on over her shoulders; no matter the weather, she enjoyed the feeling of security it gave her. She pulled on her high boots, strapped her dagger to her belt, and pocketed her coin purse.
Her hand moved first to her neck, assuring herself Navi's tooth still hung at the hollow of her throat, and then to her pocket, where frustration and distaste curled her mouth into a sneer when she felt the maledicted bone in her pocket. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed it wasn't going anywhere.
Shaking her head, Asterope blew out a breath, scraping her loose waves into a messy bun before heading out the door.
She could feel that something was off the moment she stepped outside. Aster inhaled deeply as she stepped into the sunlight, Syna's rays dancing off the polished white of her horns, illuminating the occasional fleck of peach on their glassy surface.
A mother walking by with two children in tow gasped audibly, dragging them closer to her as she hurried past, glaring at Aster with cold eyes; if looks could kill, the Eth would be dead several times over.
The people around gave her a wide berth as she began to walk aimlessly; Aster squirmed nervously, her hands fluttering at her waist and tugging her cloak closer around her. Had she done something wrong? A man in a passing ravosola shouted something at her, but she didn't quite catch it.
Fear and uncertainty began to edge into Asterope's mind. What was happening? Just as the thought crossed her mind, Aster heard an angry shout from behind her. "Halt! Deplorable!" The pure anger and hatred in the voice made her skin crawl. Deplorable? Aster had no idea what that was.
She spun on her heel, wide golden eyes casting back and forth in confusion; several feet away, a uniformed man stood, pointing at her. He began to approach, and panic seized in Aster's throat. She saw a similarly uniformed man out of the corner of her eye heading towards her, and she turned and broke into a run.
The man behind her shouted, and the one nearing her lunged forward to grab her, but adrenaline was coursing hot and fast, pumping the blood in her veins; she ducked as she sprang forward, feeling fingertips graze the hem of her cloak. "Stop that deplorable!" One of the men roared behind her; she could hear footsteps pounding as they gave chase.
Ledger :
